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 has created an Alumni Talent Pool to support emergency response, transitions and complex program start-up, by fast-tracking Mercy Corps alumni into temporary HR Lead Roles. The initiative focuses on matching qualified team members with urgent country-based needs, for short-term placements (3 months on average). This is an opportunity for senior managers that offers more professional and personal flexibility and access to diverse experiences.
The Role
Our One People Team ensures that Mercy Corps has the people, HR systems, and culture in place to support our managers and allow our team members to thrive. We comprise of teams of HR professionals at country, regional and global level who work together to foster engaged, equitable, inclusive, diverse, and high performing global teams. We do this through building systems and supporting managers to recruit and retain the diverse and high-performing talent we need to meet our goals, shaping this talent into our future leaders through equitable development opportunities, and by driving strategic partnerships at all levels within and outside of our organization. We work with others to steward the organizational culture through our systems, structure, and processes, to create safe, diverse and inclusive teams, and to ensure a positive employee experience for all our people.
As a member of the Global People Team, the temporary HR Lead Roles will work closely with People Team members and with other internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective HR support is provided before, during and after engagement.
Mercy Corps alumni (employed within the last four years) qualified to fill senior Human Resources Roles (HR Director, HR Manager, Emergency HR Lead, Recruitment Lead) will be eligible to join the Alumni Talent Pool. Once selected into the Pool, members will have access to exciting, short-term opportunities in countries where Mercy Corps operates. Between assignments, members will enjoy continued engagement with Mercy Corps and optional professional development and networking opportunities. Responsibilities and supervisory structures will vary depending on the type of assignment and organizational needs within the local context and will be defined in specific Terms of Reference and deliverables for each assignment. Illustrative and general examples include but are not limited to::
HR Director/ Manager
Establish direction by organizing actions and resources, aligning with the country strategy, and prioritizing objectives.
Assist in proposal and budget development to ensure the HR/Admin structure fits mission and project needs.
Revise and implement a countrywide HR strategy, ensuring new offices have adequate support.
Lead and manage a high-performance HR team, focusing on recruitment, onboarding, performance, talent, and learning processes.
Ensure HR policies are aligned with Mercy Corps standards and local labor laws, including salary scales, agreements, and benefits.
Collaborate with leadership and global HR teams to provide expert guidance on HR matters and support startup and close-down operations.
Emergency HR Lead
Lead recruitment processes during emergencies, including drafting Position Descriptions, and ensure alignment with Mercy Corps compliance and local laws.
Design customized onboarding and orientation packages for emergency response, adhering to Mercy Corps ethics standards.
Provide regular psychological assistance pre-deployment and during assignments.
Coordinate with teams on tax, immigration, and employment law considerations, integrating mitigation measures into emergency response processes.
Collaborate with the Emergency Response Human Resources Manager on program startups and closures, and balance urgency with organizational Safeguarding Core Standards.
Recruitment Lead
Provide guidance on accelerated recruitment processes for rapid scale-up or emergency response.
Ensure diversity in candidate pools during recruitment and oversee the entire process, from advertisement to offer letter.
Ensure compliance with Global Safeguarding Core Standards, including MDS checks, RPS, and local background checks.
Guide field teams on best practices for creating emergency response structures and document deviations from standard recruitment processes.
Implement transparent recruitment controls, archive recruitment documents effectively, and build hiring team capacity to identify future talent needs.
SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES
Works to ensure Mercy Corpsโ Safeguarding Standards are integrated and upheld in all areas of HR work.