Program Manager

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Program Support

• Ensure that the programs targets are met accordingly to the implementation work-plan. This includes being responsible for the quality of periodical reports/updates and grants tracking system by ensuring that subgrant and grant records are kept up to date.
• Decision making on projects to fund, in consultation with relevant team members.
• Closely follow the implementation of partner activities from the design phase through to implementation and close out.
• Pay close attention to issues, trends or concerns that arise from partner reports, updates and meetings. In discussion with Director of Programs, make decisions and take action.
• Actively seek out new programming opportunities, through keeping abreast of the context, actively identifying new potential partners, and new geographical areas of operation.
• Ensure technical quality to all projects, and seek technical support when required. Recognize programmatic gaps either in current quality of implementation or potential future areas of implementation. Liaise with Mercy Corps’ experts in specific fields to acquire the required technical support.

• Maintain positive and professional working relationship with partners. Be responsive to their needs and challenges. Ensure the same consistent approach is used throughout the team.
• Coordinate internally with finance, compliance, humanitarian access and program development teams, ensuring a consistent approach to project design, implementation and close out. Suggest opportunities for improved integration and collaboration when possible.

• Help design project frameworks/objectives with local partners, and ensure that the projects funded all meet set criteria and standards and feed into the larger MC grant.
• Work closely with MC’s MEL Manager to ensure adaptive approaches to remote monitoring of partner projects.

• Organize and facilitate meetings/workshops/trainings to help increase the capacity of local staff and implementing partners in planning and implementation of our programs.
• Provide specific coaching to local partners, maintaining a consistent approach with other team members.
• Ensure grants are spent on time, appropriately and to budget. Keep track of spending in coordination with Finance Manager and Director of Programs.
• Lead on donor level proposal design and proposal writing in coordination with Director of Programs.
• Ensure a good understanding of the Syrian conflict context and humanitarian need trends.
• Maintain up to date knowledge on donor requirements and compliance issues, relevant to specific grants. 

• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Provide professional guidance and support to the Program Officer(s) and other team members. Ensure effective line management of Program Officer(s).
• Represent the team in Regional Meetings; donor meetings and coordination meetings when requested.

• Assist in any other task or duty assigned by the supervisor.

Representation and Coordination

• As required by the supervisor, represent Mercy Corps at donor meetings, and government and sectoral coordination forums/meetings.
• Under supervision of the Director of Programs, develop and maintain working relationships and coordinate with relevant international and local agencies including humanitarian and human rights organizations, local authorities and local partners.

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. Highlights:

• Take initiative to find required trainings/on-line learning needed to improve his/her professional performance.

Accountability to Stakeholders:

• Support partners to ensure that beneficiary communities are adequately informed about programs, are aware of their entitlements, are comfortable to give feedback and that feedback is used to improve the quality of our programs;
• Integrate M&E and accountability systems that are compliant with HAP international benchmarks, CHS, SPHERE and other relevant standards, as well as to the Donors’ requirements;
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission or put the team, assets and mission at risk;

Other:

•               Participate in and support internal office coordination and planning meetings and workshops;

•               Ensure all activities are gender sensitive and follow Mercy Corps’ Gender Equity Policy;

•               Apply Do No Harm standards to ensure activities do not have detrimental effects on vulnerable communities;

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• University Degree or Higher in field relating to humanitarian and development work or’ Degree relevant to one or more of the following technical sectors (Distributions, Food, Protection)
• 3-6 years of experience working in Non-Governmental Organisation, ideally focused on humanitarian relief.
• Experience of line management is required.
• Experience in implementing humanitarian programs such as NFI distributions, food distributions, livelihoods interventions or child protection initiatives. 
• Demonstrated experience in emergency response programming in highly insecure environments.
• Commitment to local capacity development and past experience of engaging and working with local stakeholders in project design and implementation.
• Demonstrated capacity to collaborate closely with INGOs, national NGOs and Community Based Organisations.
• Good organizational and project management skills.
• Proven ability to work cooperatively with colleagues from other departments in a team environment, and to lead a diverse group of people.
• Understanding of participatory methodologies for project design, implementation and evaluation.
• Knowledge of humanitarian standards and codes, including SPHERE, CHS is an asset.
• Working understanding of procurement, administration and finance systems.
• Demonstrated familiarity with the MS Office software (i.e., Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) is required.
• Show great initiative and be able to work well in a team and independently.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the Middle East conflict context and understands project needs.
• Commitment to high level of confidentiality with sensitive information.
• Arabic and English language written and spoken is essential. Excellent written English is desired.