Turkey: Program Director - North Syria / Turkey Programs (219490-927)

Organization: Mercy Corps
Country: Turkey
Closing date: 26 Mar 2015

PROGRAM/ DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

As Mercy Corps seeks to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression around the world we recognize that instances of sudden change within a country or region, are rare moments of opportunity. Mercy Corps is interested in strengthening presence for early as well as longer term programming for Syrians, including those who have been displaced, and will be present initially in the north, with expansion of programming to other regions over time. It is imperative that Mercy Corps present itself as a key and reliable partner with various donors, INGOs, government authorities and civil society actors, to be part of the process of positive change. Mercy Corps, with its global experience in working in countries undergoing major transitions, will be a key contributor in the process, bringing knowledge, expertise and strong management skills to position the agency as a partner of choice for progressive change in Syria, as well as in response to refugee and vulnerable populations in Turkey.

Syria is currently in the midst a major humanitarian crisis impacting the entire country as well as a number of the neighboring countries. The main thrust of the work of Mercy Corps along with its national and international partners for the foreseeable future will be primarily be focused on meeting the urgent war-related humanitarian needs across the country. The heightened insecurity and continuous acts of violence and war make the humanitarian response not only more challenging, but increasingly complicated.

Mercy Corps is also commencing a refugee response program in Gaziantep, Turkey. This is the first stage of Mercy Corps’ refugee programming in Turkey will serve as a starting point for similar programming in other cities. We believe that a natural synergy exists between our response to the needs of Syrian displaced and those made vulnerable as a result of the conflict within Syria, and responding to the needs of those forced to flee and now living in urban conurbations in Turkey. Mercy Corps will continue to work closely with the Turkish authorities and organizations and with our international partners to ensure an effective refugee response.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Programs is a member of the Senior Management Team for Mercy Corps’ North Syria and Turkey programming. S/he is an innovative and visionary leader responsible for resourcefully directing, strategizing and planning all programming, resulting in lasting improvement in the lives of millions of Syrians in his/her area of operations. S/He has held senior roles in formulating strategic direction within an international development context. The Director of Programs has supervisory responsibility for the team under his/her management and manages a diverse portfolio of over USD 85 million with a number of international and national staff working at multiple locations and implementation of all security protocols. The Director develops sustainable, multi-sector programming and is accountable to beneficiaries and donors, placing a high value on innovative solutions to development issues and creative partnerships in tough environments.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategy and Vision

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment of empowerment, inclusion and participation to facilitate response
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve objectives and contribute to country-wide strategy development
• Bring innovation into program implementation, ensuring diversity of modalities and promoting market-based approaches and use of technology, wherever local and security conditions permit
• Support senior management in developing the strategic direction of the overall humanitarian response to the Syrian crisis from and in Turkey.
• Contribute to proposal development to expand the programme and respond to increasing needs
• Integrate conflict and gender programming into the response.

Program Management

• Oversee ongoing program management by Program Managers and overall administration of program teams.
• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities, authorities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria
• Develop and oversee program implementation strategies, including partnership frameworks, beneficiary targeting, distribution processes and capacity building of partners as needed
• Initiate needs assessments, surveys and other data gathering tools to ensure that Mercy Corps has continued access to updated information and is able to address emerging needs in timely manner
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate
• Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to achieve the desired impact
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources and timely, accurate and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures
• Fulfill Mercy Corps Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.

Team Management

• Lead the program team in implementation of both North Syria and Turkey programs.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect in which team members strive to achieve excellence
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews
• Hire, orient and supervise new team members as necessary
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives
• 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.

Representation & Fundraising

• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met
• Develop and maintain relationships with key contacts including donor representatives, relevant UN agency managers, Cluster/Working Group leads and co-leads, INGO and national NGO representatives and relevant Turkish officials.
• Fundraise to address ongoing needs of IDPs.

Finance and Compliance Management

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to programming
• Build and/or maintain operational systems that ensure proper administrative support for programs
• Draft and/or review scopes of work to hire and manage technical consultants, including review for technical capacities and contract budget
• Manage program budget(s)

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.
• Ensure that security awareness is integrated into programming.

Personal Leadership

• Consistently demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity
• Demonstrate an awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs

Accountability: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.

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.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Program Managers/Technical Advisor for north Syria Response, Program Manager for Turkey programs, Reporting and Gender Specialist.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Deputy Country Director

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Country Director**,**Operations, Finance Managers, TSU team members, and others.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• MA or equivalent in relevant field
• 7-10 years of field experience in international relief and/or development programs, including demonstrable success in managing humanitarian programs in transitional environments; previous working experience in MENA region highly desirable
• 5 years of senior-level leadership, capacity building and field management experience.
• Substantial experience of responding in conflict and emergency environments
• Demonstrated success working effectively and respectfully with host country governments, private sector, INGO, NGO partners and other stakeholders in complex environments
• Proven skills in finance and grants management; prior experience with emergency response grant management for both private and institutional donors desired
• Knowledge of SPHERE and other humanitarian programming standards
• Successful and proven negotiation, communication and organization skills
• Excellent oral and written English skills, knowledge of Turkish and/or Arabic advantageous
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful candidate will skillfully represent programmatic priorities of the agency to donors and regional partners while providing effective leadership to the Mercy Corps humanitarian program team. 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. S/he 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:

The position will be based in Ankara with frequent traveling to the field office. Personnel in this location are expected to follow all security protocols. Good medical services are available. City electricity is available in Ankara and running water is reliable also. Internet connectivity and communication is reliable in most locations. In general, road conditions in Turkey are good.

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. Staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

How to apply:

Please apply directly at:
http://mercycorps.silkroad.com/epostings/submit.cfm?fuseaction=app.dspjob&jobid=219490&company_id=15927&jobboardid=479