Community Accountability Systems Project Manager

Location: Mercy Corps locations, flexible remote

Employee Type: Full-time

Contract: Fixed-Term, 12 months

Reporting To: Global Senior Advisor, Community Accountability

Salary: UK base starting salary for this role will be 44,320GBP - commensurate on experience. Other locations subject to local benchmark.

Closing date: Please submit CV and cover letter by end of May 12th

Position Summary
The Accountability Systems Project Manager will join the Technical Resources and Quality (TRaQ) Unit. The TRaQ Unit supports country-led work to deliver measurable impact, leads agency thinking in technical and program management areas, and ensures quality programming while elevating agency visibility. This position will be part of the Program Standards team which supports effective, efficient and equitable program and portfolio performance through a culture of quality management, to achieve greater impact for those that matter most -- our program participants. The Program Standards Team oversees several business processes including Community Accountability, Program Management, Program Management Analytics; Quality Distributions, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, Process Improvement and Program Management Learning and Development.

The Accountability Systems Project Manager will lead the design, piloting, and global deployment of the ZenDesk application to automate Mercy Corps' feedback mechanisms - Community Accountability Response Mechanism (CARM). They will develop user guides and training materials to facilitate onboarding and ensure the project stays on track—delivering within scope, on schedule, and within budget. The Accountability Systems Project Manager will also build standardized and automated processes to support the regular analysis, and presentation of The Accountability Systems Project Manager will also support the analysis, presentation and socialization of Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) data and improvement plan and Grand Bargain Data.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Project Management & Implementation

• Lead the end-to-end rollout of ZenDesk for global CARM, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and accountability standards.
• Develop and manage project plans, timelines, and deliverables, ensuring the project stays on scope, schedule, and budget.
• Lead the development of an automated process to analyze and present CHS and Grand Bargain data
• Coordinate with IT, CARM, program teams, and external vendors to configure and customize ZenDesk as needed.
• Oversee pilot testing, evaluate results, and implement necessary adjustments before full-scale deployment.

PROGRAM QUALITY

• Provide technical support to program teams across the Mercy Corps portfolio of countries, including those in complex crisis environments to understand their needs and ensure ZenDesk supports effective and inclusive community accountability.
• Collaborate with Mercy Corps’ accountability teams to integrate ZenDesk with existing CARM processes.
• Maintain standards of program delivery through application of agency approaches and compliance with relevant regulations and requirements; Increase program capacity regarding automated processes of CARM within Mercy Corps through developing, and disseminating tools such as training and workshops, manuals, case studies, webinars and monitoring and evaluation tools.

LEARNING AND IMPACT

• Provide in-country and remote training about CARM automation for Mercy Corps staff, partners, and programs with best practice advice and assistance on assessment, implementation, research, and evaluation.
• Develop user guides, training materials, and other resources to support onboarding and effective use of ZenDesk.
• Provide ongoing support and troubleshooting to ensure smooth adoption of ZenDesk.

System Monitoring & Continuous Improvement

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and mechanisms to assess system effectiveness and end-user adoption.
• Identify and address technical or operational challenges, working with IT and program teams to refine processes.
• Ensure ZenDesk is optimized for reporting and data management to support evidence-based decision-making.

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

RISK MANAGEMENT & COMPLIANCE

• Ensure the ZenDesk implementation aligns with Mercy Corps’ CARM policy, data security, and privacy regulations.
• Identify potential risks related to system adoption and develop mitigation strategies.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Comfortable working with diverse teams; fosters an environment of inclusion and collaboration
• Creative, adaptive, and flexible; consistently acts with integrity
• Detail-oriented with the ability to multitask, prioritize, and work under tight deadlines within complex team environments
• Exceptional writing skills; effective and clear communication overall
• Excellent external relationship and partnership management, prioritizing elevating Mercy Corps’ and technical team’s reputations.

Required Education and Experience

• 2 to 4 years providing technical support in the relevant field of expertise such as Community Engagement and Accountability and Information Management that includes:
• Combining strong theoretical and applied knowledge of the field of expertise.
• Bachelor’s degree, preferred M.A., or equivalent in a field related to the TRaQ team or equivalent work experience e.g. Development Studies, Social Sciences, Social Work, International Relations, or related fields); preferred e.g. Core Humanitarian Standards Training.
• Proven experience in building and implementing inclusive community feedback mechanisms in humanitarian contexts
• Proven experience developing and socializing feedback automation systems such as ZenDesk or similar (e.g. EspoCRM), knowledge of kobo toolbox/ODK preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of international standards and frameworks related to community accountability/Accountability to Affected People (AAP)/social accountability, and operational challenges in this area;
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative data analysis and presentation related to community accountability (e.g. CHS self-assessment data, community feedback data)
• Experience in providing organizational recommendations based on performance measurement;
• Demonstrated knowledge, commitment and experience with diversity, equity and inclusion in development/humanitarian programming
• Experience developing and implementing remote and in-person capacity strengthening (trainings and guidance manuals) for diverse groups of learners; preferred Knowledge and / or experience of theories and practice related to adult learning;
• Proficiency with MS Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and Google suite (Google drive,
• docs, sheets);
• Fluency in English is required; fluency in a foreign language preferred.

Living, Travel & Environmental Conditions

This position can be based at the person’s home location, as applicable. There may be some travel required, estimated between 10-15% to support country programs in piloting ZenDesk, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing for this role is in individual housing and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard.

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 Efficiency 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 that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out different 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 and 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 Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).

How to apply

learn more and apply here: Mercy Corps Careers - Community Accountability Systems Project Manager, various Mercy Corps locations