Mercy Corps
Position Description
Location: The Hague, NL Position Status : Full -time Duration: initial six months contract, renewable to permanent based on performance **Salary level: circa 55K euros
Closing date: Please apply with CV and cover letter before October 16th** Candidates must hold independant right to work in EU at time of application.
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organisation powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.
Mercy Corps Netherlands (MCNL) was established in December 2017 as a non-profit association, operating in collaboration with its sister organisations, Mercy Corps Global and Mercy Corps Europe (MCE) as one global organisation. All three entities share the same mission, vision, core values and charitable objectives, as well as operational resources for the support and implementation of programme activities. MCNL is operating from The Hague Humanity Hub, joining a dynamic community of innovators in the humanitarian space.
Mercy Corps presence in Europe has grown rapidly both in terms of the volume of activity and its complexity. With teams in Edinburgh, London, The Hague, Brussels and Geneva, we now attract over €100M in income, and employ over 100 domestic and expatriate field team members. The breadth and impact of our programmes makes Mercy Corps a unique and truly rewarding place to work. Our teams are proud of what we achieve and we are always looking for talented individuals who share our passion and commitment.
Position Summary
Mercy Corps’ ambitious resource mobilisation strategy seeks to build more strategic partnerships with bilateral and multilateral donor agencies and to develop new relationships with continental European donors and other strategic partners to increase their income, influence, and programmatic impact. Mercy Corps is looking for a determined, passionate individual who can contribute significantly to developing these partnerships, with a particular focus on the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other Dutch grant-making bodies, and peer agencies. A strong communicator who is skilled at building long term, productive relationships with a portfolio of supporters through a personal and professional approach, s/he will play a key role in our European resource mobilisation, in collaboration with the Global Corporate, Trusts and Foundations, the European Strategic Institutional Partnerships and regional programme teams.
As part of their role, the SPM will develop and maintain specialised knowledge and information on Mercy Corps programmes and projects and partner with the Policy & Advocacy team and regional and country programme structures to promote Mercy Corps’ strategic priorities and position the organisation as a thought leader in key policy areas.
This is very much a front-line position and Mercy Corps is looking for a candidate who feels they can confidently be the ‘face’ of the organisation in front of key partners. The successful candidate will not only have the right experience on paper but also the right personal ‘fit’; someone who really lives and breathes the organisation’s culture and values, with a visible passion for the work they do and a desire to tell their story. S/he will have excellent interpersonal skills, excel at networking and building long-term relationships and will be proactive and creative in their work.
Essential Job Responsibilities
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS DEVELOPMENT
● Responsible for building and managing Mercy Corps’ relationships with institutional donors, corporate and foundation partners, and peer agencies in the Netherlands;
● Proactively and strategically engage with donors and other potential partners in order to facilitate technical programme exchanges, influence policy and thinking, and identify key areas of potential cooperation, including programme funding;
● Actively participate in donor forums and events, representing Mercy Corps’ sectorial capacities;
● Directly engage with donor representatives in support of field-level interests;
● Support engagement with other European donors, as needed, and contribute to the delivery of the EU engagement strategy.
RESOURCE MOBILISATION
● Lead the design and implementation of resource mobilisation strategies intended to strengthen income and technical cooperation;
● Proactively identify, research and monitor new and existing funding opportunities, ensuring a consistently high level of prospecting and pipeline activity;
● Advise country programmes on upcoming funding opportunities and lead prepositioning efforts;
● In collaboration with the global fundraising team, manage a portfolio of prospects, preparing and implementing cultivation and solicitation plans for corporates, trusts and foundations;
● Support colleagues with the preparation of funding applications, as needed;
● Organise visits, presentations, meetings, visual materials necessary to increase potential of securing funding.
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
● Serve as the lead contact with current and prospective funders and other partners in a proactive manner;
● Work with the Policy and Advocacy team to ensure best-practice relationship management including the submission of regular reports, accounts, invitations to talks, projects, workshops, etc; and facilitate access to strategic high level meetings with donors for our leadership (Europe, global and regional), through existing events or bilateral meetings.
● Develop excellent relationships internally with colleagues at regional, HQ and country offices to understand programme budgets, resource requirements and areas of activity to enable strategic applications for funding;
● Provide training, guidance and advice for country and regional structures on how to work with partnerships under their remit;
● Ensure that programme teams and technical support units understand donor requirements, priorities and technical approach as required for successful programme implementation.
GENERAL
● Take responsibility for own administration, devise and implement appropriate processes and procedures to achieve agreed targets;
● Undertake additional work as required and respond to organisational priorities such as disaster response; which may require additional duties outside of usual working hours;
● Stay abreast of developments in the charitable and business sector which might provide opportunities for fundraising activity.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: MCNL Director
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.
Minimum Qualifications and Transferable Skills
● Masters degree or equivalent experience;
● 8+ years of extensive experience in international development, ideally with programme development and management experience outside Europe;
● Demonstrable success of engaging with institutional partners and donors;
● Experience in developing and implementing donor engagement and resource mobilisation strategies;
● Proven ability to harness talent and expertise of team members to achieve objectives;
● Experience dealing with senior level contacts;
● Dutch as a first language or spoken at native speaker level is required;
● Excellent English is essential;
● Good familiarity with institutional donor decision-making processes, both political and technical, including budget processes, appropriation, protocols and communication;
● Proven ability to identify and articulate strategic and policy issues through effective oral and written briefs, and represent the organisation confidently in external events and meetings.
Success Factors
The successful candidate will have superlative interpersonal and communication skills. He/She will be able to build effective, lasting relationships with a wide variety of individuals and organisations utilising their strong influencing and negotiating skills. He/She will approach their work with an ‘international outlook’, with ability to work across language and cultural boundaries and have an innovative approach. The successful candidate will also be well connected in The Netherlands with institutional, corporate and foundation donors and be able to demonstrate a passionate and clear empathy with the organisation’s aims and values.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in The Hague and requires approximately up to 25% travel. This includes travel in Europe and to our programem locations worldwide.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organisations 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 organisation 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 and have signed on to theInteragency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. 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 toMercy 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.
How to apply
Please apply with CV and cover letter here: https://jobs.jobvite.com/mercycorps/job/oyTalfwG
Closing date: 16-Oct-22