Start Up Team Lead

Mercy Corps

Location

Kampala

Job Description

The Programme Start-up Lead for PROPEL coordinates all the Programme Start-up activities across the 4 PROPEL target countries during the initial 3-month inception phase. This includes the development of an integrated and comprehensive work plan, coordination of inception deliverables, set-up of the PROPEL project in line with Mercy Corps’ programme management minimum standards (PM@MC), coordination of financial and personnel resources, and recruitment and induction of the programme team. The Start-up Lead bridges the gap between the programme’s start-up needs and the existing and available country and regional team’s capacity and resources, and at the end of the inception phase will hand over to the long-term programme lead who will oversee the implementation phase of the program. The Start-up Lead will set-up the relationship with JAA, working closely with them and the donors throughout the inception phase.

Supervises: PROPEL Programme Team

Reports Directly To: The Deputy Regional Director

Works Directly With: Country Director, Deputy Country Director, Operations, Finance teams, HQ Regional Programme Team, HQ TEQ Unit, JAA and Donor Representatives.

Key Responsibilities & Tasks

Develop a strategic and achievable plan for the inception phase focused on meaningful evidence generation, analysis and redesign.
Lead the implementation of the inception phase activities based on critical path key milestones, including initiating labor market assessments in each of the target countries to evaluate the supply of and demand for skills
Lead the formalisation of the partnership with JAA, working work closely with them on planning and activity start-up to ensure effective coordination and collaboration going forward
Lead meetings and discussions with Z Zurich Foundation and Audemars Piguet Foundation to agree final outcomes and priorities to ensure full alignment and complementarity.
Engage HQ and Technical Support, Evidence and Program Quality (TEQ) Unit and coordinate their involvement in the PROPEL project during the inception phase, handing over the relationship to the Team Lead and Technical Leads at the end of the inception.
Lead meetings and discussions with key stakeholders, together with JAA, to share programme vision and strategy, and to identify scope for partnership, collaboration and coordination during the inception phase and throughout the programme.
Key stakeholders include TVET institutions, both public and private, across targeted geographies, Government Ministries responsible for youth employment and TVET education, relevant line ministries, regulatory bodies, and local authorities, Financial Ecosystem Stakeholders – Banks, Microfinance Institutions, and other investors, Private Sector Partners to understand their labor needs and ways to engage in the program, Other Donor-Funded or Multilateral Actors, including UNIDO, the World Bank and IFC, and representatives from donor working groups to harmonise approaches
Collaborate with the HR teams in each country to establish a recruitment and onboarding plan.
Participate in the hiring and onboarding of key programme roles, including the Team Lead and Technical Leads
Manage the handover process to the substantive PD including orientation, introduction to key actors, transitional support etc
Work on office set up in conjunction with the Uganda team
Socialise Programme Management Minimum Standards and best practices including PM@MC, and all other relevant standards.
Foster a culture of compliance and accountability among the team with regards to Mercy Corps, donor and government laws, policies, rules and regulations.
Capture lessons learned to improve future project start-ups
Prepare a post-startup work plan to guide transition to regular programme implementation.

Requirements, Qualifications and Competences

BA/BS degree in a relevant field, including development economics, finance, business administration, or a related field relevant to technical education, employment, or private-sector development.
A minimum of 3 to 5 years managing programmes in the field for organisations like Mercy Corps with excellent knowledge of organisation structure, resources and processes, and demonstrated understanding of programme management, policies and minimum standards
Experience in TVET training, MSD4E, innovative financial products.
Experience of working with financial institutions (e.g. banks and Microfinance Institutions) to provide inclusive finance to underserved markets and customers
Strong organisational and work-planning skills.
Experience managing a consortium or operating within a consortium.
Demonstrated attention to detail, meeting deadlines and working and problem-solving independently and cooperatively.
Excellent leadership, negotiation and representation skills.
Experience working in Africa strongly preferred.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. French fluency is a plus.
Ability to work across departments to achieve results in a short period of time.

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a global team of humanitarians working together on the front lines of today’s biggest crises to create a future of possibility, where everyone can prosper.

In more than 30+ countries around the world, nearly 3,400 team members work side by side with people living through poverty, disaster, violent conflict, and the acute impacts of climate change. We’re committed to creating global change through local impact — 95% of our team members are from the countries where they work. We bring a comprehensive approach to every challenge, addressing problems from multiple angles. And we go beyond emergency aid, partnering with local governments, forward-thinking corporations, social entrepreneurs, and people living in fragile communities to develop bold solutions that make lasting change possible.

Our mission is to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities.

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Job Overview

Status Active

Category Administration

Location Kampala

Job Type On-site

Popular Categories

Operations 8 IT 6 Medical 6 Consulting 4 Community 4 Finance 4

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