Research Project Director – BHA WASH Activity

*Position contingent upon award*

About Mercy Corps

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.

The Program

Mercy Corps seeks a Project Director for the USAID/BHA-funded “Global WASH Research Award.” An HQ-managed global award ($3M over 3 years) , the anticipated program seeks to generate evidence to support improved speed and targeting of humanitarian WASH interventions and durability of humanitarian water supply infrastructure leading to more efficient and effective WASH programs. Achievement of this goal will contribute to improving the quality of the WASH humanitarian response for communities and households affected by crises.

The Position

The position will serve as the Project Director for the BHA WASH Research Award: Durable Water Supply Systems for Humanitarian Response. The Project Director will provide strategic technical vision and leadership, manage the staff and budget, ensure administrative, fiscal and regulatory oversight of the project, and lead consortium engagement to ensure the project effectively responds to key knowledge needs of USAID/BHA and partners. The role will serve as the principal institutional liaison to USAID, and as needed, with USAID’s implementing partners, and other donors and stakeholders. Additionally, the Project Director will provide technical support and interagency facilitation (5-7%) on the BHA WASH Research Award: Response Timeliness and Targeting Award. S/he will manage multiple workstreams, as well as manage and facilitate the work of external consultants and partners. The Project Director must have strong leadership, teamwork, and communication skills, be familiar with a range of research methods, have strong networks with academic, practitioner, and policy audiences in WASH and related fields, and have a demonstrated ability to link research findings to policy debates and program theories and approaches.

Essential Responsibilities

The Project Director will be responsible for ensuring quality design, implementation, and management of the BHA WASH Research Awards. Essential responsibilities include:

1. Overall technical strategy : Work proactively and regularly with donor and consortium partners, and internal Mercy Corps teams to set and adapt the strategy and approach of the awards to best achieve award objectives.
2. Coordination : Promote coordination and coherence between the awards and related Mercy Corps Evidence and Learning Agenda priorities.
3. Staff management : Lead effective hiring and supervision of the researchers and other staff, including providing them strategic direction, operational support, performance reviews, and mentoring/coaching.
4. Quality assurance : Develop and manage systems to ensure the Mercy Corps deliverables are of high quality. Ensure administrative, fiscal, and regulatory oversight of the project.
5. Budget management : Ensure Mercy Corps’ budget is planned and managed to provide optimal value for money and is regularly revised and communicated to align with the award and Mercy Corps’ priorities.
6. Communications and reporting : Ensure key internal and external stakeholders are aware of major plans, progress, and challenges of the program, including through regular reporting and other communications.

Supervisory Responsibility

Consultants, research partners, research assistants, and interns as required.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Senior Director, Research & Learning

Works Directly With: Global Water Security Director and WSSH team (Senior Advisors), Research and Learning, Policy and Advocacy, Communications, Technical Resources and Quality Assurance Unit, and Regional and Country teams

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.

Minimum Qualification

1. Master’s degree in hydrology, environmental sciences, economics, public health or other relevant discipline at a minimum. Ph.D. preferred.
2. Significant leadership experience in each of the following areas, totaling at least 10 years: research, technical expertise in humanitarian response (experience in WASH required), and project management;
3. Minimum of five years of demonstrated leadership and senior managerial experience overseeing a team (or teams) of cross-cutting expertise in support staff and/or consultants;
4. Excellent leadership, management and team building skills that include the ability to mentor and coach peers within the team and across teams working as part of a consortium.
5. Excellent analytical skills that include both an attention to detail and an ability to grasp complex theories and conceptual frameworks.
6. Excellent representation and communication skills, including demonstrated ability to convey research findings and their implications to multiple audiences, including senior policy makers, practitioners and academics.
7. Strong networks, relationships, and profile with major external actors, including policy and academic audiences.
8. Intimate understanding of major policy issues, program theories, and academic discourse on WASH and water security issues.
9. Willingness and ability to travel to Mercy Corps project sites, field locations, including traveling to insecure environments, is required (15-20%).
10. Fluency in English is required; French, Spanish, or another second language strongly preferred.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in any Mercy Corps locations, with preference for Washington, D.C., and it requires up to 20% travel to support award activities, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations 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 organization 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.

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.

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.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

• US Starting Salary for this role will be USD 100,500 to $127,000 commensurate on experience.
• Based on local benchmark for candidates outside the United States.