Country Director – South Sudan & Uganda

Location: Juba, South Sudan

Position Status: Full-time, Exempt, Regular

Salary Level: Field Level 7  

Risk Level:     ☒ Level 3       ☐ Level 2         ☐ Level 1  

Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.   

Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children. 

Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data)  

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is transitioning to Prosper Global. As the transition is being implemented by location, you may see the Mercy Corps and Prosper Global names used concurrently during this period. This is an administrative transition, and our teams, programs and commitments continue without interruption. 

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 

Mercy Corps takes a unified, highly strategic approach, leveraging decades of experience in South Sudan (since 2005) and Uganda (since 2006) to drive profound, systemic transformation. As a region of considerable strategic interest and high growth potential for the agency, our combined portfolio bridges immediate humanitarian response with long-term development. We empower host communities, IDPs, returnees, refugees, and marginalized pastoralist populations to recover from crisis, build better lives, and transform their communities for good. Backed by a diverse donor base—including FCDO, the European Commission, United Nations, DANIDA, AFD, ADA, and the governments of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Austria, alongside private foundations—our unified presence turns complex regional challenges into sustainable, transformative opportunities for last-mile communities. 

Innovation and systemic change are at our core. We work hand-in-hand with the private sector, civil society, and governance structures at local and national levels to drive inclusive, market-driven opportunities in food security, livelihoods, civil society, WASH, maternal-child health, financial inclusion, clean energy, and conflict management. As a leader in the region, Mercy Corps is strongly positioned to influence donors, development actors, and governments to foster deep collaboration and strengthen the critical systems communities depend on to cope, adapt, and thrive in the face of external shocks. 

The Position 

The Mercy Corps South Sudan and Uganda Country Director (CD) is an innovative and visionary leader responsible for resourcefully developing and managing all programming and operations to deliver quality, harness innovative solutions and influence lasting and systemic change. Building on a strong foundation of programming, the CD will oversee the delivery of high-impact, multi-sector programming that is accountable to both program participants and donors, while prioritizing strategies for thoughtful growth, external influence and partnership building. Placing a high value on innovative solutions to humanitarian and development issues and creative partnerships, the CD has full supervisory responsibility for the portfolio and is responsible for building a cohesive team across both countries that works together to deliver efficient high-impact programming. The CD will position Mercy Corps to drive forward strategic programming, within South Sudan and Uganda, strategically connecting both country programs into a cohesive portfolio that aligns to the regional and Agency’s global vision. This is an exciting, high-profile opportunity for an ambitious leader to influence key development outcomes, lead a high-performing team, and build a portfolio designed to pivot as contexts evolve. 

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY & VISION

• Refine and articulate a clear and compelling vision of Mercy Corps’ strategy, and contribute to the regional strategic vision, drawing on Mercy Corps’ key agency distinctives and experiences to inspire team members, donors, government stakeholders and partners.
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcome. Remain current with development thinking, including resilience approaches, systems thinking, nexus approaches, social impact, value for money, etc.
• Lead engagement with donors, partners, and communities to design and secure resources for high-impact programs that are aligned to community priorities.
• Support program and operations team members to pivot and adapt programming to be responsive to contextual changes, such as environmental and climate change impacts, conflict, or emerging opportunities to deepen impact.  
• Lead country strategy development and annual country planning using a collaborative process.
• Set direction for the country team by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve the objectives outlined in the country strategy.
• Leverage headquarters and regional technical support teams to support program design and delivery in line with Mercy Corps’ best practices.
• Partner with the regional team and other country programs in East Africa to elevate Mercy Corps’ expertise and profile within the broader subregion, leading to strategic regional programming that works across borders and delivers impact across the subregion.

LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

• Commit to preserving an organizational culture of trust, transparency, diversity, equity, and inclusion across the team and global organization.
• Uphold a culture of integrity through ethical decision-making, safeguarding and compliance with the Code of Conduct. 
• Lead by role modeling self-awareness to foster an environment of mutual respect, diversity and inclusion so that all team members are included, supported and can thrive.
• Create a culture of accountability for highly effective communication systems and relationships to ensure every voice matters. 

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Recruit, manage, motivate, and onboard an informed, skilled and efficient team with an emphasis on high quality impact, inclusion and achievement.

• Encourage a team culture of growth, learning, creativity and innovation by incorporating a culture of continuous feedback, development and performance management.
• Establish credibility within the team by demonstrating personal accountability, flexibility, resilience and dedication to quality programming by creating positive relationships and having composure in complex situations.
• Ensure people-focused human resource systems are in place and consistent with Mercy Corps’ global policies, including position descriptions, team member onboarding, performance management, professional development plans and reporting mechanisms.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes. 

PROGRAM IMPACT, MONITORING AND EVALUATION AND LEARNING  

• Oversee program quality and impact by ensuring programs are based on sound design principles and utilize Mercy Corps and donor required M&E systems.
• Identify and drive opportunities for deep dive research in South Sudan and Uganda, as well as cross-border programs, to deepen program learning and thought leadership in resilience, climate change, peace and governance, and market systems development. 
• Gather evidence of program impact through robust agency standard procedures for data gathering, reporting, and evaluation.
• Lead country teams to strive for impact at country and regional level leading to sustained change based on solid systems and incorporation of learnings into programs.
• Fulfill Mercy Corps Program Management Minimum Standards (Ensure compliance with PM@MC Policies).
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and program participant accountability standards, including an effective Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism and safeguarding mechanisms across all programs.

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION   

• Lead Mercy Corps’ outreach and engagement with key donors, partners, think tanks, government, UN bodies and private sector in order to influence development and funding priorities, drawing on Mercy Corps’ key distinctives, research and policy & advocacy initiatives to shape the agenda and align with community needs and opportunities.
• Build partnerships with leading organizations, private sector, government, foundations, community representatives, and other critical partners to enhance collective impact, voice, and shape relevant policy agendas.
• Set up systems to stay abreast of contextual changes, anticipate needs, and contribute to shaping donors’ views on humanitarian and development priorities in ways that are responsive to changes in the context.
• Ensure that Mercy Corps programs proactively engage with national and international media and other advocacy platforms in order to shape messaging and priorities and ensure that priority issues are highlighted.

PROGRAM OPERATIONS & COMPLIANCE 

• Coordinate overall country budgets; manage budgets within approved spending levels and establish an annual cash flow plan to ensure a steady and adequate supply of funds for program activities.
• Build and maintain operational structures that ensure proper segregation of duties between finance, administration and logistics and enable the timely, compliant and effective delivery of field programs.
• Build and maintain an environment of collaboration among program, finance, operations and human resource team members resulting in optimal support for program activities.
• Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations, policies and procedures, and the implementation of appropriate risk mitigation measures to reduce Mercy Corps’ exposure to potential risk. 

SECURITY 

• Manage security and safety of the entire country team and Mercy Corps’ assets according to best practices, MC operating standards and field realities.
• Ensure the safety and security of staff members through regular review and adaptation of security protocols and procedures including the country security plan. Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies. 
• Liaise with the Regional Director and Africa Regional Security Advisor on crucial events, high risk periods, incident reporting or security policy changes. 

Supervisory Responsibility

Finance, Operations, HR, and Program leads 

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Vice President, Africa Region  

Works Directly With: HQ-based Program, Operations, Finance, Regional Program Team, Regional People Team, Compliance, Fundraising and Technical Support Unit. 

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 Qualification & Transferable Skills

• BA/S or equivalent in the relevant field required; MA/S preferred.
• 10 years of field experience in international relief and development programs, including

demonstrable success in managing large, complex, transitional development programs.

• 7 years of senior-level leadership, capacity building and field management experience.
• Demonstrated success managing and bringing together a multi-cultural team with team members in multiple offices.
• Successful and proven representation, negotiation, communication and organization skills.
• Demonstrated success representing complex programmatic objectives to diverse stakeholders in order to position Mercy Corps as a strong implementer and thought leader with donors, development partners, government and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in securing funding from a broad spectrum of donors.
• Demonstrated success working effectively and respectfully with host country governments,

private sector, INGO, NGO partners and other stakeholders in complex environments.

• Proven skills in financial and grants management, including experience managing grants from UN, US DoS, EU, FCDO, Foundation partners and other strategic donors.
• Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work.

• Excellent oral and written English skills required.
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse team in sensitive environments.
• Previous work experience in countries where travel to insecure areas is required, and management of programs in insecure locations.

• Capacity to respond to emergency and disaster situations as appropriate.
• Previous work experience in either Uganda or South Sudan preferred. 

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. 

Success Factors

The successful Country Director will skillfully represent Mercy Corps’ programmatic priorities and agency distinctives to donors and partners while providing effective leadership to the program team to ensure high-impact programming. Navigating complex, shifting environments across two distinct countries requires a dedication to adaptive management—translating data into agile insights and quickly shifting operational tracks as contexts evolve. The Country Director (CD) will bring high emotional intelligence, a level-headed approach to problem-solving under pressure, and constructive mentoring skills to build long-term team capacity. Because this is a hands-on leadership role requiring intense multi-tasking across fundraising, strategy, and external representation, maintaining a healthy sense of humor will be a vital success factor for staying grounded and navigating ambiguity. A core priority for this role will be intentionally building a unified culture and boosting team morale, creating an inclusive, connected, and supportive environment across both country offices. Ultimately, successful Mercy Corps team members maintain a fierce commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in challenging landscapes, and prioritize clear, transparent communication.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The Country Director is based in the capital city of Juba, South Sudan. This is an unaccompanied post that demands a disciplined adherence to robust security protocols, restricted nighttime movement, and acute situational awareness due to inherent localized insecurities. This position will require up to 50% travel by road and air to field offices, often insecure environments, in South Sudan and Uganda. 

Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues. 

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 Engagement 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 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.

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.