Team Leader – PACS – DRC

The position is contingent upon donor funding

About Mercy Corps

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 a long-term impact.

The Programme / Department

Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of around 500 people and programmes focused on Eastern Congo in North and South Kivu, with the overall country goal to support vulnerable communities through crises, while fostering programmes that build resilience and promote long-term change. Mercy Corps’ key programming areas include a combination of longer-term development and immediate humanitarian response programmes to 1) Improve water service delivery and ensure equitable access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services, in urban and rural areas; 2) Improve food security and nutrition; 3) Promote diversified livelihoods, economic recovery and development. All Mercy Corps interventions in DRC are implemented in a conflict and gender-sensitive manner.

Mercy Corps is seeking a Team Leader to lead the implementation of the anticipated three-year FCDO-funded Programme d’Appui pour la Consolidation de la Stabilité en RDC (PACS) in Eastern DRC. The proposed programme will deliver area-based stabilisation and reintegration support to conflict-affected communities that are aligned to the PDDRCS provincial operational plans and coordinated with other major stabilisation actors, such as the World Bank, EU, the UN Stabilisation and Coherence Fund, UNDP’s Stabilisation Pillar, USAID and other bilateral donors. The overall objective of the project is that “communities are more resilient to conflict, and trust and accountability between state and society is strengthened. Local actors are supported to address and mitigate drivers of conflict, creating the conditions for improved governance and longer-term development”.

The Position

The Team Leader will provide overall leadership, management and strategic vision to the implementation of PACS, to ensure that the programme meets its targets and deliverables on time and within budget. The Team Lead will supervise programme staff and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps policies and FCDO rules and regulations. The Team Lead will be the primary programme representative to FCDO, relevant government entities, partners, other implementers and stakeholders.

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY & VISION

• Lead the development of a vision and strategy for the programme shared with the programme team and key stakeholders, including FCDO.
• Play an active role in identifying and developing new initiatives that foster and/or improve the strategic objectives of the programme.
• Ensure consortium partners and FCDO have a common understanding of the programme’s strategy and vision and understand the approach to reach that vision.

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT

• Ensure programme implementation is high quality and delivers the desired impact, in line with strategy and vision. Translate strategy into operational work and approach in collaboration with the Deputy Team Lead (DTL).
• Provide leadership to ensure the program remains agile and adaptive to shifting context/reality on the ground and responds to emerging evidence from programme successes/challenges.
• Support DTL to ensure the programme is implemented in an integrated approach across the consortium and sectoral interventions that holistically contribute to stabilisation. Hold the program to account to reach this goal.
• Oversee programme start-up, management and administration. Ensure programme implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
• Ensure that programme implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant programme guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
• Confirm beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to transparent criteria.
• Develop partnership frameworks, and partner agreements/Memorandum of Understandings, and oversee partner capacity building.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate. Certify all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.
• Ensure programme strategies and activities represent global good practice for rural development in conflict-affected environments.
• Supervise and/or review the work of programme consultants.
• Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security, administration, and human resources teams to ensure operational systems support field activities.
• Fulfil Mercy Corps’ Programme Management Minimum Standards based on the organisation-wide guide.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one one-on-ones and performance reviews.
• Promote learning and reflection, in collaboration with the MEL manager, to ensure the program remains responsive to programme evidence and context.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.

FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations.
• 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

• Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO and other relevant events, in close coordination with the Country Director.
• Coordinate activities with consortium partners, subgrantees, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programmes.
• Foster shared an understanding with FCDO of the operational approach, strategy and any adaptations.
• Ensure PACs avoid duplication and foster complementarity to other donor and government efforts.
• Work with the crisis analysis team (CAT) team and MEL manager to tailor analytical products for dissemination.

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 programmes are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.

ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING

• As part of our commitment to organisational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organisations 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.

Supervisory Responsibility

PACS Programme Team.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: DRC Director of Programmes

Works Directly With: Country Director, Other DRC Directors and Deputy Directors, DRC finance and operations teams, HQ Regional Programme Team, HQ Technical Support Unit

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our programme participants, community partners, and 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.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• MA/S or equivalent in development studies, international relations, conflict management, or other relevant fields of stabilisation/conflict reduction in conflict-affected settings.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant development experience, including work on peace, conflict and stabilization programs
• At least five years in a senior management position with experience managing integrated, multi-sectoral programmes of a similar size and scope (GBP 10 million).
• Experience with FCDO-funded programmes strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to build and foster an adaptive team culture and a record of accomplishment in strategic visioning, leadership, and inspiring teams.
• Experience managing a consortium or operating within a consortium, ideally FCDO-funded.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with host governments, donors, other donor-funded projects and stakeholders, local organisations, and partners
• Experience managing complex programmatic and financial reporting requirements, preferably with FCDO.
• Experience with FCDO rules, regulations and requirements is strongly preferred.
• Experience working in Africa is required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. French fluency is required.

Success Factors

The successful Team Lead will combine exceptional management skills and experience in maintaining donor and partner relationships. They will have an outstanding ability to develop, implement and manage innovative programmes within the current and future programme 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, prioritising, 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.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position will be based in Goma, Bukavu or Bunia DRC and it requires up to 40% travel to various locations within North and South Kivu, and Ituri. While conditions in the country are improving, there are still pockets of violence and insecurity and petty crime is present. Mercy Corps’ offices experience variable levels of insecurity. Years of conflict and corruption have badly damaged the country’s infrastructure. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular services are widely available. The Internet is limited, but available in all Mercy Corps’ offices. Travel to field sites will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are several health services available with several evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods.

The position has the option of being accompanied if based in Goma or Bukavu, with family members living in Rwanda. Housing is in individual accommodation with unlimited freedom of movement beyond the house in Rwanda.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organisations 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.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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 a 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 based on race, colour, 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.

Safeguarding & Ethics

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