About Mercy Corps:

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.  In disaster and hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we collaborate to put bold solutions into action, helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Enhancing resilience is at the heart of what Mercy Corps does and how we work. Resilience means that people and systems can protect and improve wellbeing in the face of shocks and stresses. Mercy Corps strengthens sources of resilience to enhance the capacities of people, markets, and institutions to handle shocks, reduce risk, build more equitable and responsive systems, and improve well-being. Through our programs, partnerships, and influence, we support communities to cope, adapt, and ultimately thrive.

Since 1986, Mercy Corps Afghanistan has supported communities to recover and build resilience to future shocks and promote sustainable change by supporting community-led and market-driven initiatives, with a focus on the most marginalized. Our objectives include meeting immediate food and nutrition needs through cash, voucher, and WASH assistance, strengthening capacities for crisis preparedness and response, and in so doing, contribute to resilience through inclusive, climate-smart water systems, enhanced livelihoods opportunities, food security, and social cohesion. 

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. 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).

ساتنه او اخلاق

مرسي کورپس ژمن دی چې ډاډ ترلاسه کړي چې ټول هغه کسان چې موږ د خپل کار له لارې اړیکه ونیسو، که د ټیم غړي، د ټولنې غړي، د پروګرام ګډون کوونکي یا نور، د درناوي او وقار سره چلند کیږي. موږ د جنسي استحصال او ناوړه ګټه اخیستنې د مخنیوي اصلي اصولو ته ژمن یو چې د ملګرو ملتونو د عمومي منشي او IASC لخوا ترتیب شوي او د اداري فساد افشا کولو سکیم ته یې لاسلیک کړی. د دې رول لپاره غوښتنلیک ورکولو سره یو غوښتونکی تاییدوي چې دوی دمخه د ګمارونکي جنسي ناوړه چلند، جنسي استحصال او ناوړه ګټه اخیستنې، د ماشومانو د ساتنې یا قاچاق کولو پالیسي څخه سرغړونه نه ده کړې. موږ به د خپل ټیم ​​​​غړو یا د ماشومانو ناوړه ګټه اخیستنه، جنسي استحصال، ناوړه ګټه اخیستنه، یا ځورونې ونه زغمو. د خوندي او ټول شموله کاري چاپیریال لپاره زموږ د ژمنې د یوې برخې په توګه، د ټیم غړو څخه تمه کیږي چې خپل ځان په مسلکي ډول ترسره کړي، د سیمه ایزو قوانینو او دودونو درناوی وکړي، او هر وخت د مرسي کورپس د چلند پالیسیو او ارزښتونو پیروي وکړي. د ټیم غړي اړ دي چې د اجباري چلند کوډ د بریښنایی زده کړې کورسونه په کرایه او کلني اساس بشپړ کړي. د یو غوښتونکي په توګه، که تاسو د استخدام پروسې په جریان کې د کوم ډول جنسي ناوړه چلند شاهد یاست یا تجربه کوئ، مهرباني وکړئ دا د (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org) ته راپور کړئ.

حفاظت و اخلاق

مرسی کورپس متعهد است که اطمینان حاصل کند که با تمام افرادی که از طریق کار خود با آنها در تماس هستیم، اعم از اعضای تیم، اعضای جامعه، شرکت کنندگان برنامه یا سایرین، با احترام و وقار رفتار می شود. ما به اصول اصلی مربوط به پیشگیری از بهره کشی و سوء استفاده جنسی که توسط دبیرکل سازمان ملل متحد و IASC ارائه شده است متعهد هستیم و طرح افشای سوء رفتار بین سازمانی را امضا کرده ایم. با درخواست برای این نقش، متقاضی تأیید می کند که قبلاً تخلفات جنسی، استثمار و سوء استفاده جنسی، سیاست محافظت از کودک یا قاچاق کارفرما را نقض نکرده است. ما کودک آزاری، استثمار جنسی، سوء استفاده یا آزار و اذیت توسط یا اعضای تیم خود را تحمل نخواهیم کرد. به عنوان بخشی از تعهد ما به یک محیط کار ایمن و فراگیر، از اعضای تیم انتظار می رود که به شیوه ای حرفه ای رفتار کنند، به قوانین و آداب و رسوم محلی احترام بگذارند و همیشه به خط مشی ها و ارزش های کد رفتار مرسی کورپ پاپند باشند. اعضای تیم ملزم به تکمیل دوره های آموزش الکترونیکی آیین نامه رفتار اجباری پس از استخدام و به صورت سالانه هستند. به عنوان یک متقاضی، اگر در طول فرآیند استخدام شاهد یا تجربه هرگونه سوءرفتار جنسی بودید، لطفاً این موضوع را به خط تلفن جامع مرسی کورپس (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org) گزارش دهید.

General Position Summary

The Program Manager works under the supervision of Director of Programs (DoP) for Afghanistan. S/he will be responsible for ensuring quality and timely implementation of the designed interventions in Kandahar and Helmand provinces.

The PM will supervisor, Agriculture Coordinator, Marketing Coordinator, DRR Coordinator and Program Assistant and will work closely with other relevant departments in Mercy Corps, such as MEL, Finance, HR, Operations, Procurement, Security to ensure proper program implementation according to policies and procedures. The PM will be based in Kandahar, requiring frequent visits to Helmand at least 40% of his/her time.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Design and planning

• Prepare detailed implementation plan and adjust it as things move on along with other team members in the targeted locations.
• Integrate the use of community approaches in the implementation to ensure sustainability.
• Partake in planning and design efforts as requested.
• Collaborate with MCs different functions throughout the implementation of the program
• Collaborate with MEL team in the baseline, routine monitoring of the program activities and the endline.
• Ensure the mainstreaming of core protection principles through planning and implementation of the interventions.

Program coordination and management

• Prepare procurement plan based on project cycle for different activities.
• Manage grant budget lines related to technical area of specialization, including maintaining partial budget ownership.
• Outline indicators and outputs to be measured to determine success of intervention.
• Work with M&E Unit to translate assessment criteria to tools and methodology for monitoring and evaluation of interventions related to the program sectors.
• Stay informed of incidents as they arise through the field and are raised through the feedback/complaint mechanism.
• Enhance internal and external compliance through supporting incident reporting mechanisms when needed.
• Maintain and coordinate reporting and documentation with the relevant team members.
• Timely preparation weekly, monthly, quarterly, and interim donor reports for relevant activities under the guidance of the Director of Programs.
• Communicate grant work plans related to the program to Field Area Coordinator/ Program Assistant and the entire team.
• Work with Program team and DoP to overcome implementation challenges based on practical solutions.
• Ensure documentation and filing of project activities in compliance with Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Supervise and monitor the implementation of the program activities, ensuring that all the activities are compliant with the grant requirements.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

Team Management

• Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles 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 where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.

Representation

• Represent Mercy Corps at national and regional clusters as delegated
• Coordinate closely with DoP, Field Coordinator/ Head of Office and Government Liaison Manager for required line ministry engagement and participate in meetings as required

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.

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.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Agriculture and Social Science. Masters preferred.
• 5 years in a relief setting with Livelihood/Economic development or managerial experience; from starting up programs, managing contracts, to working in emergency and transitional contexts.
• Experience in complex and complicated humanitarian programing with time sensitive deliverables in unstable environments. Experience working in Afghanistan would be a plus.
• Strong experience mentoring a team, identifying talent and building their capacity.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and communicate effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
• Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work.
• Knowledge of Sphere standards and other training in humanitarian response preferred.
• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving.
• Knowledge of participatory approaches and community sensitization and mobilization.
• Ability to effectively represent Mercy Corps and its interests to key stakeholders including host government/authorities, and national and international NGOs.
• Excellent oral and written English skills required.

Consent Language: 

“Mercy Corps collects your personal data for the purposes of managing Mercy Corps recruitment related activities as well as for organizational planning purposes globally. Consequently, Mercy Corps may use your personal data in relation to the evaluation and selection of applicants including, for example, setting up and conducting interviews and tests, evaluating and assessing the results thereto and as is otherwise needed in the recruitment processes including the final recruitment. 

Mercy Corps is an international organization consisting of multiple affiliated companies in various countries. Mercy Corps has international sites and uses resources located throughout the world. Your data may be held on secure platforms globally, including outside of the EU. All personal data whether relating to recruitment or employment, is held on a secure platform and system which is subject to regular testing and audit. Unless stated in the job description that the post involves other organizations with which the information will be shared as part of the recruitment process, your personal data will only be shared with third parties where consent is given. Mercy Corps participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (the “Scheme”) (www.schr.info/the-misconduct-disclosure-scheme). Accordingly, we request information from a job applicant’s previous employer(s) about any investigations which found that the applicant committed sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents of misconduct under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, you confirm your consent to Mercy Corps collecting your prior employment history under the Scheme as part of the application process. Your data will be stored for up to four years.” 

By applying for this position, I attest that I have never violated a sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or human trafficking policy and that I have never been disciplined for violating an employer’s code of conduct.”

To apply for this position, please submit your CV and Cover letter and the application should be your full name, with the vacancy number and position title (MCA149-2024 Program Manager ) in the subject line, by emailing  af-vacancieskbl@mercycorps.org.

The deadline for submission is the close of business on 14-December-2024, applications received after the closing date and without a subject line will not be given consideration so, please make sure you put the vacancy number and title on the subject of your email, or your application will be disregarded by the system.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates whose application responds to the above criteria will be contacted for the written test/interview.

Note: Please note that MCA will provide office space and facilities only and is not providing any lodging facilities for its Team Members/Employees in HQ and field offices and it is the employee’s responsibility to arrange the lodgings for themselves if they work in a field office other than their home province.