Emergency Response Coordinator (6 Months) at Mercy Corps

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Emergency Response Coordinator is responsible for coordinating and implementing the delivery of emergency drought and Covid-19 activities that may include supplemental nutrition assistance (through cash transfers), livelihood interventions, and improved access and utilization of Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition. The position will be responsible for overall coordination of daily program activities and support to program staff, ensuring appropriate systems and mechanisms are in place to track, analyze and report on results as well as engagement with senior management on the strategic direction of the overall response. Additional focus will be on the development of the newly formed “Development Response Fund” and support to Emergency Preparedness.

Essential Responsibilities
STRATEGY & VISION

1. Lead Nawiri’s shock responsive and nutrition resilient emergency response in the context of drought (primarily) and other emergencies if they arise and are aligned to Nawiri’s vision
2. Lead a collaborative and co-created emergency response program informed by assessments and evidence of gaps and opportunities that leverage Nawiri’s goal
3. Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed
4. Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to Nawiri’s immediate goals and longer-term development strategy
5. Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and work with partners to provide support.

 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

1. Lead the program team in implementation of the emergency response.
2. Oversee emergency program startup and ongoing program management and administration of teams across the two field locations.
3. Initiate and lead needs assessments, coordinate rapid learning as necessary to feed into project adaptations
4. In collaboration with the monitoring and evaluation team, support the development of strong data collection and monitoring & evaluation plans within each component, including developing logical frameworks and indicators.
5. Attend response coordination meetings providing feedback and analysis to the SMT with recommendations for implications for longer term development planning.
6. Feed into (and support) the Development Response Fund (DRF) as a longer-term development strategy that responds to shocks/stresses
7. Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
8. Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
9. Develop program implementation strategies, including partnership frameworks, beneficiary targeting and distribution process.
10. Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
11. Work with communications to design program briefing materials, and respond to requests for program information
12. Work with the program staff to ensure that field experiences are documented and used for learning and to advocate on behalf of the communities with which we work.
13. Provide accurate routine reports, document results and maintain detailed records of program activities
14. Support the Mercy Corps Kenya Office with Emergency Preparedness Planning
15. Fulfill Mercy Corps Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.
16. Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.

TEAM MANAGEMENT 

1. Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
2. Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback.
3. Orient and guide team members as necessary.
4. Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
5. Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

 FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT

1. 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.
2. Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
3. Build and/or maintain operational systems that ensure proper administrative support for programs.
4. Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.
5. INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION
6. Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
7. Represent Mercy Corps programs with national and international media and participate in community activities as appropriate.
8. SECURITY 
9. Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
10. Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING  

1. 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

1. N/A

Accountability

1. Reports Directly To: Deputy Chief of Party
2. Works Directly With: Technical leads/advisors, Senior Environmental Safeguards Officer, learning and monitoring team, Field Directors and team, consortium partners’ staff, M&E Coordinator, field level finance and operations teams.

 Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

1. Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

1. A BSc degree or equivalent in relevant field required,
2. 5-7 years of field experience in international relief and development programs, including demonstrable success in managing development programs in transitional environments.
3. Demonstrated success working effectively and respectfully with host country government, private sector, INGO, NGO partners and other stakeholders in complex environments.
4. Extensive knowledge of community participatory approaches, disaster risk reduction, recharge, re-use and retention (3R) concept desirable,
5. Previous experience working on USAID grants is desirable,
6. Excellent and persuasive oral and written communication skills, including report writing,
7. Previous working experience in Arid and Semi-arid Land (ASAL) counties is desirable,
8. Evidence of leadership on emergency response in draught emergencies is an advantage
9. Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members,
10. Proven skills in financial and grants management; prior experience with emergency response grant management for both private and institutional donors desired.
11. Knowledge of SPHERE and other humanitarian programming standards.
12. Knowledge on CASH programming, Gender in emergencies and application across sectoral interventions is an advantage.
13. Successful and proven negotiation, communication and organization skills.
14. Excellent oral and written English skills required,
15. Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.

 Success Factors

The successful Emergency Response Coordinator will skillfully represent programmatic priorities of the agency to donors and regional partners while providing effective leadership to the Mercy Corps program team in the transitional response environment. S/he will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with capacity building. The Emergency Response Coordinator will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

1. The position is based in Nairobi requiring up to 75% field visits to projects sites and county relevant department office and forums;

Ongoing Learning

1. In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

 Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.