Country Director – Yemen

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 / DEPARTMENT / TEAM

Mercy Corps seeks to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression around the world and has worked in the Middle East since the 1980s. In response to acute and increasing humanitarian needs in Yemen, Mercy Corps opened its office in Yemen in 2010. More than 22 million people are in need and reliance on humanitarian assistance continues to grow. Mercy Corps is focused on meeting urgent humanitarian needs across the country while building support to the recovery of economic market systems, resilience and social cohesion elements in its programming strategy. Strategies to enhance the resilience of communities to the harsh environmental and social conditions in the country cut across the portfolio.

THE POSITION

The Country Director for Yemen is a unique role that combines high-level program management, oversight of operational functions and official representation responsibilities. Given the smaller scale of the country mission, the Country Director will directly oversee program strategy, implementation, and quality, while also acting as the primary representative of Mercy Corps in Yemen. The role requires a dynamic leader who can provide strategic vision, manage complex multi-sector programs, ensure compliance with donor regulations, and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, including donors, local authorities, and national and international partners. The Country Director will actively participate in portfolio management and portfolio growth.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy & Vision

• Set and communicate a clear vision for Mercy Corps’ operations in Yemen, aligned with regional and global strategies.
• Lead the development and implementation of countrywide strategic plans, ensuring that they are responsive to the rapidly evolving context in Yemen.
• Pursue new opportunities for innovative programming and to sustain and grow MC portfolio in Yemen in line with the country strategy.

Program Management

• Oversee the design, implementation, and monitoring of multi-sector programs, ensuring they are on-time, on-scope, and within budget.
• Work with program leads (Program Managers, FSL Coordinator, etc.) and Program Quality, Evidence and Learning (QEL) Coordinator to ensure that all programs adhere to Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards (PM@MC 2.0) and meet donor expectations.
• Support and mentor teams, fostering collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Lead strategic business development efforts, identifying and securing new funding that align with Mercy Corps’ strategic goals in Yemen, with the support of regional new business team.
• Build and maintain operational systems that ensure proper administrative support for programs, as well as segregation of duties between finance and operations.
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and program participants accountability standards.

Team Management

• Develop capacity of the team and assist with career development; Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect and accountability, where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Lead recruitment efforts for key positions, ensuring the selection of highly qualified and culturally competent staff.

Finance & Compliance Management:

• Oversee financial management processes, ensuring transparency, accountability, and compliance with donor regulations and Mercy Corps’ policies.
• Maintain oversight of program budgets, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to achieve program objectives.
• Ensure all internal control procedures are adhered to and that necessary measures are put in place to meet high standards of accountability and compliance.
• Build and maintain operational structures that ensure proper segregation of duties between finance, administration and logistics and fully support field programs.

Influence and Representation

• Represent Mercy Corps Yemen to donors, government officials, private sector partners, civil society and other stakeholders, ensuring strong partnerships and collaboration.
• Engage media and public fora to promote Mercy Corps, advocating for communities we serve.
• Work closely with the regional and headquarters teams to align Yemen’s operations with global priorities and to leverage support for country-level initiatives.
• Anticipate needs and opportunities, understand donor pool and contribute to shaping donor’s views on development.
• Demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
• Exhibit awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs.

Security

• Ensure that robust security protocols are in place to protect staff and assets, working closely with security focal points to monitor risks and adjust plans as needed.
• Provide leadership during times of crisis, ensuring that staff are informed, safe, and able to continue operations in high-risk environments.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

Senior Management Team

ACCOUNTABILITY

Reports Directly To: Regional Director

Works Directly With: Program Managers, Grants Manager, QELCoordinator, Senior Management Team including HR, Operation and Finance team members and Regional and HQ Operations and Program Support Teams, including Award Management Team, Technical Resources and Quality (TRaQ) Team and Evidence and Learning Team

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 QUALIFICATION & TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

• MA/S or equivalent in relevant field;
• At least 5 years continuous experience in portfolio and/or country management expertise, with technical design and implementation of FSL, cash and market systems development programming; At least 2 years in humanitarian response in a complex context with international NGOs;
• Experience in or cultural roots in the Middle East preferred; Arabic language strongly preferred;
• Experience as a Director of Programs or similar role a strong advantage;
• Excellent oral and written English skills;
• Strong management, mentorship and leadership skills with ability to build team capacity;
• Strong technical skills in food security, livelihoods, market systems and cash approaches in complex emergency context; Other technical skills in peacebuilding and social cohesion; other approaches to economic growth and integrated water resource management also welcome;
• Strong communications skills with exceptional ability to articulate technical issues with colleagues at different capacity levels;
• Understands donor regulations and compliance (USAID, ECHO, EU, DFID, UN, etc.);
• Ability to work under high pressure with multiple deadlines in a challenging environment;
• Excellent representation abilities with proven experience interacting with authorities, donors and other partners to advance strategic objectives;
• Strong program management skills, promoting innovation, collaborating effectively across sectors and departments and adopting a solution-oriented attitude at all times;
• Ability to adapt and work effectively in a multi-cultural context;
• Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

SUCCESS FACTORS

A successful candidate will have an ability to work independently, take initiative in tasks and self-learning, and be proactive in communications and development of professional relationships. They will showcase strong work ethics and provide mentoring and leadership for the team. They will support the update of Mercy Corps Yemen strategy and will contribute to all internal and external efforts to implement this strategy. They will have strong technical skills with an aptitude to work efficiently with high standards and under high pressure. They will be able to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment with demonstrated sensitivity to the people and issues in the region. They will demonstrate exceptional interpersonal, relationship and cross-cultural communication skills especially in high stress environments are essential for success. They will be committed to the values and mission of Mercy Corps; have the ability to creatively problem-solve, to juggle multiple priorities under tight deadlines and to calmly and diplomatically deal with unexpected events impacting operations with patience, dynamism, tenacity and a sense of humor.

LIVING CONDITIONS / ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Yemen is an unaccompanied duty station. When in Yemen, regular travels to field offices are expected. The position is eligible for hardship and R&R breaks. Housing is in group housing. Security conditions in the country are volatile, with a range of violence and insecurity, requiring close monitoring and vigilance. Conflict and corruption have also badly damaged the country’s infrastructure. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other, though the road network is good, the security situation often precludes travel by road. There is a landline telephone system, a relatively reliable cellular phone system and internet is available in the residences and offices. Candidates must be able to work in an environment with energy, transportation, and communication challenges.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours and as such staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

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.

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