Jobs at Mercy Corps

General Position Summary

• The Sub award Manager is a member of the finance team, and as such is responsible for managing the financial and operational aspects of subawards issued by Mercy Corps Cash Consortium of Sudan. S/he will also lead efforts to build the capacity of local subrecipients to meet finance and compliance requirements of the relevant program’s prime donor and other donors, so that these local organizations develop professional personnel and systems. The Finance and Subaward Manager manages the consortium finance and subawards team in Nairobi. S/he works under the direction of the Finance Director and work closely with the Program Teams, and Monitoring and Evaluation department, and the Operations department, and consult regularly with Mercy Corps’ MCG and MCE HQ compliance and legal departments.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Ensure subawards are managed in accordance with Mercy Corps’ Subaward Financial Management Manual.
• When used by a program, participate in the design of RFAs or APS, publication of RFAs/APS, issuing of RFA/APS packages to prospective applicants, manage the administrative process of receiving RFA/APS applicant and providing the applicants to the RFA/APS Review Committee.
• When used by a program, administer competitive RFA/APS processes with, for each RFA/APS, clearly defined and communicated steps for selecting, negotiating and awarding subawards.
• When used by a program, responsible for the review of RFA/APS applicants’ budgets and budget narratives for completeness, cost realism and compliance with RFA/APS budget requirements.
• Responsible for pre-award financial review and other due diligence of proposed subrecipients.
• Draft (when delegated by HQ), oversee and ensure subaward agreements are executed, in consultation with the relevant program manager and MC HQ department and in compliance with the relevant donor’s terms and conditions.
• Ensure modifications to subawards are executed, in consultation with MC HQ departments when applicable, as needed.
• Review subrecipient financial reports for correctness and completeness and ensure that reports are submitted on time.
• Develop subrecipient monitoring plans, conduct financial monitoring and prepare financial monitoring visit reports.
• Follow up on all subrecipient compliance issues and audits and document resolutions.
• Process subrecipient payments in consultation with the relevant program manager and Finance department.
• Responsible for subrecipient financial close-outs, including ensuring that all requirements of the subaward agreement have been met and that subaward funds have been properly settled.
• Provide compliance guidance and consultations to subrecipients on a demand-driven basis.
• Assist subrecipients, as needed with subrecipient prior approval, waiver and other compliance requests to Mercy Corps.
• Assist the program team with assessing subrecipient organizational needs, so that the subaward process strengthens the ability of local NGOs/CSOs to meet world class standards.
• Develop training and capacity building activities for subrecipients to strengthen their ability to apply for, receive, and manage subawards related to finance and compliance.

TEAM MANAGMENT

• Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & 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

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

• Interface with the (donor) representatives to convey information about programs as appropriate.
• Participate in sharing best practices with NGOs and governmental agencies.
• Consistently demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
• Demonstrate an awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs.

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.

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

• Consortium Finance and Subaward Officer
• Accountability
• Reports Directly To: Cash Consortium Director
• Works Directly With: Cash Consortium team; Finance Team, Operations team MCG/MCE HQ Compliance on Consortium Sub awards related matters.

Knowledge And Experience

• A BA/S or equivalent in accounting or finance required; advanced degree preferred.
• At least 5 years of relevant field or management experience of complex, multi-dimensional programming including administering small subawards in an international environment.
• At least 4 years’ experience in grants management as well as an understanding of USG, SIDA and UN regulations required.
• At least 3 years’ international experience required; international NGO/PVO field office experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience and skill with administrating solicitations for subawards, assessing potential subrecipients and the proven ability to oversee a team that is responsible for monitoring subrecipients.
• Strong skills and experience working with donors to obtain approvals and waivers as necessary for compliance with donor regulations.
• Prior management experience and strong organizational skills.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel.
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills.
• Excellent oral and written English skills required; proficiency in Arabic is preferred.
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
• Previous experience in insecure environments

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The Position

• The CCS Protection Manager will provide overall leadership for protection mainstreaming and integration within the consortium. They will provide regular technical support and monitoring visits to consortium partners to ensure that cash programming has protection mainstreamed throughout i.e. it is safe, accessible, accountable and participatory. They will also support efforts to create greater integration between the CCS’ Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance activities and specialized protection services through referrals pathways (both between existing consortium partners as well as external actors as possible based on the specific geographic area). The Protection Manager will be expected to spend 60% of their time in the duty station and 40% of the time in field locations, managing, working with, training and mentoring field teams.

Essential Job Functions
Technical Quality

• Develop effective training materials to support protection mainstreaming and adherence to key protection principles across CCS program activities, in line with IRC technical best practice and standards. Ensure all programming is inclusive of age, gender, disability and other diversity considerations.
• Provide technical leadership for integrated cash and protection programming including development of consortium wide program implementation notes around referrals pathways, tools and monitoring processes providing direct technical support to staff engaged in the activity.
• Support refinement of standards for Individual Protection Assistance.
• Develop monitoring frameworks, tools and processes to measure the impact of cash on protection outcomes where appropriate. Analyze data collected to contribute to advocacy initiatives, donor reporting etc.
• Coordinate with consortium partners to design protection analysis to understand the contextual risks and the programmatic gaps to inform consortium programming
• Support the development of safe and functional referral systems, including for high-risk protection cases
• Monitor progress towards the objectives and intended outputs of projects using routine data,
• spot checks, observation, and other methodologies

Staff Support & Development

• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Ensure training and ongoing capacity building opportunities for staff on technical and project management skills.
• Program Management
• Support implementation and ensure adherence to grant work plans, spending plans and monitoring and evaluation plans.
• Work closely and coordinate with CCS Secretariat and partner focal points to ensure compliance with grant requirements.
• Ensure high-quality reports on activities, indicators, and achievements.
• Consortium and Sector Coordination
• Support consortium to ensure strong protection mainstreaming within cash programming, foster positive relationships and identify areas for collaboration on.
• Support refinement of standards for Individual Protection Assistance.
• Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.
• Regularly attend Protection and relevant sub-cluster meetings at appropriate levels
• Engage with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning and relevant technical staff, internally and in other protection organizations to coordinate in the interpretation and validation of analysis, and exchange experience, share tools and support mutual capacities.
• Participate in relevant internal and external meetings to support with producing, updating, and sharing data and information products.
• Organize periodic experience sharing sessions with sector level protection, gender and social
• inclusion focal points, document and share learning.

Business Development

• Contribute to the development of the overall CCS strategic direction.
• In coordination with the DDP and the Integrated Protection Coordinator, Support in proposal development activities (narrative and budget) through planning and program design with relevant field-based staff, to ensure technical standards are taken into considering before submission.

Other Duties

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of field teams, promptly reporting concerns or incidents to CCS management and liaising with other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

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 towards 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

• Dotted line to implementation leads of each partner technical lead on CCS grants.

Accountability
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: CCS Chief of Party
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: CCS Secretariat, CCS Partner Agencies, Regional and HQ Technical Protection colleagues
Knowledge and Experience

• Degree or equivalent in social work, human rights, Development Studies or Psychology or other relevant discipline preferred.
• At least 5 years of professional experience in protection in programming, preferably in an emergency context and with refugee populations.
• Proven understanding of protection and humanitarian principles in emergencies with experience in protection mainstreaming, protection analysis across emergency response
• Proven understanding of cash programming with experience of implementing cash as a part of a protection response
• Proven understanding of minimum standards for protection and protection mainstreaming integration and protection analysis. Knowledge in cash based protection interventions is an advantage.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, effective in liaising with other organizations.
• Demonstrated knowledge of protection analysis and protection mainstreaming.
• Familiarity with available data analysis and/or management platforms including PowerBi, Tablue or Commcare
• Experience with conducting qualitative and quantitative analysis; Basic understanding of statistical analysis, data manipulation, and pattern recognition
• Demonstrated coordination, networking and relationship building skills with key partners including government, donors, INGOs, national and local organizations, UN agencies.
• Interpersonal skills: Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment and able to handle pressure well.
• Flexible and innovative. Able to adapt programmes and pivot approaches in response to changes in context
• Fluent in spoken and written English. Arabic language is an advantage.