Location: Washington, D.C.

Valid unrestricted work authorization in the country in which you will be based (United States) is required at the time of application for this position.

Position Status: Full-time, Regular, Exempt
Salary Level: The salary range for this position is $76,000 - $84,000 commensurate on experience

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.

The Program

Mercy Corps’ Technical Support Unit (TSU) is a key part of the Program Department. Mercy Corps’ TSU houses subject matter experts whose mission is to help our global teams apply the most effective solutions to the world’s toughest challenges, while building our global reputation and resources to do so. By advancing technical excellence the Unit plays a key role in driving Mercy Corps’ impact, innovation and influence around the world.

Current TSU teams are: Food Security and Nutrition; Resilience; Economic and Market Development; Financial Inclusion; Agriculture Systems; Governance and Partnerships; Peace and Conflict; Youth, Gender and Girls; Environment, Energy and Climate; Technology for Development; and New Initiatives.

The TSU helps set agency-wide strategy and develops strategic approach documents and other technical briefs for their practice area to inform the entire organization’s work. In addition, it offers technical expertise to offices worldwide - supporting country strategy development and assessments, and engaging throughout the program life cycle from project design and proposal development to quality implementation and evaluations.

As technical experts in their field, TSU Team members are well versed in global practices and abreast of sector specific trends. They also represent Mercy Corps with donors and other strategic partners, and inform and influence both internal approaches and global understanding on how to move the needle on some of the most intractable humanitarian and development challenges of our time, especially in fragile settings. This agenda requires the team to know about progress and results across programs and paint a picture of the best that Mercy Corps has to offer based on thematic learning from across our regions. This drives innovation inside the agency, grows the portfolio, and fosters learning internally and with external stakeholders so that we can make a bigger difference in the lives of people we work with.

The Position

The Senior Food Security Advisor will seek, in collaboration with Mercy Corps’ Country, Program, TSU, PAQ, and other internal teams, to ensure evidence-based food security program design and implementation as informed by the organization’s ten year strategy.

Working with headquarters, regional leadership, country teams, technical support teams and partners, they will: 1) pursue strategic growth opportunities in priority contexts and sectors; 2) support assessments and innovations in priority contexts and build influence; 3) provide technical oversight to priority programs; and 4) provide support and mentorship to specialists and country team members.

Essential Responsibilities

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

• Working closely with country teams and the new initiatives team to develop or support high quality concept notes and proposals to increase funding for food security and nutrition programs.
• Source and document new ideas and innovations from within country programs, private sector partners, researchers and academics and funding sources to scale up proven food security approaches in fragile areas.
• Serve as technical focal point, researcher, or writer for emergency and development food security proposals.
• Participate in an annual food security portfolio analysis to inform food security and nutrition TSU strategic investments and program design.
• Identify and coordinate internal and external support for program design efforts as required.

STRATEGY, PLANNING, and LEARNING

• Provide technical leadership for food security into agency-wide growth resources and plans, including country strategies, donor guidance, approaches for promoting local partners and networks, and strengthening donor relations.
• Support the Agency in operationalizing the P2P strategy and execute the work plan for food security and nutrition in close coordination with the field and other agency departments and ensure that it is continuously updated to reflect our values and principles, trends in the field, learning over time and emerging capacities.
• Identify internal and external trends with potential to inform or affect TSU work and assure team readiness to adapt to changing conditions and expectations.
• Mobilize support services resources to enable country and regional leadership teams to execute their respective strategic priorities.
• Facilitate food security learning forums that expand and deepen capacity and exchange across Mercy Corps teams and promote country teams’ work within the organization.
• Drive a culture of learning between programs, countries and technical teams through consistent sharing of evidence-based best practices and lessons learned.
• Support the implementation of a research and learning agenda on food security that advances evidence and learning.
• Partner with program teams to oversee and lead the development of high-quality publications and reports that showcase program results and learning.

PROGRAM QUALITY

• Partner with the program team to ensure food security programs are adhering to evidence based practices and measuring and evaluating results according to donor and organizational guidance.
• Disseminate learning, evidence, and trends to improve implementation of emergency and development food security programs.
• Adapt and develop context and program-specific guidance, tools and training, and connect teams to critical information that will improve food security knowledge and action to improve program performance and achieve results.
• Work closely with regional/country leaders and program managers to identify and set team and partner priorities, and coordinate and deliver tailored support visits and training workshops.

Supervisory Responsibility
None, except for occasional interns.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Director of Food Systems.
Works Directly With: Senior Nutrition Advisor, TSU Technical Teams, PAQ Team, Country Teams, and Program Teams.

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

• Bachelors or Masters degree(preferred but not required) in international relations, development, food security, nutrition or related fields of study.
• 5+ years of relevant professional experience working on development and humanitarian programs and/or policy.
• Deep understanding of emerging food security, nutrition, and resilience trends across the development and humanitarian nexus.
• Experience working with country teams to design food security programs or strategies.
• Proven ability in analyzing and reporting on food security programs.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to effectively gather and utilize large amounts of information from various sources.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience working with donors in the food security space (USAID, USDA, FCDO, UN Agencies etc.).
• Proficiency in one or more foreign languages including French, Spanish or Arabic preferred.

Success Factors

The successful candidate will combine technical skills in food security with knowledge of nutrition and resilience. Must be flexible, creative, curious and enthusiastic about improving food security and resilience outcomes for the most vulnerable segments of populations. A self-starter who works well in a non-hierarchical environment, and who is able to prioritize competing priorities, learn quickly, take initiative and be accountable for results will be necessary for this position. The candidate will be confident partnering with program and country teams to codesign the best strategies for success. S/he will demonstrate a strong understanding of how to work effectively in varying cultural, political and religious environments.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Washington, D.C. and it requires up to 40% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing for this role is in individual housing and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard.

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.

Covid-19 Vaccine Policy for US-Based Employees

Mercy Corps has determined that, in an effort to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all Mercy Corps employees working in the United States, all U.S.-based employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, regardless of prior COVID-19 infection status. This policy is necessary to ensure not only the safety of our workforce, but the ongoing functionality of the organization.

This policy will be revised as needed to comply with federal, state, and local requirements, and to respond to changing guidance from public health authorities.

For new employees this requirement goes into effect within 10 business days of employment. Team members that travel are expected to comply with host-country requirements, including vaccinations. Failure to comply may impact your employment. Proof of vaccination or exemption must be provided.

Apply here