Mercy Corps announces vacancy for Cluster Lead. Interested candidates can apply for the job. Read the full article below for the job details.

Knowledge and Experience

• At least Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, Development Studies/Management, agriculture market livelihood, DRR or any related discipline. A Master’s Degree is preferred.  
• At least 5-7 years of relevant experience in food security, disaster risk management, agriculture & livelihood, and humanitarian assistance. 
• Requires at least 2 years of experience in budget management, report writing and coordination. 
• Experiences working in partnerships, coordination among different stakeholders and organizations at district/province/national level is required. Prior experience working on USAID funded programs highly preferred. 
• Work experiences and understanding on long term emergency assistance, M&E, cash and voucher programming, social protection, and SBCC will be an added advantage. 
• Demonstrated ability to work in complex environments under tight deadlines. 
• Strong coordination skills, including capacity to coordinate large teams remotely.
• Strong organizational and logistical skills with demonstrated experience in strategic planning and ability to work independently are required. 
• Good writing and computer skills, including preliminary research and information gathering from the internet, MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint preparation are required. 
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Nepali required. 
• Effective writing skills to prepare reports, complete analyses and make presentations. 
• Negotiation, networking, advocacy, coordination and representation skills with key local actors is preferred 
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment. 
• Proven ability to learn quickly, facilitate program implementation to achieve stated results and objectives.

Essential Job Responsibilities

The specific duties and responsibilities of the Cluster Lead includes, but are not limited to, the following:

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

• Ensure the district implementing partner fully understands the program areas of implementation.
• Facilitate and support the district implementing partners to fully implement the program activities on the ground. 
• Work with the district implementing partners to ensure they fully take ownership for the program and support them to build relationships with both local and government sector collaborating agencies and departments. 
• Maintain close and cooperative working relationships with the district implementing partners’ finance & program staff, provide inputs in the effective financial management, ensure the monthly and quarterly reports submitted to Mercy Corps are in timely manner, overseeing financial/accounting activities are carried out in accordance with sub award agreement and accounting principles. 

MONITORING, EVALUATIONS, AND LEARNING (MEL) AND REPORTING 

• Monitor program activities on a regular basis to ensure timely and effective program implementation. 
• Ensure monitoring of field activities to be on time, target and budget, and propose recommendations for improvements. 
• Ensure organization of regular Project Advisory Committee (PAC) monitoring visits and meetings to share program progress and receive feedback. 
• Coordinate closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team to generate and collect required information and data for measuring program intervention results.
• Support implementing partners to prepare monthly/quarterly plans and reports. 
• Support implementing partners to generate weekly updates, quality progress reports and documents that capture program learning, good practices and success stories. 

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS

• Lead and Coordinate with District Coordinators, Technical leads and Officers for all field activities in the cluster/region.
• Serve as a key focal point for problem solving at cluster and district levels as required and seek support from the DCOP/COP as required.
• Work closely with representatives of Consortium and Local partners at the cluster and district level.
• Coordinate and facilitate district/regional level events related to studies/assessments, workshops, training and orientation programs and formal/informal interactions with program participants, partners and stakeholders.

LIAISON, COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION

• Manage good relationships with the Palika/municipality and District level project stakeholders, including local NGO partners, GoN officials, community officials, and colleague agency officials.
• Represents Bhakari program and Mercy Corps at the local level, district and regional level and contacts the counterpart, I/NGOs, line agencies, communities and visitors as required.
• Organize critical review and reflection meeting periodically to share plan, progress, issues and way forward
• Act as key focal point of liaison, coordination and collaboration on behalf of Bhakari project cluster office, Mercy Corps and its partners.
• Establish good coordination with humanitarian clusters, local, district and provincial governments, non-government stakeholders and other collaborating partners to prevent duplication of activities. 

FINANCE AND COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT

• Ensure all internal control procedures are adhered to and that necessary measures are put in place to ensure high standards of accountability and compliance. 
• Work closely with finance/compliance to mitigate fraud, conflict of interest and legal ramifications of Mercy Corps activities. 
• Support and orient on MC Code of Ethics and uphold Mercy Corps’ Zero tolerance of corruption policy. 

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

• As required by the program management at both district and province levels liaise with and represent the program to local government officials, humanitarian clusters, AIN forums, civil society/community leaders, political parties and other key stakeholders. 
• Ensure close coordination and information sharing with local implementing partners, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs. 
• Establish and maintain professional and productive relationships with communities and local government. 
• Serve as a key focal point for program related issues and problems in the ground and seek support from central level as required. 

OTHERS

• Ensure proper integration of safeguarding and GESI aspects into MEL planning and implementation.
• Mercy Corps as a humanitarian agency is expected to respond as and when crisis and humanitarian situation engulfs. As an MC employee all staff are expected to be part of humanitarian and emergency response in addition to their regular roles and responsibilities.
• Conduct themselves both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Work as a head of Jumla sub- office
• Other duties as assigned by Supervisor and Country Director

Supervisory Responsibility: District Coordinators, Cluster office administrative functions

Reports Directly to: Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) 

Works Directly with: Technical Component lead/Manager, Advisor and Officers; and Partnership Manager, Cluster Office’s Finance, and Operations unit.  

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. Mercy Corps has been operating in Nepal since 2005, implementing programs in food security, agriculture, market development, financial services, girl’s education, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. We take a systems-based approach in our programming, with the aim of improving the lives and potential of vulnerable individuals and communities across Nepal.

Click here to apply

Application Deadline: 24th May, 2022