Program Analysis and Due Diligence Manager

Program Analysis and Due Diligence Manager

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 Humanitarian Access Team (HAT) supports Mercy Corps programs throughout the region in four key areas: programs, strategy, advocacy, and security. The HAT analytical unit develops a range of information products centered on primary and secondary analysis, and interfaces with relevant international organizations in order to gather and collate relevant conflict, access, economic and stakeholder information. The HAT also serves as a real-time information hub, developing timely reports, developing new data measurements and forecasting methodologies to assist humanitarian responders, as well as program related mapping for key decision makers.

The Position

The selected candidate will lead the Mercy Corps’ internal analytics teams (Program Area Assessments and Enhanced Due Diligence), providing programmatic teams and senior management with key analysis to inform and assist teams to make evidence- based decisions. The PA/EDD Manager will be in charge of two units developing a range of analytical outputs, as well as being the internal face of HAT analysis for programmatic needs. This will require interacting on a daily basis with Area Directors, Operations Directors and Security Directors within MC Syria, also presenting key findings to external audiences including donors, highlighting localized contexts, actor mapping and security challenges. The PA/EDD Manager will also be in charge of developing the skills of the internal teams, ensuring that a high level of analytical outputs are delivered by the units, and the capacity of the teams are consistently developed. Finally, the PA/EDD Manager will also be expected to contribute to external-facing strategic analysis, ensuring cross-pollination of research, assessment, and analysis of PAAs and EDDs with thematic, situation, and scenario reporting.

ACTIVITIES

Overall

• Advise the HAT Director and Program Teams with updates on evolving developments in the region as it relates to Mercy Corps programs and humanitarian activities.
• Advise Director of Security and area Directors on programmatic challenges and regular context updates.
• Present localized context dynamics to program donors.
• Represent HAT with external partners.
• Organize and manager research schedules for the PAA unit, adhering to strict deadlines and quality measures.
• Work both with the larger analytical team on major analytical projects on an ad hoc basis.
• Able to lead technical projects independently.
• Work alongside program teams, reporting key localized analysis to inform and assist program implementation.
• Work well under pressure of tight deadlines, while keeping the integrity of the brand without sacrificing quality of work.

Analysis

• Maintains a strong understanding of the context in the Middle East (political, social/tribal, economic, governance and security/conflict), as well as key humanitarian, development, early recovery, and stabilization trends.
• Develops key analytics products for program teams based on local area dynamics.
• Performs presentations and updates for program teams.
• Support the overall continuation of a culture of a team, which is highly aware of the context.
• Provide contextual presentations to program teams on a regular basis.
• Develop methodologies for multi-dimensional risk assessments for programmatic decision making.

Management

• Responsible for two analytical teams with direct supervision of up to five staff members.
• Develop skills of the analytical team.
• Ensure strict adherence to quality control of the unit.
• Develop methodologies for risk assessment reporting and area analysis.
• Manage the PAA research portfolio, reporting to multiple program teams.
• Be adaptive to remote working and management techniques if needed.
• Organizes and prioritizes outputs based on needs from program teams.

DELIVERABLES

• Regularly update PAA and EDD forms and coordinate outputs with the Director of Security and Area Directors, Country Director and RMC.
• Ensure quality of PAA and EDD deliverables are of a high standard.
• Lease with Senior Management Teams, Area Directors over specific EDD outcomes.
• Coordinate with Area Directors and Director of Security over PAA outcomes and processes
• Prioritize and organize team outputs in line with program team demands

Supervisory Responsibility

• Responsible for two units of analysts (approximately 7 staff members)

Accountability

Reports Directly To: HAT Director

Works Directly With: HAT and Program and Security teams and Senior Management.

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

• Degree in Economics, Politics, Law, International Relations, conflict studies or a related field is an asset
• Excellent written and spoken English and Arabic
• At least two years of experience in reporting (research/analysis) in a think-tank, UN, or NGO setting; experience analyzing the Middle East conflict is a plus
• Demonstrated experience identifying and assessing multidimensional contextual risks, particularly as related to humanitarian, early recovery, stabilization, resilience, and development programming
• 5 years of experience collecting and analyzing primary and secondary data related to political, social, economic, governance, or conflict analysis
• Experience with both quantitative and qualitative research is an asset
• 2-3 years experience managing small teams is an asset

Success Factors

• Ability to manage products/outputs, workplans, and staff members.
• Ability to develop innovative and flexible methods of analysis and apply it to high-risk contexts.
• Ability to show detailed contextual knowledge of the Levant region and humanitarian response.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

May include travel up to 30%

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. 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.

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