Crisis Analysis Team Director

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.

Department / Team SummaryMercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 2007, with a staff of approximately 400 people. Mercy Corps’ national office is in Goma with sub-field offices in North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, and Kasai provinces. Mercy Corps’ key programming areas include a combination of longer-term development and immediate humanitarian response programs in order to: 1) Improve water service delivery and ensuring equitable access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services, in urban and rural areas; 2) Improve food security and nutrition; 3) Promote diversified livelihoods, economic recovery and development. Mercy Corps DRC’s humanitarian programs aim specifically to assist populations affected by the conflict and crisis in Eastern Congo with multi-purpose cash assistance and emergency WASH support to displaced and host populations. Mercy Corps’ Crisis Analysis Teams aggregate and analyze data to improve decision making and access in complex crises. The teams support our programming in Syria, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and other locations. The teams directly contribute to data-driven decision making by layering information from primary sources, open sources and responders’ programmatic data, where it is analysed by subject matter experts and data scientists. This analysis is grounded in Mercy Corps’ status as an operational NGO, keeping products constructive and relevant.Typical products and services range from informal briefings to weekly products, contributions to risk assessments, in-depth assessment of the political economy of a defined geography, deep-dives on specific thematics, etc., ranging in themes from conflict to market systems to governance, in line with programmatic needs.

General Position SummaryThe CAT Director is responsible for driving the vision and strategy for the Crisis Analysis Team (CAT) with the development and delivery of complex analytical products that inform stronger and more effective programming in DR Congo. The CAT Director will lead a team of analysts, and support functions officers, to produce timely and regular, high-level analytical products, including monthly, situational and flash reports, economic and area assessments and thematic products. The CAT Director will ensure the alignment of products and services with internal and external stakeholder priorities, through the development of strong partnerships with the country program, donors and other external stakeholders. They will be a core member of the country team and support programmatic activities in high and extreme risk areas by providing timely strategic humanitarian and crisis analysis. The CAT Director will manage a team that provides MC DR Congo senior leadership with a comprehensive picture of local trends related to access, conflict, emergency response and humanitarian needs through the combination of granular field data with geopolitical analysis in order to forecast changes to the conflict and humanitarian environment.

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND PLANNING

• Articulate and refine the evolving vision for crisis analysis within the DR Congo context, based on Mercy Corps program and analytical needs within the agency's wider strategic response.
• Update and implement an effective strategy based on an understanding of the added value and strengths of ongoing crisis analysis within Mercy Corps’ DR Congo portfolio.
• Ensure buy-in from key internal stakeholders, including Program Directors, Technical Units, Policy and Advocacy teams, HQ-based teams and the Global Crisis Analytics team.
• Contribute to the DR Congo’s overall strategy.
• Identify and develop opportunities for growth and development of the CAT. Lead proposal development efforts to self-fund the activities of the CAT or as components of new/existing programming.
• Maintain and develop partnerships with key analysis & information management actors and strengthen the position of the CAT in the data analysis environment in DRC.

  PROGRAMMING AND OPERATIONS

• Follow closely current events and major trends in the DR Congo humanitarian/crisis response community. Align these priorities with existing field-based analysis where possible to keep outputs current and relevant.
• Lead a team conducting specialized research on historical, political, economic, and social dynamics that impact either the conflict or the humanitarian response.
• Prioritize projects and manage internal team work flows in order to meet changing timelines and immediate information requirements.
• Contribute to the development of high-quality analytical briefs that inform national, regional and global advocacy efforts.
• Design and ensure the timely delivery of an array of analytical products that meet the specific information requirements of the Mercy Corps DR Congo Program, the Country Director, the Policy and Advocacy Team and the Global Crisis Analysis team.
• Support the Country Director, area based teams and Security Director with stakeholder analysis and engagement strategy as part of new areas opening and on an-ongoing basis as the context and programming evolves
• In coordination with the Country Director, strategically organize and lead briefings with donors, coordination forums, and other external stakeholders ensure CAT analysis are shared as appropriate.
• Review CAT’s adherence to Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures, ensuring effective, compliant use of CAT resources.
• Responsibility for the implementation and management of CAT’s budget.

  Supervisory ResponsibilityAnalytical Unit Manager, Research Unit Coordinator, Stakeholder Analysis & Engagement Specialist.

  Accountability Reports Directly To: Country DirectorWorks Directly With: DRC Program Teams; Global Crisis Analytics; Technical Support Units; HQ Emergency and Response Teams; Regional Team; Policy and Advocacy

  Accountability to Participants and StakeholdersMercy 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

• Master’s degree in a relevant field
• At least five years’ experience in security and/or conflict analysis
• At least two years field experience deployed in an active conflict environment
• High-level written and analytical skills
• Experience in liaising with diplomatic and multi-national organizations as well as international NGOs, other non-governmental organizations, donors and academic institutions
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills
• Experience leading, training, and coaching a team
• Competency in Internet and Microsoft Office systems including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and other database/mapping systems
• Fluency in English and French, both written and spoken is required
• Academic, practical, and professional knowledge and experience in the DRC is an asset

  Living Conditions / Environmental ConditionsThe CAT Director is based in Goma in the main MC DRC field office, however the accompanied position allows the CAT Director to live in Gisenyi, Rwanda with family members. Gisenyi, Rwanda is an accompanied and secure location. Housing is in individual accommodation with unlimited freedom of movement beyond the house in Rwanda. There are schools in Rwanda. Staff have full access to medical facilities, electricity, water, internet and standard amenities in Gisenyi, Rwanda. The security conditions in Eastern DRC remain volatile, including in Goma. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available in urban areas. Internet is limited, but available in all Mercy Corps’ offices. Travel to field sites will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are a number of health services available with several evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods.

  Ongoing LearningIn 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 & InclusionAchieving 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. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

  Equal Employment OpportunityMercy 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. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

  Safeguarding & EthicsMercy 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. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.