Mercy Corps DFID Project Careers – Team Leader – Agriculture

Organisation: Mercy Corps
Project Name: Transforming
the Economy through Climate Smart Agriculture (NU-TEC)
Funding Source: DFID
Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda
Tracking Code: 219244-927
About MC:
Mercy Corps is an international nor for profit organization which has
been operating in Uganda since 2006 and works to catalyze change makers within
the Ugandan private sector, civil society and government to create economically
dynamic, healthy and secure communities. Our works focus on building resilience
and enable economic growth, improve opportunities to attain better health and
nutrition, and improved governance and conflict management.  We implement programs in the northern
districts of Pader, Kitgum, Agago, Lamwo, Kaabong, Abim and Kotido with funding
from USAID, USDA, Walmart Foundation, SDC, DFID as well as other private donations.
Mercy Corps’ programs in Kitgum currently focus on economic development,
agriculture, financial services, and women’s empowerment.
About DFID NUTEC Project:
The DFID-funded Transforming the Economy through Climate Smart
Agriculture (NU-TEC) aims to develop pro poor agricultural markets in Northern
Uganda and promote inclusive growth. DFID has identified a set of market
failures that are standing in the way of way of the effective functioning of
the agricultural sector in Northern Uganda. These include input markets, land
tenure issues, storage infrastructure; access to finance; rural transport and
processing capacity. The programme intends to address these market failures by
facilitating improvements in agricultural productivity and to encourage private
sector investment in medium to large agribusiness through the application of a
market systems development approach. The programme also places a strong focus
on reforming the regulatory environment in Northern Uganda by promoting more
effective regulation and application of quality grades and standards.
Job Summary: The Team Leader
will provide dynamic and strategic leadership to for the programme, being
responsible for overall Programme Management and meeting the targets and
objectives set forth by the project Logframe. As part of effective project
delivery, the Team Leader will develop effective working relationships with key
stakeholders (incl. farmers’ associations, government key players, private
sector and other relevant projects). The Team Leader’s management skills will
enable him/her to lead, manage, motivate and develop project staff, encouraging
their commitment to the programme objectives, and meeting their professional
development needs. In coordination with the Portfolio Director and the
management team, responsibilities also include disciplining and dismissing
staff who are not performing. Finally, the Team Leader will be the public image
of the market development programme that will represent the programme
internationally, raising awareness and understanding of M4P and the programme
among influential stakeholders and relevant decision makers.
Key Duties and
Responsibilities: 
1. Strategy and Vision:
  • Take lead in the overall strategic planning
    and annual business plans;
  • Work closely with the Portfolio Director
    and Programme management to develop the intervention portfolio;
  • Recognise opportunities for innovative
    action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are
    welcomed.
2. Programme Management:
  • Ensure interventions are implemented
    according to strategies and plans or otherwise adjusted to ensure they
    achieve their objectives;
  • Working closely with the M&E Manager
    and Team to ensure M&E systems are implemented according to DCED
    standard;
  • Engage with government and civil society
    partners; cultivate “system” champions, and push knowledge flows and
    learning within the selected market systems;
  • Oversee the development of intervention
    plans, activity plans, budgets, Scopes of Work (SoW) for external
    resources identified, and other necessary intervention management documents
    as needed;
  • Ensure that programme implementation is
    responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’
    relevant programme guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and
    strategic plan;
  • Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively
    targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
3. Team Management:
  • Implement a performance management system,
    including staff appraisals and the implementation of career development
    plans;
  • Offer leadership and guidance to managers
    and officers in developing the theory of change and results chains guided
    by market systems development framework and which provide the management
    and results framework for sector strategies;
  • Create and sustain a work environment of
    mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence;
  • Promote accountability, communicate
    expectations and provide constructive feedback;
  • Supervise, hire and orient new team
    members as necessary; and
  • Provide team members with information,
    tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
4. Finance & Compliance Management:
  • Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy
    Corps regulations; and
  • Input to scopes of work to hire and manage
    any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy.
5. Representation:
  • Report regularly to DFID and discuss
    performance against work plans;
  • Lead representation of NU-TEC at key
    conferences, workshops and supporting events designed to raise awareness
    of the programme objectives; and hold meetings with key programme partners
    as needed;
  • Identify, build and manage collaborative
    partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local
    governments and other stakeholders where appropriate;
  • Communicate effectively to ensure overall
    project targets and donor obligations are met; and
  • Support the preparation of material and
    presentations to promote the programme.
6. Security:
  • Ensure compliance with security procedures
    and policies as determined by country leadership;
  • Proactively ensure that team members
    operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies. 
Qualifications, Skills and
Experience: 
  • The applicant should have a minimum of
    fifteen years of professional experience
  • Hold an MBA or equivalent in Economics,
    Business Administration
  • Good team management experience and
    experience in supervising staff
  • Significant experience in developing and
    managing programs in the field of private sector development, preferably
    in Sub-Saharan African and particularly in East Africa
  • Past exposure and experience of working
    with private sector and finance sector actors and of improving access to
    finance in the agricultural sector
  • Demonstrated experience of working with
    value chains, the (M4P) market systems approach, and deal-brokering with
    the private sector, government and representative associations
  • Good understanding of the Ugandan context,
    particularly that of Northern regions 
How to Apply: 
All candidates who desire to join one of the world’s leading
Non-governmental organisations, Mercy Corps, Please Apply Online by visiting
web link below.

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