PROJECT MANAGER

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.

Mercy Corps has been operating in Ethiopia since 2004. In partnership with civil society organizations, academic institutions, private sector, and the government, Mercy Corps Ethiopia has reached more than five million Ethiopians with interventions to save lives and build secure livelihoods. Our programs emphasize market-driven solutions, reinforce social bonds, and help communities build resilience to the impacts of climate change. Currently in six regional states – Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, and South Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR), and in Dire Dawa Administration and the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa – Mercy Corps Ethiopia is driven by the mission to contribute the emergence of a peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Ethiopia which is inclusive of youth and women. Our strategic directions focus in promoting inclusive and dynamic markets; promoting peace and social cohesion through strengthening formal/informal governance structures and citizen engagement; improved natural resource governance; and integrated humanitarian response.

Program / Department Summary

Integrated Smallholder Resilience and Livelihood Support Project in Gambella (ISRLS) is WFP funded two and half years` program implemented by Mercy Corps in the Gambella regional state targeting more than 10,000hh from both host and refugee communities. The goal of this program is to strengthen resilience against shocks and ensure food security for host and refugee smallholder farmers in Gambella regional state and this is to be achieved through the implementation of the following specific objectives.

• Increase agriculture production and productivity of smallholder farmers and improve post-harvest handling and storage mechanisms in Gambella region.
• Create market linkages for smallholder farmers through private sector led aggregation networks.
• Establishing financial empowerment platforms through VSLA, and Farmers Primary cooperatives.
• Promote behavioral change in the production and consumption of nutritious food.

ISRLS is currently implemented in 9 woredas namely, Abobo, Dimma, Gambella-Abol, Godere, Gog, Jikaw, Itang Special, Lare, and Mengachi woredas.  

General Position Summary

The Project Manager is responsible for the overall management of the project. He/she is responsible for providing strategic and technical guidance, provide guidance on programme planning and implementation, ensure effective implementation of all activities and quick response to challenges, monitor and analyze the program environment and progress, using applicable monitoring and evaluation and risk management tools and advise on timely adjustments and corrective measures as necessary. Additionally, he/she oversees representing the program during all phases of execution, including participation in consortium engagements.

The Project Manager is responsible for the strategic planning and overall management of the program and reports to the Area Manager and Director of Programs.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy and vision

• Work closely with the Area Manager and Director of Programs and other senior program team members to implement the program vision and strategy.
• Lead the development of the detailed implementation strategy.
• Ensure all project team members have a clear understanding of the program strategy and their role in contributing towards its delivery.
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are considered.

Program management

• In coordination with Mercy Corps’ country leadership team and program team members, lead the management, administration and closeout of program. Ensure implementation is on time, target and budget.
• Lead assessments and analysis across all target locations drawing on external technical expertise as needed.
• Lead the process of developing partnership frameworks to support program implementation, partner agreements and ensure partner capacity building.
• Work with partners (Partners, government sector offices at different levels and locations, private sector actors, community representatives) in a flexible and creative to achieve the best possible results for all segments of the targeted communities.
• Coordinate, manage and motivate program teams across all implementation locations, ensuring they have clear objectives / individual work plans as part of performance management, and receive meaningful feedback on their performance.
• Mentor program team members (program and M&E) reporting directly to this position, ensuring their ability to manage across programs in each of the target geographies.
• Ensure that the program is managed adaptively, through periodic reflection exercises and use of MEL data.
• Submit high quality reports to donor and stakeholders.
• Monitor work and targets closely to ensure that program is able to provide maximum benefit to our beneficiaries within program timeframes.
• Work closely with team and partners ensuring we adhere to humanitarian principles, Mercy Corps’ gender policies, Do No Harm principles and beneficiary accountability standards.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities.
• Fulfill Mercy Corps Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.

Proposal development

• Cultivate and nurture donor relationships and strategic partnerships that positively impact Mercy Corps ability to influence program strategies and proposal design, as well as strategic partnerships that result in stronger and impactful program development efforts.
• Help to identify new funding opportunities for agricultural/livelihood and food system programs.
• Support the design of new proposals working on agricultural/livelihood and food system programs including participating in design workshops.
• Support writing/review of concept notes and proposals.
• Work closely with field teams to influence their engagement and support of program pre-positioning, development and implementation.

Team Building and Management

• Lead and manage recruitment and training of all team members working in the portfolio.
• Oversee the documentation and filing systems for all programs in the portfolio and ensure that information is organized according to the reporting and auditing needs. Ensure required levels of confidentiality.
• Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that ensure the safety and security of the team in all aspects of its work.
• Lead the identification of program issues, challenges and risks, with in the team and lead appropriate recommendations and implements them.
• Develop the capacity of the program team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

Finance and Operations Management

• Ensure compliance with donor, consortium lead and Mercy Corps’ regulations related to programming and operations.
• With support of the Operations Manager, ensure adequate operational systems are in place to provide for programs implementation.
• Ensure proper logistics, administration, human resources and transport needs of the programs are conducted within Mercy Corps policy.
• Manage program budgets as the primary budget holder.
• Exercise sound judgment to ensure projects’ expenses are reasonable, allocable and prudent. Ensure all projects’ funds are spent in accordance with donor rules and regulations. Work with Director of Programs to forecast expenditure surpluses and deficits to enable adjustments.
• Strictly follow Mercy Corps’ Fraud and Prevention guidelines.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Ensure that program teams are continually gathering and digesting operating environment data and activity reports, and that teams are holding frequent activity review sessions to continually re-examine the relevance and impact of their programming.
• Coordinate and share information with the Team Lead to ensure that overall project targets and donor obligations are being achieved. Advice on suggested improvements, as required.
• Ensure program teams have community complaint and feedback mechanisms in place and that the complaints and feedback being received are responded to within a timely manner.

policy, advocacy, Representation

• Represent Mercy Corps at related events and contribute to thought leadership on community resilience and food system in Ethiopia and globally.
• Identify and nurture strategic partnerships with other organizations and institutions working on community resilience and food systems.

GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)

• Adherence to gender minimum standards
• Allocate budget for GESI related activities and staff capacity building on GESI
• Make sure GESI issues are properly reflected during program management
• Support the organization’s commitment to age and gender inclusive team building process
• Promote an inclusive and equitable workplace culture
• Support Staff Capacity Building on Increase staff knowledge of GEDSI

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.

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 toward 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

• The project manager will be responsible to directly supervise ISRLS project program team members based in Gambella which include Advisors and Specialists.

Accountability

• Reports Directly To: Area Manager

Knowledge and Experience

• Master’s degree or equivalent in a field related Agriculture, Food Security, Agricultural Market Systems, Development Studies, Rural development, Agricultural economics, Agri business, Cooperative business management or any other relevant field
• Minimum of 5 years’ work experience with NGO and/or profit-making agribusiness working with vulnerable, marginalized communities
• Proven experience in applying market-based approaches to increase access to agricultural inputs including collaborating with private sector national and international actors to achieve sustainable and scalable solutions for hard-to-reach communities.
• Proven experience supporting innovative agricultural value chain development through market system approach with specific focus on seed system strengthening.
• Strong experience working in emergency and conflict sensitive situations and locations.
• Demonstrated success building, managing and leading a team of professionals in a fast-paced challenging environment with high standards for success.
• Strong writing, communication, organization, prioritization and negotiating skills.
• Excellent and proven coordination and representation experience is needed, especially in building and maintaining strong/productive relations with implementing and strategic partner agencies and government agencies.
• Excellent MEL, data analytics and quantitative skills are highly preferred.
• Strong financial management experience required.
• Strong project management experience required.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites and field locations, including traveling to insecure environments, is required.
• Fluency in English is required.

Success Factors

The successful candidate will possess excellent leadership skills, with the ability to maintain a broad perspective. He/she will undertake innovative and creative approaches, be agile in the conceptualization of new program ideas, and will be well versed in strategic thinking and planning - including openness to test new ways to work with private sector actors. The ideal candidate will have a strong curiosity for understanding and working effectively within the complex cultural, political, security and social environment of Ethiopia. They will be excellent communicators, multi-taskers, and able to work in ambiguous situations. They will be tolerant and flexible individuals able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures. The successful candidate will be focused on team building and capacity building of national staff team-members; be a strategic thinker, have strong skills in design monitoring and evaluation of development programs and maintain a sense of humor.

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.

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 meet 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 the 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.