Back Team Lead - Urban Resilience

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In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions
into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been present in Zimbabwe since 2002 focusing its interventions on a multi sectoral market systems development portfolio mobilizing communities to promote small-scale agriculture and revive local economies. Zimbabwe continues to experience recurrent environmental, economic and social shocks affecting the wellbeing of its communities and undermining development investments. Mercy Corps will continue to contribute to the well-being of rural and urban communities by building household capacities and strengthening systems and institutions.

Resilience building is an agency priority and involves using a systems-based approach that builds on proven solutions, accesses new ideas and information, and integrates multiple sectors and partnerships to strengthen food and water security, economic opportunities, and climate change adaptation.

General Position Summary

Mercy Corps is anticipating a Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) tender for Urban Resilience in Zimbabwe, which aims to improve economic opportunities for urban populations particularly women and youth and strengthen the policy environment for urban resilience. The Team Lead will lead the overall programmatic strategy, supervise program staff and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps policies and SDC rules and regulations. They will be the primary program representative to SDC, relevant government entities, partners, other implementers and stakeholders. They will have the responsibility for the overall coordination and implementation of Urban Resilience, of its core functions and teams to ensure the Urban Resilience consortia partners have the right guidance, support, and capacity strengthening to implement high quality resilience building programming and influencing related policies.

The Team Lead will provide overall leadership, management and strategic vision to the implementation of the Urban Resilience project, to ensure that the program meets its targets and deliverables on-time, with quality, and within budget.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Lead the development of a program-wide urban resilience-building framework to guide coordination and integrated implementation.
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve objectives.

  Program Management & Leadership

  • Oversee program start-up and ongoing program management and administration of consortia members and teams across various field locations.
  • Supervise project staff and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps policies and SDC rules and regulations.
  • Lead the development of detailed implementation plans, flowing from annual strategic work-plans, and ensure the delivery of the same.
  • Ensure that participants are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
  • Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
  • Provide managerial and programmatic oversight to consortium partners.
  • Provide leadership to ensure the Urban Resilience project remains agile and adaptive to shifting context/reality on the ground and responds to emerging evidence of resilience and landscape related changes.
  • Document processes and achievements to ensure best practices are captured and disseminated. This will include the continual re-evaluation of program activities and information, with resulting activity adjustments in keeping with new insights.
  • Produce written reports on program activities, capturing the impacts of activities.
  • Oversee efforts to design effective M&E systems for the program, and linkages with internal M&E systems.
  • Create and follow effective stakeholder management plans, ensuring sound and proactive communications with Mercy Corps Zimbabwe, consortium partner organizations, Mercy Corps headquarters, SDC, Government of Zimbabwe authorities, and colleague agencies.
  • Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites.

    Team Management

    • Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
    • Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
    • Develop the capacity of the team, lead team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
    • Supervise and manage all program staff to ensure day-to-day activities are implemented in a coordinated fashion according to schedule, budget and quality.
    • Supervise and manage all program partnerships to ensure sound coordination in the context of an overall program strategic and resilience-building framework.
    • Manage and help with the recruitment, orientation, professional development and ongoing training of staff to ensure they are of the quality and technical capacity necessary to ensure the successful implementation of activities.

      Finance & Compliance Management

      • In collaboration with the country program’s operations and finance departments, ensure proper financial management, procurement, administration, human resources and logistics (including transport, warehousing and asset management) needs of the program are conducted within Mercy Corps’ policy and with the maximum benefit to the program.
      • Create and maintain systems to ensure effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with programme, donor and Mercy Corps’ needs.

        Influence & Representation

        • Lead the socialization of the program with Government of Zimbabwe stakeholders and existing resilience initiatives, ensuring necessary approvals and collaboration as required.
        • Liaise with and represent program to SDC and other cooperating sponsors and stakeholders.
        • Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO and other relevant events in the field, in close coordination with the Country Director.
        • Ensure close coordination and information sharing with consortium partners, sub-grantees, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs.
        • Establish and maintain relationships with communities and local government.

          Security

          • Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.
          • Ensure that Urban Resilience activities are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.

            📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

            ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

            Organizational Learning

            • As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

              Accountability to Beneficiaries

              • Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

                SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

                • Actively learns safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
                • Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
                • Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options

                  Supervisory Responsibility

                  National and international team members working on the program, as well as partnerships with international and national program partners. The number of direct and indirect reports is to be determined.

                  Accountability

                  Reports Directly To: Country Director

                  Works Directly With: Mercy Corps Zimbabwe Country Office, Urban Resilience consortia leads, Regional Resilience Senior Director, Global Technical Resource & Quality team, and partner organizations

                  Knowledge and Experience

                  • Master’s degree or higher in management, agriculture, economics, business administration and/or related fields;
                  • Demonstrated competence in project cycle management and minimum of eight (8) years managing projects comparable in size and scope;
                  • Significant experience in resilience and systems-strengthening programming, private sector engagement, urban agriculture, inclusive employment, and/or other related fields, with demonstrated experience in urban contexts.
                  • Significant experience managing SDC projects of similar complexity preferred;
                  • Professional experience in dynamic contexts, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa;
                  • Strong managerial and analytical skills, including results-oriented management, evidence use for learning and advocacy, strategic planning, human resources management, financial management, and reporting skills;
                  • Strong experience in steering and mentoring, capacity to anticipate issues and identify forward-looking solutions;
                  • Proven track record of cooperating with a large number of stakeholders;
                  • Demonstrated ability to be collaborative across activities while utilizing strong communication and interpersonal skills, with evidence of the ability to productively interact with a wide range and levels of organizations (government, private sector, other activities, NGOs);
                  • Demonstrated capacity to manage complex teams, including problem solving skills, and capacity to meet deadlines and deliver quality deliverables to meet objectives; and
                  • Very strong written and verbal communication skills (proficiency in English).

                    Success Factors

                    The successful Team Lead is a systems thinker and accomplished leader who puts people at the center of private sector led-solutions to development challenges. They will combine exceptional management and soft skills, relevant programmatic background, and experience in maintaining local stakeholder, donor, and partner relationships. They will have an outstanding ability to develop, adaptively implement and manage innovative programs within the current and future program structure of Mercy Corps in the region. They will also have proven experience with cross-cultural teams and capacity building, individual staff development, and strong mentoring skills. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

                    SAFEGUARDING AND ETHICS

                    Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme

                    By applying for this role an applicant confirms that they have not previously violated an employer’s sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or trafficking policy. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times.

                    Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e- learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis. As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected])