About this role
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 Position (General Position Summary)
Based in the Syria office in Hasakeh and reporting directly to the Peace and Conflict Coordinator, the Social Cohesion Program Officer supports a FCDO funded project that strengthens the capacity of young women and men to advance peace in their communities. The Social Cohesion Program Officer will be the primary focal point for a local implementing partner, supporting the management of a complex subaward in all aspects of the program cycle, including assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of the project .The Social Cohesion Program Officer will be involved in analyzing challenging Peace and Conflict problems and finding practical solutions. The Social Cohesion Program Officer will support partner staff to consider gender dynamics and intersectionality throughout the project cycle. The Social Cohesion Program Officer will work closely with the Peace and Conflict Coordinator, Peace and Conflict Program Officers, Subaward finance, Performance and Quality (PAQ) team and relevant departments to ensure smooth, efficient and effective implementation of the program.
Essential Responsibilities:
LEADERSHIP:
• Represents the organization in a professional manner at all times, acting with the highest levels of integrity and personal accountability.
PROGRAM SUPPORT:
• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with organization' relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
• Provide leading role in supporting partners to design and set up projects.
• Ensure that the partner project targets are met accordingly to the implementation work-plan. This includes being responsible for the quality of periodical reports/updates and grants tracking system by ensuring that sub-grant records are kept up to date.
• Coordinate the payment process with the sub-awards and compliance team to ensure the partners are paid on time. This includes tracking payment triggers, participating in the reconciliation of the partners' monthly financial reports, ensuring that narrative reports are reviewed and closed, and resolving discrepancies in the financial and narrative reporting.
• Closely support and follow the implementation of partner activities from the design phase through to implementation and close out and this includes meeting with partners as needed, reviewing partner reports and providing feedback as needed, etc.
• Maintain positive and professional working relationship with partners as their primary focal point. Be responsive to their needs and challenges and report to supervisors as necessary.
• Coordinate internally with Performance and quality (PAQ), Finance/Sub-awards, Compliance, Security and other teams, ensuring a consistent approach to project design, implementation and close out.
• Maintain well-organized and consistent filing system and tracking system for all project documentation and information.
• Supervise monitoring activities to assess the quality and effectiveness of projects. Provide follow-up recommendations and solutions where there are problems in implementation.
• Help design project frameworks/objectives with local partners/LNGOs, and ensure that the projects funded all meet set criteria and standards.
• Organize and participate in the facilitation of meetings/workshops/trainings to help increase the capacity of local staff and implementing partners in planning and implementation of Social Cohesion programs.
• Keep up to date with all contextual changes and the impact on current future projects.
• Assist in any other task or duty assigned by the supervisor.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate.
• Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
• Fulfill organization ‘Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.
• Ensure all interventions adhere to organization ‘Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.
FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
• Ensure compliance with donor and organization regulations related to humanitarian programming.
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.
Supervisory Responsibility
None.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Peace and conflict Coordinator.
Works Directly With: Program Manager, Program officers, Local partner organizations, Sub-grant, Finance, and compliance department, etc.
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.
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.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
• Bachelor degree in social work, psychology, social sciences, human rights, project management or other related field.
• Minimum of 2 years work experience in project implementation and/or monitoring, preferably with an international organization..
• Minimum of 2 year work experience in peace and conflict, social cohesion. Experience in gender is an advantage.
• Minimum of 2 years and a half work in partnership with local partners to implement subawards is required.
• Experience working in rural areas in Northeast Syria, particularly in HSK and surrounding areas.
• Experience working in a multi-organizational team (international and national partners).
• Demonstrated excellent attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Fluency in Arabic and English, both written and spoken.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English required, including report development, writing and editing.
• Highly motivated and proactive.
• Willingness to learn complex subaward and compliance regulations, particularly around supporting documentation, the payment process, and adherence to special award conditions.
• Organizational and time management skills.
• Willingness to travel in and out of field.
• Strong understanding of the project management cycle.
• Good interpersonal skills.
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 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.
Organizations Commitment towards 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