Economic Security Program Manager - Gaza Response

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. Mercy Corps seeks to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression around the world. We recognize that instances of sudden change within a country or region are rare moments to enact significant, lasting change. Mercy Corps, with its global experience working in countries undergoing major transitions, brings knowledge, expertise and strong management skills to position the agency as a partner of choice for progressive change in Palestine.

To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Program / Department Summary

Since 1986, Mercy Corps has helped Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza access critical services and become more economically self-sufficient focusing its interventions on WASH, community crisis resilience, economic opportunities, and cash programming. With funding from BHA, ECHO and private foundations, Mercy Corps has been able to work together with communities in the West Bank and Gaza to respond to these needs.

The escalation of conflict that began on October 7, 2023, has sharply exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the region. Mercy Corps is actively working to respond to the crisis and implement our humanitarian programs in Gaza where team members there are committed and significantly scaling up much needed lifesaving aid as is safe to do so. Priority sectors for Mercy Corps include multipurpose cash assistance (as a modality), food security, livelihoods, water, sanitation, and hygiene, and shelter assistance.

General Position Summary

The Economic Security Program Manager is a key person within the Gaza Emergency Response team, who will lead the implementation of Mercy Corps’ multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA), food security, and livelihoods and program strategy, and ensure effective program management, mobilization of resources, technical or otherwise, to drive the delivery of the program on scope, on budget and on time. The position holder will play a critical role in supporting project design that reflects the realities of Gaza, alongside the Director of Programs (DoP) and Deputy Response Director (DRD). S/he will work with a dynamic team and in close coordination with the Quality Evaluation and Learning (QEL) team, support teams, and partners to ensure effective program implementation in line with Mercy Corps’ global program policies and standards, and to design winning proposals and concept notes.

The position holder will provide on-the-ground support to the partners and field teams in the relevant sector by troubleshooting issues preemptively, training, mentoring, coaching, and providing technical support as needed. The position holder will have strong engagement with all aspects of the program cycle, including assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of the program. S/he will be responsible for preparing periodic reports, and will lead the development and updating of country-specific strategies. S/he will oversee the development of guidelines, standard operating procedures, and tools to ensure harmonization and use of best practices across all areas of operation. The position also involves understanding how the collection of projects fits within Mercy Corps’ wider strategy, with support and guidance from the DoP and DRD.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Program Management

• Lead the implementation of projects under the MPCA, food security, and livelihoods program in Gaza, addressing needs of the affected population during emergency, recovery, and rehabilitation phases.
• Provide strategic visions alongside the DoP, DRD, program team and partners for the sector and area of intervention.
• Oversee program management and implementation across various field locations including potential start-up of new programming and new locations, ensuring alignment with Mercy Corps’ minimum standards and general project management standards.
• Serve as focal point with the local partners working in food security and livelihoods, this includes responsibility over partnership and any subgrantees. Support with mentoring, training, and ad-hoc needs.
• Support the development of concept notes and proposals for future funding working closely with relevant teams, including but not limited to Grants, QEL, CARM and Finance.
• Support and lead in writing management and donor reports. Ensure Compliance with internal and external reporting requirements including procurement.
• Ensure that all projects have and regularly update essential program management tools (Detailed Implementation Plan, Budget Forecast, BvA, Procurement Plan, Work Plan, Staffing Plan, etc.).
• As required, coordinate across program and support departments to ensure quality, effective and compliant implementation of project(s).
• Provide innovative solutions and systems, in collaboration with regional and global team members, to ensure the response is as compliant and of high quality as possible in a remote setting and highly insecure environment.

Technical Management and Quality Control

• Coordinate and oversee quality programming in close coordination with Advisors, Technical Resources and Quality (TRaQ) and Consultants to ensure the MPCA, food security, and livelihoods programming is meeting minimum standards and is quality and evidence driven across all stages of the programs cycle.
• Ensure the MPCA, food security, and livelihoods adaptability to the operational context. Adapt tools and project implementation approaches.
• Support and contribute to assessments to inform program design and strategic direction as well as identify risks and vulnerabilities, including those related to gender, age, and disability.
• Work within Mercy Corps partnership framework for partner selection, downstream program design, monitoring, verification, supporting partner accountability feedback mechanisms, start-up, implementation, and close-out of sub-awarded program activities.
• Conduct regular field visits in project locations and to partners as the security context allows.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into project activities as appropriate.
• Liaise with the QEL team to develop and implement a MEAL plan for relevant projects, map lessons learnt and identify opportunities for evaluations and quality improvement.
• Support the development of project monitoring tools and support monitoring outcomes and outputs in coordination with the QEL team.
• Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and technical guidelines on MPCA, food security, and livelihoods as required by program interventions.
• Increase Mercy Corps and partner organizations’ staff capacity by designing and delivering technical training and coaching plans on topics related to building resilience and enhancing civic engagement.

Team Management and Capacity Building

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect and motivation where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback via regular team meetings and performance reviews.
• Ensure that teams fully adhere to international, technical and organizational minimum standards, including adopting gender, conflict sensitive, and participatory approaches to ensure that Do No Harm and other principles are fully respected
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
• Establish and adjust people management mechanisms, suitable for remote management modality and operational context.
• Lead and manage program staff members including recruitment, performance appraisal, well-being/supportive supervision, coaching, mentoring, and capacity development.
• Work closely with TRaQ, DoP and DRD to identify suitable and sustainable methods for supporting MPCA, food security, and livelihoods capacity building for team members and partners.

Representation and Coordination

• Develop and maintain effective internal working relationships with other departments.
• Represent Mercy Corps in relevant Gaza sector coordination working groups, forums and network meetings, as agreed with the DoP and DRD, and share any relevant information with the hub.
• Work with the DoP, DRD, Response Director, and others to ensure consistent external messaging in relation to advocacy priorities.
• Represent Mercy Corps at meetings, and coordinate with other stakeholders, not limited to Consortium members and partner agencies, as agreed with the DoP and DRD.

Finance, Sub-Awards & Compliance Management

• Manage the project budgets, financial projections and BVAs to monitor financial forecasting and ensure spending is on track.
• Coordinate closely with the Sub-Awards and Compliance to ensure program expenditure and activities are carried out in line with Mercy Corps and donor regulations.
• Work closely with Partner and Mercy Corps operations team to backstop and support partner procurement and supply chain activities.
• Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.
• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to sector programming.
• Help to draft and review project agreements, partner task orders, and payment requests.
• Support the DoP and DRD in budget development for MPCA, food security, and livelihoods interventions.

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.

Supervisory Responsibility

Direct: Economic Security Officer, Sub-Award Partners.

Indirect: Economic Security Coordinator(s) and Assistant(s).

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Director of Programs - Gaza

Works Directly With: Deputy Response Director, Senior Cash Advisor, Sectoral Program Managers, Procurement, Operations, Security, HR, Finance, Sub-awards, QEL, Grants teams and Technical Advisors.

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 Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• University Bachelor and/or Master degree, or equivalent demonstrated experience in food security, livelihoods, agriculture, social protection, distributions, cash programming or related fields.
• Minimum of 5 years senior management experience in a corporate or an INGO sector, including experience in program management including emergency response.
• Significant experience implementing multipurpose cash assistance and food security programming.
• Sound knowledge of donor standards and procedures.
• Proven supervisory ability and/or technical skills combined with leadership.
• Understanding of humanitarian principles and their application including right-based and community-based approaches.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to clearly communicate and effectively negotiate taking diversity into account, demonstrated ability to establish effective and working relations with staff members and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to prioritize, meet deadlines and adapt in a complex and challenging environment.
• Demonstrated experience implementing projects funded by various institutional donors (eg. OCHA, GAC, BHA, FCDO, ECHO, etc).
• Demonstrated experience in financial/budget management working with various donor compliance rules and regulations.
• Strong ability to apply good judgment and decision-making skills in difficult and complex working environments.
• Effective verbal and written communication, organizational, prioritization and Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent oral and written English skills required, Arabic skills preferred.
• Advanced skills in using Microsoft Office suite are required. Appetite for using new technologies is appreciated.

Success Factors

The successful Program Manager will combine exceptional technical skills and experience in maintaining donor and partner relationships. S/he will have previous experience in working in large-scale emergency programs in insecure and conflict contexts. S/he will have an outstanding ability to design and provide technical oversight of innovative programs within the current and future program structure of Mercy Corps in the area. S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural team and capacity building, individual staff development and strong mentoring skills, with a good sense of humor.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Gaza, and it requires up to 50% travel to Ramallah on a rotational basis, as security and context allow (insecure location where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited). While in Ramallah, housing for this role is in individual, staff will have access to good medical services, and the living situation is of a moderate standard. While in Gaza, housing will be in a shared guesthouse, with extremely limited access to medical services or other amenities.

This is an unaccompanied position.

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

This position requires obtaining medical clearance through the successful completion of a medical assessment by an external third party prior to deployment and following any medical evacuation if applicable. If you are not medically cleared and Mercy Corps cannot reasonably accommodate a medical condition if required, you may not be able to deploy for/return to this position

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 and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. 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.

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