Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. 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.
The Department
Mercy Corps’ Technical Support Unit (TSU) is a key part of the Program Department. TSU subject-matter experts help set agency strategy and provide consultation – from assessment and design through project implementation and results measurement – to field offices worldwide, in some of the world’s toughest places. TSU team members lead research, foster organizational learning, represent Mercy Corps to external audiences, and develop partnerships. The TSU is also integral to global business development and revenue.
The Environment Team is a central part of the TSU. The team provides technical leadership as it relates to climate resilience, water security, energy access and environmental safeguarding.
The Position
The Climate Data & Technology Advisor will help grow Mercy Corps’ ability to integrate high quality geospatial data and decision making tools into their programs and operations. In 2022 Mercy Corps completed its new 2030 Global Strategy. The new strategy established an ambitious new global climate commitment, which charges the agency with scaling up our climate programming. Improving the agencies capacity to utilize climate data for key decision making, strategy and program approaches is critical to the success of this commitment. The Sr. Advisor reports to the Sr. Director of Climate & Water Security, and will become part of a strategic team working to advance Mercy Corps global climate commitment.
The Sr. Advisor is responsible for supporting Mercy Corps teams (global, regional, country and program) on two fronts. First, the Advisor will work across teams to improve the utilization of climate and environment data and associated technologies to inform strategic decisions making, program design and other relevent operations. This will involve wworking across teams (TSU, Crisis Analytics, Technology, Compliance) to foster a coherent strategy and coordination around the use and scale-up of climate information at Mercy corps. Provide technical assistance, training, and capacity building support to Mercy Corps’s Climate IQ on the use of climate, weather and other relevent environentn information for decision-making and risk management. The Sr. Advisor will also foster partnerships with global, regional and national stakeholders to support and facilitate these efforts.
Second, the Sr. Advisor will work in partnership with country and program teams on the design and implementation of on-the-ground program strategies that extend access to climate information services for most vulnerable popultations. In this regard the Sr. Advisor will ccollaborate with country teams to understand and interpret climate and weather services data that address the needs of various stakeholders, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private sector partners. The Sr. Advisor will work with country teams to undertake assessments, and design program models necessary to improve access to these services. In support of this work, the Sr. Advisor will also develop assessment guidelines, technical tools, program approaches, partnerships and research to help Mercy Corps teams advance its climate and weather services programming. Finally, the Sr. Advisor will work with Mercy Corps’ Research and Learning team to evaluate programmatic interventions and undertake assessments to understand “what works”.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy
PROGRAM AND PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM QUALITY & Technical implementation
LEARNING AND IMPACT
POLICY, ADVOCACY, REPRESENTATION
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
Consultants on managed projects
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Sr. Director, Climate and Water Security, Technical Support Unit.
Works Directly With: Other TSU Teams, Relevant field-based PMs, Global Crisis Analytics and field teams, program and country teams, HQ-based Program Operations, Finance, PAQ/MEL.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
Success Factors
First and foremost the successful candidate will have demonstrated experience working at the intersection of climate change and humanitarian aid and development as well as data and technology. They will understand the opportunities and challenges faced by NGOs working at this intersection and demonstrate and understanding of practical approaches to using data and technology to help them. They will demonstrate a commitment to user-centered design, that prioritizes end users and their decision making needs.
All members of our TSU team are expected to be strong communicators who can effectively work with colleagues from a variety of technical and non-technical backgrounds. They are support oriented. They take a user-centered approach, working to meet potential end-users where they are to achieve the best outcome. They do not hesitate to seek clarification and assistance when needed and are able to explain technical concepts to a non-technical audience. They see themselves as part of a team. They are curious about other people’s ideas and perspectives and willing to share their own. They welcome and proactively seek feedback and are interested in exploring alternative paths to solving a problem.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
This is a position open to applicants authorized to work in the US, UK, Netherland and Switzerland.
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.