Turkey: Refugee Response Team Leader - Turkey (220009-927)

PROGRAM/ DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

In response to the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe and the Mediterranean, Mercy Corps is working to provide protection, safe passage and immediate humanitarian aid for vulnerable refugees. In addition to our staff in Turkey, we currently have teams on the Greek Islands of Lesbos and Kos, as well as in Serbia, Macedonia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. We are collaborating with local and regional governments, partner agencies and migrating refugees to assess the situation on the ground in order to implement programming that appropriately and effectively addresses the needs of arriving refugees.

Mercy Corps is commencing a refugee response program along the Aegean Region in Turkey. The Aegean Region Refugee Response Mercy Corps will continue to work closely with the Turkish authorities and organizations and with our international partners to ensure an effective refugee response.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Refugee Response Team Leader is a member of the Senior Management Team for Mercy Corps' Turkey programming providing multi-sectorial assistance to Syrians IDPs, refugees along the Aegean Coast their host communities. S/he is an innovative and visionary leader responsible for resourcefully directing, strategizing and planning all programming, resulting in lasting improvement in the lives of millions of Syrians in his/her area of operations. S/He has held senior roles in formulating strategic direction within an international development context. The Refugee Response Team Leader has supervisory responsibility for the team under his/her management and manages a diverse portfolio of over USD 5 million with a number of international and national staff working at multiple locations and implementation of all security protocols. The Refugee Response Team Leader will supervise the undertaking of needs assessments with refugees in Ankara and three urban locations in the Aegean Region.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategy and Vision

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment of empowerment, inclusion and participation to facilitate response
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve objectives and contribute to country-wide strategy development
• Bring innovation into program implementation, ensuring diversity of modalities and promoting market-based approaches and use of technology, wherever local and security conditions permit
• Support senior management in developing the strategic direction of the overall humanitarian response to the Syrian crisis in Turkey.
• Contribute to proposal development to expand the Program and respond to increasing needs
• Integrate conflict and gender programming into the response.

Program Management

• Oversee the Turkey Emergency Refugee Response Program, ECHO Aegean Region. Providing refugee assistance such as NFI, WASH, shelter, education and information-based support, leveraging strong in-country institutional expertise.
• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities, authorities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps' relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria
• Develop and oversee program implementation strategies, including partnership frameworks, beneficiary targeting, distribution processes (new arrival kits, durable hygiene kits, newborn baby kits, winter clothing kits, amongst others), Shelter Solutions, Latrine construction and capacity building of local Turkish Civil Society/NGO partners.
• Supervise the undertaking of needs assessments, stakeholder mapping exercises and other data gathering tool in Ankara and three new geographical areas in the Aegean Region to ensure that Mercy Corps has continued access to updated information and is able to address emerging needs in timely manner
• 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 achieve the desired impact
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources and timely, accurate and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures
• Fulfill Mercy Corps Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.

Team Management

• Lead the program team in implementation of Turkey Emergency Refugee Response Program, ECHO Aegean Region Turkey program.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect in which team members strive to achieve excellence
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews
• Hire, orient and supervise new team members as necessary
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

Finance & Compliance Management

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
• Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

Representation

• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders for Turkey Emergency Refugee Response Program, ECHO Aegean Region.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
• Oversee the development of any communication/information of materials targeted towards refugees, and the documenting the status of refugees in Turkey.

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 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.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Emergency Program Manager (Izmir), Emergency Program Manager (Ankara), Needs Assessment and Impact Advisor (M&E), Aegean Program consultants, and other Aegean Program local staff employed under the Turkey Emergency Refugee Response Program, ECHO Aegean Region.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Country Director.

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Country Director, Information & Media Manager, Operations, Finance Managers, TSU team members, and others.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor degree in relevant field. Masters preferred.
• 5-7 years of field experience in international relief and/or development programs, including demonstrable success in managing humanitarian programs in transitional environments; previous working experience in MENA region highly desirable
• 5 years of senior-level leadership, capacity building and field management experience.
• Substantial experience of responding in conflict and emergency environments, health and education sector.
• Demonstrated success working effectively and respectfully with host country governments, private sector, INGO, NGO partners and other stakeholders in complex environments
• Proven skills in Program management and experience; experience with European Commission funding desirable.
• Knowledge of SPHERE and other humanitarian programming standards
• Successful and proven negotiation, communication and organization skills
• Excellent oral and written English skills and proficient Turkish; knowledge of Arabic advantageous.
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful candidate will skillfully represent programmatic priorities of the agency to donors and regional partners while providing effective leadership to the Mercy Corps humanitarian program team. S/he will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with capacity building. S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.

LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

The position is based in Ankara, Turkey with frequent traveling to the field locations along the Aegean coast. Personnel in this location are expected to follow all security protocols. Good medical services are available. City electricity is available in Ankara and running water is reliable also. Internet connectivity and communication is reliable in most locations. In general, road conditions in Turkey are good.

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. Staff 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.

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=c3NhbGxvdW0uNTQ5MTQuMzgzMEBtZXJjeWNvcnBzLmFwbGl0cmFrLmNvbQ