Asia Program Officer - Regional Program Team - US Remote

Location: Portland, OR; Washington DC; United States Remote

Position Status: Full-time, Exempt, Regular

Salary Level: US Starting Salary for this role will be USD $53,200 to $63,175 commensurate on experience.

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 a long-term impact. 

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps implements a variety of programming throughout Asia in response to the diverse humanitarian and long-term development needs of the region. Our portfolio in the Asia region includes ongoing or future programming in the countries of Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste. Mercy Corps is committed to delivering high quality, high impact programming that reaches communities or individuals in need, wherever they are.  

Each region has a dedicated support team and is a component of the larger Regional Program Team (RPT) based in Mercy Corps' headquarters in Portland, Oregon. RPT is the key point of HQ contact for field management, which includes the Regional Director (RD), Deputy Regional Director (DRD), Country Directors, Program Managers and other Expatriate and National staff. The RPT links the individual country programs to a range of U.S. and international resources and represents the region to potential and current funders and to other organizations and institutions in the US. This full-time PO is a key member of the Asia RPT.  

General Position Summary

The Asia Program Officer will support strategic, impactful, high-quality programming in the Asia Region, particularly in Nepal, Indonesia, and Timor Leste. The Asia Program Officer will support Country Directors in aspects of their country programs and grant administration, including development, implementation, administration and compliance (especially of The Global Fund-funded grants, US Government-funded grants, e.g. USDS BPRM, USAID/BHA), and will play a key role in connecting field teams to HQ resources. The Asia Program Officer will work with the Senior Program Officer (SPO), Regional Director (RD), and Deputy Regional Director (DRD) to provide support to the field in adhering to internal and external policies and regulations.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Program & Grant Administration  

• Serve as HQ point of responsibility for monitoring grants/programs for external/donor requirements and Mercy Corps’ internal policies and requirements.
• Provide ongoing monitoring of the status of programs and complete regular check-ins on grant requirements (such as co-financing/match, BVA, data aggregation, etc.). 
• Support country team’s adherence to Mercy Corps internal policies and Program Management minimum standards.  As identified, support adherence to Mercy Corps’ Complex Programs management standards.

Proposal Development  

• Lead HQ coordination for proposals (unless designated otherwise). Throughout the proposal process, monitor the timeline, status of proposal and communicate to the relevant parties as appropriate.
• The Asia Program Officer ensures that proposals and concept notes are developed in adherence to the defined processes, (such as coordination of calls for proposals.
• The Asia Program Officer reviews draft proposals for coherence and donor requirements and manages submission to the donor.
• The Asia Program Officer may be appointed to a different role in the design process, including taking on lead writing responsibilities, and travel to field if needed.

Partnership Development & Management  

• With guidance from the Senior Program Officer, coordinate partnership negotiation & development, ensuring the necessary teams are engaged, to help further program, country and regional interests.

External Representation 

• With guidance from the Senior Program Officer, represent regional interests and programs with external stakeholders, in concert with the field teams.

Strategy, Planning & Learning  

• With guidance from the Senior Program Officer, support country teams with strategy development and planning. 
• Facilitate learning across country portfolios and regions and share lessons learned and knowledge of agency resources/tools/best practices/etc.

Recruitment and Orientation  

• Participate in the interview process, providing contextual information on Mercy Corps’ programs and realities of the position, and selection for key positions as identified with the recruiting team.
• Provide briefings on context, country strategy and programs to new hires (expats) as initial step in the onboarding process. 

Internal Communication  

• In coordination with the Senior Program Officer, support internal communications and ensure knowledge management systems are up to date and accurate to support communication with other teams.
• Play a greater and more direct role in internal communication management during periods of disaster response.

Knowledge Management 

• In coordination with the Senior Program Officer, ensure management of agency systems and adherence to HQ-related Program Management minimum standards, etc.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES  

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.  
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.  
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options. 

Supervisory Responsibility

The Asia Program Officer position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Senior Program Officer

Works Directly With: Other HQ Program units and other departments, including Resource Development, Finance, Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness, Legal, Policy and Advocacy, Mercy Corps Counterparts at MC HQ offices in Europe; MC donors and partners.

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 Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in International Relations, Economics, International Development or relevant field required.
• 2+ years of professional experience in international relief and development, ideally in the Asia region, with demonstrated knowledge of relevant sectoral and operational areas.
• Experience managing development, implementation, administration and compliance of grant programs (especially for The Global Fund-funded grants, and US Government-funded grants, e.g. USDS BPRM, USAID/BHA, etc.); general program management experience preferred.
• Experience with proposal development including support and writing with various donors, particularly US Government, private foundations and corporations.
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation and other learning efforts.
• Experience representing the organization and its interests to a diverse range of local and international government officials, local civil society organizations, other international organizations, the media and the public preferred.
• Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Prior experience providing program support specifically in the Asia region is a plus.

Success Factors 

The successful candidate demonstrates the skill, professional maturity and finesse required to provide excellent, timely support to the Asia Region. The Asia Program Officer is a problem solver, who is adept in successfully dealing with issues of complexity. The person in this role is proactive and able to work on their initiative. The Asia Program Officer is a skilled communicator, able to develop and utilize strong relationships with staff, partners and donors. The Asia Program Officer will coordinate with their supervisor and be skilled at building highly effective working relationships with Country Directors and their teams. 

The Asia Program Officer will harness the expertise, experience and ideas of Mercy Corps’ diverse program support teams, including members of the Technical Support Unit (TSU), Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness and Social Innovations teams and channel them into impactful partnerships with country programs and the region at large. The Asia Program Officer will work with country teams to ensure that we learn from experience, thoroughly research, analyze context and develop high impact strategies. The Asia Program Officer will be a skilled writer and synthesizer of diverse and complex information, helping teams generate new insights into their work, the needs of their countries and the region and how program impact can be scaled.