Program Manager, Food Security

Mercy Corps

Closing date: 15 Oct 2010

Location: Haiti – St. Marc

PROGRAM/ DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps’ economic work is guided by the principles of pro-poor development and demand-driven strategies. We take a progressive approach to economic recovery that leads communities and entrepreneurs from relief to sustainable livelihoods and long-term economic growth. Part of Mercy Corps’ response in Haiti will focus on providing immediate assistance (through food vouchers) to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host families with a market-based approach that supports both retail and wholesale actors. Early economic recovery work will be the platform for medium and longer-term economic development programming.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Program Manager will lead the implementation and manage all aspects of a 12-month program funded by USAID/Food for Peace that aims to provide assistance to 20,000 households in the Central Plateau and lower Artibonite areas. Households comprised of IDPs and their hosts will be eligible for participation.  The program will provide households with vouchers that can be redeemed with participating vendors (small retail outlets).  Vouchers will be redeemable for set food commodities, including grains, oil and beans.  Mercy Corps will work closely with local government, as well as community and business leaders to identify beneficiary households, train participating vendors, and organize fairs.   The Program Manager will provide overall leadership, coordination and management for the implementation of the program, and manage staff and resources to ensure that the program meets its targets and deliverables on-time to the required level of quality, and within budget. Additionally, the Program Manager will ensure synergy between other Mercy Corps programs funded in a similar geographic area.  S/he will also assess needs and identify opportunities for future programming. The Program Manager will supervise and train program staff and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps policies and donor rules and regulations. S/he will be responsible for close coordination with the Cash Learning Partnership Community of Practice and Early Recovery Clusters.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Program Management:

Oversee program start-up and ongoing program management and administration of the teams across three geographic locations.  Teams will operate from bases in three offices (Hinche, Mirebelais and St. Marc).

Facilitate the selection of beneficiaries, in collaboration with ongoing MC programs, other NGOs operational in the area, and local authorities.

Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines (e.g. Cash for Work, Economic Recovery and Market Development), principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.

Determine selection criteria for vendors, and ensure a transparent process for choosing vendors to participate in the program.

Develop an MOU and oversee a training program for vendors that will participate in the program.  Work closely with the teams to ensure vendors are planning appropriately to meet the commodity demands required for successful program implementation.

Take a lead role in the partnership relationship to be developed with a financial institution for redemption of vouchers.  Work closely with the financial institution to develop an efficient redemption strategy and establish strategies to manage voucher design to eliminate counterfeiting possibilities.

Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.

Ensure market analysis is used in program design and appropriate consultation is held with the community and local government on project roll-out and implementation.

Establish and maintain effective program reporting and monitoring and evaluation systems for both internal and external use in coordination with the program staff.

Ensure MC has up-to-date information on IDP settlements and movements, in MC area of operations

Oversee transport/ logistics information related to programming.

Ensure monitoring systems are in place for voucher programming including gathering data for case studies.

Team Management

Supervise team members working in three locations

Ensure consistency in approach across the program and effective sharing of lessons learned.

Create a working atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of personnel at all levels.

Recruit competent technical staff and organize the team to perform program activities effectively.

Leadership and Strategy:

Participate in overall strategic planning for the Haiti response; ensure linkages into overall Haiti programming.

Financial Management/Compliance:

Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.

Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

Manage overall budget to ensure program targets are met in a timely manner.

Review monthly expenditures and monitor the burn-rate for the project.

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.

Coordination:

Maintain internal and external relationships to ensure program success including contacts with government office and country program offices, international and local NGOs working in the emergency sector, military liaisons related to emergency programming, beneficiaries and the general public.

Identify, coordinate and partner with local and international partners.

Act as an on-the-ground point person for mobile technology and financial services relationships in close coordination with the HQ Social Innovations Unit.

Coordinate closely with the Early Recovery Cluster and the CaLP Community of Practice on Cash Transfer programming to ensure best practices and learning.

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 towards 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: Team Members working under the USAID FFP funded Kimbe-La program.

ACCOUNTABILITY: REPORTS DIRECTLY TO:  Deputy Director

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Finance, Administration, Logistics team members, Country Director and all Program staff national and expatriate.  Works very closely with other Mercy Corps program staff in Central Plateau and Artibonite including the Head of Office.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

A BA in business, economics, international studies or related field.  Advanced degree preferred.

5-7 years in a relief setting with a minimum of 3 years of management responsibility.

Experience supervising national staff, starting up programs and working in emergency and transitional settings.

High level of proficiency in French and English is required, Creole a decided asset.

Experience managing complex programs in multiple locations with time sensitive deliverables in unstable environments.

Experience with economic recovery programs with focus on cash transfers or voucher programming, cash-for-work, and market infrastructure rehabilitation, preferably in disaster or conflict-affected contexts.

Previous experience with the private sector is preferred, but not required.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful candidate will be able to manage large relief programs in an austere environment, be focused on team-building and capacity-building of national staff, demonstrate strong program support skills, good information management skills, and maintain a sense of humor.

LIVING /ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

Group housing in an austere environment. The position will be based in St. Marc which is approximately 1.5 hours from Port au Prince and the position holder will frequently travel to Hinche and Mirebelais (each about 1.5 hours away).  The position holder will be in shared housing.  Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’s policies, procedures, and values at all times in-country.

Mercy Corps is an AA/EOE.

How to apply

Apply online at our website:

http://hostedjobs.openhire.com/epostings/submit.cfm?fuseaction=app.dspjob&jobid=217124&company_id=15927&jobboardid=479