Country Director – SYRIA, JORDAN, YEMEN

Location – Damascus, Syria Position Status: National and Expat, Full Time, Regular, Exempt About Mercy Corps Mercy Corps is transitioning to Prosper Global. Learn more here. As the transition is being implemented by location, you may see the Mercy Corps and Prosper Global names used concurrently during this period. This is an administrative transition, and our teams, programs and commitments continue without interruption. 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 implements a variety of programming throughout the AMEE region in response to the diverse humanitarian and long-term development needs of the region. Mercy Corps has ongoing programs in Syria, Jordan and Yemen. Mercy Corps is committed to delivering high quality, high impact programming that reaches communities or individuals in need, wherever they are. Mercy Corps just launched its new global ten-year strategy, ’Pathway to Prosperity’’, which reflects our ambitions to not only meet basic needs of communities affected by conflict and climate, but to achieve lasting, transformational change at scale. Pathway to Prosperity (P2P) includes a three-layers resilience approach at its core and aims to deliver impact through three key outcome areas: Addressing Urgent Needs, Accelerating Climate Solutions, Driving Economic and Food Security. Mercy Corps AMEE Leadership has decided to optimize resources and create efficiencies by creating a new structure for smaller country portfolios under the management of a multi-country office. This role is the product of this structural change decision. General Position Summary The Country Director for Syria, Jordan, and Yemen is the senior leader accountable for the overall strategic direction, leadership, management, performance, risk and representation of Mercy Corps and the country portfolios under its oversight. The Country Director ensures that country strategies and operations are aligned with Mercy Corps’ regional and global strategic direction and that programs are delivered with quality, impact, accountability, compliance and appropriate stewardship of resources. The Country Director provides integrated leadership across programs and support functions, including Finance, Operations, Human Resources, Security and Risk. The role establishes clear accountability and decision-making frameworks across geographically dispersed teams while ensuring that each country portfolio receives the level of leadership and support required by its context, size, risk profile and strategic priorities. The Country Director leads the development and adaptation of country strategies, oversees program performance and business development, ensures strong financial and operational management, and maintains an effective risk and compliance environment. The role is responsible for ensuring that organizational structures, people strategies, systems and resources remain fit for purpose as portfolios evolve, including during scale-up, transition, close-out or changes in funding. As Mercy Corps’ senior representative for the Syria, Jordan, and Yemen portfolio, the Country Director develops and maintains high-level relationships with donors, government counterparts, partners, peer organizations and other key stakeholders. The Country Director works closely with Regional Leadership and global teams to mobilize support, escalate material risks, and ensure that decisions are timely, evidence-based and aligned with organizational priorities. Essential Job Responsibilities STRATEGIC VISION & LEADERSHIP • Provide overall strategic leadership and ensure that country strategies and operational plans are developed, regularly reviewed and adapted to changing contexts, funding environments, and organizational priorities. • Ensure each country’s portfolio is aligned with Mercy Corps’ regional and global strategy and that strategic priorities guide programmatic, operational and resource-allocation decisions. • Maintain a deep understanding of the political, social, economic, humanitarian, security and regulatory context across the countries and translate contextual analysis into strategic decisions. • Lead strategic transitions, including scale-up, consolidation, restructuring, program closure and shifts between humanitarian, recovery and development programming, as relevant. • Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment in which diverse perspectives, evidence and learning inform decision-making. • Ensure the countries maintain an appropriate operating model, leadership structure and level of support for the size, complexity and risk profile of each country portfolio. PROGRAM LEADERSHIP • Provide overall leadership and accountability for the design, implementation, quality and performance of all programs. • Ensure programs are delivered on scope, time and budget and in accordance with donor requirements, Mercy Corps policies, Program Management Minimum Standards and relevant technical and humanitarian standards. • Ensure robust program review and performance-management systems provide leadership with timely information for decision-making, adaptation and risk management. • Promote evidence-based and community-centered programming and ensure monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning systems are effectively used to demonstrate results and inform decisions. • Ensure strong coordination between country teams, Regional Program and Technical teams, and global technical resources to strengthen program quality, technical coherence and learning. • Ensure safeguarding, accountability to affected populations, Do No Harm, inclusion and other organizational commitments are embedded throughout program design and implementation. FIELD PROGRAM OVERSIGHT • Supervise the Program team as well as all multi-Country support functions (HR, Operations, Finance, Security) as relevant to ensure close check and controls; • Ensure strong communication and collaboration lines are maintained with the program field teams; • Ensure responsiveness and appropriate levels of in-person and remote support to all country programs, with regular visits to various countries and field offices, when possible; • Ensure that learning from the field contributes to development and implementation of compelling evidence-based products to support business development and advocacy initiatives. PROGRAM QUALITY, EVIDENCE & LEARNING • With the support of the Regional Program Teams (Business Development, Award Management, TRaQ and Evidence and Learning), support the program quality, evidence and learning teams (e.g. MEL, CARM) in establishing systems, policies and approaches necessary to ensure and demonstrate the quality of programs and incorporate learning into decision making; • Ensure that proper Monitoring and Evaluation tools in line with Mercy Corps guidelines and policies are effectively used by the programs teams; • Ensure that all the programs team members have received training in line with their level of responsibility and receive technical support relevant to their programs; • Ensure strong coordination and collaboration is happening between Regional Technical teams and field teams to provide expert advice and ensure technical consistency and soundness across programs; • Promote an evidence-driven culture, contributing to the establishment of the countries’ evidence and learning priorities, in line with the regional Evidence and Learning Agenda. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT • Lead and oversee business development strategies for the countries, ensuring that funding priorities are aligned with country strategies, organizational capabilities and intended impact. • Build and mai