CHARITY JOBS IN AFRICA

Organization: Mercy Corps
Country: Kenya
Closing date: 07 Dec 2014

This position is contingent on an award of funding.

GENERAL PROGRAM SUMMARY: The Program Director (PD) will lead the implementation of a proposed multi-year, multi-country $20-22 million program that supports the AgriFin Accelerate program which will operate in three African countries (Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia) utilizing a market ecosystem approach, working with carefully selected partners to build sustainable models, where farm and crop management tools and financial services are "bundled" in affordable, unified platforms on mobile phone channels to promote mass uptake commercially. The program involves three interrelated components that seek to address low farmer productivity and capability, and improve institutional ability to deliver appropriate products and build ecosystems to drive scale. We work with farmers, banks, mobile network operators, MFIs, research institutes and other ecosystem players in well-defined partnerships to sustainably bundle services, leveraging the offer and outreach of all partners, while increasing the range of services, access points and value for farmers. The program works with partners to identify, prototype, test and scale successful mobile-enabled services for smallholders, with a key focus on expanding access to financial services, using a rapid iteration approach to product development and client-centric design techniques.

Generation and dissemination of program learning is a central focus of AgriFin Accelerate which will focus on impact of services at the farmer level, expanded, sustainable delivery at the partner level, and development of related ecosystems. The program will catalyze service to over one million smallholder farmers over a six year period, with strong additional gains through market replication and crowding in of services. Program operations will take place in three countries anchored around a central “Hub” office in Kenya, expanding to serve Tanzania and Zambia over a two year timeline.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY: The Program Director will provide overall leadership, management and strategic vision to the implementation of the AgriFin Accelerate program, managing staff and resources to ensure that the program meets its targets and deliverables on-time and within budget. The Program Director will supervise key program staff as well as key consultant experts and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps policies and donor rules and regulations. He/she will be the primary program representative to donors, relevant government entities, partners, other implementers and external stakeholders. Responsible for overseeing performance on all country projects, the program Director will ensure strong cross-learning, monitoring and evaluation stream of activities is consistently applied. The Program Director will be ultimately responsible for managing program budgets and developing program reports to the donor, as well as leading overall development of program publications, representation and events.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: Program Implementation Provide leadership and strategic vision in all aspects of program implementation, development and management. Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners, and aligned with Mercy Corps principles, values and strategic plan. Monitor adherence to grant agreement, Mercy Corps policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations. Oversee performance of consortium partners and sub-grantees. Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites. Develop AgriFin Accelerate program strategies (Brand) which maximize internal and external resources, including hiring and building appropriate staff skills, and partner relationships in order to achieve program goals and objectives. Develop close and productive working relationships with all project participants and stakeholders – including the primary stakeholders, operations departments, private sector and NGOs – all parties required to establish a shared vision of the project and achieve objectives. Oversee all activities including research, product development, farmer training, M&E, mobile application development, system interfaces, and facilitation with other Mercy Corps programming.

Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and Reporting Facilitate the achievement of program targets and objectives and lead efforts to design effective M&E systems. Oversee the scheduling and production of formal and informal reports on all aspects of the program in a timely and efficient manner. Ensure that M&E staff focus on assisting programs to generate practical information that can be used for ongoing program decision-making while also capturing results at the impact level. Support Research, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (RMEL) Manager to document all lessons learned from the program and prepare periodic case studies, beneficiary stories and annual ebooks for publication. Work closely with RMEL Advisors and oversee process of RMEL with assistance from program staff. Ensure easy public access to RMEL reports and data and make sure they are widely distributed.

Coordination and Representation Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO and other relevant events in the field, 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 programs. Represent Mercy Corps and AgriFin Accelerate at public events, conferences and workshops to promote the AgriFin Accelerate program and disseminate learnings. Attend international forum to represent the program and disseminate information on lessons learned from building bundled services. Facilitate workshops and regular internal and external learning events for effective work planning and capturing of lessons learned. Assist with development and dissemination of program promotional materials, including updates for web page; press releases, newsletter articles and other publication materials.

Staff Management, Professional Development and Team Building Create a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels. Implement, and ensure all staff are effectively using, the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations and regularly providing constructive feedback. Promote accountability by conducting staff annual performance reviews with direct supervisees, and ensuring that supervisory staff do the same. Contribute to country team-building efforts, and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes. Provide strong leadership to staff, promoting teamwork, honesty, efficiency and a commitment and joy for the job. Supervise a diverse team of direct and indirect reports and provide leadership on the implementation of the program and provide accountability to the deliverables, objectives workplan and logframe.

Program Support Operations Coordinate with program and finance and administration staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support field activities including logistics (transport, warehousing and asset management), procurement, security, administration and human resources. Propose design of new local policies as needed and in accordance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations. Maintain operational systems that ensure proper administrative support for programs, as well as segregation of duties while ensuring effective, transparent use of resources in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies/procedures. Oversee budget management of sub-grantees/sub-contractors. Ensure all consultant and subgrant agreements are properly structured, ensure that detailed specifications are prepared in a timely, objective, fair and transparent manner, including the reporting responsibilities and administration of terms and awards.

New Initiatives In coordination with the Kenya Country Director, Country Managers, Regional Program Director, HQ Program Operations team and other relevant personnel and counterparts, play an active role in identifying new initiatives that foster and/ or improve the strategic objectives of the region, whether utilizing existing resources or requiring program/ project development. Actively seek opportunities to leverage the program. Work with Mercy Corps’ AgriFin model programs, Social Ventures, TSUs, and country field offices to identify areas for program coordination, as well as opportunities for related new programming. Identify opportunities, conceptualize and strategize business models for bundling of mobile financial and agricultural mobile bundled services. Oversee and participate in the process of product development including technology requirements, pricing, and a value proposition for program partners.

Security Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that ensure the safety and security of the team in all aspects of its work. Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security management priorities.

Organizational Learning As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Direct supervision of: Agri-Fin Deputy Director, Country Managers, RMEL Manager, Agri-Fin Finance Director, and external Advisors/Partners

ACCOUNTABILITY: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards 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.

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Regional Program Director, East & Southern Africa

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Agri-Fin Accelerate Advisory Committee, Country Managers, Kenya Country Director, Program-Related Consultants, and other Program Stakeholders

Knowledge & Experience: Minimum BA; MA preferred in business administration, information technology, agriculture, finance or related field required; Minimum ten years’ relevant working experience required; preference for experience in both private and public sector and a strong working knowledge of IT, financial services and agriculture; Demonstrated ability to develop sustainable and socially actionable business models through partnerships including extensive development of products, pricing, marketing strategies, delivery channels, SWOT analysis, financial projections and building value propositions; Strong experience in developing & maintaining complex programs, organizational relationships & partnerships; Proven track record of ability to lead and manage projects including workplans, budgets, reporting, HR management and commitment to deliverables and timeframes; Strong written, oral communication and presentation skills; Full proficiency with MS Office software (i.e., Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), and project management software (i.e. MS Project) required; Mobile phone applications experience required (i.e. IPhone, Android, USSD, SMS, MMS, WAP, IVR, STK); and Experience in working in East Africa preferred.

SUCCESS FACTORS: The ideal candidate will have a strong curiosity for understanding and working effectively within the three diverse countries which Agrifin Accelerate operates. 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. The successful Program Director will combine exceptional management skills and experience in maintaining donor and partner relationships. S/he will have an outstanding ability to develop, implement and manage innovative programs within the current and future program structure of Mercy Corps in the region. S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural team and capacity building, individual staff development and strong mentoring skills with technical skills in mobile financial services and agriculture. S/he will have demonstrated skills in managing programs in challenging environments, ability to manage ambiguity, frustration and stress in self, partners and others. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential – as well as maintaining a sense of humor.

LIVING /ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS: This position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, which is an accompanied post for spouse and children. Nairobi is a major metropolitan center with world class healthcare and excellent education options. Mercy Corps provides expatriate staff with a housing allowance that covers rent, utilities and security for comfortable accommodations in safe areas of the city. Telephone and internet access is available and there are dozens of excellent restaurants along with easy transport links to the rest of Africa and Europe. Regular travel to Zambia and Tanzania will be required up to 40%.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

How to apply:

Please apply directly at:
http://mercycorps.silkroad.com/epostings/submit.cfm?fuseaction=app.dspjo...