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 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutionsinto action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps works in places of transition, where conflict, disaster, political upheaval, or economic collapse present opportunities to build more secure, productive, and just communities. Providing emergency relief in times of crisis, we move quickly to help communities recover and build resilience to future shocks and promote sustainable change by supporting community-led and market-driven initiatives.

The HR Manager manages the vast and complex HR needs for the Syria program, within the defined portfolio. The HR team’s focus is on qualitative improvements in systems, policy, and process, and in a transition phase to becoming a strategic HR partner that drives innovative people and culture thinking and initiatives at the country level.

General Position Summary

The HR Manager will lead and support the HR team in NWS as well as ensuring the cohesion of the different team supporting NWS activities and based in different location (Jordan and Syria). The HRM is responsible for ensuring comprehensive Human Resources support for assigned team members within the Syria country program portfolio. The HRM supports the delivering of HR workplans and ensure efficiency of the HR department across the assigned portfolio, provides generalist HR management, including ensuring compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures and supports the HR team in ensuring timely and sound HR service provision.

Essential Job Responsibilities

STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

• Build relationships and work closely with the various stakeholders involved in NWS activities (both in Jordan and Syria) to understand the program portfolio and operational priorities.
• Advocate for and support revised systems and processes, ensuring the HR team has visibility on programmatic and operational priorities and can plan, anticipate, and resource HR support, in advance for NWS teams sitting in Jordan and Syria in close collaboration with the MCS Amman HR team.
• Ensure HR services are provided on time, with high quality and compliant with policies and manuals for NWS teams sitting in Jordan and Syria in close collaboration with the MCS Amman HR team.
• Provide organizational design guidance and leadership to managers for NWS teams sitting in Jordan and Syria in close collaboration with the MCS Amman HR team.
• HR focal point for NWS proposal development
• Hold a strong understanding of Mercy Corps’ global HR policies, to advise HR processes in the Syria country program.
• Supports team cohesion and team dynamic through relevant forum, meetings and initiatives for NWS teams sitting in Jordan and Syria in close collaboration with the MCS Amman HR team.
• Represent HR in the AMG for NWS
• Lead assigned HR projects.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Provide leadership and support to team members to maximize performance & reach objectives.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive and to achieve excellence.
• Promote inter-hub support between HR teams, particularly in critical workload periods.

HR OPERATIONS

• in close collaboration with the MCS Amman HR team.
• Identify opportunities to make HR operations more efficient, accurate and address the broader business needs.
• Provide capacity development to teams to build HR Operations expertise.
• Coordinate and ensure quality implementation of HR operational areas across the assigned portfolio, including in areas focused on; HR administration, payroll, implementation of process, policy and systems, performance management, talent development, reporting and analysis and onboarding and employee relations.
• Ensure quality HR actions and provide HR approvals as per the authorization matrix.

RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, PLACEMENT AND OFFBOARDING

• in close collaboration with the MCS Amman HR team.
• Ensure coordination with department heads to identify and plan for needed resources and facilitate hiring requests in line with Mercy Corps recruiting policies.
• Guide hiring managers through an effective and qualitative process and supervise the recruitment of national staff, ensuring adherence to relevant SOPs.
• Provide induction on recruitment practices, and refresher training to team members and hiring managers.
• Ensure that exit processes for staff departing Mercy Corps are conducted in line with the HR policies and Mercy Corps requirements. 

HUMAN RESOURCE ADMINISTRATION

• Accountable for accurate personnel and job files as per MC procedures, within the assigned portfolio.
• Accountable for accurate reporting, whilst utilizing data to identify trends, inform priorities, and influence HR and leadership workstreams.
• Verify that administrative processes are followed accurately and allow for accurate and timely data and analysis.
• Facilitate common HR practices and information sharing through engagement with other offices in the region.

Supervisory Responsibility

Direct: HR Coordinator / HR officer

Indirectly: Officer(s) and assistant(s)

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Area Director and technical report to HRD – Syria - TBD.

Works Directly With: Syria HR team, Area Directors, Program and Support Managers and Supervisors, all departments, all team members in Amman and Lebanon.

Knowledge and Experience

• Candidate with a diploma (We refer to Diploma for high school diploma or below or anything below bachelor’s degree) or no degree, a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in HR is required, with at least 3 years’ experience supervising a team within the humanitarian NGO sector.
• Candidate with an undergraduate degree (We refer to Undergraduate for bachelor’s degree) a minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience in HR is required, with at least 3 years’ experience supervising a team within the humanitarian NGO sector.
• Candidate with graduate and/or postgraduate degree (we refer to Graduate for master’s degree; Postgraduate for PhD.) A minimum of 4 years’ relevant experience in HR is required, with at least 3 years’ experience supervising a team within the humanitarian NGO sector.
• Experience managing a HR function, at manager level, of at least 2 years.
• Demonstrated understanding of complex emergencies, remote management, related security concerns and appropriate responses with experience in the Middle East and in insecure environments desirable.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, following procedures, meeting deadlines, and working and problem- solving independently and cooperatively.
• Knowledge and experience in organizational design is desirable.
• Excellent negotiation and representation skills.
• Effective verbal and written communication, organizational, prioritization and Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent oral and written Arabic & English required.
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse team in a sensitive environment.

How to apply:

Preferable to receive CVs before October 25, 2023.

*If you are interested, kindly apply as soon as possible, since resumes will be reviewed on rolling basis. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted before the submission deadline.

“Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision, and we encourage people from all backgrounds, especially women, to apply.”

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Success Factors

The individual will have a solid understanding of Human Resources in the humanitarian or development context. The individual will have experience and confidence to lead a team, achieve results and understand priorities, will be a strong communicator, with a solid HR background and understanding. The individual will be able to transfer knowledge to team members and lead planning that runs across functions as relates to people. The successful candidate will have the ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel and a demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing priorities. 

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.