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 worked across Iraq’s 18 governorates since 2003, implementing relief and development programming, more than a third of which has focused on the specific needs of refugees and displaced persons. Mercy Corps Iraq’s goal is to work with civil society, public and private sector partners to meet immediate needs and reduce longer-term vulnerabilities of communities within Iraq. Mercy Corps Iraq focuses on (1) providing humanitarian assistance to conflict affected populations to meet basic needs, maintain human dignity and facilitate self-empowerment; (2) supporting income-generating opportunities that transition individuals and households from financial dependency towards financial independence while facilitating market-system approaches; (3) working with young people to address their diverse needs, promoting leadership and linkages with civil society, as well as access to education, psychosocial support, and economic opportunities; and (4) promoting reconciliation and foster trust across community divisions by strengthening conflict management and prevention mechanisms and enhancing social cohesion.

General Position Summary

The Program Development and Grants Manager will be the main support role of the Deputy Country Director (DCD), overseeing development of new business, in close coordination with the Program Leadership Team (PLT), which includes the direct reports to the DCD, Senior Program Managers and Program Managers. The Program Development and Grants Manager will assist in securing new programs by coordinating or leading proposal development processes, including the generation of new programming to fully operationalize the humanitarian-development nexus. The Program Development and Grants Manager will be expected to advise program teams on donor rules and regulation to ensure all programs are compliant with our internal and donor regulations. The Program Development and Grants Manager will also be responsible for timely submission of quality donor reports as well as communication pieces, working with his/her team.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PRE-POSITIONING AND DONOR ENGAGEMENT

Map existing implementing partners and other donor projects across a variety of technical sectors including market systems development, livelihoods, natural resource management, social cohesion, governance and education.
In partnership with the DCD and Heads of Sector, help build strategic relationships with key stakeholders, peer agencies and donors that lead towards funding opportunities.
With the DCD and Heads of Sector, help build relationships with potential partners, including international and national NGOs to pre-position for future funding opportunities.
Develop a system for tracking potential and current donors, and upcoming strategic funding opportunities.
Interface with Mercy Corps headquarters and the regional office to keep abreast of donor strategic priorities, specific requirements and deadlines.
Lead the strategic evaluation process for new funding opportunities.

PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

Lead proposal development processes, with a focus on nexus and development programming, including drafting and producing high quality concept notes and proposals that support Mercy Corps Iraq’s strategic programming goals. This involves developing, managing and sharing the proposal development calendar in-country and with headquarters, ensuring funding proposals are submitted in a timely manner.
Liaise with the Programs, Finance and Operations Teams in the development of budgets of funding proposals.

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE AND RECORD RETENTION

Develop and maintain a system to track how all programs are meeting basic program performance (on-time, on-scope, on-budget), in close coordination with Program Manager and relevant support departments.
Maintain an online grant filing system, ensuring compliance with PM@MC minimum standards.
Play a leading role in grant kick-off and close-out meetings to ensure that all grant information, including deadlines, donor priorities and requirements, are communicated and understood by the team, and grants are closed in compliance with donor regulations.
Maintain effective communications with headquarters staff, providing timely updates on grants and flagging potential issues promptly.
Support to monitor progress of all programs and proactively raise issues to ensure program quality.
Coordinate with PAQ to develop an evidence base and learning pieces to improve program quality.
In collaboration with Finance and Compliance Teams, ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations, including PM@MC minimum standards.

REPORTING AND PROGRAM COMMUNICATIONS

With the Program Development and Grants Specialist, oversee reporting workflows and processes between Program Teams, senior leadership, and HQ to ensure the timely and quality development, review and submission of reports and other communication products.
With the Program Performance and Development Specialist, maintain a reporting tracker and share regularly with Program and MEL Teams.
Collaborate with the DCD and PAQ Director on the development of strategies, position papers, thought leadership pieces, and other related initiatives leveraging evidence from programs.
Provide timely, thorough responses to information requests from internal and external sources.
Develop strategic communication materials, such as sector profiles, impact reports, program briefings, leadership and positioning pieces, key messages, talking points, and other relevant pieces.
Ensure high-quality information sharing among internal and external audiences.
Represent Mercy Corps in external coordination forums, as requested.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

Develop the capacity of the Program Development team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.

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.

Supervisory Responsibility: Program Development and Grants Specialist

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Deputy Country Director

Works Directly With: PLT, Heads of Sector, Program Managers, HQ desk team, Finance, Operations and HQ/Region Technical Support Unit (TSU) team members

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

Exceptional English writing skills, including experience leading proposal development processes for nexus programming. Development proposal writing experience preferred.
Strong analytical writing skills, required.
3 to 5 years of progressive work experience, with demonstrated strengths in program or portfolio management, grants management, proposal development, and donor reporting.
Familiarity with US, EU and other donor regulations related to reporting requirements and ability to understand and adjust to the donor contractual requirements preferred.
Excellent planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organize a workload comprised of varying and changing tasks and responsibilities.
Excellent representation skills required.
Experience in staff management, supervision and capacity building.
Demonstrated experience in working in a multi-cultural and high-stress environment.
BA degree in relevant field and MA preferred.
Arabic and/or Kurdish language skills are a plus.
Previous work experience in conflict and/or post-conflict environments, particularly in the Middle East, preferred.

Success Factors

The successful candidate will be eager to learn through doing and will not shy away from tough challenges. This position has a critical function in ensuring grant management systems and processes are successfully implemented across the life of a grant and key controls are in place to support effective management of the funding portfolio and compliance with the donor requirements. As such this person will be very closely

working with the different departments.

The successful candidate is passionate about humanitarian and development work and is committed to the delivery of high quality products while respecting deadlines. S/he will be patient and flexible, and is able to improvise and remain responsive and communicate clearly and effectively under pressure. S/he will master the art of prioritizing and organizing processes and is detail-oriented. S/he will have a passion for writing.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This position is based in Erbil, Iraq and requires up to 20% travel within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Federal Iraq to support Mercy Corps Iraq’s offices and programs. This position is unaccompanied and the location is eligible for hardship allowance and R&R benefits. Living conditions are in group housing: water, electricity and internet are present with some cuts.

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

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.