Assistant Program Officer - Learning & Development
*The starting salary for this role is $17.30-$20.20/hr ($36k-$42k annually) , depending 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 long term impact.
Program / Department Summary
The People and Strategy team ensures that Mercy Corps has the people, strategies and learning that will enable it to be an excellent, cutting-edge, humanitarian organization, creating transformational change in the world. We do this through: the recruitment, retention and development of the best global talent and helping shape this talent into amazing, diverse, high-performing teams, and by driving strategic thinking and planning at all levels of the organization. We steward the organizational culture; align conversations on learning and knowledge management; keep the organization focused on what has the greatest impact; promote dynamic internal communications; leverage our comparative advantages in the crowded and competitive international relief and development landscape; and assure we are constantly learning from our collective experience and the external environment.
The Position
The APO for L&D plays an important role in the project management, administration and communication in support of the agency’s learning portfolio. The learning portfolio currently consists of a coaching initiative, the mid-level Emerging Leaders Program, the Next Generation Leadership program that grooms future Country Directors for challenging environments, and several pilot initiatives over the next year. This is a new role that will work with a dynamic team responsible for the learning programs at the agency.
Essential Responsibilities
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
● Support the development and implementation of tracking and project management tools and systems, including preparing work plans, mid-term assessments and end of project evaluations for each program
● Assist in development of regular portfolio updates to key stakeholders
● Assist with the leadership portfolio selection process as needed
ADMINISTRATION
● Provide overall administrative support to the Learning and Development team
● Participate in and contribute in leadership portfolio planning meetings, including scheduling and note taking
● Support learning portfolio logistics as needed for training programs
● Provide ongoing support for cadre of external coaching, including preparing consulting agreements and supporting with payments
● Schedule events and meetings and be able to host and facilitate conversations
● Provide technical support for distance learning events, as needed, utilizing Zoom and other webinar platforms
COMMUNICATION & COORDINATION
● Support internal communications efforts for the learning and development portfolio, including leveraging social media and existing communication channels
● Support developing internal communications tools and messages
● Support the preparation of internal and external reporting and proposals as needed.
● Facilitate correspondence with leadership portfolio participants and applicants, supervisors and other stakeholders as needed
● Work collaboratively with other key stakeholders engaged in or support of learning and development at Mercy Corps
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Senior Program Officer, Strategy & Learning
Works Directly With: Learning Partners, People and Strategy team, learning program partners and working group members.
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
● BA/S in relevant field required
● 2-4 years of relevant work experience in a professional setting is required
● Experience in one of the following or a related field is required: project management, administration, and/or distance learning
● Strong writing skills and mature communications skills
● Fluency with data presentation and communication tools
● Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work cross-functionally
● Proficiency with MS Office software required (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Suite)
● Demonstrated interest in learning and development in a global setting
● Language skills in French, Arabic or Spanish preferred
Success Factors
The successful candidate is well organized, a collaborator and results driven. They are able to manage a significant amount of information, navigate and track multiple work streams for the timely completion of work plan deliverables. They are a clear communicator, a good writer and able to develop and utilize strong relationships with team members and across functional units in the organization to achieve project objectives. Flexibility and willingness to engage in a wide range of support activities, including basic administrative tasks when needed. A sense of humor and strong interpersonal skills in order to work independently and collaboratively across teams and with a myriad of stakeholders.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Portland, Oregon. Need to able to flex schedule for early morning and late night calls where necessary to coordinate across our global team.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/short term assignment to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and 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
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. 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 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.
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 & 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. 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.