Job description
The Program Officer will support strategic, impactful, high-quality implementation of the program. S/he covers all aspects of the day to day management of the program team and activities, including oversight and monitoring. He/she works closely with the Mercy Corps Social Cohesion Program team, beneficiaries, as well as the various Mercy Corps units involved in the program activities to ensure collaboration, clarity of tasks, documentation and reporting, and the tracking of deadlines.
S/he is responsible for the timely reporting on program activities in Chamchamal and Dukan districts of Sulaymaniyah. The Program Officer will coordinate and liaise with local authorizes/community leaders for activities related with program implementation. S/he will travel frequently to program areas.
- Organize and manage logistics for all activities, including arranging locations and managing Community Action Groups (CAGs)
- Organize community meetings and dialogue sessions
- Submit monthly activities progress report for all locations of program implementation to the Program manager.
- Conduct community mapping and mobilization
- Work with partner organization The Iraqi Center for Negotiation Skills and Conflict Management to train key community leaders and municipality representatives (men, women and youth) in basic negotiation/mediation, participatory planning and project management
- Host dialogues with IDP and host communities and the municipalities to identify projects
- Work with partner organization The Iraqi Center for Negotiation Skills and Conflict Management to train a subset of IDP and host community leaders to receive advanced negotiation/mediation training
- Connect IDP and community leaders to experienced members of the local negotiation network for mentoring on mediation and dispute resolution
- Co-mediate disputes with experienced meditators from network
- Serve as a resource for trainers and youth
- Monitor and document all activities for Mercy Corps further learning with social cohesion
- Disseminate success stories of resolved disputes and cooperation between communities
- Other duties as assigned by Program and M&E manger/Mercy Corps
Qualifications & Preferred Skills
- BA/S in relevant field such as education, youth development, mediation or other related field
- Preferred experience in development, implementation, administration and compliance; general program management experience required
- Experience addressing gender-specific cultural barriers to participation in program activities.
- Experience representing the organization and its interests to a diverse range of local and international government officials, local civil society organizations, other international organizations, the media and the public.
- Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Candidate must be willing to travel and work in difficult conditions.
- Demonstrated attention to details, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members is required.
- Committed to sharing skills with other staff and building up the capacity of staff.
- Existing relationships with local government, and community leaders is highly preferred.
- Fluency in written and spoken English, Arabic and Kurdish, excellent writing and reporting skills.
Succes factors:
- Demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles, follow procedures, and meet deadlines.
- Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving.
- Proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results.
- Ability to understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details.
- Ability to work with diverse groups of people, diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment
- Conscientious, with an excellent sense of judgment.
- Understanding of the long-term implications of relief work and the importance of incorporating the development of civil society into relief activities.
- Strict adhere to Mercy Corps security policies and procedure
- Display an entrepreneurial spirit that is both creative and flexible. She/he will combine strong communication skills, creativity, initiative, participatory leadership and tactful decisiveness to assist in the development and implementation of Mercy Corps’ programming strategy
- Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving, and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential
- Demonstrates the skill, professional maturity and finesse to work successfully on a team
- Problem solver, who is adept in addressing issues as they arise
- Demonstrates the ability to serve as a resource and mentor for the youth beneficiaries
- Skilled communicator, able to develop collaborative relationships with staff, community leaders and partners
- Ability to follow instructions and collaborate with his/her supervisor
