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

Knowledge and Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Development Studies, Economics, or any other relevant fields. Master’s Degree preferred
• Minimum 5-7 years’ relevant professional experience implementing education system humanitarian response, disaster risk reduction, comprehensive school Safety, climate change adaptation/mitigation, emergency preparedness, response, and recovery with at least 3 years’ of managerial experience
• Familiar with the cluster mechanism and humanitarian architectures in Nepal’s context.
• Excellent communication, rapport building skills including the ability to facilitate diverse groups (Government, CSOs, Technical Expert) 
• Experience in the capacity building of partners at the national, regional, and district levels on School Safety, Emergency Preparedness, and Response. 
• Good understanding of Comprehensive School Safety Framework and emergency preparedness and response.
• Aware of National/ Global policy and strategy on Disaster Risk Management and Comprehensive School Safety and its linkages with education interventions.
• Strategic thinking, analytical skill, high level coordination, networking, and facilitation skills is a must
• Prior experience in budget management and reporting required
• Experience in designing or managing projects with multiple stakeholders (including related government line agencies) involved in the implementation
• Excellent spoken and written English and Nepali language skills and ability to interact effectively with international and national staff.
• Previous experience with EU, UNICEF projects, rules, regulations, and requirements is preferred.
• Awareness of the needs and related program considerations for children, vulnerable and marginalized communities.
• Established the ability to manage and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles.
• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem-solving.
• Proven ability to learn quickly, lead a project to achieve stated results and objectives.
• Experience working with governments, civil society, national and international organizations.
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills.
• Ability to effectively represent Mercy Corps and its interests to key stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.

Essential Job Responsibilities

The specific duties and responsibilities of the Project Manager includes the following points primarily, but is not limited to the following:

Strategic Vision

• Provide overall strategic direction, leadership, technical and operational management of the project team to ensure the timely and qualitative delivery of project objectives.
• Support development of cross-team coordination mechanisms to ensure effective collaboration and integration across key project areas and functions.
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed. 
• Contribute to and oversee learnings of the project and share them with stakeholders
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to country-wide strategy development.
• Develop and organize activities to leverage existing and secure new resources and support for programs.

Project Implementation

• Lead the development of detailed implementation plans, flowing from annual
• Strategic work- plans and ensure the delivery of the same.
• Serve as the primary role responsible for not only an integrated programming design, but most specifically, ensuring that resilience is closely integrated into all sector areas with an overarching resilience approach, in line with Mercy Corps’ global model.
• Lead the socialization of the project with Government of Nepal stakeholders at the Region and District level, ensuring necessary approvals and collaboration as required.
• Lead technical input, guidance and communication for the project’s governance strategies, providing technical direction, developing work plans in collaboration with consortium lead, and project staff, monitoring implementation and impact, training staff in all relevant technical areas as required.
• Oversee all capacity building initiatives for federal, provincial and local government and relevant stakeholders to strengthen engagement of federal and cluster partners of all seven provinces, update and develop the Cluster corresponding guidance, tools, and training packages and disseminate it to all three tiers of the governments and clusters’ partners
• Work closely with lead agency and other consortium partners on coordinating and mainstreaming governance and capacity building activities throughout all aspects of the project
• Take part and contribute on local, regional and national networks/forums for knowledge sharing.
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to vulnerability criteria.
• With the rest of the project team, drive the development and roll out of systems that support project quality and integrated implementation approaches across sectors, partners, and project geographies.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
• Provide managerial and programmatic oversight to partners and subgrantee(s).
• Produce written reports on project activities, capturing the impacts of activities.
• Oversee efforts to design effective M&E systems for the project, and linkages with internal M&E systems
• Create and follow effective stakeholder management plans, ensuring sound and proactive communications with Mercy Corps Nepal, partner organizations, Mercy Corps headquarters, UNICEF, government of Nepal authorities, and colleague agencies.
• Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites – spend up to 50% of time away from home base.
• Fulfil Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.

Project Management

• In close collaboration with the project team, finance, operations, and administrative staff ensure that all components of the project are implemented in alignment with donor and Mercy Corps policy guidelines.
• Ensure project implementation is on time, target, and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Hold responsibility for detailed, annual budget development, regular budget management, relevant budget approvals with the prime, budget-related compliance, and regular budget vs, actual analysis and subsequent budget forecasting.
• In coordination with the Sr. MEL officer, ensure that robust MEL knowledge management and quality assurance systems are in place, adhered to and used as decision making tools to inform adaptive management, while also capturing best practices and lessons learned across programs.
• Use findings from the project to Influence government stakeholders (in collaboration with UNICEF) about strong safeguarding measures
• Ensure the timely preparation of high-quality progress, project, and donor reports in both content and form from the project implementation team
• Implement and model Mercy Corps’ philosophy of social entrepreneurship and leverage Mercy Corps’ best practices.
• Ensure strong CARM system is in place monitor the register so that issues are analyzed for patterns and resolved
• Cultivate a deep understanding of safeguarding issues in the project context and provide input into best practices
• Contribute to the dialogue on safeguarding in the region and within Mercy Corps more broadly
• Fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the Program Management at Mercy Corps guidelines.
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy,
• Safeguarding Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.

Team Management

• Create a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels, proactively seeking out capacity building opportunities and engaging in the career development of project staff.
• Identify technical skills gaps of project staff to provide necessary support through training, workshops, and materials as per need.
• Contribute to team-building efforts and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
• Conduct capacity building of field and implementing partner staff as required
• Provide technical support to the project and partner staff in reviewing project learning and understanding best practices, producing notes for a file on the same.
• Assist the project team to organize project related events and event reports, in coordination with field staff.
• Provide ongoing technical assistance to local partner staff, MC staff and community stakeholders on the implementation of the activities
• Implement and ensure all team members, including partners, are effectively using the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations, and regularly providing constructive feedback.

Finance & Compliance Management

• Monitor adherence to the grant agreement, Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations.

Influence & Representation

• Liaise with local, provincial and federal level government officials, local NGOs and civil society organizations, local leaders and other stakeholders to ensure support for and acceptance of Mercy Corps’ programs.
• Coordinate with Mercy Corps Technical Support Unit (TSU) teams to leverage supports and acquire technical guidance in a regular basis. Learn and share project progresses and lessons in the TSU led regular Governance forums.
• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with partners, grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
• Demonstrate flexibility, resilience, and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
• Exhibit an awareness of their strengths and development needs

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members and community operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Accountability to Program 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.

Team members 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.


OTHERS

• Ensure proper integration of child safeguarding and GESI aspects into sector specific project 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.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Conduct themselves both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned by their supervisor and or Country Director.

Supervisory Responsibility: Sr. MEL Officer (Kathmandu), Provincial Cluster Coordinator (Lumbini), Information Management Officer (Lumbini)


Accountability 

Reports Directly to: Program Manager, Integrated Agriculture, Market System and Education

Works Directly with: Director of Programs, Program Manager, Sr. MEL Officer, Provincial Cluster Coordinator, Information Management Officer 

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: 17th Mar, 2022