PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY
Mercy Corps helps communities develop their own ideas to solve Haiti’s most daunting problems by using innovative approaches to bring Haitians new social and economic opportunities and to make their country more secure, productive and just. Established in January 2010, Mercy Corps Haiti has 40 staff implementing programs in economic development, agriculture, natural resources management and alternative energy. The Life, Land and Energy implemented project takes a holistic approach to watershed rehabilitation, improved agriculture practices, livelihoods improvement and community development. Mercy Corps economic development work is guided by the principles of pro-poor development and demand driven strategies. Mercy Corps takes a progressive approach to economic development that leads communities and entrepreneurs from relief to sustainable livelihoods to long term economic growth.

Mercy Corps economic development strategy is founded on a market approach to create systemic market changes that improve the socio-economic conditions for households in urban and peri-urban area to enhance household economies, and increase opportunities for sustainable income and asset security. To achieve this goal, Mercy Corps is strengthening and diversifying Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) through business training, business planning support, access to mentoring services and opportunities to generate innovative ideas and network with other entrepreneurs, including the creation of micro-franchises. We develop the skills of the most vulnerable segments of the population through vocational trainings, followed and reinforced through support to enter an internship program or start a business. We work on selected value chains to strengthen relationships among market actors and leverage partnerships between businesses vertically (buyers and sellers) and horizontally (between sellers, exporters) and create market linkages with supporting market functions (e.g. suppliers). Finally, Mercy Corps facilitate the availability of loan products and savings opportunities, including supporting the formation of Village, Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs).

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Program Manager will lead Mercy Corps Economic Development team and will be primarily responsible for the management and successful implementation of the current Economic Development programming, as well as future successful project proposals in the sector. S/he will also need to develop other economic development concepts and proposals focused on economic development, livelihoods and access to market and finance.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Project Management:
• Be responsible for overall leadership and strategic vision on the implementation, coordination and management of current and future Economic Development and program. Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and aligned with Mercy Corps’ principles, values and strategic plan.
• Monitor project’s adherence to grant agreements, Mercy Corps policies and procedures and relevant donor rules and regulations.
• Monitor implementing partners’ adherence to sub-grant agreement and coordinate with partners’ senior managers on a regular basis to ensure the successful implementation of the program partner’s activities.
• Ensure detailed Program Work Plan (PWP) are developed and updated regularly, with the participation of the program team and relevant partners and program stakeholders.
• Ensure very strong communication and coordination within the team, with other departments and with senior management.
• Monitor project expenditures and undertake monthly forecasts and budget vs. actual analyses.
• Ensure an effective end-of-program transition.
• Ensure participatory methodologies for project design, implementation and evaluation take place.

Team Management:
• Manage the Economic Development and Livelihoods program team.
• Create a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel.
• Implement and ensure all project staff effectively use the performance planning and management system, establish performance expectations and regularly provide constructive feedback to program staff and senior managers.
• Promote accountability by conducting staff performance reviews with direct supervisees and ensuring that supervisory staffs do the same.
• Contribute to overall Mercy Corps Haiti’s team-building efforts and help ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision making processes.

M&E and Reporting:
• Facilitate the achievement of project targets and objectives and lead efforts to manage/implement an effective Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP), including conducting baseline, midterm and endline surveys.
• Ensure that the M&E focal point focuses on collecting timely and quality data and generates practical information that can be used for ongoing project decision-making while also capturing results at the impact level.
• Ensure effective coordination and the sharing of quality and timely M&E data between implementing partners and the program’s M&E focal point.
• Regularly communicate observations and analysis from assessment and ongoing M&E activities with the broader Mercy Corps Haiti and Mercy Corps HQ teams.
• Proactively manage internal and external communications, including writing program reports, and working with Mercy Corps' Media Team to develop media relationships and generate story placements.
• Assist with documentation and dissemination of institutional knowledge: case studies, lessons learned, and good practices in social innovation and economic development.

Coordination and Representation:
• Ensure representation and coordination as appropriate with donors and implementing partners, NGOs, and CBOs.
• Network and cultivate relationships with a broad cross-section of private sector entities, enterprise development practitioners, organizations, and other stakeholders to elicit feedback on the program and assess the potential for collaboration and partnership.
• Ensure regular meetings and calls with program partners to ensure good communication, share challenges and promising practices, and inform any mid-stream adjustments that need to be made to projects.

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.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
• BA required in economic development, business administration, international development, or relevant field and MA/S preferred
• 5-7 years of experience preferred in managing livelihoods support and/or economic development programs and people.
• Significant experience managing programs in technical areas, including business and market development, value chain development, VSLA and vocational training.
• Significant experience working with Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) approach including market research and value chain assessments.
• Outstanding interpersonal, customer service and partnership development and relationship management skills.
• Demonstrated experience in managing sub-grant partner agreements and building high performance teams.
• Proficient with MS Office.
• Proven ability to follow procedures, meet team objectives and work independently and cooperatively with team members and diverse groups of people.
• Demonstrated experience and ability professionally in representing and negotiating Mercy Corps’ interests with a diverse range of government officials, local organizations and other groups.
• Demonstrated commitment to develop, acquire, document and apply best practices in related fields, and apply solutions to obstacles.
• French and English required Fluency in Haitian Kreyol preferred,

The successful candidate will be a people and tech-savvy social entrepreneur—a detail-oriented, but adaptable self-starter with the ability to build a high performance team and implement a large complex project that delivers outstanding results. Creativity and entrepreneurial spirit will be vital in growing and sustaining programs. The candidate should be an exceptional communicator, with the ability to develop rapport with a diverse range of program participants, partners, local stakeholders and government officials, as well as produce clear, concise, and compelling communications. In addition, the ideal candidate will have a demonstrated interest in economic and international development, and be dedicated to Mercy Corps’ mission of helping to build more secure, productive, and just communities.

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