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.

The Program / Department / Team 

The Sudan - Enhancing Community Resilience (THABAT) Project is a two-year $130 million project funded by the Sudan Transition and Recovery Support (STARS) multi-donor trust fund, administered by the World Bank, with project activities planned to run till July 2026. The Project’s Development Objective (PDO) is to improve access to basic services and food security in Select Communities in the Republic of Sudan (“Sudan”), hence the project’s two main components: 1) Provision of Basic Services (US$74 million) implemented by UNICEF, and 2) Improving Food Security (US$56 million) implemented by WFP and Mercy Corps. The Project will be implemented in three States of Kassala, Northern, and River Nile in Sudan prioritizing secure localities but with higher numbers of IDPs. Component 2 of the Project will cover three value chains – sorghum, wheat, and horticultural crops (beans), and comprises the following three sub-components:  1) Increasing Agricultural Production and Resilience 2) Supporting Agricultural Value Chains, and 3. Scale-up and Strengthening of Community Consumer Cooperatives. 

The Position 

The Partnership Officer plays a key role in managing strategic, high-impact partnerships with national civil society organizations and private sector partners to advance THABAT project’s mission and goal. This includes overseeing the full grant and private sector partnership management cycle—reviewing agreements and contracts, initiating due diligence assessments, coordinating with finance, program, and compliance teams, supporting grant/partnership kick-offs, and managing state level donor reporting and compliance. The officer is also responsible for tracking partnership modifications, maintaining accurate records in internal systems, and contributing to donor stewardship efforts. Additionally, the role supports internal capacity strengthening on partnership management, helps identify and vet new partners, and ensures effective coordination across teams. Through relationship-building and collaboration, the officer facilitates partnerships that enhance program impact, drive innovation, and align with strategic objectives.

Essential Responsibilities (Partner Identification, Evaluation and Selection 

• Partner Mapping and Identification - Lead the identification and mapping of potential local and national partners, in close coordination with operations, finance, and program departments.
• Engage with external stakeholders—including L/NNGOs, INGOs, local authorities, and grassroots organizations—to identify and explore potential partnership opportunities.
• Conduct research and analysis to identify partners that align with Mercy Corps’ strategic objectives and programming priorities.
• Conduct/participate in potential partner assessments and due diligence, contributing to risk mitigation and capacity strengthening plans in collaboration with internal teams.

Partnership Formalization

• Support the development and finalization of partnership documentation, including drafting and finalizing partnership agreements, including terms, scope, and legal compliance, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), and other contractual arrangements.
• Coordinate with Program, field teams, Finance, Ops, and other internal stakeholders on grant/partner kick-off calls or emails, coordination of inputs for M&E needs, and input on reporting.

Capacity Strengthening 

• In coordination with relevant colleagues and partners develop capacity support plans based on the results of the due diligence assessment and other identified organizational and technical capacity gaps 
• Ensure adequate resources are allocated for capacity strengthening and support, and that timely and needs-based capacity support is provided from relevant MC departments. 
• Support partners to integrate accountability and safeguarding mechanisms into their programs, ensuring alignment with Mercy Corps’ CARM and related policies.
• In coordination with the Operations functions, ensure support is provided to partners in their procedures does not conflict with MC’s policies on HR, Procurement, Logistics and Financial management.
• In coordination with the Grants and Partnership Coordinator, support partners to comply with MC and donor requirements on timely and quality narrative and financial reporting. 
• With respective MC staff, monitor the progress and performance of partners following the implementation of capacity support, updating capacity support plans and reporting on capacity indicators.

Partner Relationships and Partnership Management

• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with local and national partners, fostering open communication, mutual accountability, and shared goals.
• Support internal teams to effectively apply Mercy Corps’ partnership principles, the partnership cycle, and best practices when working with partners.
• Coordinate across Programs, Finance, Operations, and other departments to ensure cohesive management of partner-implemented activities and alignment with program goals.
• Collaborate with program and technical teams to plan and deliver appropriate technical guidance and support to partners on project implementation, financial management, and compliance with organizational and donor requirements, ensuring high-quality project implementation.
• Support timely and accurate partner reporting, documentation, and communication throughout the program cycle, ensuring consistency across Program, Field, and Finance data in line with donor requirements.
• Facilitate regular partnership review meetings and joint monitoring visits with MEAL and program teams to assess progress, capture learning, and strengthen Mercy Corps’ partnership approach.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date partner documentation and files in line with organizational standards and donor compliance requirements.

Monitoring and evaluation and Knowledge Management

Track partner performance against agreed-upon objectives, identify potential issues, and work with partners to find solutions. 

Contribute to the project's learning agenda and disseminate lessons learned to relevant stakeholders

Grants Management and Program Support:

• Work with Program and Finance to ensure that disbursed funds are used as intended by the donor, that partner spending is on-track, that donor reporting requirements are met, and that reports are submitted promptly and are of high quality.
• Manage reports coordinating across teams at field level. This consists of managing timelines as well as significant program report revision to meet donor needs. 
• Contribute to other donor stewardship materials as needed.
• Assist the Grants & Partnership Coordinator in planning and coordinating project activities
• Assist in drafting and managing written correspondence to officials, NGOs, and other organizations related to the program. Maintain organized records of all official correspondence for each partnership
• Provide support to the program team for field activities as needed.
• Actively participate in drafting and conducting assessments to support the objectives of the THABAT program.

Safety and 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.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices 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

None.

Accountability 

• Reports directly to: the Grants and Partnership Coordinator with matrix management from the Private Sector & Partnership Manager and technically to 
• Works directly with: Team Leader, Project Manager, Project Officer- Agriculture, Project Officer- Agribusiness, Project Officer- Consumer Coops, Project Assistants, HR, MEAL, PaQ and Operations.

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 

• Educational Background: A degree in Development Studies, Management, Business, Accounting or a related field is required.
• 2-3 years in a similar role, preferably within the THABAT program
• Proven experience in implementing private sector initiatives, private sector partnership development, or related fields. 
• Grant management knowledge (USG, FCDO, EU, ECHO, UN)
• Deadline management and multitasking abilities
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Project management qualification or commitment to obtain one
• Knowledge of humanitarian standards and NGO experience
• Compliance knowledge, proficient report writing, and ability to make improvement recommendations
• Ability to identify problems, develop solutions, and implement them effectively
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and computer skills and English language proficiency

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Success Factors 

The ideal candidate will have a natural curiosity for articulating the development and impact of Mercy Corps’ programs on individuals and in communities. He/she will have the ability to work with tight deadlines and produce work of a high quality. He/she will also have excellent abilities to absorb and disseminate information. They will need an interest in exploring the work across our field offices and create assets and materials to best communicate that to the broader organization and our stakeholders. This candidate will have good partnership management and interpersonal skills and they should be dynamic, agile and be able to apply innovative approaches and strategic thinking, planning and monitoring frameworks.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in RNS – Atbara  and it requires up to 40% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.  Housing for this role is in individual housing and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard. 

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

Team Efficiency and Effectiveness 

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out different 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. 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.

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).