PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:
Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by building secure, productive and just communities. We seek to catalyze civil society, public and private sector actors through interventions that are community-led and market-driven. The Director of Environment, Energy and Climate Change leads a small but critical technical team within Mercy Corps’ Technical Support Unit (TSU). The TSU is responsible for leading and supporting assessments, program design and field studies; providing technical support to field offices; helping the global agency set technical strategies; building strategic partnerships, and representation and coordination with other development, government and private sector actors.
Supporting agency priorities, the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Unit is particularly focused on technical support in the areas of a) Climate Change Adaptation, including Disaster Risk Reduction; b) Natural Resource Management; and c) Access to energy particularly around solar products and cook stoves. The Unit is playing a central role in helping Mercy Corps capture and share learning related to resilience thinking in order to advance our models of intervention. Integration with other sectors, such as economic and market development, food security, agriculture, conflict management and governance is central to the approach for this Unit. Additionally, the Unit is responsible for advancing critical agency work on last mile distribution models for energy products.
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Director of the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Unit is responsible for setting agency technical strategy using collaborative processes, keeping abreast of trends in the industry, program design and development with individual field offices, support on measurement and results documentation, and representation and presentation of our work. The Director will be expected to oversee special initiatives, in particular, further development of sustainable models for last mile distribution. A critical aspect of the Director’s position will be to advance strategic partnerships with think tanks, academic partners, local networks or others groups to support program goals. S/he will also need to develop and maintain a roster of technical consultants that can provide added technical capacity when needed.
The individual in this position will possess strong leadership and management skills. S/he must also bring experienced technical capacity to design and promote innovative programs in environmental and NRM (including climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and resilience building) and/or in alternative energy linked to sustainable resource management and market approaches. S/he will understand and use integrated market development solutions, as well as design programs through good governance and conflict-management lenses.
This position requires 30-40% travel within the US and internationally.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Strategic Vision and Leadership:
Using Mercy Corps’ Vision for Change and Strategic Framework, the Director will help constantly refine agency strategic vision around environment and climate change issues in close coordination with the field and other agency departments. In particular, s/he will:
- Ensure that agency strategy on climate change, energy and environment issues is continuously updated to reflect trends in the field, our own learning over time and our emerging capacities.
- Lead internal communications around this strategy.
- Lead discussions to better integrate the agency’s approaches on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction. Ensure that environment, climate change and energy technical approaches are integrated with other keys sectors such as economic and market development, agriculture, food security, conflict management and governance.
- Contribute to agency work on resilience thinking using a systems-based learning approach, focused on incorporating and sharing key scientific and development research, building strong networks of partners, and field-testing programs through an iterative design process closely aligned with field stakeholders.
- Manage human and financial resources of the unit and prioritize its workload in line with the strategic priorities.
- Maintain a strong roster of consulting resources to fill technical needs that are not available in house.
Program and Development & Support:
- Coordinate the technical team to lead and support assessment, program design and development efforts both in the field and remotely for government, corporate and foundation donors.
- Ensure best practice principles are incorporated into program design and implementation at all stages of the project.
- Coordinate the technical team to assist country offices in maintaining and improving the results-based quality of existing environment, climate change and energy programming.
- Promote and assist in cross-visits that contribute to organizational capacity-building for environment, climate change adaptation/DRR and energy access programming.
- Oversee a special initiative to develop sustainable models for distribution of energy products to communities in the “last mile.”
Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Measurement:
- Input on monitoring and evaluation efforts related to environment and climate change issues reflect best practice.
- Work in tandem with the Monitoring and Evaluation team to ensure indicators are relevant and accessible to programs, tools are created to effectively measure indicators and staff capacity is built.
- Lead and support activities to assess and document the impact of our technical interventions, including those that are integrated with other key sectors.
Representation & Partnership Development:
- Develop strategic partnerships with academic partners, think thanks, local networks, private sector partners or other entities to enhance impact.
- Help the agency maintain strong communication and nurture relationships with key donors.
- Coordinate the technical team to represent Mercy Corps in relevant practitioner and learning networks.
- Coordinate the technical team to increase Mercy Corps reputation in the relevant technical fields through training, papers, conference presentation, on-line fora.
- Actively engage in internal relationship building, providing project and unit updates with other departments.
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 towards 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.
Accountability:
Reports Directly to: Vice President, Strategic Program Development
Works Directly with: Other TSUs, Regional Program Directors/ Country Directors, field-based teams, Program Operations Team, Financial Services, Social Innovations, M&E, New Initiatives and the executive team as requested.
Supervises: Members of the Environment and Climate Change department
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- 7+ years’ experience in the international development sector and a relevant technical such as: a) alternative energy solutions or b) environment and climate change adaptation.
- M.S./M.Sc. or equivalent or above in a relevant technical field.
- Significant experience living overseas and managing field-based projects.
- Demonstrated successful track record on proposal development and donor cultivation.
- Proven excellence in leadership, self-motivation and effective interpersonal skills.
- Proven success working on matrixed teams and in non-hierarchical settings.
- Proven success working with teams of diverse backgrounds.
- Experience building solid working relationships with the private sector.
- Ability to present projects to donors, government and other official stakeholders.
- Computer literate and strong organizational and verbal and written communication skills.
SUCCESS FACTORS:
The successful Director will be a self-starter, demonstrating leadership in communications, partnership development and team management, able to be flexible in a non-hierarchical environment. S/he will be a multi-tasker with proven ability to manage competing priorities, with demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles, follow procedures, and meet deadlines. The Director will have demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving, an ability to communicate and work with a variety of groups including private sector partners, peer agencies, academic institutions and donors and will have a proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results. S/he will be able to understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, demonstrate a strong understanding for varied cultural, political and religious environments and be able to travel and work successfully in austere environments maintaining poise in stressful situations.
LIVING CONDITIONS: This position is based in Portland, OR.
Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
How to apply:
