Senior Quality & Performance Development Manager

About Mercy Corps

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

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps is a leading global humanitarian agency saving and improving lives in the world's toughest places. With a network of experienced professionals in more than 40 countries, we partner with local communities to put bold ideas into action to help people recover, overcome hardship and build better lives – now, and for the future. Mercy Corps has worked in Myanmar since 2008 and is focused on market development; climate resilience; conflict resolution; local governance; and humanitarian response and recovery.

General Position Summary

This position plays a leading, important role in MCM program development by providing essential support to the Director of Programs, the Country Director and the Senior Management team in growing the MCM portfolio in a responsible manner, guided by Mercy Corps Myanmar's Country Strategy. This includes preparing for and identifying new funding opportunities and translating these opportunities into winning proposals for new programs to strategically connect into a cohesive country portfolio.

A viable project pipeline is often the result of investments in learning and research. To that end, MCM needs to make sure that its research agenda is strategic, funded and in line with its country strategy. Once research results are out, it is critically important that these results are shared internally and externally, and learned from. The Senior Quality and Performance Development Manager works with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and project teams to define quality and learning agendas and ensure that these agendas are implemented and that lessons are drawn and applied. The Senior Quality and Performance Development Manager is responsible to establish a learning culture within the organization and promoting evidence-based thought leadership and research to help the organization generate lessons learnt and incorporate them into the development of future programs.

MCM is only able to thrive if funders see excellence in implementation and project delivery that is timely and with quality. An essential part of the role is hence related to quality, since a successful portfolio and brand depends ultimately on the country program's ability to demonstrate impact, innovation and influence using a data centered approach. The individual is expected fulfill all responsibilities while while demonstrating visible leadership and adherence to Mercy Corps' core values, principles and strategy

Essential Job Responsibilities

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

• Lead on the development of a MCM program development strategy
• Lead pro-active program development in close collaboration with the Country Director (CD) and Director of Programs (DoP) – scoping, research and leading the development of concepts and proposals.
• Lead on key program development functions, including but not limited to donor outreach, program design, proposal writing, partnership building, pre-bid assessments, lead writers recruitment and management.
• Support the Country Director and DoP in exploration, evaluation and presentation of new project funding opportunities and establishment of new partnerships.
• Support the SLT in tracking new potential project opportunities from known and new donors
• Participate in the evaluation of program priorities within the country

PROGRAM QUALITY

• Support program quality and impact measurement by ensuring programs are based on sound design principles and utilize Mercy Corps and donor required guidelines and policies.
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• Provide technical support and capacity building to Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and program teams on evaluation methodologies and play a supportive role in the evaluation of programs.
• Lead learning sessions with program teams
• Support the development and piloting of innovative tools and methodologies to capture program outcomes and test theories of change.
• Lead on the crafting of the bi-yearly 3 I's report.
• Help ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps' Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and program participant accountability standards.

RESEARCH, LEARNING AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

• Lead the identification of research opportunities and create a coherent research pipeline
• Fundraise for the research agenda of MCM
• Manage research projects, as required, including the management and identification of external researchers/consultants
• Monitor the progress of MCM research agenda's implementation
• Liaise with HQ research teams and relevant Technical Support Unit(TSU) teams
• Ensure that comprehensive dissemination plans are developed and executed to promote MCM brand and foster thought leadership
• Develop and maintain relationships with peer agencies for common research priorities
• Represent Mercy Corps at relevant fora in Myanmar and elsewhere if required
• Produce knowledge products (impact briefs, success stories) to reflect lessons learnt and make sure that these knowledge products are used

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 PARTICIPANTS

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
  to our participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility

May depend on the situation, ad hoc line management of team members might be required

Accountability

• Reports Directly To: Reports to Director of Programs
• Works Directly With: Country Director, Country MEL Manager, MEL team members, operations and finance team members, TSU teams

Knowledge and Experience

• A Master's Degree in relevant subject such as international relations, international development, peace & conflict studies, etc.
• 5+ years of experience developing, implementing, and/or monitoring and evaluating programs.
• A successful track record of developing winning proposals
• Experience working with various donor agencies (EU, US, UN, etc..) in various sectors
• Interest and motivation to use data as a key foundation for program quality
• An ability to adapt, be flexible and get things done without having direct line management over projects
• Strong writing skills and excellent analytical abilities
• Excellent ability to develop and maintain personal relationships
• Fluency in English is required; local Myanmar languages are an asset.
• Culturally sensitive, with experience working in Myanmar and/or Asia preferred

Success Factors

The successful candidate will be curious, outgoing and entrepreneurial and possess a passion for creating new opportunities. The individual should be driven by interest in promoting change and developing a learning culture through local capacity building. The person should bring practical experience of wanting to pilot innovative methodologies and be motivated by showing high impact or influence. The team member will have an ability to understand the connections between research, project implementation and strategy. The individual will have excellent English writing and communications skills, as well as analytical abilities. While able to work independently, the person will be a team player capable of integrating into a diverse, predominantly Myanmar national team, with an understanding of cross-cultural communications and sensitivity. The team member will be comfortable with a dynamic workplace and capable of rapidly shifting priorities as external circumstances dictate.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Yangon with regular travel to field sites in Myanmar. Housing is individual accommodation with unlimited freedom of movement beyond the house/office. Team members have access to services – medical, electricity, water, etc. This position requires at least 30% of field travel.

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

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps' vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.

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