Area Director (216821-927)
26 Oct 2009 15:09:00 GMT
Deadline date: 26 Dec 2009 |
| Organisation: | Mercy Corps |
| Location: | 220185 |
| Type: | permanent |
| Salary: | TBA (000's USD) |
| Description: | PROGRAM/ DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:
Mercy Corps has been working in Sudan since 2004 with the goal of supporting the transition to a fair and lasting peace by implementing programs that promote long-term, sustainable development and contribute to secure, productive and just communities. Mercy Corps seeks to develop the existing local capacity and to strengthen the social fabric of the country, deeply affected by 21 years of civil war. Mercy Corps is facilitating recovery from the long war between North and South by addressing development needs for communities in the contested transition zone and building capacity in the nascent civil society sector in southern Sudan. Mercy Corps aims to support the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) through delivering visible peace dividends to communities and building the capacity of local government at all levels to engage constituencies and deliver services.
Mercy Corps is currently implementing more than $100 million in grants throughout Sudan while facilitating recovery by addressing economic recovery needs for nearly 300,000 people and laying the groundwork for long-term development. Mercy Corps’ work in Sudan has three major components: Civil Society Development, Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) and Humanitarian Assistance with activities that span many sectors including agriculture, market and livelihoods development, water/sanitation, capacity building, peace building, infrastructure rehabilitation, education, camp management, protection and emergency distribution. Mercy Corps is committed to long-term programming in Sudan and faces numerous opportunities for expansion.
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Abyei programs Director is a senior management position with supervisory and managerial roles over Mercy Corps economic recovery and development and consortium programs in Abyei State.
As part of the Mercy Corps Sudan senior management team, the Abyei Program Director will assist to evolve and implement the programmatic vision and work to ensure that Mercy Corps activities are planned and executed with quality, accountability, and measurable impact. The Abyei Program Director will be responsible to assist the BRIDGE Chief of Party in the program design and implementation, administration, fiscal and grant management of a USAID/ EC / OFDA / NPA funded projects assuring quality, impact and cost effectiveness of the project. S/he is required to work closely both with Sudanese government institutions in Abyei, donors and UN agencies, partner NGOs / CBOs and communities. An important component of the work is the joint operations with LINCS’s senior staff to jointly operate to mobilize and link grass root leaders, Civil Society Organizations and Local Authorities.
The Abyei Programs Director will guide future strategy for the organization and the technical direction of the programs, including its technical assistance, capacity building and basic service delivery components to ensure that it continues to meet USAID, state government and community requirements and standards.
The position will be based in Abyei in the Mercy Corps’ mission office with extensive travel to the program field offices in Greater Abyei and Southern Kordofan and liaising with Khartoum and Juba.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Assist CoP with strategic planning and technical direction of the three year program to guarantee program impact and institutional growth. Assist CoP with financial and grant management ensuring compliance with regulations and procedures, reporting and, maintaining working relationships with the government, partner agencies and NGOs on technical aspects of the program. In coordination with consortium managers, partner agencies, translate the program concept and spirit into measurable activities / tasks for the program staff striving for innovative programming with practical and sustainable impact on the ground. Provide direction and leadership in program implementation focusing on a coordinated approach that fosters complimentary delivery of services to the communities by the different project sectors and partner agencies. Foster strong working relationships with local government authorities (LGAs) at state and community levels and communities ensuring Mercy Corps (and partners') activities closely match state and community development priorities and directly respond to needs of the target communities. Plan and implement joint activities with the Mercy Corps LINCS programs. Maintain close links with partner agencies ensuring their full participation in the decision making process and project implementation through regular and ad hoc meetings and briefings. Represent Mercy Corps and its partners at the State level to ensure government coordination and participation in programming and public relations and visibility for Mercy Corps donors and partners. Lead a dynamic team of both international and national staff striving to ensure adherence to MC policies and guidelines whilst bolstering team spirit. Develop and ensure in coordination with the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit timely and smooth monitoring of program progress and impact and make program adjustments accordingly. In consultation with the Operations Director and Operation Managers, oversee procurement; asset, fleet and estate management ensuring donor and agency policies are respected. In consultation with the Mercy Corps Human Resources Department, oversee staffing requirements including recruitment, deployment orientation and staff development. Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to the Mercy Corps and partner organizations. Other duties as assigned by CoP or Country Director or anyone acting on his/her behalf. Organizational Learning As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities. Accountability to Beneficiaries Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards 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 Abyei Area Director will oversee a technical support unit comprising of a Business Development Advisor, Infrastructure Advisor and Agriculture / Livelihoods Advisor. In addition the Abyei Programs Director will directly supervise five (5) Agriculture and Livelihoods Program Managers (Consortium/ OFDA, Awiel East FS and TALME). ACCOUNTABILITY: REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: BRIDGE Chief of Party WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Program Managers, LINCS (D)CoP, All BRIDGE staff including Technical Support Unit, Operations Director and Finance Manager (internal), Area/ State Coordinators of partner agencies and other stakeholders UN, Other NGO and Local Govt. Authorities KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE: Masters degree in international relations, business management, or other relevant field preferred. Relevant professional experience managing and implementing large multi-year projects in Africa. Demonstrated understanding of the NGO sector, public sector planning in African countries. 3 – 6 years of experience focused in the management of development programs involving rural communities to promote sustainable development. Experience in project management related to economic recovery and development, contingency and emergency planning, agriculture, private sector/economic development and community mobilization is required. Familiarity with and experience managing projects compliant to USAID and EC regulations. Experience managing large staff (national and international) and ability to work with a multi-ethnic team in a culturally appropriate manner. This position also calls for sincere commitment to engaging communities and local government administrations in developmental initiatives. Experience living and working in unstable or conflict areas. The incumbent should be able to keep abreast socio-political developments in order to inform management and take requisite actions to ensure staff and assets safety. This position requires high computer literacy with a full knowledge of office applications. Willingness to be based in Sudan in extremely challenging operational contexts. Fluency in written and spoken English. Working knowledge of Arabic and/or other Sudanese languages preferred. SUCCESS FACTORS: Flexibility and public relations skills are integral success factors in this position. The incumbent must have wide ranging knowledge in livelihoods, capacity building and institutional strengthening and hands-on experience in relief and development projects to be direct programming. He / she must be able to prioritize; conceptualize the consortium principles and strategize on how to translate them into deliverables within the stipulated project period. LIVING /ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS: Living conditions are basic in southern Sudan and the three transitional areas. Although conditions and services continue to improve rapidly, the accomodations in most sites are basic, sometimes tented, compounds. This position brings with it the difficulties of extensive travel throughout the country. Medical facilities are basic, and tropical diseases including malaria are endemic. Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues. |
