Deputy Chief of Party (Rural Resilience Program) at Mercy Corps

Location: Maiduguri

General Position Summary

• Mercy Corps is seeking candidates for the Deputy Chief of Party (D/COP) who will manage and lead the implementation of an expected five-year USAID-supported Rural Resilience program for Nigeria.
• The DCOP will assist the COP in project oversight, managing for results technical, administrative, operational, and logistical management of the project. In absence of the COP; the D/COP will undertake some of the COP responsibilities.
• The D/COP with the assistance of other personnel will provide technical assistance and oversight of all the project objectives.
• The DCOP will also have direct oversight of program operations and M&E functions.

Essential Job Responsibilities
Technical Leadership:

• Provide leadership and strategic vision to the technical components of the program including workplan development, market analysis, partnership selection and management, and overall sector strategy.
• Monitor adherence to grant agreement, Mercy Corps policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations.
• Oversee performance of consortium partners and sub-grantees.
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcome.
• Lead the development of a program-wide resilience-building framework to guide coordination and integrated implementation.

 Program Implementation:

• 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 Nigeria stakeholders, ensuring necessary approvals and collaboration as required.
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
• Integrate 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 Nigeria, partner organizations, Mercy Corps headquarters, USAID, Government of Nigeria authorities, and colleague agencies.
• Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites - spend up to 50% of time in the field.

Program Support Operations:

• Coordinate with program, finance and administration/logistics staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support field activities including logistics (transport, warehousing and asset management), procurement, security, administration and human resources.
• Propose design of new local policies as needed and in accordance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations.

Information Management:

• Facilitate the achievement of performance-based targets and outcomes and lead efforts to design effective, proactive, and iterative M&E systems following the program's logical framework and results chain measurement.
• Oversee the scope of work, deliverables and overall quality of work of any internal or external evaluation or research partners.
• Oversee the scheduling and production of formal and informal reports on all aspects of the program in a timely and efficient manner.
• Ensure program data and analysis is used for learning by holding and leading semi-annual program workshops with all program partners.
• Document achievements/impact of innovative program components of the program.
• Ensure that M&E and all team members together focus on assisting the program to generate practical information that can be used for ongoing program analysis and decision-making while also capturing results at the impact level

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.

Capacity Building and Mentoring:

• In close partnership with the COP, create a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels.
• Implement, and ensure all staff 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 do the same in a timely manner.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision making processes

Internal and External Coordination:

• Active contributor and collaborator with regional and global counterparts to promote the use of best practices.
• Strengthen linkages with other internal resources, including the LMS, Digital Library, Hub, and Connect, to enhance organizational learning where relevant to M&E.
• Maintain close working relationships with counterparts in other relevant international NGOs, and local NGOs and associations in Nigeria.

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 Beneficiaries:

• 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.

Knowledge and Experience

• MA/S in International Development, Livestock, Agriculture, Business, Economics, or related field of study
• 5-10 years of overseas experience including five years in a senior management position
• Strong understanding of U.S. government compliance issues
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English, including report development, writing and editing
• Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues
• Experience in value chain development, facilitation and agribusiness is added advantage
• Experience with resilience approaches is an advantage
• Proven experience managing a large, complex team in multiple field offices.
• 5+ years’ experience in Nigeria or West/Central Africa preferred
• Knowledge of Hausa and other 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, and be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem solving, 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.