Director, Contract Compliance

Location: Portland, OR, Washington, DC or US Remote
Valid unrestricted work authorization in the country in which you will be based (United States) is required at the time of application for this position.
Position Status: Full-time, Regular, Exempt
Salary: The salary range for this role is $90,000 - $114,000 USD commensurate on experience and location.

The Program

The Grants Compliance Support Unit (GCSU) provides support to Mercy Corps’ Country Office and Global Support Team operations through its subject matter expertise in the interpretation and application of donor regulations and related internal policies. Areas of support include: (1) donor regulations training for our teams and key partners, (2) technical guidance through consultation and complex program collaboration, (3) creation and maintenance of award compliance materials and templates, (4) support for subaward administration, with an emphasis on drafting compliant subaward agreements and modifications, and (5) USG contract compliance (system and policy). Our mission is to increase the level of knowledge and availability of tools and resources to promote the highest possible standards of accountability, transparency, efficiency, and donor compliance.

The Position

US government (USG) contracting is a new area key to Mercy Corps’ operating model and this position will manage the multi-sectoral change initiatives required to pursue and execute on USG contracts/acquisition instruments. The role will also support guidance on proposals for contracts with a view on implementation and compliance to support Mercy Corps’ strategic plan. Director, Contract Compliance will be responsible for training and mentoring staff within GCSU and other teams to support successful contract proposal development and implementation.

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP

• As part of Grants Compliance Support Unit (GCSU) senior leadership team serve as a key partner and relationship builder to strengthen collaboration within GCSU and with other Mercy Corps departments, including Mercy Corps Europe.
• Provide senior management guidance to support all aspects of USG contract development and implementation.
• Evaluate training and resource needs to support country-based contract programs.
• Interpret terms and conditions as well as associated rules and regulations, as they apply to competing, negotiating and administering contracts.

SYSTEMS AND SUPPORT FUNCTIONS

• As part of contract readiness activities, work cross functionally to support the development of policies, guidelines, procedures, standards, work processes, manuals, metrics and methodologies for successful and comprehensive contract management.
• Manage contract compliance support function to respond to questions and concerns by teams working on developing proposals and escalated questions from the award compliance group regarding implementing contracts and subcontracts.
• Collaborate closely with the Senior Director, Cost and Pricing, New Initiatives team, and other units to develop, review and update Mercy Corps policies, tools, templates and guidelines as needed to ensure optimal implementation of proposal review and submission
• Collaborate with International Finance, Regional Program Teams (RPT) and country offices to develop, review and update Mercy Corps policies, tools, and templates to ensure clear understanding of USG contract compliance requirements.
• Capture and disseminate best practices on contract compliance across teams to ensure highest quality and standards
• Design training modules on USG contract compliance issues and provide periodic trainings, via webinar or in-person, on contract requirements and procedures; coordinate training approach with GCU training lead.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Actively learns about 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

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Senior Director, Grants and Contracts- Compliance

Works Directly With: Mercy Corps Europe’s Compliance team, Regional Program Team, Country leadership, Corporate Finance, International Finance, Internal Audit as well as cross-operations departments including People and Strategy, Global Procurement, Monitoring and Evaluation, IT, Legal & Ethics, etc.

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 Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• Minimum 6+ years of progressive USG prime contract management experience in a medium to large organization, including responsibility for compliance, donor regulations, financial management and subcontract management is required.
• An expert knowledge of the rules and regulations governing the management of U.S. Government and other donor-funded grants is required.
• Experience setting up systems and processes for USG contracts compliance
• Demonstrated experience and expertise with USAID rules and regulations (particularly FAR and AIDAR), procurement processes and thresholds, and cost allowability.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, in a multicultural, face-to-face and virtual environment and with all levels of the organization.
• Strong record of successfully managing complex matrixed internal relationships and partnerships across all levels of an organization
• Strong customer focus and understanding of how to deliver and communicate new ideas and change across diverse teams.
• Effective verbal and written communication, analytical, organizational and prioritization skills as well as training and leadership abilities are necessary.
• Experience working for an NGO with USAID funding as well as a broad range of other donors is essential

Success Factors

The successful Director Contract Compliance will have expert knowledge of the regulations governing US government contracts. They can effectively balance strong internal controls with the timely and efficient delivery of programs to Mercy Corps’ beneficiaries. This person brings strong leadership, project management, training and mentoring skills and is able to establish and meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members. This position will need to work successfully across functions in a matrixed international organization. They will have excellent verbal and written communication with both financial and non-financial audiences and are able to communicate contract compliance concepts to technical and non-technical audiences. Success will be based on a positive attitude, strong work ethic and high integrity.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position requires up to 15% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.