Location: Guatemala; Honduras; El Salvador
Position Status: Full-time, Exempt, Regular
Assignment Length: Guaranteed through June 2025, potential extension contingent to funding.
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.
Program / Department Summary
Mercy Corps’ programming in Central America is currently limited to Guatemala, where it has over 20 years of programming and deep connections to rural communities, and has carried out rural development, food security, water security, health, land conflict mediation, land formalization and violence prevention activities with funding from a multitude of institutional and private donors. Given the high levels of humanitarian need and mixed migration flows throughout Central American countries, the need to develop more robust, multi-country focused programming has become apparent. Mercy Corps is currently seeking registration in Honduras - where Mercy Corps had a presence until 2004 - and El Salvador, with ambitions to also expand beyond these geographies. Humanitarian needs range widely, but in general span from the need for multipurpose cash assistance to purchase basic needs, access to essential health services, protection and psychosocial support. Target communities in need include individuals on the move, including Central Americans, Haitians, Venezuelans, Colombians, Ecuadorians and other migrants moving north from South America, through the Darien Gap into Panama, and northward towards the US border. Supporting longer term economic development, job creation, violence prevention focused on youth in urban areas, and other development interventions supporting origin communities are also priorities for Mercy Corps.
In line with Mercy Corps’ global and country-level Pathway to Possibility (P2P) strategies, the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) regional team is in the process of refining its regional strategy to advance P2P’s strategic outcome areas - food security, water security, economic opportunities, and peace and governance – by establishing new operations, partnerships, alliances and programs across Central America in a way that addresses the shifting socio-economic, political, and governance environment, and effectively meets community needs and donor priorities.
The Program Development and Reporting Manager (PDRM) is responsible for leading proposal development efforts and supporting program quality for the Guatemala program, as well as Mercy Corps’ expanding portfolio in Central America. This involves leading the process of developing proposal narratives and relevant attachments and coordinating inputs from all other staff relevant to the initiative at the field and global levels. The PDRM also maintains working relationships with donors, cluster leads, consortium members and institutions at the field level. The Manager also identifies partners for partnership and implementation of programs and ensure further expansion of the Mercy Corps’ work. They will work collaboratively with the LAC Regional Program Team (RPT), Finance and Compliance Teams, Guatemala country team, and other Global staff, as necessary. They will support the country team’s thought leadership, advocacy, and communications agendas as appropriate.
Essential Responsibilities
Interface with Mercy Corps regional and global teams, including Regional Senior Business Development Advisor, to keep abreast of donor strategic priorities, specific requirements, and deadlines.
SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES
Supervisory Responsibility
Reports Directly To: Central America Director
Works Directly With: Guatemala Program and Finance teams; LAC Senior Business Development Advisor; LAC Technical Director; CFT; LAC Deputy Regional Director for Programs; LAC RPT; International Finance; Grants Compliance and Support Unit; Global New Initiatives
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, 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
5+ years of international experience in program management, implementation, and/or coordination, with extensive experience in program reporting, budget management, workplanning, and/or new business development.
Extensive experience with implementing programs funded by, and/or developing winning proposals for US Government donors (including USAID, USAID/BHA, Department of State/PRM) required; ECHO, EC, SIDA, UN agencies, and other US and European institutional donors a plus.
The Program Development and Reporting Manager is a detail-oriented, excellent communicator, who is supportive, ambitious, and solutions-oriented. They are highly motivated to not only support high quality programming of an existing portfolio, but to play a critical role in expanding Mercy Corps’ existing portfolio within Guatemala and in the broader Central America region. The PDRM is self-driven and able to support a diverse program portfolio with limited support and direction, and can effectively prioritize tasks and manage a variety of assignments concurrently. They can build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to mobilize resources and achieve common objectives.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Honduras, El Salvador, or Guatemala, and it requires up to 40% travel to support programs and expanding operations in all three locations; which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.
In support of our belief that learning organizations 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.
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 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 on the basis of race, color, 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.