Location : The Hague, The Netherlands

Position Status : Full-time, Permanent

The starting salary range for this position is 95,000 Euros - commensurate on experienceClosing Date: Applications to be submitted by September 8th

Interview planning: Please note that initial interviews will be held virtually the week of September 11th - panel interviews the week of September 18th

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About Mercy Corps**

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Mercy Corps in Europe has grown rapidly both in terms of the volume of activity and its complexity. With offices in Edinburgh, London, The Hague and Geneva, we now manage over £100 million in annual income and employ around 120 team members. The breadth and impact of our programmes makes Mercy Corps a unique and truly rewarding place to work. Our teams are proud of what we achieve in the field and we are always looking for talented individuals who share our passion and commitment.

The Position

We are seeking a senior leader in The Netherlands who is well connected within the Dutch international and foreign policy space, passionate about building the resilience of the poorest people in the world to climate and conflict shocks and able to build a strong brand for Mercy Corps in The Netherlands. Reporting directly to the Executive Director of Mercy Corps in Europe the Managing Director of Mercy Corps in The Netherlands will be responsible for embedding Mercy Corps as a local entity within the Netherlands and well-known for our excellent country programmes. As a member of the European Senior Leadership Team (ESLT), they will liaise closely with the other Directors to ensure efficient and integrated management of Mercy Corps’ portfolio of programmes funded by European donors.

The Managing Director will oversee and ensure compliance with all necessary legal and governance requirements in The Netherlands, with support from our General Counsel and legal team. The Managing Director will be responsible for ensuring teams and functions in the Netherlands work in an integrated and matrixed manner and are delivering on the mission and objectives of the global organisation.

You will not only have the right experience on paper but also the right personal 'fit' - you will live and breathe our culture and values, with a visible passion for the work we do and a desire to be part of our story.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy and Vision

Sets a clear vision for Mercy Corps in the Netherlands, in full alignment with Mercy Corps’ global strategy Pathway to Possibility, and Mercy Corps’ European Strategic Plan and is accountable for its delivery in The Netherlands
Aligns and allocates resources to the strategic objectives, transforming operations to meet the overall goals of the organisation
Positions Mercy Corps’ brand within the Netherlands INGO landscape and national context ensuring we add value and sets Mercy Corps apart from other local actors
Shapes the future direction of Mercy Corps in The Netherlands aligning it with Mercy Corps in Europe objectives and our global strategy
Supports country and regional teams to develop funding pipelines from Dutch sources and seeks out programme partnerships with Dutch agencies
Build relationships between our country and regional teams and Dutch stakeholders in their regions as well as create spaces for them to showcase their work in The Netherlands
Responsible for leading engagement with Dutch stakeholders across government, NGOs, private philanthropy, corporates and foundations and other innovative private sector partners.
Participate in key agency meetings and events as a member of the European Senior Leadership Team (ESLT)

External Representation, Communications and Marketing

Lead Mercy Corps’ stakeholder engagement and influence strategy for The Netherlands
Leads senior-level representation for Mercy Corps in The Netherlands and deepens key relationships with target stakeholders inclusive of, but not limited to, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, RVO, corporates and foundations, INGOs and other innovative private sector partners
Support the Strategic Partnerships Manager to develop new areas of partnerships within the Dutch Government especially in relation to climate resilience, energy, humanitarian response and peace and governance
Be a champion and external voice for Mercy Corps in The Netherlands
Open up the environment for Mercy Corps in The Netherlands for public fundraising and position Mercy Corps’ brand uniquely into this space.
Regularly undertake media representations in The Netherlands and support Mercy Corps’ communications strategies as required.

Governance & Operational Oversight

Oversee daily operations of Mercy Corps in The Netherlands, ensuring all departments are running effectively and providing the service required to ensure all grants and contracts from The Netherlands are effectively delivered.
Ensure governance and operational compliance with statutory requirements in the Netherlands and with requirements of donors managed by Mercy Corps in the Netherlands.
Ensure accountability to MCNL donors.
Ensure alignment with Mercy Corps policies, processes and procedures.
Ensure good management of contractual risks and impact on financial results of MCNL using clear communication and mitigation strategies with the wider leadership team.
Maintain a Netherlands risk register which feeds into the European corporate risk register.
Produce regular quarterly reports for the Executive Director which are then synthesised for the Board of Directors
Participate in meetings with the European and Dutch board members as required and support the Executive Director on governance matters in The Netherlands

Leadership of the Team in The Netherlands

Identify and address staffing requirements for efficient operations
Champion our ‘One Mercy Corps’ culture and core behaviors to ensure that Mercy Corps in the Netherlands attracts and retains talent
Ensure team members have the support, training and information, tools and resources they need to drive performance and reach objectives
Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews
Regularly lead the quarterly in-person meetings in The Hague and be confident reporting on progress for the whole organisation and speaking to the organisation priorities

Supervisory Responsibility

Supervisor responsibilities to be determined as MCNL structure is developed and evolves – noting matrixed reporting structures for most functions will be highly likely

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Executive Director, Europe

Sits on the European Senior Leadership Team

Works Directly With:

Senior Director, Programmes, Funding and Operations
Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy
Director of Development, Europe
Regional Directors and Country Directors
Regional Programme Teams
Policy and Advocacy Team
Technical Support Units (TSU)
Compliance Team.

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.

Knowledge and Experience

Has a strong network of relationships and experience building partnerships in The Netherlands Government and other relevant organisations
A strategic leader who is deeply embedded in the local political context bringing in innovative thinking to international issues and a passion for changing the lives of some of the most vulnerable people living in crises contexts
Experience at influencing change at the governmental level
Experience of working on issues of crisis and/or climate and the environment and driving forward global institutional change
Experience of working in Africa or the Middle East a plus
At least 12 years’ experience in working in diverse organisations and associated cultural sensitivity
Proven experience with senior level oversight of complex organisations
Experience of governance and managing compliance with Dutch charitable requirements
Experience managing diverse teams
Track record of effective external and internal communications across all levels of a complex organizations
Working within matrixed organizations

Success Factors

Bias for action, diplomacy, relationship-building skills, political savvy and consensus-building across all stakeholder groups are critical to success in this position. Ability to network and build a range of stakeholder relationships. Commitment to continuous learning and development. Comfort operating in a fast-paced, complex and fluid environment, within a matrixed structure, with the ability to successfully multitask and meet all deadlines and team member needs. Ability to match personal work style and approach to build trust and credibility with a diverse array of stakeholders.

The successful candidate will be action-oriented, adaptable, results oriented and comfortable with change. they will be able to work productively and meet deadlines with superior organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to successfully juggle multiple priorities and tasks, having an even temper, a problem-solving attitude and the ability to maintain positive relationships under difficult or heated circumstances. They should be able to influence and persuade people at all levels of the organisation and to energise and inspire others, regardless of position, directing their efforts and activities toward a clear outcome. An authentic passion for the work is important along with a resilient spirit and ability to gracefully deal with adversity and ambiguity, making sense out of chaos. They should have the comfort and ability to deal with donors, executives and others with the same level of dignity and respect. Sense of humour is always appreciated.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in The Hague, The Netherlands and it requires up to 30% travel to (European capitals, the United States and Mercy Corps field locations).

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.

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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.