Job details

Program Officer, Strategic Leadership

Location: US - Washington DC, Portland OR; UK - London; Senegal - Dakar. Hybrid preferred, remote possible.

Valid unrestricted work authorization in the country in which you will be based is required at the time of application for this position. We may be open to considering candidates based in other locations, depending on work authorization and our registration status.

Position Status: Full-time, Regular

Salary: Starting salary for this role will be $53,000 - $58,000 commensurate on experience for US-based candidates and 37,040 GBP for UK-based candidates. Salary will be based on local benchmark for all other candidates.

About Mercy Corps

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

The Strategic Leadership Team is a small group of collaborators who partner closely with country and global teams to manage transitions and portfolio risks. This includes meeting short-term leadership needs, onboarding and mentoring new and rising leaders, and strengthening systems to reduce risk in our biggest programs and portfolios. The SLT manages the Alumni Talent Pool, a group of pre-vetted Mercy Corps Alumni qualified to fill temporary leadership roles in our countries of operation. This mechanism has addressed a felt need across the organization to swiftly fill gaps in a variety of country and program leadership roles. Building on this success, the SLT is currently partnering with internal stakeholders to expand the Alumni Talent Pool model to increase Mercy Corps’ deployment capacity for emergency response.

General Position Summary

The SLT Program Officer (PO) manages effective and coordinated business processes supporting the daily delivery of the integrated suite of SLT services aimed at the success of regional and country offices. In particular, the PO will actively coordinate with other teams to manage the cross-departmental Alumni Talent Pool through setup and implementation phases. A key element of this work will be the Alumni Talent Pool expansion aimed at increasing Mercy Corps’ deployment capacity for emergency response. The PO will maintain, update and continuously improve systems and processes related to recruitment and vetting of new members; engagement with members; matching members to employment opportunities; collecting feedback; and maintaining confidential data systems that are actively used to inform decisions.

Essential Job Responsibilities

ALUMNI TALENT POOL MANAGEMENT

Lead the day-to-day management and coordination of processes and systems related to the Alumni Talent Pool, from recruitment of members, member engagement, matching, temporary assignments and evaluation.

Develop and manage systems for routine monitoring and evaluation of the initiative, including systems for collecting feedback from participants and users. Collect, analyze and interpret data to share progress with diverse stakeholders and inform decisions.

Support process improvements in the management of the Alumni Talent Pool as the mechanism is expanded to include additional emergency response roles and functions.

Actively coordinate with different internal departments and teams to share progress, seek technical feedback and make decisions about the Alumni Talent Pool members, users, and experience.

Work closely with the SLT and Emergency Response team to use Alumni Talent Pool learning and data to inform the broader strategy to increase Mercy Corps’ capacity for emergency response.

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT TO STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Coordinate and support other SLT initiatives and leadership deployments, while identifying and implementing improvements to business processes.

Backstop other related SLT initiatives, including country leadership onboarding efforts and the complex program system. Support communication tasks, scheduling, writing and translation, and other administrative tasks as needed.

Manage internal communications to support SLT coordination and collaboration efforts.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work

Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members

Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options

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.

Supervisory Responsibility: N/A

Accountability 

Reports Directly To: SLT Sr. Project Manager
Works Directly With: All SLT members, and representatives from departments and units coordinating with the SLT (Emergency Response Team, regional and country office leaders, People Team, International Finance, MEL, Global Supply Chain Operations, among others.)

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

BA/S in a relevant field is required.

3+ years of experience of general coordination and project management with demonstrated interest in leadership & learning initiatives.

Ability to communicate and problem-solve effectively across diverse cultures and geographies.

Demonstrated ability to maintain confidential information.

Ability to complete tasks with high quality outputs, meets deadlines and works well under pressure while building relationships with team members and stakeholders

Proficiency with MS365 and software related to data management, analysis and visualization. Proficiency in PowerBI is a plus.

Experience successfully guiding, coaching, orienting and/or training colleagues to adapt and use new or updated business processes and/or systems.

Experience working internationally preferred.

Proficiency in French, Spanish and/or Arabic a plus.

Success Factors

The successful candidate is a problem solver, who shows curiosity and interest in learning and an understanding of different systems for communications, data management, and analytics. They adopt a service-oriented mindset, looking for creative ways to help colleagues manage busy workloads. They should do well in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities and deadlines. They are a skilled communicator, able to develop strong relationships with stakeholders, work collaboratively, and understand different points of view.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position can be based anywhere Mercy Corps has an office (within 5 hours of EST) and may need to flex schedule for early morning and evening calls where necessary to coordinate across our global team.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/short term assignment 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.

Ongoing Learning

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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Mercy Corps Glassdoor Company Review

3.9