Program Manager (Ukraine nationals only) At Mercy Corps

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

Mercy Corps’ Ukraine crisis response seeks to meet the humanitarian needs of vulnerable Ukrainians and other conflict-affected people where they are: displaced inside Ukraine, refugees in Poland, Romania and Moldova, or trapped behind frontlines. We aim to reach 500,000 vulnerable people with multi-purpose cash assistance, in-kind humanitarian support, and protection services across four countries. Almost all of our impact will be delivered in partnership: with Ukrainian, Polish, Romanian and Moldovan civil society organizations through a granting program that matches humanitarian action with capacity strengthening, and with peer international NGOs through a consortium in Ukraine. Mercy Corps is responding to the Ukraine crisis with large-scale consortium programming with a focus on Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA). The Consortium is a partnership between four international humanitarian aid agencies to model and deliver innovative, effective cash and other humanitarian assistance programs to support people affected by the Ukraine crisis within Ukraine.

General Position Summary

Mercy Corps is responding to the Ukraine crisis with large-scale consortium programming with a focus on Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA). The Consortium is a partnership between three international humanitarian aid agencies to model and deliver innovative, effective cash and other humanitarian assistance programs to support people affected by the Ukraine crisis, with a focus on affected populations inside Ukraine. Mercy Corps’ specific implementation role in the context of this Consortium includes implementation offices in Kyiv, Odessa and Dnipro. The Program Manager ensures efficient and effective implementation of the program activities within their office’s implementation coverage area. S/he is responsible for coordinating and implementing the delivery of the response program, including daily management of program activities and program staff, and ensuring appropriate systems and support mechanisms are in place to track, analyze and report on results. S/he is a strong team leader, able to develop and mentor team members in their office location and is an effective communicator, able to work with internal and external stakeholders to achieve common objectives.

S/he is responsible for managing relationships with local partners, beneficiaries and donors, contributing to the achievement of the response program’s objectives.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
• Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support.
• Contextualize program-wide work plans to be fit-for-purpose for the implementation office’s coverage area.

Program Management

• Oversee program startup and ongoing program management and administration of teams across the assigned field location.
• Integrate the use of community approaches in the design, implementation, and maintenance of projects.
• 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.
• Fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide policy and toolkit.
• 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 donors and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria, and that feedback mechanisms are in place.
• Develop partners’ MoUs and contracts & oversee induction/training for program partners.
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Code of Conduct; Gender, Diversity and Inclusion guiding documents; Core Humanitarian Principles and Do No Harm.

Team Management

• Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage team members and technical consultants
• Ensure team members improve performance & reach objectives.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence, and cultivate resilience and well-being under challenging situations.
• Coordinate the work of program team members based in the implementation office location, even if the primary thematic supervisors of these team members are based in a central program office, to ensure that activities are planned and implemented in an integrated fashion.

Influence & Representation

• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partner staff, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
• Ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
• Demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
• Exhibit an awareness of their own strengths and development needs.
• Contribute to representation and relationship building with local authorities.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies
• Contribute to creating a secure environment for team members.

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 partners

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our partners and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging participant communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

• 3 to 5 years of experience in managing programs in emergency contexts, with proven track record.
• Program Management Certification – PMD Pro – required
• BA/BS or equivalent; MA/S preferred.
• Excellent oral and written English skills required;
• Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Familiarity with Core Humanitarian Competencies (as defined in the Humanitarian Capacity Framework) preferred.

Technical competencies:

• Understands Sphere Standards and ensures they are met
• Can conduct rapid needs assessments, in line with Mercy Corps’ approach and industry’s best practice
• More than 50% of Mercy Corps’ responses are cash/voucher-based programming so it is recommended that any PM possess an understanding of cash and voucher-based programming.

Functional competencies

• Possess project and program management skills and apply PM@MC minimum standards for all phases of the project cycle
• Can oversee and implement participatory assessment processes
• Can oversee program budgets, project cash flow and expenditures
• Understands donor regulations and compliance (USAID, ECHO, DFID, UN, etc.)
• Effectively manages teams/people and apply relevant Mercy Corps’ procedures and approaches
• Supports team members through capacity building
• Possesses basic understanding of procurement and logistics
• Can ensure feedback from crisis-affected people and other stakeholders is incorporated in program design, implementation and learning
• Can ensure team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies

Leadership competencies

• Recognizes opportunities for innovative action and creates an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed
• Drives impact by building high performing teams
• Broadens influence by role modelling and leveraging networks

Success Factors

The successful Program Manager will combine exceptional management skills and experience in running emergency programs. Prioritizing, problem solving, ability to seize opportunities, attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural teams and capacity building. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, and thrive in an evolving and changing environment while taking care of self and others.

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

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 team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. 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.