Program Officer + Assistant 

TWO Positions: 

Program Officer & Program Assistant 

Position Description

Location Ramallah, West Bank

Position Status Full-time, Regular 

Salary Level: (Officer: 4A-4B)    (Assistant: 3A)

Duration of Assignment: One year – Extendable 

Department: Programs – PTP 

Closing Date: 13-April-2022 

Application: Please fill this application 

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 implementing a 3-year USAID funded program focused on increasing the Palestinian SMEs trade facilitation capacity through capacity-building for Palestinian businesses, small grants facilitation, and business-to-business activities.

General Position Summary 

The Program Officer (PO) will provide programmatic and administrative support and will work with a network of local and multinational partners and stakeholders on issues concerning trade, business development, training, employability, capacity building, and economic development. The PO will work closely with the Program Director on all aspects of the program and provide effective and efficient support to ensure smooth implementation including organizing and following up on trainings; programmatic, administrative, and procurement support; preparing online google forms, report writing and information gathering. 

The PO will also collect and report on monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) data, and assist the Mercy Corps’ Program Director to establish required M&E plans and facilitate the accurate collection of relevant data in order to measure program progress.

The Program Assistant (PA) will provide programmatic and administrative support and will work with a network of local and multinational partners and stakeholders on issues concerning trade, business development, training, employability, capacity building, and economic development. The PA will work closely with the Program Director on all aspects of the program and provide effective and efficient support to ensure smooth implementation including organizing and following up on trainings; programmatic, administrative, and procurement support; preparing online google forms, report writing and information gathering. 

The PA/PO will also follow up with finance department on payments preparations, as well as preparing USAID Mission Order 21 requests, and program records keeping. The PA/PO is also responsible for the Mercy Corps’ “Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism (CARM)” component for this program, including documentation of the feedback received from the community and stakeholders through the hotline, emails, complaint boxes, and other feedback channels.

Essential Job Responsibilities 

PROGRAM 

• Support the Program Director in the planning and set up of activities, including engagement with relevant partners and other key stakeholders.
• Support Program Director in budget phasing and forecasting for activities.
• Support in organizing trainings, workshops, and field visits as required.
• Take part in the selection process and implementation of technical and financial support at the targeted companies and organizations, and provide the needed support 
• Follow up with targeted SMEs and participants on of their application and their progress reports.
• Participate in meetings related to the program with international donors and local stakeholders.
• Assist in the preparation of the regular reports related to the progress of the program activities.
• Ensure the compliance of the program operations with the policies and regulations of Mercy Corps and USAID.
• Work with the logistics department on arranging transportation for participants.
• Assist the program team in reviewing and preparing documentation on the procurement of goods and services, and support contract tracking. 
• Lead the organization of events, meetings and workshops.
• Participate in implementing the project with effective day to day monitoring of its activities.
• Facilitate field visits for Mercy Corps staff and donor agency visitors.  
• Organize and follow up on the trainings and workshops with program partners.
• Follow up on procurement activities with MC procurement and Finance team.
• Follow up on permit requests and distribution of permits.
• Travel to various parts of West Bank and Israel in coordination with Program Director. 
• Prepare and follow up on ”RPS on demand” supporting documents for various suppliers, trainees and companies, including USAID’s Mission Order 21 regulations.
• Performance of work beyond normal works hours (as required).
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its mission.
• Other duties as required.

MEL - Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning – FOR OFFICER POSITION:

• Gather the information and results related to the program.
• Collect and report on monitoring and evaluation data and maintain relevant program files and support documents following Mercy Corps and donor regulation requirements.
• Update and maintain program’s participant database including data entry.
• Conduct DQA-Data Quality Assurance on program indicators, selection process of beneficiaries, indicators measurement, and documentation of participants’ information. 
• As per agreed plan, conduct field visits, joint visit, spot visits and random checks for the implemented activities to ensure the quality and progress of the implementation as per the agreed plans. 
• Collect success stories from the field, conduct focus group /Key informant interviews with the beneficiaries and provide insight of program implementation through field monitoring reports. 
• Participate in the design and conducting of monitoring surveys. 

SECURITY 

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

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 Beneficiaries 

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

Supervisory Responsibility

N/A

Accountability 

Reports Directly To: Program Director

Works Directly With: Admin, Finance and Procurement departments, as well as  program partners and participants.

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Knowledge and Experience 

• University degree in English, business administration, economic development, information management, or any other related field.
• At least one to three years of work experience in a relevant field.  Experience in information management, administration or a highly organized role in other fields will be of value.
• Willingness to engage in problem-solving and troubleshooting.
• Excellent computer skills, including expertise in MS Office, Google Drive applications, Photoshop, and digital camera technology. 
• Strong organizational skills.
• Willingness to interact effectively with international and national personnel.
• Ability to perform several activities simultaneously, while maintaining a controlled presence.

• Strong team player and communicator.
• Understanding of the local and regional social, political, and economic context, and a talent for communications with people across all levels of society.
• Excellent writing skills in English and Arabic.
• Well-versed in utilizing social media platforms and the latest electronic publishing and graphics methods.

Success Factors 

The successful candidate will be capable of multi-tasking, excellent time management, facilitation, and communication skills with strong personality, have initiative, drive, and energy, and experience engaging with partners form the civil society and private sectors. The ideal candidate will have the ability and curiosity to work comfortably and effectively with team members of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.

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 encounter 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.

If you are interested in this position, and you think you have all the required qualifications that will make you a good candidate for this job, we highly encourage you to Fill this application any time before April 13th, 2022. Please read the form very carefully and follow the directions requested. 

Due to the high number of applicants, only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted.