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Будь ласка, надсилайте свої резюме: Partnerships Manager in Kyiv | Mercy Corps Ukraine

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 Program Summary

Mercy Corps’ Ukraine response meets the humanitarian needs of people affected by the war in Ukraine. Since the escalation of the war in 2022, Mercy Corps has supported more than 750,000 conflict-affected people in Ukraine and neighboring countries. We have provided cash assistance, in-kind humanitarian assistance, and psychosocial support for people in emergency situations; grants for micro, small and medium businesses, as well as small to medium farming enterprises; and conducted large-scale information campaigns. Notably, nearly all our programming is delivered in partnership with local and national civil society organizations matching humanitarian action and resilience programing with capacity strengthening and a real commitment to localization.

Partnerships are central to our mission and vision in the Ukraine response and are an integral part of our program strategy. We work with partners because we believe that by collaborating, we achieve more. By joining forces, we create a greater impact, enhance cost-effectiveness, foster inclusivity, and develop sustainable programs and support the Ukraine localization agenda. Localization is all about an intentional shift of power – from international to national leadership. It’s about supporting and strengthening local capacity and ownership.

The Position 

The Partnerships Manager is responsible for ensuring consistent and coherent partnership approaches across all Ukraine programs and will further develop Mercy Corps Ukraine’s Partnerships Approach in alignment with Mercy Corps Ukraine’s Response Strategy. The Partnerships Manager will serve as technical lead and ensure harmonization of approaches on identification, selection, monitoring, and capacity strengthening of partners. This role will also represent Mercy Corps in external networks and fora with the aim of advocating for the localization of aid and equitable partnerships. S/he will provide direct oversight of the Partnership Unit, while providing indirect support to all other project-based program staff. 

This is a key senior role within Mercy Corps’ response and the candidate should expect to be flexible, responsive and offer critical thinking and solution-oriented approaches. They should feel comfortable in challenging practices and understanding change. 

Essential Responsibilities

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.

Main Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Lead on Mercy Corps Ukraine’s Partnerships Approach in line with Mercy Corps Ukraine Response Strategy, and Mercy Corps’ Global Localization agenda. 
• Works across Mercy Corps country, regional and global teams as well as external actors to meaningfully participate in localization discussions, including issues of duty of care frameworks; due diligence, and others.
• Play a key convening role across the Ukraine response, facilitating a culture of practice and active networking with colleagues across functions, that are working with, or on, partnerships. 
• Foster an enabling environment for collaborative, inclusive, and mutually accountable partnerships with local organizations.  
• Contribute to the evidence-base for and debate around civil society engagement and partnership approaches in Ukraine as well as Mercy Corps’ own partnership approach. 
• Provide input and/or lead on program design focused on or including partnerships with Ukrainian civil society organizations. 
• Ensure partners are consulted in strategy development and program design and regularly organize consultation sessions with civil society actors.

Technical Support

• Streamline Mercy Corps’ Partnership Approach across the response, ensuring harmonized and consistent approaches and sharing of tools, standards and lessons learnt.  
• Provide capacity strengthening to Mercy Corps team members and sensitize and train them on partnership and localization approaches.
• Create and maintain systems to ensure technical coherence and promote creative programming with the inclusion of partners across the programs portfolio. 
• Ensure program implementation is adhering to minimum standards and program staff are provided with tools and guidance on partnerships.  
• Contribute to new initiatives and ensure partnership and localization principles are met in proposals.  
• Develop strategies, guidelines, tools, standards and standard operating procedures (SOPs) that help program teams to implement programs and provide necessary technical support on partnerships, where required.  
• Lead collaborative processes designed to harness learning from Ukraine’s partnership programming to inform Mercy Corps’ partnership strategies at the country, regional, and global levels, as well as contribute to the growing global partnership sector.
• Facilitate and contribute to Mercy Corps Ukraine’s learning and strategy related to partnership approaches and capacity development (through workshops, participation in evaluation or studies, preparation/review of tool kits, collection of data and other measurement). 
• Function as an overseer for partners and their feedback and ensure this is addressed by the relevant program teams.

Coordination & Representation

• Represent Mercy Corps Ukraine’s partnership approach and programming in the wider INGO and donor community, and relevant coordination fora. 
• Develop internal and external networks to support effective advocacy and outreach across stakeholders to promote innovative partnership approaches within the Ukraine context. 
• Participate in sharing best practices with NGOs and governmental agencies working in a similar environment. 

Team Management

• Hire and orient Partnership Team members.
• Facilitate team coordination meetings and ensure all workplans are harmonized.
• 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, and cultivate resilience and well-being under challenging situations.
• Support team members through capacity strengthening opportunities.

Accountability to partners 

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our partners and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging participant communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility

Line Manages: Capacity Strengthening Coordinator.

Indirectly Manages: Capacity Strengthening Senior Officer, Partnerships Intern.  

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Deputy Country Director.

Works Directly With: Partnerships Advisor, Program Director, Program Leads, Program Managers, MEL Lead, Subawards & Compliance Manager.  

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• University Degree/Masters in international studies, social, economic or other relevant field is desired.  
• Proven technical expertise in partnership approaches, civil society development and/or capacity strengthening of local partner organizations. Significant experience designing and delivering partner-driven programs, including US, UK, and EU-funded programming.
• Strong knowledge of, and experience with organizational development of CSOs in Ukraine, and ability to inform the content and method of organizational development training.
• Active member of the Partnerships community of practice in Ukraine.  
• Demonstrated experience and ability to represent the organization and negotiate and communicate Mercy Corps’ interests with a diverse range of international and local organizations and other groups professionally and appropriately.
• At least 10 years of overall working experience, with at least 3 years within an international humanitarian/development organization at a managerial position.
• Excellent communication, presentation and reporting skills.
• Full working proficiency in both oral and written English and Ukrainian.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs.
• Knowledge of Sphere standards and other training in humanitarian response preferred.

Success Factors

A successful candidate will have demonstrated the ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. They will be able to understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details and be able to balance upholding adherence with programmatic and operational standards with facilitating the implementation of complex programs. Ability and willingness to travel within Ukraine, including in areas of program implementation in eastern Ukraine, security permitting. 

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

During the field trips living conditions will be adjusted to the field conditions.

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 & 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.

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 based on 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. 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 Ethics 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 ([email protected]). 

Тільки попередньо відібрані кандидати будуть запрошені на співбесіду.

Ласкаво запрошуємо осіб з інвалідністю та ветеранів відгукнутись на цю посаду.

Mercy Corpsстворило робоче місце для працевлаштування осіб з інвалідністю та ветеранів, та належні умови праці для цієї вакансії, але це не обмежує коло осіб, які можуть подаватись на цю вакансію.