Democratic Republic of the Congo: Deputy Chief of Party Integrated Youth Development - DRC

This position is contingent on funding.

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.
In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions
into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of over 200 people working in North and South Kivu, with the overall country goal to support vulnerable communities through crises, while fostering programs that build resilience and promote long-term change. Mercy Corps' national office is in Goma with sub-field offices in Mweso (North Kivu) and Bukavu (South Kivu). Mercy Corps' key programming areas include a combination of longer-term development and immediate humanitarian response programs in order to: 1) Improve water service delivery and ensuring equitable access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services, in urban and rural areas; 2) Improve food security and nutrition; 3) Promote diversified livelihoods, economic recovery and development. All Mercy Corps interventions in DRC are implemented in a conflict and gender sensitive manner.

General Position Summary

Mercy Corps is seeking candidates for a Deputy Chief of Party/Senior Youth Technical Advisor (DCOP) who will manage and provide technical leadership of the anticipated three-year USAID-funded Integrated Youth Development Activity. The program aims to increase youth resilience to conflict and violence in eastern DRC drawing from USAID/DRC's Transition Objective 3 in identifying specific drivers of conflict in the region, increasing civic engagement in peacebuilding while continuously protecting local communities (both host and IDP populations). The program will achieve this goal through positive youth development, increased educational and economic opportunities, and enhanced youth leadership and community engagement.

The DCOP will assist the Chief of Party (COP) in project oversight, managing for results, technical, administrative, operational, and logistical management of the project. This includes oversight of day-to-day implementation of all project objectives. The DCOP will also provide technical leadership in youth and conflict strategies, including non-formal education, vocational training, and community engagement. The DCOP will ensure activities addressing youth are evidence-based and aligned with national policies and USAID's Youth in Development Policy.

Essential Job Responsibilities

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP

• Provide technical leadership in the development and implementation of strategies, interventions, and activities that address the holistic needs of youth, including their psychosocial, education, protection, and economic strengthening needs.
• Design and implement alternative basic/secondary education, literacy, and work readiness activities
• Advise national counterparts on technical issues and participate in relevant advisory and/or working groups with counterparts, partner institutions, GDRC representatives, and other local stakeholders
• Ensure technical compliance with USAID rules and regulations, and adherence to grant agreement
• Oversee performance of consortium partners and sub-grantees.
• Ensure the program-wide resilience-building and conflict framework is integrated across partners and into program implementation.

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

• Oversee program and technical start-up and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations.
• Lead the development of detailed implementation plans, flowing from annual strategic work- plans, and ensure the delivery of the same.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance in the implementation and management of innovative youth engagement and financial inclusion initiatives aligned to the program logical framework and project impact goal.
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria across consortium partners.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
• Provide managerial and programmatic technical oversight to partners and sub-grantee(s).
• Document processes and achievements to ensure best practices are captured and disseminated. This will include the continual re-evaluation of program activities and information, with resulting activity adjustments in keeping with new insights.
• Produce written reports on program activities, capturing the impacts of activities. .
• Create and follow effective stakeholder management plans, ensuring sound and proactive communications with Mercy Corps DRC, partner organizations, Mercy Corps headquarters, USAID, Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo authorities, and colleague agencies.
• Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites - spend up to 50% of time in the field.

PROGRAM SUPPORT OPERATIONS

• Coordinate with program, finance and administration/logistics staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support field activities including logistics (transport, warehousing and asset management), procurement, security, administration and human resources.
• Propose design of new local policies as needed and in accordance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations.

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.

CAPACITY BUILDING AND MENTORING

• In close partnership with the COP, create a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels.
• Implement, and ensure all staff are effectively using, the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations and regularly providing constructive feedback.
• Promote accountability by conducting staff annual performance reviews with direct supervisees, and ensuring that supervisory staff do the same in a timely manner.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision making processes
• Build the technical capacity of project staff in youth advocacy, engagement and financial inclusion relevant to the implementation of the project through training and continuous mentoring.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COORDINATION

• Active contributor and collaborator with regional and global counterparts to promote the use of best practices.
• Strengthen linkages with other internal resources, including the LMS, Digital Library, Hub, and Connect, to enhance organizational learning where relevant to M&E.
• Maintain close working relationships with counterparts in other relevant international NGOs, and local NGOs and associations in DRC.

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.

Supervisory Responsibility: National and international team members working on the program, as well as partnerships with international and national program partners. The number of direct and indirect reports is to be determined.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Chief of Party

Works Directly With: Deputy Country Director of Programs, M&E Manager, Program component Managers, Finance Manager, Operations Staff, HQ Regional Program Team, Technical Support Unit and partner organizations

Knowledge and Experience

• MA/S (or equivalent) in international development, youth, peace and conflict, or related field of study
• 10 years of experience implementing youth development interventions, five of which are with international non-governmental organizations implementing similar-sized, donor-funded projects
• Experience in a similarly conflict-affected environment. DRC experience highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of U.S. government compliance issues
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English and French, including report development, writing and editing
• Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues
• Experience with resilience approaches is an advantage
• Proven experience managing a large, complex team in multiple field offices.

Success Factors:

A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures, and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. S/he will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, and be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem solving, work within a complex and sensitive setting and to follow laws and security protocols. The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living /Environmental Conditions:

This is an unaccompanied based in Bukavu, DRC. While conditions in the country are improving, and security is quite stable in Bukavu, there are still pockets of violence and insecurity and petty crime is present. Mercy Corps' sub-offices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Years of conflict and corruption have badly damaged the country's infrastructure. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. Internet is limited, but available in all Mercy Corps offices. Travel to field sites will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are a number of health services available with several evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.

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. 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. Given the nature of the context, working hours require flexibility and working through weekends/evenings might be necessary.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. 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.

PI99037997

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