Program Coordinator - Maralal & Lowdar at Mercy Corps

The Position Summary

The USAID Nawiri Program Coordinator will Lead the program implementation coordination and coherence within the consortium, manage staff and program resources, lead in representation with government and stakeholders at sub-county and decentralized levels (wards, villages) and a variety of other stakeholders that are committed to reducing acute malnutrition. S/he will promote a culture of collaboration, learning and adaptation amongst USAID Nawiri staff from across the consortium and local implementing partners’ staff, Mercy Corps staff, partner organizations and county government  S/he will ensure coherent integration between diverse program activities and the continual refinement of our approach based on evidence of what works. The Program Coordinator will support the Field Director and lead integrated planning for the technical program scope implemented within the field-office management (wards) ensuring coordinated management with key focal point persons, including and not limited to technical leads, local implementing partners, staff and component resource persons. The Program Coordinator will build collaborative relationships with county government, CSOs, the private sector and other key stakeholders within the Sub- County to ensure efficient program implementation and shared ownership of the program as well as its results. S/he will be the primary program representative to donors, relevant government entities, partners, other implementers and stakeholders in the Sub- Counties and wards under the Program.

Essential Job Responsibilities

 Strategy, Leadership and Representation

• Communicate a clear vision of the USAID Nawiri program to Program program team members, government and other stakeholders that translates into concrete program coordination in implementation, adaptive learning and management.
• Represent the COP (Mercy Corps) and the program at the highest levels within the sub-counties, maintaining productive relationships with internal and external constituents such as private sector partners, county government, civil society, communities, and other stakeholders.
• Lead Sub- County level planning processes and provide strategic updates to the Field Director, the Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, in collaboration with coordinators and with support of Technical Director and Technical leads.
• Ensure that all program activities are tightly integrated at the Program level and are responsive to the overall vision for the program - in close collaboration with the other team members at the county and Nairobi level.
• Continuously monitors program performance and, in coordination with the Field Director, generates and evaluates alternative solutions and makes effective and timely decisions.

 Team Management

• Coordinate USAID Nawiri staff at Program level, across the consortium and oversee the timely development of Program integrated work plans.
• Coordinate quality and timely implementation of a coherent, integrated program that reflects use of evidence in driving program interventions and their adaptations.
• Supervise, provide leadership, mentor, and build the capacity of direct reports, including through individualized professional development plans.
• Coordinate timely development of quality program progress reports (weekly, quarterly) as needed capturing key milestones and learnings.
• Promote a culture of learning, systems thinking, and critical analysis. Create a working environment in which sharing of successes and failures is encouraged and capitalized through learning to establish mechanisms that ensure informed adaptive actions.
• Create a work environment of mutual respect that attracts motivated, skilled, and effective team members and enables them individually and collectively to strive to achieve excellence.
• Encourage use of evidence from learning and best practices in M&E to ensure that information and knowledge is accessible to all staff and partners.
• Onboard and lead team members so that they are positioned for success.

Program Management

• Provide leadership and oversight that helps inform and improve program outcomes and Sub- County level results.
• Lead in the principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing program activities and resources - including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, staff and consultant performance.
• Oversee daily office and program activities by ensuring program staff are following work plans as assigned by respective team leaders.
• Serve as a resource for program staff and input into activity design, evidence-based programming, M&E plans, and annual program assessments.
• Support internal and external reviews and lead the analysis of findings, with a strong emphasis on learning.
• Ensure adherence to Mercy Corps administrative procedures by support and program staff.
• Work daily with support staff i.e., Operations, Finance and Human Resources departments to ensure proper daily support functions and compliance with MC and donor policies.
• Work daily with program staff and receive regular updates of program activities- ensure activities are on schedule.
• Conduct daily meetings and receive routine reports from support functions, as per MC policies, and facilitate linkages to programming.
• Encourage platforms for evidence based planning, adaptation and decision-making and support local system strengthening at ward and community 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 both abiding by and aware of policies.
• Represent Mercy Corps as required with local governments and authorities for security meetings/briefings.
• Assist the Field Director, CoP and DCoP in developing strategies to continue work in times of heightened security.

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.
• 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.

Supervisory Responsibility

Direct day to day supervisory and administrative management of USAID Nawiri Mercy Corps staff in the Program while co-managing technically with the thematic coordinators. These include: The M&E Officer and Assistants, SSBC officers, Citizen Engagement and Social Accountability officers, Integrated Water Resources Management Officers, Assistant Livelihoods Officers,  Snr. Livelihoods Officers, Operations Officer,  health and nutrition officers, Household Economic Strengthening officers and Drivers, partner officers and diverse resource persons. 

Accountability

• Reports Directly To: Field Director.
• Works Directly With: Consortium Program lead staffs and officers across the consortium partners and local implementing partners’ staff; local government devolved units, support departments (Finance, HR and Operations)

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
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.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours. 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 locations.

Minimum Qualifications & Transferrable skills

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field; an advanced degree is preferred
• At least 5 years’ work experience with 3 years field experience managing diverse multi-sector, multi-partner programs and teams (familiarity with nutrition programming and at least three or more sectors contributing to nutrition sensitive interventions preferred).
• Proven experience managing a large team with programmatic and operational functions.
• Deep familiarity with the local context in the ASALs. Direct experience in either Turkana or Samburu is preferred (for the Program applied for).
• Demonstrated ability and/or appetite to demand evidence and translate it into practice.
• Demonstrated ability to work with policymakers/practitioners on translating evidence into practice.
• Strong writing skills: ability to analyze and consolidate information into succinct and timely reports.
• Highly proficient English verbal and written skills; additional verbal proficiency in Turkana/Samburu preferred.