Country Representative

Organisation: Mercy Corps (http://www.mercycorps.org)
Organisation Description: Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.
Job Location: Nepal (Kathmandu)
Closing date: 20 Mar 2008
Job Description and qualifications:
Salary Range: $35,000- $50,000 depending on level of experience. National Applicants encouraged.
Closing date for Applications: 20th March 2008
PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY: Over the past decade, the political situation in Nepal, fuelled mainly by tensions between King Gyanendra, the Maoists, and the seven political parties, has deteriorated to the point of garnering significant international attention. With growing fears that Nepal may join the ranks of failed states, the international community, as well as national politicians, is applied pressure to all factions of the conflict. In addition to the death toll arising from this conflict recently surpassing 10,000, most agree that rural Nepalis, and the poor in particular, are bearing the brunt of the conflict. By conservative estimates, Kathmandu now hosts over 100,000 unofficial refugees who fled the countryside to avoid violence. This current loss of life and the conflict-induced demographic shifts are exacerbating ongoing poverty, environmental degradation, and political exclusion that has characterized Nepal for decades.
Mercy Corps established a presence in Nepal in July 2005 and is assisting with both basic humanitarian needs and longer-term development and conflict mitigation programming. Mercy Corps focuses on civil society and economic development through collaborating with local organizations, looking for ways to foster an innovative, peaceful change in Nepali communities.
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:The Country Representative (CR) is the senior management position for Mercy Corps in Nepal with supervisory and managerial responsibility over designated in-country personnel, programs and policies. The CR will be responsible for developing and implementing the overall strategic plan for programming in cooperation with Mercy Corps’ senior management team and local and international partners and developing proposals and pursuing funding opportunities as well as overseeing program implementation. S/he will also be responsible for developing and implementing systems, policies and procedures for Mercy Corps’ operations in Nepal. The CR will oversee management and administration of all field office functions ensuring high quality performance from staff and program delivery focused on planned results, ensuring offices are using sound operational practices including implementation of MC and donor policies and procedures.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Vision, Leadership and Strategy - Communicate a clear vision of Mercy Corps’ niche and future program goals; provide leadership and direction; develop a program strategy to be communicated to team members, local beneficiaries and the international community. I
• Identify, develop, and pursue opportunities for new program funding.
• Develop country program strategies which maximize internal and external resources and relationships based on clear need and Mercy Corps’ value-added.
• Evaluate program priorities within the country and participate in regional prioritization. Explore, evaluate and present new country and project funding opportunities that leverage impact and integrate initiatives and activities. Support and direct related fund-raising activities with both institutional and private donors.
• Formulate a clear vision of present and future strategy and program goals that can be clearly communicated to team members, local beneficiaries, government, partners, Mercy Corps colleagues and donors. Includes briefing materials based on strategic documents.
• Lead the Country Annual Planning Process and create a country summary report, consisting of Statement of Vision, Goals and Annual Objectives, and Country Program and Budget Summaries. Provide timely quarterly reporting on this plan and strategic updates to ensure the plan is a living, responsive document.
• Create an organizational culture of accountability, responsibility and quality of services

Commitment to Quality Program and Staff Development.

• Assemble all components necessary to insure quality programming and recruit, facilitate training of, and manage an informed, motivated and efficient staff including a high focus on national team members.
• Establish leadership, direction and personal credibility with expatriate and national staff; Implement and maintain a clearly understood chain of authority and accountability.
• Maintain an adequate human resource plan consistent with Mercy Corps’ policies, including current position descriptions for all positions, expatriate and national, personnel orientation and professional development plans, personnel evaluation systems, field personnel policy manual, and personnel grievance procedure system.
• Manage with an emphasis on excellence and achievement; encourage a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation.
• Recruit, manage and motivate an informed, skilled and efficient team; incorporate staff development strategies and performance management systems into team building process.

Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation

• Establish and maintain effective program reporting, monitoring and evaluation systems for both internal and external use.
• Ensure programs are based on sound design principles, including need assessments and baselines. Utilize MC and donor required M&E systems for creating logframes for all interventions and design a realistic M&E plan for each program and the country’s overall strategy.
• Establish and maintain effective and timely program/ grant reporting systems for all donors. Ensure program teams are responsible and capable of conducting on-going program monitoring.

Security

• Conduct prudent and timely assessments of security environment, initiate and/or enforce necessary security protocols balancing program needs with security constraints.
• Manage security and safety of the entire country team and MC assets according to best practices, MC operating standards and field realities.
• Ensure an up-to-date MC country security plan is in place and fully understood by all team members including evacuation plans.
• Ensure all team members are fully oriented and have the necessary level of security training for their respective roles. Includes oversight of the country security focal point.
• Initiate and oversee continuous security assessments of program areas and make adjustments in program implementation strategies as conditions require.
• Liase with the Global Security Advisor, GEO Director and Regional Program Director on crucial events, high risk periods, incident reporting or security policy changes.

Representation & Diplomacy

• Develop and maintain both internal and external relationships to ensure program growth and optimum program success: to include Mercy Corps headquarters and regional officers and staff, international and local NGOs, government officials, donor community officials, diplomatic corps and embassies, vendors, media and the general public.
• Develop and nurture culturally sensitive internal and external relationships and networks to ensure optimum communication and program success.
• Build strong constituencies to include Mercy Corps headquarters and regional teams,, international and local NGOs, government officials, donor community officials, diplomatic corps and embassies, vendors, media and the general public.
• Formulate, lead, document, and communicate Mercy Corps’ public relations and advocacy messages with the media, donors, colleague NGOs, local partners and the government in Nepal. Coordinate within the agency on external public relations and advocacy messages pertaining to Nepal.

Fiscal, Compliance Management and Accountability

• Coordinate and manage overall country/program budgets within approved spending levels and ensure compliance with all donor and Mercy Corps rules and regulations.
• Coordinate overall country budget; manage budget within approved spending levels and establish an annual cash flow plan to ensure a steady and adequate supply of funds for program activities. Oversee budget management of sub-grantees/sub-contractors.
• Build and maintain operational structures that ensure proper segregation of duties between finance, administration and logistics and fully support field programs.
• Ensure adherence to operational imperatives as per internal/ external audit requirements; utilize best practices based on MC Office in a Box to ensure program support is accountable.
• Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting to donors and Mercy Corps’ headquarters. Directly supervises the in-country finance manager and maintains relations with the regional finance officer in HQ.
• Exercise sound judgment to ensure program expenses are reasonable, allowable and prudent. Ensure all program funds are spent in accordance with donor rules and regulations including private funds.

Communications

• Nurture appropriate Mercy Corps public relations, visitor/donor and other agency relationships, represent Mercy Corps to national and international media and provide appropriate fund-raising and other public relations materials to Mercy Corps-HQ as requested.
• Organizational Learning As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.

ACCOUNTABILITY

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Responsible for international and national staff in Nepal.

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Regional Program Director – South Asia

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: HQ-based Program Operations, Finance, and Technical Support Unit

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• MA/S or equivalent in social science, management, international development ; 5 years experience in international relief and development with multi-sector programming, including food security, livelihoods, emergency relief, peace building, health, agriculture and/or economic development programs ; 3 years experience in staff team-building, NGO capacity building and financial management. Asia experience preferred.
• Experience with protocols of one or more of the following: USAID, UN, EU, private donors and foundations.
• Proven program development and proposal writing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to function as a social entrepreneur and proven success with building and managing a team of professionals is required.
• Successful and proven negotiation experience and the ability to create successful teams are necessary.
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational, prioritization skills are necessary.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members is required.
• The ability to work comfortably, effectively and creatively within Nepalese cultural environment and areas of poor security is required.
• History of working effectively and respectfully with host country government, private sector, INGO and NGO partners in complex environments.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful Country Representative will apply strong program design and proposal development skills.. Ability to grow new programs and country team while maintaining a high level of communication and coordination with a large variety of stakeholders, including donor directors, local government officials, community leaders, and partner organizations. The most successful Mercy Corps leaders have a strong commitment to communication and team development and maintain a sense of humor.

Note: The Country Representative will be based in Kathmandu, the capital city with a population estimation of roughly 2-3 million.

Applications for this position should be sent to:
Please apply for Mercy Corps positions at http://www.mercycorps.org/aboutus/jobs
Job reference code: RW_7BRQFC-85