Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps Nepal as the prime organization has been implementing a five-year program - "Promoting Agriculture, Health and Alternative Livelihood" (PAHAL) funded by USAID. PAHAL seeks to strengthen livelihoods, improve nutritional status and increase the capacity of vulnerable households to mitigate, adapt to and recover from shocks and stresses in communities with deep poverty and high rates of malnutrition in critical zones of the Mid-Western and Far-Western Regions of Nepal. The goal of the PAHAL program is: Vulnerable populations in the middle and high hills of Far-Western and Mid-Western Nepal are food secure. The target area of the program covers 14 districts in the Mid-West and Far-West regions of Nepal. The Mid-West region comprises of 7 districts - Surkhet, Dailekh, Pyuthan, Rolpa, Rukum, Salyan, and Jajarkot, while the Far-West region comprises of 7 districts: Dadeldhura, Doti, Accham, Baitadi, Bajhang, Bajura, and Darchula.

General Position Summary

The District Coordinator (DC) will be responsible for the monitoring and overseeing implementation of the overall program activities of a five-year, multi-million dollar USAID/Food for Peace and USAID/Nepal-funded Development Food Assistance Program (DFAP), titled as the “Promoting Agriculture, Health and Alternative Livelihood (PAHAL)” in the designated district of one of the above mentioned 14 districts across the Far and Mid-Western development regions of Nepal. The DC is responsible for meeting reporting requirements and adhering to deadlines and serves as the Mercy Corps/PAHAL primary liaison with district stakeholders, program partners and beneficiary communities at the district level. This position will closely work with program partners, regional teams and report to the Resilience Program Coordinator for program related and Regional Field Coordinator for administration related. S/he will be responsible for partnership management (Local NGO), for coordinating beneficiary training and capacity building activities in the district, and for coordinating technical support for the implementation of program activities. The DC must be a dynamic and effective person who is able to understand and lead field implementation under the PAHAL “resiliency” framework. S/he understands and has the capacity to mobilize teams and partners, facilitate interaction between all sectors (both government and non-government) and is able to mobilize program implementation. Having a basic understanding and/or experience of any of the following technical sectors is a plus such as – agriculture production and markets, alternative livelihoods, disaster risk reduction (DRR), financial service, natural resource management, nutrition, water sanitation and hygiene. Anyone who is motivated finding new solutions and working in a positive, team-oriented way is highly appreciated.

As gender and social inclusion (GESI), governance and M&E are all cross-cutting and core components of the PAHAL program, the DC is required to own these components and ensure that GESI sensitivity and integration, governance practices and the M&E systems are integrated across all program components, and the implementing partner is supported to ensure it happens.

Accountability:

Reports Directly To: Resilience Program Coordinator (Programs), Regional Field Coordinator (Administration) 

Works Directly With: Regional Field Coordinator, Resilience Program Coordinator, Sub Awards and Compliance Manager, Technical Component Managers, Local NGO, Regional Sub Awards and Compliance Officer, Regional M&E Officer, Regional Component Officers and local stakeholders.

Knowledge and Experience:

• At least Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, Business / Development Studies/Management or any related discipline.
  
• At least 3-5 years of experiences on project management/coordination among different stakeholders and organizations at district/national level Work experiences and understanding on DRR/CCA sector, Financial Services, Technical Education and Vocational Training, Natural Resource Management, WASH and nutrition will be an added advantage. Work experience in the Far or Mid-Western region and with a multidisciplinary team is an advantage.
  
• Strong training design, development and facilitation skills.
  
• Demonstrated ability to work in complex environments under tight deadlines.
  
• Strong organizational and logistical skills with demonstrated experience in strategic planning and ability to work independently are required.
  
• Good writing and computer skills, including preliminary research and information gathering from the internet, MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint preparation are required.
  
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Nepali required. Knowledge of local language is an advantage.
  
• Effective writing skills to prepare reports, complete analyses and make presentations.
  
• Negotiation, networking, advocacy, coordination and representation skills with key local actors is preferred
  
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
  

Success Factors:

The successful DC will combine serious professional management/coordination skills and experience in the field either of DRR/CCA, Financial Services approaches, Natural Resources management, Technical Education, and Vocational Training as well as in building and maintaining government, community and partner relationships. S/he will have an ability to think creatively about contributing directly and measurably to community resilience through EWS, community preparedness and response and financial services approaches and have excellent experience in both community mobilization and government engagement. The DC will have proven experience with diverse teams and capacity building, individual staff development, and strong mentoring skills. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail as well as 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.