Mercy Corps is hiring a
Position Description
Location: UK or NL
Position Status: Full-time, open terms
Salary: Edinburgh: circa 32K-37K; London: circa 37 - 43K; NL: circa 38.5K - 45K
Closing date: Candidates must submit applications before December 20th
Candidates must have the independant right to work in UK or NL at the time of appointment.
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 when 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.
The Strategy Realization Unit (SRU) ensures that Mercy Corps has the strategies and vision that will enable it to be a world-class, cutting-edge humanitarian and development organization creating transformational change in the world. The Strategy Realization Unit’s goal is to drive forward the agency’s 10-year strategy - Pathway to Possibility - providing a unifying vision while also enabling teams to be adaptive. The underlying intention is to create clarity and focus to enhance decision-making at all levels and locations of the organization.
The Chief Climate Officer (CCO) sits within the SRU and is responsible for leading the Climate Smart Commitment as part of the Pathway to Possibility strategy. The CCO works with leadership across the organization, including with Regional Directors, Country Directors, HLR and TSU senior leaders, HQ Function Leads, Department Heads, and others to advance the organization-wide push on climate change.
The Climate Change Strategy Officer is a key member of the SRU and the CCO’s team, playing a critical role in advancing the work streams under the climate smart commitment. They support the CCO leading and/ or contributing to strategic initiatives, workstreams, or special projects contributing to the overall vision of the climate commitment.
Specifically, the Climate Change Strategy Officer develops internal and external communications products about our climate change commitment, helps build and coordinate matrix team structures, conducts desk research on emerging themes of interest, reviews and edits written documents from country teams or other partners across Mercy Corps, supports the CCO prepare for external speaking engagements and other high profile events, and works with the Technical Support Unit to foster a robust climate change community of practice. They also play a key role in Mercy Corps’ efforts to measure results against the climate commitment, foster accountability, and create coherence and clarity around the strategy across the entire organization.
The Climate Change Strategy Officer is a self-starter, proactive team player, and equally strong written and verbal communication skills with a drive to meaningfully engage teams in inclusive processes designed to further shape and advance our climate work. They are experienced in developing appropriate communication processes and content suitable across departments and country-based teams, a strong liaison with critical organizational counterparts in regional, country and headquarters offices, and practiced at navigating or managing complex initiatives with multiple stakeholders. They are a proficient user of data analysis tools and at visualizing information for various audiences.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTENT PRODUCTION
WORK PLANNING, COORDINATION AND MEASUREMENT
COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION
Supervisory Responsibility: None
Reports To: Chief Climate Officer
Works With: Other members of the SRU, key members of the the Technical Support Unit, The Resource Development team, the Global Communication teams, Policy and Advocacy team and country and regional leadership
Success Factors
The successful Advisor must be a self-starting multi-tasker, able to manage competing priorities and demonstrate a keen understanding of the larger picture while remaining focused on and able to handle the details. They are an expert problem-solver, adept in successfully dealing with issues of complexity. They must demonstrate patience, initiative, and flexibility. The Advisor has relevant experience driving participatory processes to build consensus as well as a practical understanding of how to engage different stakeholders, including senior leaders, to drive impact and organizational change. They are courageous and willing to challenge the status quo, speak up and speak out on key issues, and engage in constructive debate and sensitive conversations with agency stakeholders at all elevations of the organization.
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.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Portland, Oregon or other locations with a Mercy Corps office. It may involve some travel to support country programs or regional teams, which may include some visits to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.
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.