TEAM LEAD (PROGRAMME DIRECTOR)
About Mercy Corps
Since 1979, we have helped people grappling with the toughest hardships survive – and then thrive. That’s the heart of our approach: We help communities turn crisis into opportunity. Throughout our history, Mercy Corps has demonstrated innovation, timeliness, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing realities.
Mercy Corps has worked in Tanzania since 2006, focusing primarily on three thematic areas: (1) food security, (2) governance and peace, and (3) economic opportunity and livelihoods. Youth and women are at the center of all programming in Tanzania. Through these programmes Mercy Corps supports and builds the capacity of government at the national and local levels, and of communities – making sure that they can address the challenges facing them. The Agrifin programme for example connects smallholder farmers with technology and financial services to boost productivity. Mercy Corps Tanzania is part of the FCDO-funded Collective Resilience Against Extremism (CREATE), a multi-country program that aims to mitigate the drivers, enablers, and narratives of violent extremism in East Africa (targeting Mtwara, Kigoma, Mwanza, and Tanga in Tanzania specifically). Through localized strategies, CREATE focuses on strengthening and supporting societal bonds to prevent the recruitment of vulnerable individuals to violent extremist organizations.
Programme / Department Summary
Funded by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the anticipated WAJIBIKA programme will promote a more open, inclusive society in Tanzania where government demonstrates greater accountability to the needs of its citizens. Wajibika will deliver this impact via three strategic outcomes to support 1) effective civic space and inclusive political processes 2) media freedom and access to information, and 3) Government of Tanzania (GoT) knowledge, will, and capacity for public service reforms. Wajibika is divided into three components aligned with the three outcomes. The first two components require indicative activities and delivery partners to be outlined at the bidding stage. The final component is a flexible, demand-led facility to tactically support GoT, FCDO, and SDC with research and technical assistance to drive governance innovation.
General Position Summary
Mercy Corps is seeking candidates for a Team Lead (Programme Director) who will provide overall leadership, management, and technical direction of an expected five-year FCDO and Swiss Government-supported Wajibika Programme in Tanzania. The PD will lead a consortium of partners to ensure an integrated vision among different components and actors with a focus on achieving the results. The PD shall be the donor’s principal point of contact in Tanzania for procedural and substantive matters, including technical matters for Wajibika. The PD shall coordinate and ultimately be responsible for all Agreement management and implementation. The PD shall also be responsible for ensuring quality control and the overall responsiveness of technical assistance provided under the award. The PD will be expected to identify issues and risks related to activity implementation in a timely manner and suggest appropriate adjustments.
Essential Job Responsibilities
STRATEGY AND VISION
● Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
● Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve objectives.
● Oversee the development of annual, integrated strategic work plans for the program.
● Lead the development of a program-wide conflict-sensitive framework to guide coordination and integrated implementation.
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
● Oversee program start-up and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations.
● Lead the development of detailed implementation plans, flowing from annual strategic work-plans, and ensure the delivery of the same.
● Lead the socialization of the program with Government of Tanzania stakeholders, ensuring necessary approvals and collaboration as required.
● Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
● Integrate conflict sensitivity, community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
● Provide managerial and programmatic oversight to partners and sub-grantee(s).
● Document processes and achievements to ensure best practices are captured and disseminated. This will include the continual re-evaluation of program activities and information, with resulting activity adjustments in keeping with new insights.
● Produce written reports on program activities, capturing the impacts of activities.
● Oversee efforts to design effective M&E systems for the program, and linkages with internal M&E systems.
● Create and follow effective stakeholder management plans, ensuring sound and proactive communications with Mercy Corps Tanzania, partner organizations, Mercy Corps headquarters, the donor, Government of Tanzania authorities, and colleague agencies.
● Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites – spend up to 30-40% of time in the field.
TEAM MANAGEMENT
● Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
● Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
● 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.
● Supervise and manage all program staff to ensure day-to-day activities are implemented in a coordinated fashion according to schedule, budget, and quality.
● Supervise and manage all program partnerships to ensure sound coordination in the context of an overall program strategic and resilience-building framework.
● Manage and help with the recruitment, orientation, professional development and ongoing training of staff to ensure they are of the quality and technical capacity necessary to ensure the successful implementation of activities.
FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
● In collaboration with the country program’s operations and finance departments, ensure proper financial management, procurement, administration, human resources and logistics (including transport, warehousing and asset management) needs of the program are conducted within Mercy Corps’ policy and with the maximum benefit to the program.
● Monitor adherence to grant agreement, Mercy Corps’ policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations, including those of the government of Tanzania.
REPRESENTATION
● Liaise with and represent the program to the donor and other cooperating sponsors and stakeholders.
● Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO, and other relevant events in the field, in close coordination with the Country Director.
● Ensure close coordination and information sharing with consortium partners, sub-grantees, local government, and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs.
● Establish and maintain relationships with communities and local government.
SECURITY
● Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
● Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
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 PARTICIPANTS
● 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: National and international team members working on the program, as well as partnerships with international and national program partners. The number of direct and indirect reports is to be determined.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Country Director
Works Directly With Director of Finance and Administration, MEAL, Country Director, Finance, and Operations teams. Coordinates with HQ Program Performance team and the Technical Support Unit.
Knowledge and Experience
● Master’s degree in a relevant field such as social sciences, law, development studies, etc. However, a bachelor’s degree and five (5) additional years of relevant international development experience can be substituted for the Master’s degree.
● At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in the successful
implementation of international development activities, with a specific focus on civil society, media, and public sector governance.
● Experience working in the government sector in East Africa is essential; Tanzania experience is preferred.
● Excellent oral and written communication skills. Demonstrated ability to think strategically and communicate his/her vision to partners and colleagues.
● Proven experience navigating complex and high-pressure operating environments.
● Demonstrated ability to establish and sustain interpersonal and professional relationships with different donors, civil society organizations, and host country government counterparts.
● Conflict analysis and Do No Harm analysis experience required.
● Experience working on FCDO programs preferred.
● Previous experience living and working in challenging or insecure environments.
● Fluency in spoken and written English required.
● Knowledge of local dialects is preferred.
Success Factors:
A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures, and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem-solving. S/he will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem solve, work within a complex and sensitive setting, and to follow laws and security protocols. The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
Living /Environmental Conditions:
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a short-term assignment. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs, and Mercy Corps policies, procedures, and values always and in all in-country venues.
Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.
