Regional Technical, Evidence and Learning Director (TEQ) - Africa

Department:

Programs function – Africa

Nairobi, Dakar or other Africa location where Mercy Corps has field presence

Employee Type:

Full-time MCG Expat (where MC has an office) or National

Risk Level:

☐Level 3☐Level 2☐Level

(Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.

Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.

Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data)

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.

In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions

into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Now, and for the future.

About the Region

MercyCorpsworks across 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, leading a large and diverse portfolio of programming with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected countries and regions. Across the region, Mercy Corps works to address the interrelated and compounding factors thatdrive vulnerability, including conflict and climate shocks, responding to humanitarian needs while strengthening the systems that contribute to stability, economic growth, inclusive governance and sustainable service delivery.Key areas of focus include resilience, economic opportunity, market systems development, climate adaptation, water security, food security, governance, peacebuilding, youth employment and humanitarian response.The region also presents growing opportunities for private-sector engagement, blended finance, and innovative partnership models, enabling Mercy Corps to bridgerelief and long-term developmentneedsthrough climate-smart, evidence-drivenand market-orientedprogramming.

Position Summary

The Regional Technical,Evidenceand LearningDirector (TEQ)isa key leadership role within theAfricaRegional Program Team,responsible for strengthening technical excellence, evidence use, learning, innovation and program quality across Mercy Corps' portfolio in Africa.The Technical Director works closely withcountryteams, regional leadership, technical advisors andglobalprogramsandsupport teams to ensure country programs have access to the expertise, resources and systems needed to design, implement and adapt high-quality programs that achieve meaningful and sustainable impact.The Technical Director leads the regional technical team and serves as the primary focal point for technical resources, program quality standards, learning and technical capacity strengthening across the region. The role promotes the use of Mercy Corps' program models, technical frameworks andprogrammingcommitments to strengthen program effectiveness, improve outcomes, generateevidence and support organizational learning.The Technical Director also provides senior technical leadership for strategic business development opportunities and supports Mercy Corps' efforts to position itself as a recognized leader in delivering innovative, evidence-driven andlocally-ledprogramming across Africa.

Essential

Responsibilities

STRATEGY & VISION

Support the development and implementation of an ambitious and compelling regional technical and evidence strategy for the consolidatedAfricaregion, in alignment with the P2P framework, in close collaboration with regional and country teams acrosstheregion.

Support Country Teams acrossAfricain the successful development and implementation of their country strategies and annual implementation plans.

Work as a key partner totheRegionalProgramsDirector to drive and implement an impactful regional strategy across the consolidated region.

Work closely with the Business Development Senior Advisorsto ensure compelling proposals are submitted with high-quality technical input and designs that draw on Mercy Corps’ evidence base.

Promote collaboration and close coordination between Technical,Evidence andQuality(TEQ)teams to ensure technical inputs feed into the Global and/or Regional Evidence and Learning Agenda, program strategies, program modelsand country learning priorities acrosstheregion.

TEAM LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

Supervise the Regional Technical Advisors — including theMarket Systems DevelopmentAdvisor,GESI Advisor andMEL Advisors (x2) — and create acollaborative, accountable, high-performing regional technical team that delivers timely and quality support toprograms.

Develop efficient systems to identify support needs of country teams and ensure that programs access quality, relevant and timely support from Globaland RegionalProgramSupportteams.

Line manage and support select Regional Programs to support high quality program start-up and delivery, consistent donor engagement and compliance, strategic business development and growth, and evidence generation and dissemination.

Foster strong collaboration between country teams, regional technical resources and Global Programs & Support teams.

Support succession planning and professional development for regional technical talent.

Fill in as needed for either Regional Programs Director, ProgramLeadership, and field leadership during leave and/or leadership gaps as necessary.

PROGRAM SUPPORT & QUALITY

Ensure country teams have access to technical support and resources to deliver quality-based and technically sound programs across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.

Ensure all programs adhere to minimum program management standards, technical standards and best practices, and disseminate and promote new tools and guidance developed by global teams.

Promote consistent quality assurance processes and technical review mechanisms throughout the program lifecycle.

Lead capacity strengthening and learning initiatives acrossAfricato ensure country teams continue expanding their technical knowledge and expertise over time, in close coordination withTEQteams.

Identify opportunities to scale promising practices, innovative approaches and proven models across country programs.

Support country teams to strengthen program design, implementation, adaptation and scale through technically sound and evidence-based approaches.

Foster stronger linkages between country programs, regional technical priorities and global technical leadership to maximize learning, consistency and impact across the Africa portfolio.

Monitor trends in program quality across the portfolio and support targeted improvement initiatives where required.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, DESIGN, AND IMPLEMENTATION

Work closely with global, regional and country teams on any new business opportunities that require strong technical leadership, input, and review.

Support regional and country teams acrossAfricato identify, explore, and pursue funding opportunities that support regional and country technical strategy objectives, including promoting Mercy Corps’ program models in design processes.

Support — and when relevant, lead — the development of evidence-based technical concept notes, proposals, and other funding requests, ensuring quality submissions that maximize chances for success, including sourcing internal or external technical expertise to assist, in close collaboration with the Business Development Senior Advisors.

Position Mercy Corps for strategic funding opportunities that build on country and/or regional programmatic priorities and technical excellence acrosstheregion.

Work closely with global program support units to ensure resources are available to country teams when needed and to facilitate continuous quality improvement of field programs, especially during rapid growth.

PREPOSITIONING, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & REPRESENTATION

Play an active and visible role in prepositioning efforts acrossAfrica, working alongside country and regional teams to engage donors and partners ahead of funding opportunities, strengthen Mercy Corps’ positioning, and build the technical credibility of the organization intheregion.

Represent Mercy Corps in donor meetings, technical working groups, inter-agency coordination forums, and other external events as required, showcasing the organization’s technical expertise, evidence base, and program impact across the consolidated region.

Build and maintain strategic relationships with donors, UN agencies, research institutions, private sector actors, and other partners relevant to Mercy Corps’ technical priorities inAfrica.

Support the development of technical positioning papers, capacity statements, and other materials that strengthen Mercy Corps’ profile with key donors and partners acrosstheregionwhile ensuring dissemination to these technical documents to the right stakeholders, both internally and externally.

Provide technical input and leadership during proposal development processes, ensuring that BD submissions draw on the latest evidence, reflect programmatic learning, and demonstrate Mercy Corps’ distinctive technical value, in close collaboration with the Business Development Senior Advisorsand country teams.

EVIDENCE AND LEARNING

Oversee MEL technical support acrosstheregions and serve as a key enabler for advancing the regional Evidence and Learning (E&L) Agendaand/or prioritiesand assessing program performance.

Act as a bridge between technical and MEL functions, promoting integration and coherence in program design, implementation, and review.

Lead coordination between technical advisors and MEL counterparts to ensure that programs generate, document, and use evidence effectively.

Champion the use ofevidence inbusiness development opportunities,decision-making and adaptive management across all regional and country-level programs.

Support regional technical and MEL communities of practice and joint learning initiatives spanningtheregion.

Support and contribute to research-specific opportunities in the region, from design stage to implementation and evaluation.

Champion evidence-driven programming and promote the systematic use of data, research and learning to improve program performance and decision-making.

Foster collaboration and knowledge exchange across country programs to strengthen learning and replication of successful approaches.

Support the generation, documentation and dissemination of evidence, lessons learned and promising practices from programs across Africa.

SYSTEMS & PLANNING

Develop and implement internal systems for tracking technical support requests, priorities, and deliverables acrossthe region.

Maintain a detailed planning system to cost technical advisors appropriately across country and regional programs and oversee the development of all related administrative aspects (SoWs, Budgets, etc.).

Work closely withthe Regional Programs Directorand regional operations teams to align technical resource planning and budgeting across the consolidated region.

REPRESENTATION & COORDINATION

Ensure program coordination and information sharing within and between regional and country teams acrossAfrica, to maximize efficiency and cross-learning.

Represent the region in Global Programs & Support working groups, while amplifying regional and country technical needs to advocate for additional support.

Identify and pursue areas for thought leadership, including building connections with donors, private sector partners, academia and other actors, showcasing Mercy Corps’ program impact and promoting the region’s capabilities, expertise, innovation, strategic vision, and values.

SAFEGUARDING

Actively learnsabout 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

Regional Technical Advisors acrossAfrica, comprising:Regional MSDAdvisor;GESIAdvisor;MEL Advisors (x2); and any other technical advisors joining the regional team over time.Supervise Regional Programs as assigned and agreed.

Accountability

Reports Directly To:AfricaRegionalProgramsDirector.

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.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Detailed understanding of the finance, operations and administration mechanisms that support a grant/project implementation life cycle.

Demonstrated ability to think strategically, and to solve complex problems at an organizational level.

Confident communication skills applicable to donor relations, prepositioning, and inter-agency coordination.

Ability to handle multiple issues at one time, especially in emergency situations, and to organize and prioritize accordingly.

Required

Education

and

Experience

BA/BS or equivalent in international development, political or social science, public administration, business managementrequired;MA preferred.

At least 7 years’ field

in senior management related to technical support and advisory, and/or direct program development and implementation.

Direct

managing and supervising large, geographically dispersed teams, as well as mentoring and development.

Demonstrated technical and/or evidence generation

in one of Mercy Corps’ outcome or sub-outcome/distinctive areas of P2P.

Demonstrated proficiency and

with US, UK, EU, UN and other public and private donors, government grant and financial management requirements.

Demonstrated

in business development and donor prepositioning, including representation in donor-facing settings and contribution to competitive proposal processes.

Demonstrated understanding of the critical humanitarian and development issuesfacing Africa, and significant

with the challenges of operating in these contexts.

An internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work.

Knowledge of Sphere standards and other training in humanitarian response preferred.

Fluency in written and spoken English required; proficiency inFrenchor another language spoken in the region is an asset.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The role is open to both National and International candidates(whereMC has an office).The successful candidate will be based in one of the countries in Africa where Mercy Corps has a presence.The role requires up to 30% travelwithinthe region, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/short term assignment to a field posting. Staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and valuesat all timesand in all in-country venues.

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.

Team Engagement and Effectiveness

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals wecome into contact withthrough 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 IASCand have signed on to the

Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme

.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 Conductelearningcourses upon hire and on an annual basis.

At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.

Before applying, please make sure that you have read the

in technical support and program development

managing large, dispersed teams

Demonstrated technical

in Mercy Corps' focus areas

Proficiency with donor

Requirements

for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.

Summary by Impactpool

The Regional Technical, Evidence and Learning Director (TEQ) for Africa is a leadership role focused on enhancing technical excellence and program quality across Mercy Corps' initiatives in the region. This position involves collaborating with country teams and regional leadership to implement effective strategies and ensure access to necessary resources. The Director will lead a regional technical team, promote evidence-driven programming, and support business development efforts. Additionally, the role includes fostering partnerships and representing Mercy Corps in various external forums.

Candidate

BA/BS in international development or related field; MA

and business development

Fluency in English; proficiency in French or other regional languages is a plus

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Regional Technical, Evidence and Learning Director (TEQ)- Africa

Mercy Corps

Nairobi, Dakar

Both national and international

Executive level

Speaks English, French

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Preferred Qualifications

At least 7 years of senior management