Openings at Mercy Corps

The Position Summary

The Contract Director will provide overall leadership and oversight for the finance and grants management team under the CREATE programme, while working with Mercy Corps Commercial Contracts team in HQ to ensure overall contract compliance. S/he will empower the team ensuring that staff are familiar with policies and procedures related to finance and grants management, while providing quality control to ensure robust, flexible, and adaptive support to programme activities. The Contract Director must be fluent in compliance matters and help the senior management team to ensure the contract is implemented in accordance with contractual requirements, Mercy Corps policies, CSSF regulations, and local law, across 3 countries.

The Contract Director will work closely with the Deputy Team Leader who oversees technical programmes while reporting to the Team Leader. Three Major functions that support programme delivery will fall directly and indirectly under the Contracts Director 1) Grants and Sub-Contract Management 2) Financial Management; 3) Programme Compliance and Administration.

Essential Responsibilities

GRANTS AND SUB-CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

The Contracts Director will oversee the grants team, ensuring grants and sub-contracts are issued and managed in line with Mercy Corps and CSSF policies, and to provide quality control and risk management of the grant management function. Specially the Contracts Director will:

• Review all RFAs and liaise with Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader and MCE for approval.
• Oversee the grant management function, ensuring timely submission and approval of reports and advances to partners.
• Draft all Requests for Grant Approval from the donor, as required by the contract.
• Oversee the development of sub-partner grants and contracts, advising on the most suitable grant/contract mechanism for each partner.
• Ensure activity or milestone budgets are developed and implemented accurately, providing support to the Senior Finance and Subgrants Manager in cooperation with technical teams, maintaining a master collation of partner budgets.
• Provide leadership during grants close out and partner’s asset disposition.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

In collaboration with the Finance and Compliance Director and the Senior Finance and Subgrants Manager, the Contract Director will be responsible for the financial management of the CREATE programme, including quality controls, cost reporting, forecasting and tracking. S/he will provide recommendations on the overall financial management and performance of the programme and work in close collaboration with Mercy Corps Europe team to monitor costs. Detailed duties include:

• Regularly participate in calls with the MCE and with CSSF and support the maintenance and updating of the programme Activity-based budget and forecast 
• Conduct monthly ABB forecast review
• Oversee responses to internal and external financial/compliance audits.
• Mitigate project risks and protect the programme against fraudulent practices through adherence to the programme’s schedule of authorities.
• Ensure strict implementation of a sound internal control system and take appropriate actions against any violation of the system.
• Review Mercy Corps, and sub-contractor invoices prior to submission to CSSF for accuracy
• Approve payment requests, and review and approve financial vouchers.
• Release bank payments and hold bank signatory authority for the programme; provide quality control and risk management for finance functions.

PROGRAMME ADMINISTRATION AND COMPLIANCE

The Contract Director will work with Mercy Corps Kenya Operation team, providing oversight and quality control for the administrative operations of the programme, including procurement, inventory management, and reporting. S/he will work with this team to ensure the CSSF and Mercy Corps standards. Detailed duties include:

• Ensure programme asset management and disposition plans are in line with the CREATE contract.
• Review the programme’s Exit Plan, and ensure actions are initiated in line with plan and CREATE’s contract, ensuring timely close out partners, disposition of assets, finalization of financial responsibilities and reporting.
• Review/draft all requests to CSSF for procurement approvals.
• Ensure programme procurement process are completed in a timely manner. Support in contract reviews.
• Work with MCE to draft/review CSSF contract deliverables – including Quarterly Financial Report, Inventory and Asset Report.
• Provide leadership during donor spot checks and in addressing any identified issues.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Supervise the day-to-day performance of direct reports, ensuring that they understand their roles, coaching them to succeed and providing them with feedback and technical and administrative support that they require in meeting their performance objectives.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Respond to urgent client requests, including budget scenarios, inventory disposition, scope of work development, and other tasks as needed.
• Perform other tasks as requested by the Team Leader

Supervisory Responsibility

Finance and Sub-grants Manager and the Senior Finance and Grants Officer.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Team Leader

Works Directly With: Deputy Team Leader, Programme Partners, Mercy Corps Kenya Operations and Finance Directors, Tanzania Country Coordinator, Uganda Country Coordinator, Mercy Corps Europe Commercial Contracts Team.

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.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, business administration, public administration, economics or other relevant field; advanced degree preferred;
• Minimum of ten years of experience implementing donor-funded development projects, to include project administration, operations and procurement;
• Detailed knowledge of donor rules and regulations, preferably with experience implementing a UK government-funded contract;
• Minimum of five years of supervisory experience and proven ability to manage teams of professionals to produce key results;
• Demonstrated record of results-driven project management and an ability to creatively solve complex organisational issues and foster ownership within teams; and
• Strong writing skills and experience in developing budgets, reports and workplans.

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Essential Responsibilities

PROGRAM PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION

• In a joint-planning and agreed upon targeted approach with Samburu County, communities and other stakeholders, identify suitable approaches and locations for implementation of integrated water resources management initiatives and approval of the same;
• Develop detail implementation plan aligned with USAID Nawiri’s overall Water Resources management strategy, works schedule and ensure tracking of the same for timely projects delivery;
• Collaborate with county and other stakeholders to enhance resilience of the green and blue water economy and overall water sector by ensuring access to and efficient use of water for agriculture, domestic, livestock, and other productive uses;
• Foster cross-sectoral policy approach in undertaking IWRM initiatives and the understanding that water resource is an integral component of the ecosystem, a natural resource, a social and economic good to enhance enabling environment for reduction in persistent acute malnutrition (PAM);
• Support Nawiri efforts in development and implementation of multiple-use/purpose water systems (MUS), ensuring collaboration and incorporation with other Nawiri sub-sectors – domestic water supply, agriculture, livestock, private sector and climate smart for inclusive implementation approaches;
• In collaboration with county and other stakeholders support Nawiri efforts in development and implementation of climate proof water harvesting and water storage infrastructure to increase affordable water harvesting-based to enhance livelihood activities;
• Collaborate with county, national institutions such as Water Resources Authority (WRA), community level institutions such as Water Resources Users Association (WRUAs), Water Users Association, Utilities, Ward Planning Committees in strengthening their capacities and operationalizing their plans towards natural resources management efforts and climate change adaptation;
• Works with county and WRA to establish WRUAs and capacity build WRUAs in development of Sub-Catchment Management Plans (SCAMPs) and ensure operationalization of the same;
• Work collaboratively with Nawiri team, county and other stakeholders in promoting sound environmental protection strategies to foster economic growth and sustainable livelihood activities within Nawiri county areas of operations;
• Implement projects as planned according to developed technical standards, schedules timelines and budget;
• Ensure the water resources management initiatives conform to sound relevant technical design and assessments such as hydrogeological and feasibility surveys before implementation;
• Ensure stakeholders such as county and communities are involved at all the project phases (identification, design, implementation, and monitoring) for enhanced ownership, accountability and oversight;
• Work and collaborate with local water utilities in development of water safety plans;
• In the exceptional case of highly technical projects, organize a competitive bidding process to select the most qualified and cost-effective contractor as well as provide prudent management of the contract certifying quality of the works delivered;
• Oversee acquisition of any materials needed through a competitive and transparent bidding process following the Mercy Corps’ procurement policies and procedures for such purpose and together with the county team ensures that they are safely stored up until their utilization;
• Keep detailed technical records and inventories of all IWRM developed and implemented activities and ensure the same is documented at county and community level;
• Develop and maintain harmonious relationship with partner organizations, line ministries and audience groups. This includes planning activities and coordinating closely with the greater Nawiri consortium partners and other USAID Programs;
• Monitor project implementation, document processes and achievements to ensure best practices are captured and disseminated;
• Regularly visit field activities to assess progress and provide formal and informal feedback;
• Compile and provide comprehensive project activities report;
• Perform any other roles and responsibilities as may be assigned by Management

COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS

• Work collaboratively with all key stakeholders to develop and maintain good relationships, explaining USAID Nawiri roles when in liaising with County and communities during all phases of the program implementation;
• Work collaboratively with all USAID Nawiri overlapping and cross-cutting thematic areas such resilience, SSBC, Gender, Youth and Social Dynamics (GYSD), institution and systems strengthening, environmental safeguards, Learning, Research, WASH, monitoring and evaluation among others, to ensure coherence and integrated contribution to USAID Nawiri program purpose areas;
• Ensure coordination and linkages between relevant county sector areas for multi-sectoral approach to natural resources management;
• Work collaboratively with USAID Nawiri program monitoring and learning team to ensure key learnings and lessons are capture to heighten program adaptation;
• Support collaborative partnerships with other county development partners to identify potential opportunities for leverage and linkages;
• Engage with program quality and monitoring team to ensure CARM is integrated in all Nawiri IWRM initiatives;

INFLUENCE AND REPRESENTATION

• Assist Field Director to coordinate activities with consortium partners, sub grantees, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs;
• Support the facilitation of planning meetings and workshops with government, NGO, private sector, and community partners to revise plans and promote partner acceptance/buy-in;

• Ensure close coordination and sharing of information with relevant stakeholders such as local government departments, NGO’s and local authorities, as appropriate and advised by the line manager;
• Represent Nawiri in relevant events at county level in close coordination with Nawiri Field Director, County WASH Engineer, Water Systems Advisor and Nawiri management team; 

 Supervisory Responsibility

N/A

Accountability

Reports Directly To: USAID Nawiri’s Water Systems Advisor on technical oversight and with dotted line to Field Director on administrative and coordination oversight.

Works Directly With: Technical leads/advisors, Senior Environmental Safeguards Officer, learning and monitoring team, Field Director and team, County WASH Engineer, consortium partners’ staff, M&E Coordinator, field level finance and operations teams.

 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.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• A BSc degree in water resources management, climate change, Integrated Natural Resources Management, Environmental Sciences, Forestry, Agro-Forestry or other related fields from recognized University or Institution;
• At least three years of progressively working in IWRM or disaster risk reduction management, climate change mitigation and adaption, environment and natural resources management with International NGOs or local government;
• Previous experience in working with WRA and WRUAs in water resources conservation measures and planning desirable;
• Extensive knowledge of community participatory approaches, disaster risk reduction, recharge, re-use and retention (3R) concept desirable;
• Broad knowledge of supporting an integrated and comprehensive approach to biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, or climate change in address nutritional challenges;
• Knowledge of the concepts, principles, techniques and practices of IWRM, environment and/or climate change;
• Broad knowledge and understanding of emerging sustainable and appropriate IWRM technologies;
• Previous experience working on USAID grants is desirable;
• Excellent and persuasive oral and written communication skills, including report writing;
• Previous working experience in Arid and Semi-arid Land (ASAL) counties is desirable;
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members;