The Role

The Senior Director of Technology for Development (T4D) leads the T4D team and is a senior program-facing technology leader. Working closely with both Programs and Information Technology (IT), the Sr. Director works in partnership with the global, regional, and country-level counterparts while ensuring that proposed applications can be well supported by and integrated with Mercy Corps’ enterprise technology architecture. The Sr. Director also leads the determination of processes to identify, vet, pilot, and assess the effectiveness and affordability of technology solutions to advance innovation that is aligned with program impact and efficiency ambitions.

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGIC VISION, LEADERSHIP, AND INFLUENCE

• Drive Mercy Corps’ influence and thought leadership agenda regarding how innovative digital technology and data solutions can enhance the performance and impact of the sector, both externally and internally.
• Play a leading role in exploring and articulating how AI can enhance Mercy Corps’ work and the broader sector, working closely with program teams, IT, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) and other relevant counterparts..
• Develop annual or multi-annual strategies for innovative program technology uptake and scale within the organization. In some cases this may include enterprise-level digital transformation solutions that are program-facing, including adoption frameworks, governance mechanisms, scaling pathways, and associated change management..
• Continuously elaborate and improve T4D’s strategic approach and ways of working.
• Ensure outstanding collaboration across departments to ensure strategic coherence in the way that Mercy Corps manages data, digital technology, and AI for greater efficiency and impact.

PROPOSAL AND PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

• Build and execute on a shared vision for how technology can amplify impact and efficiency, and unlock new potential, throughout our work.
• Embed communication, knowledge management, and learning about program-facing technology at Mercy Corps into our program models and organization-wide Evidence and Learning Agendas.
• Build external partnerships, particularly with (but not limited to) private sector technology partners, ensuring that these partnerships advance Mercy Corps’ technological improvement and program impact aims.
• Steward external partnerships to deliver on shared objectives, pursue shared value, and access resources in terms of funding, services, expertise, and products.
• Advance equitable and locally led digital transformation by leading or supporting initiatives that strengthen local technology ecosystems, support local innovation actors, and ensure technology solutions are contextually appropriate, accessible, and sustainable.
• Understand Mercy Corps’ program approaches, strategies, and ambitions, and actively pursue technology partnerships that accelerate or advance these.
• Oversee or directly write proposals to mobilize resources for the above.
• When proposals contain significant new technology elements, oversee or directly design programmatic components that are well integrated, achievable, and innovative.

• Drive Mercy Corps’ influence and thought leadership agenda regarding how innovative digital technology and data solutions can enhance the performance and impact of the sector, both externally and internally.
• Play a leading role in exploring and articulating how AI can enhance Mercy Corps’ work and the broader sector, working closely with program teams, IT, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) and other relevant counterparts.
• Develop annual or multi-annual strategies for innovative program technology uptake and scale within the organization. In some cases this may include enterprise-level digital transformation solutions that are program-facing, including adoption frameworks, governance mechanisms, scaling pathways, and associated change management.
• Continuously elaborate and improve T4D’s strategic approach and ways of working.
• Ensure outstanding collaboration across departments to ensure strategic coherence in the way that Mercy Corps manages data, digital technology, and AI for greater efficiency and impact.
• Build and execute on a shared vision for how technology can amplify impact and efficiency, and unlock new potential, throughout our work.
• Embed communication, knowledge management, and learning about program-facing technology at Mercy Corps into our program models and organization-wide Evidence and Learning Agendas.
• Build external partnerships, particularly with (but not limited to) private sector technology partners, ensuring that these partnerships advance Mercy Corps’ technological improvement and program impact aims.
• Steward external partnerships to deliver on shared objectives, pursue shared value, and access resources in terms of funding, services, expertise, and products.
• Advance equitable and locally led digital transformation by leading or supporting initiatives that strengthen local technology ecosystems, support local innovation actors, and ensure technology solutions are contextually appropriate, accessible, and sustainable.
• Understand Mercy Corps’ program approaches, strategies, and ambitions, and actively pursue technology partnerships that accelerate or advance these.
• Oversee or directly write proposals to mobilize resources for the above.
• When proposals contain significant new technology elements, oversee or directly design programmatic components that are well integrated, achievable, and innovative.

• AI
• Digital transformation
• Change management
• Partnership development
• Proposal writing
• Technology assessment
• Innovation
• Data management
• Knowledge management
• Learning
• Strategic planning
• Leadership
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Project management
• Budget management
• Risk management
• Team leadership
• Mentoring
• Coaching
• Negotiation
• Stakeholder management
• Vendor management
• IT architecture
• Enterprise technology
• Programmatic design
• Contextual appropriateness
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Equitable digital transformation
• Local technology ecosystems
• Local innovation actors
• Program impact
• Program efficiency
• Digital solutions
• Data solutions
• Technology solutions
• Innovative technology
• Program-facing technology
• Enterprise technology architecture
• Technology for Development (T4D)

• BA/BSc/HND , MBA/MSc/MA
• 12 years of experience