Chief of Party – Nepal DRR and Resilience Program

Position description

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 collaborate to put bold solutions into action, helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

To create a better world, 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

Enhancing resilience is at the heart of what Mercy Corps does and how we work. Resilience means that people and systems can protect and improve wellbeing in the face of shocks and stresses. Mercy Corps strengthens sources of resilience to enhance the capacities of people, markets, and institutions to handle shocks, reduce risk, build more equitable and responsive systems, and improve well-being. Through programs, partnerships, and influence, we support communities to cope, adapt, and thrive.

Mercy Corps began working in Nepal in 2005 and has since implemented projects in agriculture, food security and nutrition, financial services, youth engagement, and disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptations. Mercy Corps Nepal’s programming has reached over 900,000 people in 23 districts working to reach some of the most vulnerable and remote individuals.

Mercy Corps is seeking a qualified Chief of Party (CoP) to lead the anticipated $12 million, five-year, USAID/BHA-funded Early Recovery, Risk Reduction, and Resilience (ER4) Activity in Nepal. The Activity is expected to reduce disaster risk and increase the disaster management capacity of the GoN as well as support highly vulnerable disaster-prone communities in Nepal to mitigate, withstand, respond to, and recover from disasters. The Activity will work with local governmental entities and populations that face high disaster risk exposure. A two-fold approach will enable longer-term capacity building initiatives with sub-national GoN to sustainably build capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters. It will also help empower communities with high-risk exposure to reduce their disaster risk and prepare for emergencies. The program is anticipated to begin approximately October 2025. Hiring is contingent upon successful award and USAID approval of the candidate.

General Position Summary

The CoP will provide overall leadership, management, and strategic vision to the Activity. They will manage staff, resources, and partnerships to ensure that the Activity meets its targets and deliverables on-time and within budget. The CoP will supervise Activity staff and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps’ policies and donor rules and regulations. They will be the primary representative to donors, relevant government entities, partners, other implementers, and external stakeholders for this Activity. They will actively promote an inclusive culture of learning and adaptive management and will ensure strong systems and processes drive program performance.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Provide leadership and strategic vision in all aspects of Activity development, implementation, and management. Ensure that Activity implementation is responsive to communities, and aligned with Mercy Corps’ principles, values, and strategic plan.
• Outline and maintain a strategic plan for the implementation of program activities, including finalizing target areas/interventions, targeting criteria, methods of operation, and means of evaluation.
• Leverage Mercy Corps’ existing programming and expertise to ensure technical quality and integration with complementary initiatives.
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.

Program Management

• Oversee Activity start-up and ongoing program management and administration. Ensure program implementation is on time, target, and budget, using effective MEL systems and CLA approaches to reach desired impact.
• Ensure that implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
• Develop systems to support CLA, including promoting a culture of adaptive management.
• Develop equitable partnership frameworks, partner agreements/Memorandum of Understandings, and provide oversight to partners and sub-awardees; ensure partners are effectively included in program structures, are mentored appropriately, and capacity strengthening plans are in place.
• Create and follow effective stakeholder engagement plans, ensuring sound and proactive communications with Mercy Corps Nepal, Mercy Corps Global teams, donors, GoN authorities, partner organizations, and colleague agencies.
• Ensure program strategies and activities represent global good practice in expected component areas of disaster response, early recovery, risk reduction, resilience and governance approaches.
• Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security, administration, and human resources teams to ensure operational systems support field activities.
• Ensure Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards are fulfilled.

Team Management (Human Resources, Safeguarding and Diversity)

• Provide effective management for the program management team and consortium team members, ensuring that all staff and consortium members are clear on roles and responsibilities, expectations, communications flows and workplans.
• Strengthen the capacity of the team as needed, both as individuals and as a cohesive unit. Facilitate mechanisms for effective collaboration. Build and develop the program team's capacity, deepening understanding of their roles and assisting with career development. Ensure team members have access to clear objectives and the information, tools, and resources they need to improve performance and reach their goals.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one-on-one meetings and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Oversee recruitment and onboarding of program staff and consultants. Actively hire, orient and lead team members as necessary, ensuring effective onboarding mechanisms are in place across the team. Actively support succession planning.
• Support Mercy Corps’ global and regional initiatives for human resources, including safeguarding and diversity, and talent development.

Finance & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with USAID 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.
• Monitor adherence to grant agreement, Mercy Corps’ policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations, including those of the Government of Nepal.
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Safeguarding and Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.

Influence & Representation

• Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO, and other relevant events, in close coordination with the Country Director.
• Ensure close coordination and information sharing with consortium partners, sub-grantees, government, other implementers, and other Mercy Corps programs.
• Establish and maintain relationships with counterparts in partner organizations, civil society, government, and private sector networks in Nepal.
• Serve as an active contributor and collaborator with regional and global counterparts to promote best practices. Participate in Mercy Corps’ strategic discussions at the country and global level.

Risk Management & Security

• Collaborate with country leadership to support preparedness and response to major disruptive events.
• Work closely with the country/regional security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.
• Ensure that the Activity is implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.

Supervisory Responsibility

Expected to supervise several direct reports. The number of direct and indirect reports will be determined at a later stage.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Mercy Corps Nepal Country Director

Works Directly With: Activity team members, Country SMT**,** other CoPs or program managers, finance, administration, and operations teams, HQ Regional Program Team, HQ Technical Resources and Quality Unit, or other HQ or Regional teams.

Knowledge and Experience / Qualification and Transferable Skills

• MA/S or equivalent experience in development studies, international relations, or another relevant field. BA/S plus three (3) years of applicable experience may substitute for MA/S.
• At least seven (7) years of progressively increasing management responsibility in international humanitarian and development projects, at least five (5) years of which must be country- or internationally field-based.
• Proven leadership skills managing projects of a similar size and scope in developing countries is required, with preference for experience leading USAID/BHA Activities.
• Proven success serving in a leadership role for a project addressing issues related to resilience, emergency response, natural resource management, disaster risk reduction through a nexus approach, preferably in South Asia.
• Prior experience effectively managing humanitarian and DRR activities involving implementation by multiple sub-awardees.
• Demonstrated experience recruiting, developing, and managing staff, as well as experience in managing programmatic and financial reporting. Familiarity with USAID/BHA regulations, procedures, and compliance issues is preferred.
• Prior experience working in South Asia is required; experience in Nepal strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Nepal’s DRR governance, social, political, economic, and cultural landscape.
• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with host governments, donors, other donor-funded projects and stakeholders, local organizations, and partners.
• An understanding and demonstrated commitment to the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Demonstrated experience in adaptive management and learning techniques is highly encouraged.
• Competent in building networks, strong problem-solving skills, and ability to influence with effective listening, persuasion, negotiation, and other techniques.
• Effective personnel management, coordination, and decision-making skills, with proven ability to be accountable for all components of a program.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with diverse team members across geographies.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and fluency in English. Proficiency in Nepali and/or other languages spoken in western Nepal preferred.

 

Application instructions

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