Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
Mercy Corps West Africa region is composed of 9 countries including Senegal, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Liberia, Nigeria and CAR. This is a thriving and growing region with programming that covers all of Mercy Corps’ strategic pillars including food security, economic opportunities, water security, and peace and good governance. Mercy Corps’ programs in West Africa are undergoing both momentous humanitarian crises and significant development challenges that offer the opportunity to empower people to survive through crises, build better lives and transform their communities for good. Moreover, West Africa is also characterized by a high rate of urbanization and a massive youth population. Against this backdrop Mercy Corps’ focus in Africa has been on responding to ongoing humanitarian needs, while promoting good governance and conflict resolution, enhancing resilience, strengthening market systems, enhancing access to energy, finance and economic opportunities, and promoting youth employment and empowerment. Mercy Corps continues to position itself as a key partner with many donors, government authorities and civil society actors, enhancing our ability to contribute to the process of positive change across the continent. Mercy Corps requires an astute navigator able to steer our team and efforts toward ever-improving results for what represents one of the agency’s largest and most complex portfolios. Powered by the belief that a better world is possible, Mercy Corps seeks an inspiring, creative and focused leader to further the impact, influence, and innovation of Mercy Corps’ humanitarian and development efforts in the region.
The Interim Deputy Regional Director (DRD) for West Africa is a senior leader providing significant strategic direction and support to Mercy Corps country programs and initiatives in West Africa under their supervision. The DRD works closely with the Regional Director (RD) to ensure transformational changes occurs through the combination of programmatic impact, the ability to influence change makers at local/global levels, and a restlessness to innovate in search of better solutions. The DRD will collaborate with the RD to build and sustain a cohesive regional management team in the West Africa region, ensuring the Africa portfolio is geared towards excellence with heightened accountability measures. The DRD ensures all countries in the West Africa region implement our ten-year strategy Pathway to Possibility. While at the start the DRD will be responsible for managing Country Leaders directly, with the arrival of a new Regional Director that supervisory responsibility will be gradually transferred to the incoming RD and the DRD will then focus on overseeing our regional technical, business development and regional programming.
STRATEGY AND PLANNING
SUPERVISING OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT (initial 3 months focus while directly managing Country Leaders)
TEAM MANAGEMENT
Country Directors (initial 2-4 months), Business Develop Advisor, Regional Programs Team, Technical Advisors
Reports Directly To: Regional Director
Works Directly With: Country Directors and country leadership teams, HQ and regional support teams
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
The successful candidate will apply a strong combination of strategy development, leadership, management, coordination and relationship-building skills. With a high capacity to deliver results under tight deadlines with multiple priorities, the DRD will have the ability to think ahead and decide on a course of action, ensuring that the required resources to implement are available to achieve a high quality outcome. Commitment, flexibility and openeness to new practices, concepts, ideas and change will serve the position and team well. Public relaitons skills are integral to success. Excellent negotiation and communication skills required, as well as a deep understanding of the region including trends and political environment. Being a team player, a positive sense of attitude and a sense of humor are a plus. Strong interpersonal skills and cross-cultural communication skills required.
The position is based in Dakar, Senegal or other MC registered location and it requires up to 30% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing for this role is in individual housing and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard.
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.