About Mercy Corps

MercyCorpsisaleadingglobalorganisationpoweredbythebeliefthatabetterworldis possible.Indisaster, in hardship, in more than40 countriesaroundthe world, we partner toput bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.Now,andforthefuture.

The Programme / Department

Mercy Corps is present in the DRC since August 2007 with a current workforce of more than 300 national and expatriate employees and operational presence in Goma and Beni (North Kivu Province), in Bunia (Ituri Province), in Tshikapa, Kalonda West and NdjokoPunda (Kasai Province), and representation in the capital city, Kinshasa. As a leading NGO in DRC working with more than 40 partners in 2024, Mercy Corps reached 2.12 million people in North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Kasai with integrated programs that ensured equitable access to improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in humanitarian and development settings; supported a comprehensive, rapid response to ongoing humanitarian needs; promoted economic and livelihood development to strengthen food security and resilience, including through improved financial inclusion; as well as institutional capacity strengthening and social cohesion to foster peace and good governance.

Green Growth Programme Component 3: Scaling Finance for Established Agri-businesses in the Democratic Republic of Congoforms part of FCDO’s Green Growth Programme (GGP) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Through a combination of technical assistance, catalytic grants, and concessional finance, the GGP will mobilise additional private capital, strengthen financial markets, and build the resilience and productivity of DRC’s agricultural sector. The GGP is part of FCDO’s broader efforts to promote low-carbon, climate-resilient development and deliver measurable results under the UK’s International Climate Finance (ICF) commitments.

Component 3(SCAFIN) aims to increase access to finance for climate-smart agribusinesses, catalysing private investment and promoting sustainable economic growth. The programme will work with financial institutions, impact funds, and agribusinesses to expand the use of innovative financial products, improve access to finance for DRC firms, and incentivise lenders and investors to support green activities such as the uptake of resilient seeds, irrigation systems, and solar technologies.

SCAFIN will scale finance for climate-smart agribusinesses in the Kongo Central, Kwilu, Mai-Ndombe, and Kwango provinces, serving as a catalyst by supporting processes and systems to develop appropriate financial products and attract investments. SCAFIN will contribute to agricultural development in DRC that creates resilient, sustainable livelihoods as part of a climate-smart economic development pathway, by achieving the following Outcomes:

•Outcome 1: Financial institutions provide financing products to agribusinesses to adopt and scale climate-smart products and services

•Outcome 2: Agribusinesses access and effectively use finance to invest in climate-smart products and services

•Outcome 3: Lenders and investors promote climate-smart activities through investments in agribusinesses and financial institutions

About the Role

The Deputy Team Leader role is focused on supporting the design, implementation and management of activities and partnerships with local financial institutions and working closely with our Component 3 partner to mobilise additional financing from investors to achieve  theprogramme’s outcomes. The DTL will have a strong external focus to represent the programme and the consortium to donors, relevant government entities, partners, other implementing actors, and stakeholders.

EssentialResponsibilities

PROGRAMME STRATEGY EXECUTION

●Supportthe articulation and delivery of a clear strategic vision for Component 3, aligned with the overall programme’s objectives and Theory of Change – SEE END OF JD.

●Implement the strategy and support the evidence-based adaptations to the programme strategy to respond to shifts in market dynamics, policy environment, and the needs of agribusinesses and financial service providers.

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

●Lead the creation and management of partnerships with local financial institutions (e.g. banks, MFIs) to implement the agreed activities and achieve programme objectives

●Coordinate and collaborate withour Component 3 partner to facilitate the provision of additional financing, including debt, to the financial institution (FI) partners from other investors (e.g. impact funds)

IMPLEMENTATION

●Drive a programme that brings partners (financial institutions and investors) out of their comfort zones, ensuring they surpass the current status quo by implementing innovative solutions, processes and services for agricultural financing.

●Focus on implementing a customer-centric approach based on a 'learning by doing' philosophy.  Provide financial institutions with enough space to test new approaches and services, learn from them, and improve them on an ongoing basis.

●Lead the design, implementation and management of blended finance mechanisms (e.g. loan guarantees) with the partner FIs to mitigate their risk of lending

●Support the partner FIs to access additional financing from investors identified by the delivery partner by supporting them to clarify financing needs, structure viable investment models and create and manage partnerships with investors

PROGRAMMEMANAGEMENT

●Create and implementworkplans to ensure that FIs provide financing products to the agribusinesses as per programme objectives and targets

●Lead the scoping, identification and management of consultants and other third-party providers to provide market studies, technical assistance and trainingto the partner FIs and to support partner activities

●Provide regular reporting to the Team Lead as agreed and adjust workplans and partnership agreements as required to meet programme objectives and targets

●In coordination with the MEL Manager, ensure robust MEL and quality assurance systems to track progress, inform strategy adaptations, document promising practices and innovations, and ensure technical soundness, compliance with donor and Mercy Corps standards.

●Actively contribute to and participate in internal learning reviews, after-action reviews, and consortium-wide learning events to capture lessons that inform the programme’songoing and future interventions.

RISKMANAGEMENT

●Ensure, in collaboration with the Team Leader and our Component 3 partner that robust risk management systems are in place across all components of the programme.

●Contribute to preparedness and response to major disruptive events that could affect programme delivery.

●Support the follow-up and implementation of recommendations from internal and external audits.

●Work closely with Ethics and Compliance focal points to identify and analyse trends in risk and compliance and implement appropriate corrective measures.

SAFEGUARDING

●Actively learn about safeguarding and integrate safeguarding principles into day-to-day work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.

●Practice the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.

●Encourage openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

●Partners FoP.

●Matrixed management of partner technical and operations focal persons with Partnership counterparts.

Accountability

ReportsDirectly To:GGP Component 3 ProgrammeTeamLeader,

WorksDirectlyWith:Country Director, Director of Programs, Other DRC Directors and Deputy Directors, DRC finance and operations teams, HQ Regional Programme Team, HQ Technical Support, Evidence, and Program Quality

AccountabilitytoParticipantsandStakeholders

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.

MinimumQualification&TransferableSkills

• Experience of working with financial institutions (e.g. banks and Microfinance Institutions) to provide inclusive finance to agribusinesses and other underserved markets and customers
• Experience of designing and implementing blended finance instruments (e.g. loan guarantees) to facilitate the provision of finance to underserved groups
• Demonstrated experience in project delivery and operations management, including work planning, budgeting, risk management, and reporting.
• Advanced degree or equivalent experience project management, business administration, finance, economics, development studies, or a related field. A master’s degree is desirable.
• Minimum of 7–10 years of experience implementing complex donor-funded programmes, preferably with FCDO or similar institutional donors (USAID, EU, World Bank, etc.).
• Strong ability to interpret and apply donor rules and regulations, ensuring all programme activities and financial transactions meet FCDO compliance and audit standards.
• Familiarity with project management systems, financial tracking tools, and results frameworks (experience with adaptive management approaches is an advantage).
• Experience coordinating across multiple implementing partners and technical teams, ensuring effective communication, documentation, and progress tracking.
• Strong financial literacy and budget oversight skills, with experience reviewing expenditure reports, forecasts, and justifications.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate and mitigate delivery risks, including fiduciary, reputational, and operational risks.
• Excellent relationship management and communication skills for engaging with implementing partners, donors, and government counterparts.
• Proven ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities, and deliver to tight deadlines in dynamic or high-risk environments.
• Experience in Africa, preferably in DRC or other frontier markets, is highly desirable.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. French fluency is required.

SuccessFactors

The DTL is a seasoned programme and people manager with proven ability to lead with vision and inspire teams to excel. S/he is adept at stakeholder engagement and negotiating consensus and compromise with a strong commitment to fairness and transparency and decision-making. The DTL demonstrates high levels of political acumen and strategic thinking in the management of donor and stakeholder relations and acts with conflict-sensitivity at all levels of interaction. S/he is a highly organised planner and multi-tasker, a creative problem-solver, a skilled communicator, and a role model of Mercy Corps’ core behaviours and organisational principles.

LivingConditions/EnvironmentalConditions

The position is based in Kinshasa, DRC. Housing for this role is in a private apartment under housing allowance regulations. Rest and recovery cycle follows the Country Office R&R policy. Kinshasa has limited security regulations, and has many options for healthcare, shopping, restaurants, and social life.

The position requires regular travel to various locations within Kongo Central, Kwilu, Mai-Ndombe, and Kwango. This may include unstable areas with strict security rules and limited amenities. Living conditions in the field locations are clean and secure, but basic.

While conditions in much of the country are improving, there are still pockets of violence and insecurity, and petty crime is present. Mercy Corps' offices experience variable levels of insecurity and adapt their procedures accordingly. Due to poor infrastructure, air travel is often necessary to get from one end of the country to the other.

Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. Internet is limited, but available in all Mercy Corps’ offices. There are a number of health services available with several evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods, although it must be noted that imported goods can be more expensive than in other 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

TeamEfficiencyandEffectiveness

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individualswithavarietyofexperiences,backgrounds,andperspectives,westrengthenourabilityto solvecomplexchallengesanddriveinnovation.Wefosteracultureoftrustandrespect,whereevery teammemberisvaluedfortheircontributions,empoweredtoreachtheirfullpotential,andmotivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

EqualEmployment Opportunity

MercyCorpsisanequalopportunityemployerthatdoesnottoleratediscriminationonanybasis.We actively seek out different 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 ethnicorigin,disability(includingHIV/AIDSstatus),maritalstatus,militaryveteranstatusoranyother protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding& Ethics

MercyCorpsiscommittedtoensuringthatallindividualswecomeintocontactwiththroughourwork, 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 InteragencyMisconductDisclosureScheme.Wewillnottoleratechildabuse,sexualexploitation, abuse,orharassmentbyorofourteammembers.Aspartofourcommitmenttoasafeandinclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respectlocallawsandcustoms, andtoadheretoMercyCorpsCodeof Conduct Policies andvalues atalltimes.TeammembersarerequiredtocompletemandatoryCodeofConducte-learningcourses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).