CHARITY JOBS IN AFRICA

Organization: Mercy Corps
Country: Liberia
Closing date: 09 Dec 2014

This position will be filled pending anticipated funding.

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps has been operational in Liberia since 2002, most recently implementing programs in food security, peace building, and youth empowerment. Currently, Liberia is the epicenter of a fast-moving regional Ebola epidemic, which also includes Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria. To date, nearly 4,000 people in Liberia have been infected, with over 2,200 deaths (3 Oct 2014). As the Ebola epidemic spreads throughout Liberia, existing social and economic challenges are growing more complex, requiring adaptive and dynamic approaches to help support affected communities as they defend against, cope with, and recover from, this devastating disease.

Mercy Corps’ strategy to respond to the Ebola outbreak focuses on two approaches: 1) to engage local and international organizations through a national network of community organizations to promote healthy behaviors within communities that will help reduce the transmission of Ebola, and 2) address market and household economic challenges that emerge as a result of the Ebola outbreak, paying particular attention to food insecurity and declining livelihoods.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Project Lead (PL) is a key position in a 6 month USAID-funded Ebola Community Action Platform Program (E-CAP) for Liberia. The PL will report to the Program Director and work closely with the entire program implementation team and partners to provide essential support and guidance to establish effective project and program management systems, ensure fast on-boarding process for new E-CAP team members and partners, and other critical support as needed to ensure E-CAP meets its targets and deliverables on-time and within budget. S/he will also take the lead in streamlining project management and operations processes, while ensuring adherence to Mercy Corps internal policies and procedures as well as donor regulations. The PL will ensure that program operations are of the highest quality and standards and that day-to day issues are being addressed in a timely and efficient manner. The PL will also support such key start-up activities, such as establishing communication channels and workflows to support the first rounds of subgrants.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Project Management

• Lead the design of effective project management processes to support critical E-CAP projects and activities, e.g., RFA and subgranting processes, subagreement monitoring, quality control and quality assurance (QA/QC) processes, risk management, stakeholder management, integration of monitoring and evaluation with reporting, and work flow integration between all Mercy Corps and partner teams.
• Oversee and manage the onboarding of all new staff and partners, both local and international, to Mercy Corps’ project management systems and procedures. Train new team members as needed to ensure knowledge of Mercy Corps program and project management systems and how to work effectively across different functions.
• Build stakeholder engagement processes that enable program implementation to be responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, and quality standards.
• Understand and incorporate project management resources, systems and structures available from Mercy Corps world-wide to E-CAP project.
• Work with the senior management team to identify and quickly resolve project management issues, bottlenecks and conflicts that affect any aspect of program operations of E-CAP.

Team Management Support

• Orient, and motivate an informed, skilled and efficient team; incorporate staff development strategies and performance management systems into the team building process.
• Advise the managers to work with their teams with an emphasis on excellence and achievement; encourage a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation.
• Provide leadership, direction and support for staff working in a country affected by the Ebola epidemic and a fragile political situation.
• Develop the competencies of the staff, especially national team members, through training, mentoring and coaching strategies.
• Provide formal mentoring and guiding of all E-CAP field staff and partners.

Operations

• Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security, administration, and human resources teams to ensure operational systems support field activities.
• With the Operations, Admin and Finance Managers, evaluate current methodologies and policies used in Mercy Corps Liberia programs, determine their effectiveness and provide suggestions on ways to improve compliance and collaboration, and to ensure program and organizational success.

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.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

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.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: None.

ACCOUNTABILITY

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Liberia E-CAP Program Director

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Knowledge Management Lead, Digital Outreach Manager, Finance Manager, Operations Manager, Subgrants Director, Admin Manager and Program Managers.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Certification in Project Management for Development Professionals and/or project management certification from PMI, PRINCE2 or IPMA is required.
• At least 2 years’ experience as a Project or Program Manager
• Proven record of personnel management and trouble shooting skills.
• Experience leading staff development and mentoring.
• A high degree of organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate frequently and effectively in both verbal and written form;English proficiency is required.
• Previous full time experience with systems, procedures and program priorities is preferred.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

A successful candidate will have an ability to work independently, take initiative in tasks and self-learning, and be proactive in communications and development of professional relationships. S/he will be able to effectively mentor and motivate team members across departments, organizations and disciplines, often without direct supervisory authority, and will be able to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment, with demonstrated sensitivity to the people and issues in Liberia and the region. Excellent team and interpersonal relationship skills, especially in high stress environments are essential for success.

LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

The position will be based in Monrovia, and may require travel to outlying counties and communities throughout Liberia. The security situation is stable but could change quickly in localized circumstances, although general unrest is not anticipated because of a significant UN, US military, and local police forces to maintain public safety. Monrovia is served by an international airport and has many hotels, restaurants and grocery stores. Health services are currently limited and while we have made provisions for emergency care, team members should not anticipate an environment where casual outpatient services are available. Because safe access to health services should not be anticipated, a degree of self-sufficiency in first aid and medications should be considered. Candidates must consider taking anti-malarials as a preventative measure and other measures to lower their risk of requiring medical services. Candidates with chronic health issues should consider disclosing and self-eliminating from this recruitment process.

Currently there is an 11 pm curfew, which could change at anytime, and staff should expect some interruption of movement as the government manages the Ebola situation. Housing will either be at private residences as group housing or at nearby hotels. Traveling in and out of Liberia is increasingly complicated with many commercial airlines suspending service and many countries closing their borders (air, land and sea) to individuals coming from Liberia. Two commercial airlines continue to serve Liberia (Brussels Air and Air Maroc) and UNHAS is currently working to establish air service to Dakar, Senegal and Accra, Ghana.

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 Mercy Corps' 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...