DIRECTOR -CRISIS ANALYSIS TEAM DRC(CAT)

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. 

COUNTRY OFFICE AND CAT DEPARTMENT 

Mercy Corps is present in the DRC since August 2007, implementing integrated programs to ensure:

•A comprehensive, rapid response to ongoing humanitarian needs;

•An equitable access to improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in humanitarian and development settings;

•The promotion of economic and livelihood development to strengthen food security and resilience;

•An institutional capacity to strengthen social cohesion and to foster peace as well as good governance. 

Early 2025, following USAID budget cuts, two major USAID projects were terminated. In parallel, a rebel armed group took control of several cities in the east of the country, including Goma and Bukavu. Despite these shocks, Mercy Corps DRC remains a leading NGO in DRC with 8 international partners, 10 national partners and various donors. In addition, the organization has a current workforce of 300 national and expatriate employees and operational presence in Goma and Beni (North Kivu Province), in Bunia (Ituri Province), and in Tshikapa, Kalonda West and NdjokoPunda (Kasai Province). The following programs are being implemented: 

•Emergency Response: Mercy Corps leads the largest INGO rapid response consortium in DRC (funded by ECHO, FCDO and SDC) and implements “second line” response activities (Howard G. Buffet Foundation funding).

•Food security resilience: Mercy Corps leads the large-scale GAINS program (consortium of international and national NGOs, funded by the US Department of State). It includes impactful food security resilience activities during a 5 years timeframe in the Kasai province. 

•Social cohesion, peace and good governance: Mercy Corps leads the stabilization RESET program (consortium of international and national NGOs, funded by FCDO and SDC). Its ambitious activities are implemented in Grand North Kivu and Ituri provinces. 

•WASH programming: following the US cuts, active fundraising is ongoing to restart Mercy Corps WASH strategy and activities in DRC. Promising opportunities are being currently explored, which should allow a restart as from 2025 last quarter. 

Mercy Corps’ Crisis Analysis Team(CAT) combines traditional research methods with powerful data science tools to help organizations navigate complex, high-risk environments impacted by climate change and conflict. Our approach strengthens decision-making across the aid sector by providing rich insights into crisis contexts. Our analysis is grounded in local contexts and conflicts, helping humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding actors designing solutions to better equip communities facing complex crises. As part of Mercy Corps, we combine independent analysis with direct programmatic experience, allowing us to provide actionable and targeted messages that strengthen sector wide responses. Through trend monitoring, risk forecasting and deep-dive thematic analysis, we help ensure that donor investments create measurable, sustainable impact through coordinated and context-sensitive interventions – even in the most challenging operational environments. For over ten years, we’ve been leaders in analyzing crisis situations where reliable data is challenging to obtain and interpret. We share our analysis widely in the sector – not just through reports, but also by actively engaging with partners, promoting joint evidence-based planning, and using our broad networks to support informed, coordinated responses. We have implemented the Crisis Analysis approach in more than 20 fragile and conflictaffected countries, through a team of more than 60 analysts, data scientists, and subject-matter experts.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY

The Crisis Analysis Team (CAT) Director leads the strategic vision, coordination, and delivery of complex humanitarian and crisis analysis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They oversee a multidisciplinary team responsible for producing high-quality, timely, and contextually grounded analysis to inform evidence-based programming, advocacy, and decision-making.

As a core member of Mercy Corps DRC’s senior leadership, the CAT Director aligns analytical products with internal and external priorities, coordinates with donors and humanitarian actors, and ensures that Mercy Corps’ interventions remain informed by evolving local dynamics. The Director also manages the capacity, performance, and professional development of the CAT team, ensuring the application of rigorous methodologies and fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation. 

The CAT Director will lead a team that equips Mercy Corps DRC’s senior leadership with a comprehensive picture of local trends related to access, conflict, emergency response, and humanitarian needs—merging granular field data with geopolitical analysis to anticipate changes in the conflict and humanitarian landscape.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSABILITIES

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP AND PLANNING

●Articulate and refine the evolving vision for crisis analysis within the DRC context, based on Mercy Corps’ programmatic and analytical needs and the NGO’s broader strategic priorities.

●Develop, update, and implement an effective strategy that reflects the added value and strengths of the ongoing crisis analysis work within Mercy Corps' DRC portfolio.

●Build strategic relationships with donors and partners to position DRC-CAT as a preferred analysis partner and promote Mercy Corps DRC programming,

●Proactively identify fundraising opportunities for DRC-CAT and lead proposal development.

●Collaborate and ensure alignment with key internal stakeholders, including Program Directors, Technical Units, Policy and Advocacy teams, HQ-based teams, and the Global Crisis Analysis Team.

●Participate in the global Crisis Analysis community of practice to support cross-learning, impact monitoring and efficient use of resources.

●Contribute to the DRC country strategy and, where relevant, to the regional strategy.

●Identify and develop opportunities for the growth and advancement of the CAT in DRC.

●Oversee the measurement and analysis of key performance indicators for CAT to inform strategic decision-making.

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TEAM LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

●Supervise and coordinate the work of the senior analysts, research senior officer, technology for development officer, and stakeholder management specialist.

●Develop and manage workplans and ensure timely delivery of analytical products aligned with audience needs.

●Coordinate with other departments and programs in the mission to ensure strong reporting.

●Build team capacity in writing, research methodologies, analysis, and contextual interpretation.

●Support team members in defining professional development goals and provide opportunities for capacity-building.

●Ensure team members operate in a secure environment, comply with Mercy Corps’ security protocols, and apply safeguarding and data protection standards across the research cycle.

●Ensure team members adhere to the Crisis Analysis guidelines, have access to and actively use available agencywide Crisis Analysis resources and tools, and participate in community of practice initiatives as appropriate.

ANALYSIS AND TECHNICAL OVERSIGHT

●Plan and oversee the production of analytical products, including periodic, flash, economic, areabased, and thematic reports.

●Guide the identification of emerging themes and ensure CAT’s work remains responsive to shifts in the humanitarian context.

●Serve as a technical expert and final reviewer, ensuring analytical outputs are insightful, actionable, and methodologically sound.

●Uphold rigorous quality assurance standards across data collection, analysis, and dissemination, fostering consistency and credibility.

●Integrate gender, diversity, and inclusion considerations into methodologies and outputs.

CONTENT DELIVERY AND EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

●Ensure CAT products are delivered on time and in accessible formats for diverse audiences, including senior leadership, donors, and coordination bodies.

●Distill complex findings into concise and digestible briefings, dashboards, or visual summaries.

●Represent CAT in high-level briefings and external meetings; support the Country Director and program teams with context briefings and strategic updates.

●Maintain partnerships with peer analysis units and humanitarian actors to promote collaboration and joint analysis.

PROGRAMMATIC AND OPERATIONAL INTEGRATION

●Maintain a strong understanding of Mercy Corps’ programming priorities and field operations.

●Work closely with program teams and partners to understand their information needs and codesign tailored methodologies or products.

●Participate in scenario planning, risk assessments, and crisis response structures to ensure CAT provides timely, strategic inputs to operational decision-making.

BUDGET AND COMPLIANCE

●Lead the management and implementation of the CAT budget, ensuring alignment with donor and internal compliance standards.

●Ensure effective use of resources and adherence to Mercy Corps policies, safeguarding principles, and ethical research practices.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSABILITY

Senior analysts (02), Reasearch senior officer, Technology for development officer, Stakeholder management specialist

ACCOUNTABILITY

Reports Directly To: Director of programs

Works Directly With: DRC Program Teams; Country Director, Security team, Global Crisis Analysis;

Technical Support Units; HQ Emergency and Response Teams; Regional Team; Policy and Advocacy

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 

●Master’s degree in a relevant field

●At least five years’ experience in security and/or conflict analysis

●At least two years field experience deployed in an active conflict environment

●High-level written and analytical skills

●Experience in liaising with diplomatic and multi-national organizations as well as international

NGOs, other non-governmental organizations, donors and academic institutions

●Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills 

●Experience leading, training, and coaching a team

●Competency in Internet and Microsoft Office systems including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and other database/mapping systems

●Fluency in English and French, both written and spoken is required

●Academic, practical, and professional knowledge and experience in the DRC is an asset 

LIVING CONDITIONS / ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

The position is based in Goma and is not accompanied. It requires up to 30% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.  Housing for this role is in group accommodation (individual apartment within a guest house) provided by Mercy Corps with the necessary amenities and security arrangements.  

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.

TEAM ENGAGEMENT AND EFFECTIVENESS

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work. We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law

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 Policiesand values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.