Senior Programme Officer Africa - UK or NL

The Awards Management Team (AMT) works in lockstep with Mercy Corps’ country teams to ensure they have the resources, tools, and information they need to succeed in the implementation of high-quality programs across three areas by:

• Stewarding award management from kick-off to close out, supporting adherence to donor requirements, aligning donor contractual deliverables with internal program quality and compliance standards to deliver program impact, resolving compliance issues, and promoting knowledge management;
• Contributing to strategic new business development by identifying new funding opportunities, supporting high-quality program design, and leading submission efforts aligned with donor requirements;
• Serving as liaison between Mercy Corps' program teams and their most critical relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

The AMT Manager supports the implementation of the strategic direction set by the AMT Lead, ensuring impactful, high-quality programming support for their assigned portfolio within Africa. The AMT Manager works closely with country teams and is an essential member of the AMT structure. They serve as a headquarters (HQ) focal point for supporting country programs in program and award management, connecting the field to Global and Regional resources, and representing specific country/award interests internally and externally. They provide day-to-day supervision, management, and mentorship to a team of Award Management Team Program Officers (AMT POs), ensuring quality work and fostering a cohesive team dynamic under the overall guidance of the AMT Lead.

Team Management (Day-to-Day Supervision)

• Provide day-to-day supervision and performance management for assigned AMT POs.
• Develop the capacity of direct reports, deepen understanding of their roles, and assist with career development.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback through regular one-on-ones and performance reviews for direct reports.
• Check the quality and timeliness of direct reports' work.
• Contribute to a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Participate in hiring and lead orientation for direct reports, under the guidance of the AMT Lead.
• Identify and assess award and compliance risks associated with program implementation.
• Work with AMT POs to ensure key award management processes are implemented and on track.
• Support resolution of day-to-day award and compliance issues with AMT POs; elevate complex compliance issues to the AMT Lead.
• Support country teams’ adherence to donor regulations.
• Ensure timely review and submission of high-quality narrative reports across portfolio, providing and assigning additional support across AMT POs as needed.
• Ensure Mercy Corps knowledge management systems (e.g., Grant Award Information Tracker) are kept up-to-date and accurate for the assigned portfolio.

Business Development Support

• Support proposal development efforts, providing guidance to AMT POs on proposal development efforts and collaborating with the AMT Lead, Regional Business Development Advisors, and Institutional Donor Engagement teams.
• As needed, review final proposal drafts for coherence, quality, and alignment with donor requirements; manage submission to the donor.
• Support pre-positioning efforts in close coordination with the Team Lead, including early engagement with partners and stakeholders to strengthen competitiveness in business development.
• As needed, provide proposal writing support.
• As needed, ensure all proposals meet internal quality standards and donor requirements through thorough review and quality assurance processes.
• Identify contractual risks in proposals and support the development of mitigation strategies.
• Coordinate the flow of information related to the assigned portfolio between country programs, the Awards Management Team, relevant Global and Regional departments, and donors.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with country offices, resolving operational issues and maintaining regular contact regarding specific awards.
• Represent specific award/country interests with internal stakeholders and operational external stakeholders (e.g., specific donor contacts for active awards), supporting the AMT Lead in higher-level representation as needed.
• May undertake specific donor representation based on location (e.g., Europe).
• Ensure field teams are aware of and utilize relevant Mercy Corps resources, tools, and best practices.
• Support the implementation of new awards management policies, procedures, and systems developed by leadership.
• Any other duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information clearly and concisely for various audiences.
• A detail-oriented, multi-tasker who is able to communicate clearly and work under pressure.
• A problem solver, adept in successfully dealing with issues of complexity.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with diverse internal teams and external stakeholders across different cultures and time zones.
• Demonstrated ability to provide effective day-to-day supervision, mentorship, and coaching to direct reports, fostering their capacity development and promoting accountability.
• Adept at identifying, analyzing, and supporting the resolution of complex issues related to award management and program implementation.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, track deadlines, and ensure timely completion of tasks for self and direct reports.
• A robust sense of humor is greatly appreciated.
• A demonstrable passion for, and a clear empathy with, the organization’s aims and values.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field. Master’s degree preferred.
• 5 + years of professional experience in international relief and development, including experience with award management, compliance, and program management. Field-based experience is highly desirable, ideally in Africa.
• Demonstrated experience supporting proposal development (support and writing) with various donors, particularly European government donors, private foundations, and corporations.
• Experience representing an organization with operational external stakeholders such as donors, government officials, and partners.
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation and other learning efforts.
• Proven ability to lead, manage, mentor, and develop individuals and teams (day-to-day supervision).
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency with MS Office software (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Fluency in English required. Fluency in French is desirable.

Travel & Environmental Conditions

This position may require up to 10% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/short term assignment to a field posting. Staff 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.

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.

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. By applying for this role an applicant confirms that they have not previously violated an employer’s sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or trafficking policy. 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 e-learning courses 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 (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).