Senior Program Manager (BEGE) at Mercy Corps

This position offers overall oversight of program implementation and deliverables, team leadership functions on the Mercy Corps tasks under BEGE Consortium. The Senior Program Manager is a cross-functional and cross-sectoral manager and leader who takes full responsibility for the successful delivery of Mercy Corps’ responsibilities within the BEGE Consortium. This role coordinates heavily within Mercy Corps teams, the BEGE consortium members, the Borno State Government and target LGAs authorities and stakeholders. Snr PM reports directly to BEGE Consortium Director and has ultimate responsibility to ensure MC activities are on time, on scope and within sector minimum standards and best practices. Snr Program Manager will monitor program budgets, represent the team at internal, cross-departmental and teams’ platforms, as well as externally, as directed by the supervisor. Snr Program Manager will collaborate effectively with the two sister programs managers: THRIVE and NE CORE to ensure efficient use of the resources, unification of approaches and sharing the learnings.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Throughout the life of award, the success of the Senior Program Manager-BEGE  will be evaluated based upon the following scope:

STRATEGY & VISION

• Contribute to Mercy Corps Pathways to Possibilities (P2P) agenda, assist BEGE Director in ensuring all sectors and activities align with the strategy.
• Lead on developing local partnerships.
• Lead and guide Mercy Corps BEGE team and program Partners in delivering the activities across BEGE Program sectors.
• Contribute to/and assist during assessments and support new initiatives to sustain the efficient assistance to the local communities and program participants.
• Stay abreast of changing context and needs, closely collaborate with Analytics Team.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

• Manage and oversee the implementation of the Mercy Corps tasks under BEGE Consortium, ensuring it is on-time, on-scope and within the budget as well as sensitive to the context.
• Ensure effective management and coordination of successful delivery of an integrated package of multi-sectoral interventions.
• Structure the team to ensure that all program aspects meet the highest programmatic standards and adhere to the sectoral minimum standards and norms.
• Lead on and maintain Mercy Corps program and sectoral planning meetings, ensure workplans are functional and always up to date.
• Ensure the team produces and updates procurement and recruitment plans.
• Take the lead on consolidating Mercy Corps progress reports, ensuring they are accurate, concise, and timely.
• Ensure all MC administration, logistical, human resources and financial procedures are followed in relation to implementation of BEGE Program.
• Closely collaborate with program managers of THRIVE and NE CORE, share workplans, learnings and challenges.
• Work closely with the MEL team to ensure that all essential programs, organizational metrics, and lessons learned are being adequately captured.
• Capture best practices and lessons learned and promote an overall culture of adaptive learning through systematic analysis and reflection on program data.
• Ensure all MC program management minimum standards are met.
• Encourage culture and learning, accountability and adaptation, work with broader Program Accountability and Quality (PAQ) team to put in place strong knowledge management systems.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Recruit a program team and ensure that program staff receive necessary inductions and training (including program management certification where required).
• Oversee orgchart of MC team under BEGE, suggest functional or programmatic adaptation, whenever required.
• Create a work atmosphere of mutual respect and trust, conducive to innovations in the program implementation, professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels.
• Lead and organise regular program team meetings; collaborate with PAQ and Consortium Director on Quarterly Review meetings.
• Implement, and ensure all staff members are effectively using, the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations and regularly providing constructive feedback.
• Promote accountability by conducting staff annual performance reviews with direct supervisees and ensuring that supervisory staff personnel do the same.
• Help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT

• Work closely with the Finance team to review monthly budget versus actual financial management information to ensure that all MC BEGE program expenditures are on track and do not exceed approved budget variance limits.
• Plan and manage MC BEGE monthly and quarterly cash flows and oversee the timely and compliant expenditure by the sub-grantees.
• Ensure all internal control procedures are adhered to and that necessary measures are put in place to ensure high standards of accountability and compliance.

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

• Represent MC BEGE in BEGE Consortium meetings.
• Work closely with all BEGE Consortium Partners and external stakeholders for impactful and efficient delivery of assistance to the communities
• Closely coordinate with MCN two sister programs implemented in Borno (THRIVE and NE CORE) to ensure effective use of shared resources, exchange of lessons learned and coordinate on unification of sectoral approaches.
• In communication and coordination with BEGE Consortium Director, represent Mercy Corps to government, donors, I/NGOs and other relevant events in the field.
• Coordinate MC BEGE activities with partners, sub-grantees, government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps global staff.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

SECURITY

• Ensure team’s 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.
• Work closely with Mercy Corps Security and Analytics teams to develop and maintain systems that ensure the safety and security of the team in all aspects of its implementation process.

ORGANISATIONAL 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.

Supervisory Responsibility: Field Program Managers, local partnerships

Accountability

Reports Directly To: BEGE Consortium Director

Works Directly with: Sector Leads, THRIVE Snr Program Manager, NE-CORE Senior Program Manager, PAQ Team, Finance Manager, Operations Manager, Security Advisor, Analytics team, Government & External Relations Manager.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

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 project.

Knowledge and Experience

• At least 3-4 years of consistently growing competencies and experience in managing an integrated multi sector program and teams, ideally in humanitarian and/or early recovery settings.
• MA/S or equivalent in international development or related field preferred.
• Familiarity with and understanding of the humanitarian context in Borno State and Northeast Nigeria required.
• History of working effectively and respectfully with host country government, private sector, INGO and NGO partners in complex environments
• Experience in working with partners, managing partnership, desirable.
• Familiarity with USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) Assistance Guidelines, as well as experience in managing BHA funded programs strongly preferred.
• Strong budget management skills required.
• Demonstrated ability to function as a solution-seeker and proven success with building, managing and leading a consortium of partners and a team of professionals.
• Effective verbal and written communication and collaboration skills
• Demonstrated multi-tasking, organizational, planning and prioritization skills are necessary.
• Fluency in English written, and oral communication required.