Country: South Sudan
Closing date: 30 Mar 2015
“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 been operational in South Sudan since 2005 and has supported beneficiaries through strengthened horticultural production, investments in youth employment and entrepreneurship, diversified livelihoods and increased access to community-based savings and credit. “Building Resilient Agricultural Production” (BRAP) is a joint initiative by Agriteam Canada and Mercy Corps to increase agricultural production and food security in Warrap State.
BRAP’s approach is to build agricultural production and productivity within a resilience framework, ensuring that gains in food security are sustainable and focusing on the role of women as the key enabler of food security within the household. The resilience framework within which BRAP is constructed entails a cohesive, multi-layered approach that will lead to two intermediate outcomes: 1) Increased absorptive capacity for women and food insecure households through specific interventions to increase, improve and make more resilient agriculture and livestock production, and 2) Increased adaptive and transformative capacity to address food security by women and food insecure households.
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Program Manager (PM) will be directly responsible the smooth and timely implementation of the BRAP program and its overall goal to increase agricultural production and food security in Warrap State. The PM will be responsible for implementing the programme according to the program proposal and implementation plan.
ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
Program Management
- Coordinate and manage relationships with the stakeholders of the project, including beneficiaries, contractors, partners, and other organizations;
- Document all program activities, achievements and challenges in monthly and final reports and by any other means as requested by the donor;
- Monitor and proactively track and manage project budget;
- Regularly liaise with AgriTeam in Canada and when they come to visit in South Sudan;
- Managing and facilitating the selection process for lead farmers/lead farmer households and training for lead women farmers in field crops and post-harvest management;
- Oversight and responsibility of training provided for lead farmer households;
- Oversight and responsibility of conflict reduction, disaster risk reduction and women’s protection training;
- Development, management and oversight of governance systems and committees;
- Facilitating VSLA (Village Saving Loan Association) formation support to their implementation;
- Implementation and oversight of a Community Accountability Response Mechanism to ensure grievances are addressed;
- Identification of further innovations for piloting’
- Get familiar with and follow Mercy Corps Program Management Minimum Standards; and
- Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
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; and
- 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.
Finance & Compliance Management
- Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming;
- Provide adequate control over financial and cash operations; and
- Monthly review budget 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; and
- 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; and
- 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: National program staff based in Wunrok
ACCOUNTABILITY:
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Deputy Country Director /Head of Programs
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Operations Manager, Finance Director, Safety &Security Advisor, Prog Development and Quality Assurance Manager, CD, AgriTeam colleagues.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- MA/S or equivalent in Food Security and Livelihood, Rural development, International development preferred;
- Min 5 years’ experience in international relief and development in Africa, preferably East Africa including South Sudan;
- Experience managing large food security and asset creation programs;
- Experience in conflict reduction, gender issues (especially relating to women’s protection) and disaster risk reduction;
- Experience of working with market development and market analysis;
- History of working effectively and respectfully with host country government, INGO and NGO partners and working with programs in politically-turbulent and post-conflict environments;
- Demonstrated ability to support complex programming and meet tight deadlines; and
- Language skills in Arabic preferred.
SUCCESS FACTORS:
- Ability to effectively carry out duties as outlined in Position Description
- Demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process.
- Willingness to learn and work in accordance with Mercy Corps policies.
- Strong interpersonal and intellectual skills.
- Pro-active and ability to provide effective leadership.
- Previous working experience in South Sudan
LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
The position is unaccompanied and based in Warrap State. The position requires high mobility within Warrap to reach project sites and sometimes to visit Juba for meetings. Living conditions in Twic County (Warrap State) are very basic. Mercy Corps along with other INGOs in the area is sharing a space in the NGO compound with basic services. Staff will have limited access to basic medical services in Juba 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.dspjob&jobid=219513&company_id=15927&jobboardid=479