The Position
The Mercy Corps Liberia Country Director is an innovative and visionary leader responsible for developing and managing overall country portfolio, resulting in lasting improvement in the lives of communities in Liberia. The CD will continue to oversee the delivery of high-impact, multi-sector programming that is accountable to both program participants and donors, while prioritizing strategies for thoughtful implementation and positioning, external influence and partnership building. Placing a high value on innovative solutions to development issues and creative partnerships, the CD will position Mercy Corps to drive forward strategic programming in DRC, connecting programs into a cohesive country portfolio, guided by a long-term Country strategy that aligns to the regional and Agency’s global vision.S/He is also responsible for developing and implementing systems, policies and procedures for Mercy Corps’ operations in Liberia. As Mercy Corps’ senior manager in Liberia, the Country Director is also responsible for financial oversight, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, staff security, human resource management and representation in the field. The CD develops sustainable, multi- sector programming and is accountable to beneficiaries and donors, placing a high value on innovative solutions and potential new partnerships to development issues and creative partnerships in tough environments.

Essential Responsibilities 

STRATEGY & VISION

• Refine and articulate a clear and compelling vision of Mercy Corps’ strategy in Liberia, and contribute to the regional strategic vision, drawing on Mercy Corps’ key agency distinctives and experience in Liberia and the region to inspire team members, donors, government stakeholders and partners to support the country objectives and develop impactful and relevant programming within our partner communities.
• Promote and foster a culture of cross-department/team collaboration, shared ownership of the Liberia strategy, ethics and accountability across the mission.  
• Build strategic partnerships and relationships to achieve the vision outlined in the country and regional strategy.
• Set direction for the country team by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve the objectives outlined in the country strategy. 
• Lead country strategy development and annual country planning using a collaborative process.
• Leverage headquarters and regional technical support teams to support program design and delivery in line with Mercy Corps’ best practices.
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcome. Remain current with development thinking, including resilience approaches, systems thinking, nexus approaches, social impact, value for money, etc.
• Lead engagement with authorities/local stakeholders, donors, partners, and communities to design and secure resources for high-impact programs that are aligned to community priorities.
• Support program and operations team members to pivot and adapt programming to be responsive to contextual changes, such as environmental and climate change impacts, conflict, or emerging opportunities to deepen impact.  
   

LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

• Commit to preserving an organizational culture of trust, transparency, diversity, equity, and inclusion across the team and global organization.
• Uphold a culture of integrity through ethical decision-making, safeguarding and compliance with the Code of Conduct. 
• Lead by role modeling self-awareness to foster an environment of mutual respect, diversity and inclusion so that all team members are included, supported and can thrive.
• Create a culture of collaboration and accountability for highly effective communication systems and relationships to ensure every voice matters.
   

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Recruit, manage, motivate, and onboard an informed, skilled and efficient leadership team with an emphasis on high quality impact, collaboration, ownership, inclusion and achievement.
• Encourage a team culture of growth, learning, creativity and innovation by incorporating a culture of continuous feedback, development and performance management.
• Establish credibility within the team by demonstrating personal accountability, flexibility, resilience and dedication to quality programming by creating positive relationships and having composure in complex situations.
• Ensure people-focused human resource systems are in place and consistent with Mercy Corps’ global policies, including position descriptions, team member onboarding, performance management, professional development plans and reporting mechanisms.
• 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. 

PROGRAM IMPACT, MONITORING AND EVALUATION AND LEARNING

• Oversee program quality and impact by ensuring programming is based on sound design principles and utilize Mercy Corps and donor required program quality and MEL systems.
• Identify and promote opportunities for deep dive research on Mercy Corps' Liberia programs to deepen program learning and thought leadership. 
• Lead country team to strive for quality and impact at program and country level leading to sustained change based on solid systems and incorporation of learnings/adaptations into programs.
• Ensure program teams promote and adhere to Mercy Corps Program Management Minimum Standards, Gender, Do-no Harm, and accountability to program participants standards, including effective Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism and safeguarding mechanisms across all programs.
• Ensure that Mercy Corps programs proactively collaborate with local stakeholders, and actively engage in coordination mechanisms at the local and national levels. 

PROGRAM OPERATIONS & COMPLIANCE

• Provide strategic oversight to the overall country budget and portfolio; ensure budget holders manage their respective program/department budgets within approved spending levels and establish an annual cash flow plan to ensure a steady and adequate supply of funds for program activities.
• Build and maintain operational structures that ensure proper segregation of duties between finance, operations, HR and programs, and enable the timely, compliant and effective delivery of programming and support functions. 
• Foster and drive an environment of collaboration among program, finance, operations and human resource team members resulting in optimal support for implementing our work across all teams.  
• Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using systems effectively to reach desired impacts.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations, policies and procedures, and the implementation of appropriate risk mitigation measures to reduce Mercy Corps’ exposure to potential risk.

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

• Lead Mercy Corps’ outreach and engagement with local/national government, key donors, partners, civil society actors, and private sector representing Liberia in order to influence development and funding priorities, drawing on Mercy Corps’ key distinctives, research and policy & advocacy initiatives to shape the agenda and align with community needs and opportunities.
• Build partnerships with leading organizations, private sector, government, foundations, community representatives, and other critical partners to enhance collective impact, voice, and shape relevant policy agendas.
• Proactively participate and engage in coordination fora at the national level, including the INGO Forum, influencing advocacy efforts and elevating field priorities for action at the highest level. 
• Set up systems to stay abreast of contextual changes, anticipate needs, and contribute to shaping donors’ views on humanitarian and development priorities in ways that are responsive to changes in the context.

SECURITY

• Manage security and safety of the entire country team and Mercy Corps’ assets according to best practices, MC operating standards and field realities.
• Ensure the safety and security of staff members through regular review and adaptation of security protocols and procedures including the country security plan. Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
• Liaise with the country Security Director and Regional/Global teams on crucial events, high risk periods, incident reporting or security policy changes.