Description 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 solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. Program / Department Summary Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 storm, made direct landfall on Puerto Rico on September 20, just two weeks after Hurricane Irma passed over the northern end of the island, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power. With sustained winds of 64 mph and gusts of 153 mph, Hurricane Maria was the strongest storm to hit Puerto Rico since 1928. Maria dropped as much as 39 inches of rain in parts of Puerto Rico, leading to widespread flooding, compounded by significant storm surge. In the wake of the hurricane, the entire power grid was destroyed, leaving 3.4 million people, including hospitals and other emergency services, without electricity. Almost four months after the storm, many municipalities still lack access to running water, while many more lack electricity. Following Hurricane Maria, Mercy Corps is supporting relief and recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. We have a team in Puerto Rico that is working with local organizations to deliver humanitarian assistance and rebuild communities ravaged by the hurricane. As we see elsewhere around the world, disaster recovery and resilience requires a concerted, multi-stakeholder effort that involves meaningful coordination among local organizations, government agencies, and communities. The first phase of the project emphasized emergency relief, which included the delivery of water filters, solar lanterns, and cash transfer to affected households. Mercy Corps Puerto Rico is beginning a second phase focused on building Resilience Hubs within existing community centers, which will be equipped with solar energy and water filtration systems. This phase also aims to help smallholder farmers recover from lost harvests and integrate resilient agriculture methods to enhance their preparedness for climatic changes or future storms. General Position Summary The Project Assistant provides programmatic and administrative support to the Project Manager and Project Officer for the growth and implementation of high-quality and impact programming in Puerto Rico. S/he plays a key role in managing information and data regarding program progress and impact. S/he supports program implementation, including delivery of services and goods in coordination with community partners as directed. S/he has strong M/E reporting skills and provides support to the M/E Officer assuring timely and accurate data management and report generation. Essential Job Responsibilities PROGRAM DELIVERY: Maintain communication with local partners to ensure quality program delivery in rural municipalities throughout Puerto Rico. Responsibilities include supporting the planning and coordination of logistics for Project Team travel and workshops, maintain regular communication with project partners and beneficiaries, and supporting service delivery. REPORTING: Support the Monitor and Evaluation Officer with reporting responsibilities, including drafting and or proofreading final reports to institutional donors and internal summaries of program activities. ADMINISTRATION: Proactively support administrative tasks for office as directed by Project Management, including maintaining required documentation, processing purchase requests, expense reports, and travel approvals, organizing program files, and general knowledge management support. ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING: As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves. ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Supervisory Responsibility None. Accountability Reports Directly to: Project Manager Works Directly with: Project Manager, Project Officer, Monitor and Evaluation Officer. Knowledge and Experience BA/S in International Development or related field highly preferred. A combination of relevant professional experience with education might be considered in place of a university degree. 1-3 years of demonstrated experience in providing administrative/coordination support for project management. 1-3 demonstrable history of monitoring and evaluation reporting and support. Proven ability to communicate effectively with colleagues from various backgrounds and cultures. Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Prior NGO or international development experience preferred. Preference given to candidates with prior work experience in Puerto Rico. Knowledge of relevant technical sectors (emergency relief, Disaster Risk Reduction, economic development, agriculture, water) preferred. English and Spanish languages proficiency required. Success Factors The Project Assistant must be a detail-oriented multi-tasker who is able to communicate clearly and work under pressure. S/he must demonstrate patience, flexibility, and able to take initiative to solve problems. Vital skills include communication (both written and verbal), as well as building and maintaining effective internal and external relationships. S/he must demonstrate the ability to understand and follow agency procedures, meet deadlines, and work both independently and as part of a complex distanced-based, multi-cultural team. An exposure to and interest in international development issues is important, and an understanding of the complex challenges faced by program teams operating in economic recovery is important. SDL2017
