Cash Working Group Co-Lead

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.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has worked across Iraq’s 18 governorates since 2003, implementing relief and development programming, more than a third of which has focused on the specific needs of refugees and displaced persons. Mercy Corps Iraq’s current goal is to meet immediate and long-term needs by strengthening communities’ ability to rebuild amidst increasing crises. Mercy Corps Iraq focuses on (1) a relief-to-resilience pathway to meet the needs of conflict-affected communities leveraging agency expertise in conflict management and civil society development (2) a humanitarian response that empowers conflict-affected populations to meet their own needs (3) partnering with conflict-affected adolescents to address their diverse needs, promoting leadership and linkages with civil society.

General Position Summary

Cash Voucher Assistance (CVA) in Iraq is large-scale with unique developments in its application toward Durable Solutions architecture as well as transition from humanitarian support to government-led social protection assistance. In Iraq, CVA comprises approximately one third of the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). Given this scale, it is a strategic interest to ensure effective coordination across these interventions, which are inclusive both of Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) as well as sectoral CVA implemented through relevant clusters. The Cash Working Group (CWG) is responsible both for technical support to clusters implementing sectoral CVA (e.g. Shelter, WASH, Health, Protection, etc), as well as operational and technical coordination of MPCA. Iraq coordination architecture is moving toward increasing emphasis on recovery and Durable Solutions; CVA will also be a significant component of this coordination landscape. Foundational work and collaboration has also been established on a framework for transition from humanitarian MPCA to government-led social protection assistance, although at this stage it remains a long-term prospect.

Mercy Corps works alongside WFP as co-lead for the Iraq Cash Working Group (CWG). The Mercy Corps CWG Co-Lead will be responsible for ensuring development as needed and maintenance of a Cash and Voucher Assistance response strategy, workplan for coordination priorities, and guidelines for humanitarian actors in Iraq. The CWG Co-Lead will work closely with all CVA stakeholders (communities, authorities, private sector service providers, relevant ministries, donors, NGOs and UN agencies) to provide an effective, timely and strategic collective response to the developing situation, and help articulate the vision for CVA development and quality as an integral component of the humanitarian response in Iraq.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Promote and give guidance on the centrality of CVA in the context of the humanitarian response and Durable Solutions, globally and in Iraq.

• Maintain support to efforts to design and implement an exit strategy from humanitarian CVA to government-led social protection assistance.

• Develop strategies with the cluster coordinators to ensure that CVA best practices are systematically implemented and updated in the humanitarian response interventions.

• Develop the MPCA strategy under the Humanitarian Response Plan, and contribute to securing funding for both MPCA as well as other forms of sectoral CVA in partnership with relevant Clusters.

• Contribute to Mercy Corps strategy development and promoting the centrality of CVA.

Technical oversight

• Master CVA modalities and apply knowledge for innovative programming as the core methodology of the collective humanitarian response.

• Collaborate with CWG partners to conduct relevant assessments, present evidence on the effectiveness of CVA and advise on best practices.

• Ensure monitoring mechanisms are in place to review the impact of cash interventions and measure progress against implementation plans.

• Develop and strengthen the capacity of national NGOs to implement CVA in line with international standards.

• Provide technical support on CVA to various clusters implementing cash programming in their specific sectors of interventions.

• Provide insight on the most appropriate exit strategies for cash interventions, including linkages with the government social protection floor, referrals to other sectors, etc.

• Infuse market interventions into existing programs under different clusters to make emergency response programs more responsive to local markets and more beneficial to general coping capacities.

Influence & Representation

• Build linkages and enhance relationships between humanitarian actors and recovery/ durable solutions and development actors, through participation and representation in working groups and forums already present in the.

• Nurture relationships with key clusters, which implement various forms of CVA.

• Build and manage collaborative partnerships with CWG partners, including on issues of data sharing and harmonization of programming.

• Develop relationships with key governmental bodies active in the social protection space in Iraq.

• Maintain regular communication with other INGOs, local NGOs, donors and government working on CVA interventions.

• Nurture key relationships with donors, especially those with a focus and an interest in market- driven programming.

• Work with the Regional and HQ Program teams in identifying additional opportunities for medium-term and longer-term programming involving market-driven approaches.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Cash Consortium for Iraq (CCI) Director

Works Directly With:

Internal: Advocacy Advisor, Cash & Markets Technical Support Unit advisors at Headquarters.

External: CWG Coordinator (WFP), CWG Partners, UN-OCHA, Cluster Coordinators and other stakeholders.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

• BA/S in economic development, public policy, international relations or other relevant degree;

• 3-5 years of experience in CVA programming, preferably across multiple sectors as well as with MPCA;

• Demonstrated understanding of the Coordination Architecture in the Cluster Approach;

• Ability to effectively represent both Mercy Corps and the CWG’s interests to key stakeholders;

• Experience in cluster coordination strongly preferred;

• Experience in identifying and developing partnerships, including with the private sector and the government;

• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving;

• Excellent oral and written English skills required; Arabic and/or Kurdish skills strongly preferred;

• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment;

• Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work.

• Knowledge of Sphere standards and other training in humanitarian response preferred.

Success Factors

The successful candidate will combine exceptional management skills, data analysis skills and experience in maintaining donor and partner relationships. They will also have proven experience with cross-cultural team and capacity building, individual staff development and strong mentoring skills. Prioritizing, problem solving, ability to seize opportunities, attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This position is based in Erbil, Iraq and is unaccompanied. Travel within Iraq is required to support Mercy Corps Iraq’s offices and humanitarian response programs. Erbil is a comfortable city with most amenities and moderate security. Living conditions are in group housing; water, electricity and internet are present with some cuts. This position is eligible for hardship allowance and R&R.

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 on the basis of 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. 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 Conduct 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.**