Country: South Sudan
Closing date: 30 Nov 2014
“This position is contingent on funding”
PROGRAM/ DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:
Mercy Corps leads humanitarian assistance and recovery efforts in areas affected by Sudan’s 21-year civil war - the same areas where today’s peace is most fragile. Mercy Corps’ goal in South Sudan is to respond to the emergencies and facilitate the transition to a fair and lasting peace. Our team is working with local communities helping to develop coping strategies, building their resilience and improving livelihoods.
Mercy Corps has supported beneficiaries through strengthened horticultural production, investments in youth employment and entrepreneurship, diversified livelihoods and increased access to community-based savings and credit. However, due to emergent crisis late 2013 such as political/armed conflict and localized flooding and destruction of agricultural produce, Mercy Corps program priorities in Unity state shifted to a combination of recovery and humanitarian intervention depending upon location/opportunity. The focus of the program under which this position is funded includes providing cash assistance, and supporting local markets through grants and training to traders to boost the supply and demand components of trade, expand availability of food in market ultimately improving food consumption and nutritional status at household level.
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Emergency Cash Transfer Program Manager will be directly responsible for smooth and timely implementation of the program according to program proposal and implementation plan. This will include program planning, staff management (recruitment, training and supervision), monitoring and evaluation, timely reporting, finance management / compliance program, asset management, agency representation and security and safety compliance. This is twelve months high intensity program with large cash assistance requiring high degree of diligence with transparency, timeliness and accountability
ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
Strategy and Vision
- Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
- Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to country-wide strategy development.
- Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support.
Program Management
- Oversee program start-up and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations.
- Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
- Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
- Identify partners and institutions for effective and transparent cash transfer, develop MoUs and contracts & oversee cash assistance delivery.
- Develop and implement a system of continuous tracking of vulnerability index to replace households with improved livelihood with newly identified household eligible for cash assistance
- Develop framework for working with traders and design agreement to govern specific trading items, quality, delivery timeframe and prices.
- Establish a system of continuous market analyses to ensure the balance of demand/supply, price control and food availability to timely adjust cash injection levels with supply opportunities.
- Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
- Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
- Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
Team Management
- Recruit, orient and supervise new team members as necessary.
- 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.
- Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
- Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
Cash Management
- Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
- Provide adequate control over cash operations.
- Monthly review budgeted cash expenditures to monitor the burn rate.
Representation
- Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with eligible institutions, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
- Coordinate effectively with Food Security and Livelihoods(FSL) cluster, and interagency Cash/Market and Urban livelihood Working Group.
- Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
Security
- Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
- Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
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 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:One expatriate M&E Officer and 40 national program staff.
ACCOUNTABILITY:
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Deputy Country Director /Head of Programs
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Operations Manager, Finance Director, Security Manager, FSL PM
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- MA/S or equivalent in Food Security and Livelihood, Rural development, International development preferred
- 5 - 7 years’ experience in international relief and development in Africa, preferably including South Sudan
- Experience managing a large cash assistance program
- Experience of working with market development and market analyses
- Experience working with DFID
- History of working effectively and respectfully with host country government, INGO and NGO partners
- Experience working with programs in politically-turbulent and post-conflict environments
- Demonstrated ability to support complex programming and meet tight deadlines
- Previous working experience in South Sudan preferably in Cash Assistance and Market Support highly preferred.
- Skills in Arabic preferred.
SUCCESS FACTORS:
The successful Emergency Cash Transfer Program Manager will have demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process with strong interpersonal and intellectual skills. S/he will be proactive, will have the ability to provide effective leadership and will be willing to learn and work in accordance with Mercy Corps policies.
LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
The position is unaccompanied and based in Panyijar County, Unity State, South Sudan. The position requires high mobility within Panyijar county to reach project sites and at least once a month visit to Juba for reporting and coordination. Mercy Corps along with other INGOs in the area is sharing a space in the NGO compound with basic services. Staff will have access to basic medical services and will need to access Nairobi for anything requiring more advanced treatment.
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...