Location: Panyijar, South Sudan
Position Status: Full-time
Contract Duration: 7 months
Risk Level: X Level 3 ☐Level 2 ☐Level 1
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.
DEPARTMENT/ PROGRAM SUMMARY
Mercy Corps South Sudan
Mercy Corps has been present in South Sudan since 2005 and acts on behalf of people who have become displaced and disenfranchised by the ongoing conflict. With funding from a multitude of donors including the UK Department for International Development (DFID - FCDO), Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), European Union, NORAD, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Private Foundations, Mercy Corps has been able to empower people to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good. In South Sudan our work focusing on the delivery of timely humanitarian interventions, improving food security and livelihood options through and market systems development, and governance for supporting civil society empowerment With emphasis on conflict-affected youth, women, as well as IDPs and host communities, we champion and lead state-of-the art relief and recovery approaches through gender mainstreaming, market systems development, partnership, addressing root causes, adaptive management, and resilience approaches.
The Project Team Lead will provide leadership and oversight for the GFD program, reporting to the Director of Programs. The program delivers lifesaving, in-kind food assistance to vulnerable populations affected by conflict, floods, displacement, and economic shocks in Panyijiar, Leer, and Mayendit, following WFP GFD SOPs to ensure safe, equitable, and accountable distributions.
The Team Lead is responsible for managing project implementation, ensuring adherence to contractual obligations, compliance requirements, and donor conditions while maintaining scope, schedule, and budget. The role integrates cross-cutting considerations such as gender, disability, and safeguarding, applies the Do No Harm principles, supervises procurement and administrative staff, and oversees project facilities and assets to support efficient and compliant operations.
Essential Responsibilities
Strategy and Planning
Project Management
Reports Directly To: Director Of Programs
Works Directly With: FSL Advisor, MEAL and CARM Manager, HR Manager, International Senior Finance Manager, and Logistics Team
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.
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.
A successful Project Team Lead -GFD will demonstrate the highest professional standards of ethics and integrity, with a strong commitment to enforcing compliance with Mercy Corps’ internal policies and donor regulations. The Team Lead will possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively engage with internal teams, WFP, government authorities, NGO partners, and other stakeholders on sensitive or confidential matters. They must be able to navigate complex and challenging field conditions in a calm, analytical, and methodical manner.
The role requires the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and process information to support adaptive programming in a dynamic humanitarian context. A strong understanding of humanitarian food assistance and development programs, coupled with the ability to analyze operational and financial data and clearly present findings and recommendations, is essential for success in this position.
The position is based in Panyijar, Unity State, South Sudan, and requires frequent field travel within the project area to support GFD activities. Travel may include insecure or remote locations with limited access to basic services and amenities, and where freedom of movement may be constrained. Staff are expected to adapt to challenging field conditions while maintaining operational effectiveness and personal safety.
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
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.
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.
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).