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.

Program / Department Summary

Present in Uganda since 2006, Mercy Corps Uganda’s aim is to catalyse change through the Ugandan private sector, civil society, and government to create resilient, economically inclusive, healthy, and secure communities.

We have 15 programmes across Uganda with a total portfolio value of $80m, including support from FCDO, USAID, US State Department, French Development Agency, Conrad Hilton Foundation, and other private sector foundations. With a strong presence across the country, we have offices in Kampala, Rhino Camp, Yumbe, Moroto, Kotido, Amudat, Kaabong, Karita, and Karenga.

The Climate Smart Jobs Programme (CSJP) is a £39 million four-year FCDO funded programme that seeks to grow climate smart agribusinesses to create jobs, support climate smart land management and services, as well as innovation on climate adaptation and mitigation, and remove barriers that stop businesses from getting deals done. Under Component (4) of the CSJP: Climate Smart Land Management Services, (worth approx. £8.5m) Mercy Corps will lead a consortium of partners to implement this component, which we will call the ‘REVIVE’ programme. The objective of this component is to preserve, restore and maximize the value of landscape ecosystem services in northern Uganda sustainably and at scale”. This is to be done through “Interventions (that) provide technical assistance and small start-up grants for individuals, community groups and private sector to pilot innovative, adaptive and resilient land management practices and nature-based solutions.”

The Position

The Team Leader will have overall responsibility for successful delivery of Component 4 of CSJP, the REVIVE programme and will be Mercy Corps’ primary point of contact with the FCDO in Uganda. The Team Leader will provide overall leadership, management and strategic vision to the implementation of the REVIVE Programme, managing staff and resources to ensure that the programme meets its targets and deliverables on-time and within budget. The Team Leader will supervise key programme staff and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps policies and donor rules and regulations. They will be the primary programme representative to donors, relevant government entities, partners, other implementers, and external stakeholders. They will be managing the Consortium-related aspects of this programme and will be key in ensuring the overall success.

The Team Leader is expected to have strong expertise in the fields of ecosystem services/ecosystem-based adaptation; sustainable land management; climate resilience; market systems; and employment generation in fragile and dynamic contexts. The Team Leader will:

Develop and implement the overall programme strategy and design; in line with donor rules and regulations.
Lead collaboration and coordination with other Components of the CSJP and with FCDO
Drive a cutting-edge research agenda to inform programme strategy, adaptive management and promote internal and external learning;
Oversees effective engagement with government and non-government stakeholders involved in the implementation of the programme;
Facilitate clear communication among programme partners, donors, government agencies/officials, and other Mercy Corps departments.
Ensure gender equity, social inclusion and conflict sensitivity is mainstreamed throughout the programme while at the same time more deliberate women’s and youth empowerment programming takes place where and when appropriate.
Be responsible for meeting Value for Money requirements

The Team Leader will be an integral member of Mercy Corps’ senior country leadership team in Uganda, working closely with the Country Director, other programme technical advisors, directors and managers to promote synergies and knowledge sharing between REVIVE and ongoing programmes.

Essential Responsibilities

Program Management & Technical Oversight

Provide strategic and technical leadership and oversight for Mercy Corps’ REVIVE component as a whole in cooperation with key project stakeholders, including national and international partner organisations, local civil society organisations, local and national government officials, other international agencies on the ground, and key donors.
Provide key leadership and communication with FCDO throughout the entirety of the programme and act as key representative of Mercy Corps to FCDO
Oversee effective programme start-up, implementation and close-out.
Provide leadership to all REVIVE partners to ensure programme implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts, and develop mechanisms for targeted research to inform programme design, implementation and adaptation. Ensure monitoring systems and tools are in place and ensure the programme is able to apply adaptive management principles during implementation.
Ensure adherence to Mercy Corps PM@MC minimum standards within the programme.
Ensure implementation and modeling of safeguarding policies and procedures in all interactions with team members, partners and programme participants.
Integrate gender and social inclusion, ensuring the programme is sensitive and responsive to different opportunities and barriers faced by women, elderly and youth.
Ensure all donor reports are submitted on time and consistently maintain high standards of quality in reporting

Strategy and vision

Set the overall vision and strategy for the programme by prioritising and organising actions & resources to achieve program objectives and impact.
Recognise opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
Contribute to strategy development by ensuring lessons learnt and impact of REVIVE are integrated into organization-level strategies and plans.

Representation, coordination and Partnerships

Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
Document and disseminate lessons learned and best practices from REVIVE to internal and external stakeholders.

Team management

Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via performance reviews.
Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
Supervise and regularly coordinate with project staff and support departments to ensure smooth planning, preparation, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of program activities. Develop a framework for adaptive management and program iteration driven by research and learning.

Financial and compliance Management

Responsible for the management of the overall programme budget
Regularly monitor expenditure to ensure each team and partner adheres to their respective approved budgets
Support budget reviews and revision processes at team, partner and program level
Ensure the value for money propositions outlined in the proposal are met through effective mainstreaming of the relevant approach.
Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations
Create and maintain systems to ensure effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with program, donor and Mercy Corps needs.

Security

Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.

Supervisory Responsibility

Key programme staff

Accountability

Reports Directly To: DOP

Works Directly With: donors, programme staff, other stakeholders

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 Qualifications & Transferable Skills

Master’s degree in Climate Adaptation, Resilience, social sciences, international relations or other relevant fields.
Minimum 8 years’ relevant professional experience implementing Climate Adaptation & Resilience programmes in East Africa with specific experience in Uganda, preferably with experience on working on Climate Adaptation & Resilience programming in fragile or conflict affected countries.
Proven understanding of climate change adaptation strategies, and resilience programming.
Technical expertise in Agro Forestry and Land Management or Ecosystem-based adaptation.
Previous experience as Chief of Party/Team Lead for a large donor-funded development programme in Uganda will be a plus, with FCDO experience as preferable, with proven ability to manage large, international, consortium-based teams.
Demonstrated experience with adaptive management, integration of research into programme design and strategy, and innovative approaches to program monitoring and evaluation.
Demonstrated experience in managing effective relationships with external stakeholders, including government entities, research institutes, donors and peer agencies.
Successful experience of Payment by Results (PbR)
Knowledge of systems approaches and resilience principles is a plus.
Strong facilitation and consensus-building skills.
Must be able to work independently while being a strong team player.
Fluency in written and spoken English

Success Factors

The successful Team Leader candidate will demonstrate the capacity to lead a multi-dimensional effort in a complex and fluid environment. They will employ excellent judgment, strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, and be committed to the values and mission of Mercy Corps. They will take initiative, calculate risks and benefits of various courses of action, lead others to achieve to the highest level possible, and demonstrate solid decision-making while working in concert with diverse partners.

Competencies: Strategic Thinking, Results-oriented, Impact and Influence, Collaboration/Teamwork, Adaptability/ Change Management

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The Team Lead position is accompanied and based in Kampala, Uganda with at least 40% travel to domestic sites. Travel to other locations for regional representation may be required. At times evening and weekend work may be required to meet deadlines and at times of shocks and stresses.

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

As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential US-Based employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment.

Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated. We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.