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. 

MERCY CORPS SUDAN PROGRAM SUMMARY 

Mercy Corps has been operational in Sudan since 2004 and currently leads humanitarian assistance and longer-term development efforts in conflict-affected South Darfur, Central Darfur, South Kordofan, North Kordofan, Kassala, Gedaref, Northern, River Nile and Khartoum States, supporting host communities, IDPs, returnees and refugees. Mercy Corps’ current areas of programming include food security and livelihoods, WASH, health, nutrition, peace building and protection, resilience, and Market Systems Development. 

ABOUT SOMOUD PROJECT 

SOMOUD is a 6-year project funded by the Sudan Transition and Recovery Support (STARS) aimed at improving food security and resilience in conflict affected communities in Sudan. The project is implemented by the World Food Program through Mercy Corps and its partners. The project targets three agro value chains – sorghum, wheat and horticulture crops (beans and vegetables) at selected secure localities of three states in Sudan with high numbers of internally displaced people (IDP). The states include Kassala, Northern and River Nile. The project comprises three sub-components: 1) Increasing Agricultural Production and Resilience 2) Supporting Agricultural Value Chains, and Scale-up and Strengthening of Community Consumer Cooperatives. 

THE POSITION SUMMARY

This position will support SOMOUD project, providing grant management support, including implementation support and reporting (reports submitted directly to Mercy Corps headquarters, the donor, and other external reporting). The Grants Coordinator will work in close collaboration with SOMOUD’s Partnership Officers, Project Director, Director of Programs, HQ’s Technical Support Unit and the Desk team. The Grants Coordinator will also support in summarizing the compliance requirements of grants issued and communicating these requirements to the program teams. The Grants Coordinator will work under the direct supervision of the Project Director. S/he will work closely with the PAQ team, Program/Project Managers, Finance, Subawards, Security and all other field departments in coordinating grant implementation, close-out and related responsibilities. 

GRANT/SUB-GRANTS AND PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT 

• Play a lead role in stakeholder analysis and potential partner mapping and vetting. Work with Private Sector Partnership and sub-award team to support partner selection (NGOs, CBOs and SMEs), onboarding, capacity building and effective partnership engagement. 
• collaborate with other departments as needed to verify and issue various types of partnership agreements.
• Organize grant/partnership kick-off and partner management meetings, ensuring clarity of roles, compliance requirements, and ensure all relevant departments participate.
• Develop a thorough understanding of relevant Mercy Corps internal and donor policies, regulations, and procedures and train the team accordingly. 
• Lead in summarizing the compliance requirements of SOMOUD and communicate these requirements to the project team. Ensure compliance with grant guidelines, requirements, and deadlines.
• Work closely with the finance, subawards and operations departments to develop grant and partnership compliance checklists and share, and follow-up, with program staff for implementation. 
• Ensure that sub-grantees are monitored for donor compliance and progress against objectives, and that key compliance monitoring information and learning are documented. Co-lead the review of the performance of different partnerships, including successes, challenges and lessons learned.
• Assist program technical leads, operations staff, and partners with understanding the reporting and other compliance requirements on their grants/sub-grants.
• Proactively identify compliance risks throughout the portfolio and advise programs, operations, finance and senior management on necessary actions.
• Facilitate training for program and operations staff on report writing, grant and partnership management and information management.
• Work with the Program Officer to maintain master files on SOMOUD project and any relevant paperwork.

REPORTING

• Take the lead on internal and external reporting in coordination with SOMOUD programs team, MEAL, and finance, ensuring high-quality, well-written and timely reports meeting donor and MC requirements. Maintain close collaboration with all relevant departments and HQ focal points in preparation of donor reports.
• Lead in keeping track of grant start and end date and ensure all reporting deadlines are met. 
• Track and monitor annual budget for the project to provide financial updates and recommendations for annual budget development. 

TEAM MANAGEMENT 

• Develop the capacity of the team to deepen understanding of their roles. 
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve project performance and 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. 
• Play an active role in hiring, orienting and leading team members as necessary. 

REPRESENTATION AND COORDINATION 

• Represent Mercy Corps in cultivating relationships with key stakeholders including the donor, state and partner organizations.

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. Safeguarding Responsibilities 
• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work 
• Practice the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members 
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options 

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY 

3 Partnership Officers (Matrix Management) 

ACCOUNTABILITY 

Reports Directly To: SOMOUD Project Director (on a day-to-day basis), and technically to the Partnerships and New Initiatives Manager. 

Works Directly With: Private Sector Partnerships Manager, Sub-grants Manager, Program Leads, PaQ Team (including MEL Manager, PAQ Manager), and cross-functional teams including Team Leaders, Operations, Finance and HR. 

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. 

• A Degree in development studies, management, business or another related field is required. Master’s degree is desirable. 
• At least 4 years of work experience in a similar / relevant position is required 
• Experience in humanitarian operations in a field environment. Excellent knowledge of local institutions, politics and culture. 
• Prior experience and knowledge of WB and UN OCHA grant management including regulations, procedures and requirements. 
• Ability to manage and meet deadlines. 
• Ability to work independently on multi-task load. 
• Extremely organized and meticulous with details.
• Excellent project management skills and ability to prioritize work and resources.
• Ability to interpret financial data and prepare budgets and financial grant reports.
• Excellent Communication and organizational skills. Very strong English writing and editing skills.
• An internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtaining the qualification in the early months of work. 
• Knowledge of Sphere standards and other training in humanitarian response preferred. 

SUCCESS FACTORS 

The ideal candidate will have a strong curiosity for understanding and working effectively within the complex cultural, political, security and social environment of Sudan. S/he will be an excellent communicator, multitasker, and able to work in ambiguous situations. S/he will be a tolerant and flexible individual able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures. The successful candidate will focus on team building and capacity-building of national staff; be a strategic thinker, have strong skills in design monitoring and evaluation of development programs and maintain a sense of humor. 

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING 

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 AND 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. 

SAFEGUARDING AND 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 the 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 the 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). 

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. 

LIVING CONDITIONS / ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS 

The position is based in Port Sudan. Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/short term assignment to a field posting. 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.

FEMALES are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY