THE PROGRAM

THE POSITION

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Follow analysis of the Yemen crisis and the impact of policy, political, and military changes on the context, ensuring that this analysis is recognized and incorporated in planning for both short-term humanitarian and longer-term recovery and resilience programming;
• Contribute to countrywide strategy development and prioritize and organize actions and resources to achieve objectives set through those processes;
• Provide leadership in the development of a coherent strategy for the implementation of the multi-sector program activities: humanitarian, early recovery and resilience. Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve program objectives and contribute to the delivery and development of the countrywide Resilience Strategy, in line with both the evolving contextual needs and MC Global Strategy and Vision for 2030
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed and considered;
• Ensure that Mercy Corps strategy is developed as a collaborative process with MCY team, well communicated and guides decision-making.

• Communicate a clear vision of program goals and strategies to program team members and stakeholders, translating into concrete work plans;
• Provide leadership to increase coordination, collaboration, communication and harmonization of Mercy Corps programming and operations in Yemen, ensuring adherence to the highest technical program standards;
• Building a supportive and accountable pathway for Program Managers to fully be responsible for meeting PM@MC standards with minimal oversight from the DoP;
• Liaise with the regional and global teams, including regular updates with the Deputy Regional Director for Programs and regional heads of TRAQ and evidence and learning units to ensure MC Yemen remains on track with regional and global objectives and gets the required support to maintain program performance and quality at the country level;
• Support the PaQ Team in ensuring the planning and proactive implementation of high-quality data collection (assessments, evaluations etc…) along with the development and implementation of a learning agenda across programs;
• Build consensus around a common vision of what shared success looks like, including developing and tracking appropriate indicators;
• Ensure programs meet donor and internal obligations on scope, time, and budget, including efficient coordination of program, operational, and financial issues;
• Engage program leadership in ongoing context analysis that enables programs and teams to adapt to significant changes in the geopolitical/conflict environment;
• Create and maintain systems to ensure efficient and transparent capture of program data for management decision-making and timely and informative internal and external reporting;
• Oversee the establishment of systems, policies, and approaches necessary to ensure and demonstrate the quality of programs and ensure technical coherence and promote creative programming across the portfolio;
• Ensure that all the program staff have received training in line with their level of responsibility and receive technical support relevant to their programs;
• Ensure all program management minimum standards are met (including risk management, and issues management) in line with PM@MC 2.0, and with different sectors;
• Coordinate all program units for the timely preparation of quality internal and external reports that flag contractual challenges where necessary.

• Track and review new program development opportunities and identify opportunities that match Mercy Corps’ strategic interests in Yemen on a coordinated and timely basis;
• Ensure each opportunity is fully staffed with a lead writer, coordinator, technical advisor and other required positions, proactively taking on these roles as required;
• Coordinate with partner organizations and field program staff on proposal development and design, including gathering information for concepts and proposals and serving as primary drafter/editor of proposals and needs assessments;
• Apply the agency’s best practices in donor cultivation, pre-positioning, and proposal development efforts for institutional donors.

Team Management

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence;
• Promote accountability, and ownership, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews;
• Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary;
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes;
• Create a work atmosphere of mutual respect conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels;
• Implement, and ensure all staff members are effectively using, the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations and regularly providing constructive feedback to their direct reports;

• Recognize the high level of donor scrutiny in Yemen programming and ensure continuing effective, transparent and responsive compliance mechanisms are in place;
• Maintain oversight of overall program budgets ensuring appropriate allocation of resources to meet program objectives;
• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations;
• Ensure all internal control procedures are adhered to and that necessary measures are put in place to ensure high standards of accountability and compliance;
• Create and maintain systems for regular review and implementation of corrective measures based on regular budget variance analysis in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies.

• Represent Mercy Corps programs with external stakeholders;
• Work with formal and informal governance structures and representatives, maintain and develop relevant and productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders;
• Maintain productive relationships with internal and external constituents such as private sector partners, local NGOs, civil society organizations, and academic institutions;
• Participate in shaping policy positions and advocacy messages pertaining to the overall humanitarian situation in Yemen.

• Maintain oversight of access provisions to ensure Mercy Corps’ continued ability to access our most vulnerable and hard-to-reach participants;
• Coordinate with the CD on crucial events, high-risk periods, incident reporting and any security policy changes;
• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies;
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies;

ACCOUNTABILITY

ACCOUNTABILITY TO PARTICIPANTS AND STAKEHOLDERS

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION & TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

• MA/S or equivalent in relevant field;
• At least 5 years experience in a management role including in humanitarian settings;
• Experience in the Middle East preferred;
• Experience managing a portfolio of both humanitarian and development programs across diverse sectors, including MPCA, food security, nutrition, WASH, Market System Development, Social Cohesion, Peacebuilding and Good Governance, among others;
• Proven experience building up the capacity of national team members to be fully accountable Program or Portfolio Managers;
• Excellent oral and written English skills are required; proficiency in Arabic is a plus;
• Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint);
• Strong management, mentorship and leadership skills with a proven ability to build the capacity of program teams;
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with exceptional ability to articulate technical issues with colleagues at different capacity levels;
• Understands donor regulations and compliance (USAID, BHA, ECHO, EU, FCDO, UN, etc.);
• Ability to work under high pressure with multiple deadlines in a challenging, hardship location;
• Excellent representation abilities with proven experience interacting with authorities, donors and other partners to advance strategic objectives;
• Strong program management skills, promoting innovation, collaborating effectively across sectors and departments and adopting a solution-oriented attitude at all times;

• Ability to adapt and work effectively in a multi-cultural context and remain culturally sensitive and appropriate at all times.

SUCCESS FACTORS

LIVING CONDITIONS / ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

ONGOING LEARNING

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY