About MercyCorps

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, helpingpeople triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

The Programme

Mercy Corps has been operational in Sudan since2004 and currently leads humanitarian assistance and longer-term development efforts in conflict-affected regions of Sudan, supporting host communities, IDPs, returnees and refugees. Mercy Corps' current areas of programming include food security and livelihoods, WASH, health, nutrition, peacebuilding and protection, resilience, and market systems development.

EMPOWER (the EU Youth programme) is a European Union-funded, 42-month action that started in January 2026, implemented by Mercy Corps in consortium with an international partner and local partners to support conflict- and displacement-affected young people aged 15 to 35. It responds to Sudan's protracted crisis by combining short-term income opportunities with pathways to longer-term economicrecovery, while strengthening protection and social cohesion for youth, especially young women, internally displaced persons and youth with disabilities. Through an integrated approach the programme delivers labour-intensive, community-based public works and Cash for Work (CfW) activities that rehabilitate priority community assets and improve access to services and markets, alongside market-relevant training, entrepreneurship support and linkages to employment and financial services (including VSLAs). All activities are designed using conflict-sensitive and inclusive approaches and are informed by assessments, with protection mainstreaming and community safety measures embedded where feasible to support safe participation and reduce vulnerabilities.

General PositionSummary

The Cash for Work (CfW) Coordinator leads the planning, implementation and quality assurance of the programme's Output 1: labour-intensive, community-based public worksthat provide short-term income and

transferable skills for conflict-affected and displaced youth (15 to 35) in the target locations, while rehabilitating community assets that improve access to services and markets. The role ensures CfW activities are designed and delivered in line with the programme's approaches: area-based and conflict-sensitive, inclusive, with environmental screening (NEAT+), worksitesafety and PPE, and community-based safety messaging integrated where feasible.

The Coordinator works closely with consortium counterparts, local partners, community committees and the relevant authorities to ensure transparent selection, safe implementation, compliantcash delivery and effective referral pathways for CfW participants into longer-term livelihood options under Output 2 (skills training, entrepreneurship, employment services, VSLAs).

The position provides hands-on field support across all project states (substantial travel, up to 70% of the time) and ensures CfW implementation is timely, on budget and aligned with Cash Working Group guidance, donor requirements and Mercy Corps qualitystandards, while strengthening community ownership throughcommunity maintenance groups and handover arrangements for sustained asset management.

Essential Responsibilities

Strategy and Vision

• Lead the technical and operational roll-outof Cash for Work under the programme, ensuring implementation supports Output 1 outcomes: short-term youth income, transferable skills and rehabilitation of priority community assets that improve access to services and markets.
• Translate programmestrategy and assessment findings into practicalfield plans that reflect area-based, conflict-sensitive and inclusive approaches across the target locations.
• Ensure CfW activities are designed with clear pathways toward longer-term economic recovery, including structured referrals to Output 2 services (skillstraining, entrepreneurship, employment support and financial inclusion).

Programme Management

• Plan, coordinate and supervise day-to-day CfW implementation across sites, ensuringquality delivery against workplans, technical specifications and timelines, with consistent fieldoversight and problem-solving.
• Support participatory planning processes to identify and validate public works priorities, including stakeholder engagement, conflict-sensitivity checksand worksite selection in collaboration with community structures and local partners.
• Ensure CfW implementation integrates the required preconditions and safeguards: worksitereadiness (tools and materials), minimum worksite standards, appropriate supervision ratios and safe work practices.
• Establish or strengthen communitystructures that supporttransparent selection and community ownership (committees for worker identification and oversight) and support the formation and strengthening of community maintenance groups to sustain rehabilitated assets after the activity.
• Coordinate referralsand transition supportfor CfW participants into longer-term livelihood opportunities and track follow-through with the relevant teams and partners.

Research, Learning and Impact(with the PaQ unit)

• Coordinate with PaQ/MEAL to ensure monitoring systems track the core CfW results: participant enrolment and attendance, outputs delivered, inclusion metrics (women, IDPs and host communities, youth with disabilities), wage compliance, safety incidents and referral outcomes.
• Contribute to analysis and adaptive management by documenting implementation barriers, context changes and what is and is not working, especially for CfW delivery in semi-urban and displacement-affected environments.
• Support learningand evidence generation by contributing to short learningproducts and case studies and ensuring lessons inform adjustments to targeting, worksite selection and transition pathways.

Representation and Influence

• Represent CfW implementation priorities and operational realitiesin internal programmeforums and, as delegated, in coordination meetings related to public works, cash and livelihoods.
• Coordinate closelywith consortium counterparts and local implementing partners to harmonisetools, standards, approaches and field-level delivery.
• Liaise with the relevantauthorities and communityleadership (as feasibleand appropriate) to support access, acceptance and conflict-sensitive implementation, ensuring alignment with local norms while safeguarding programme principles.

Finance and Compliance Management

• Ensure CfW wage ratesand payment schedules align with Cash Working Groupguidance and localwage realities, and that payment processes are consistently applied across sites.
• Coordinate with Operations and Finance to ensure compliantand auditable cash delivery: participant verification, payroll preparation, reconciliation, payment confirmation and documentation, with data protection and safe handling of sensitive participant information.
• Implement strongaccountability and risk-mitigation measures, including fraud-prevention controls, safe feedback and complaints mechanisms and safeguarding-aware distribution practices.
• Ensure activity implementation follows donor and compliance requirements, including the applicable environmental and socialrisk-mitigation measures and screening inputs(NEAT+ integration whererelevant).

Organisational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organisational learning, and in support of our understanding that learning organisations are more effective, efficientand relevant to the communities they serve, all team members commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement by routinely sharingfield insights and operational recommendations with programme leadership and the relevant technical counterparts.
• Support standardised tools, SOPs and staff capacitystrengthening for CfW implementation (targeting and selection processes, worksitesupervision checklists, safetyprotocols and PPE use, referralmechanisms).
• Encourage cross-team learning and integration between CfW, livelihoods and protection functionsto strengthen safe participation and improve transition outcomes for youth.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Actively learn about safeguarding and integrate it into the work, includingthe safeguarding risks and mitigations related to this area of work.
• Practise the values of Mercy Corps,including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourage opennessand communication in the team; encourage team members to submit reportsif they have any concerns, using the reporting mechanisms (for example the Integrity Hotline).

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our programmeparticipants, community partners, other stakeholders and the international standards guiding 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 Qualifications and Transferable Skills

• Bachelor's degree required; a master's degree in international development, business, economicsor a related field is preferable.
• 6 or more years working in humanitarian responseand/or development.
• 4 or more years' direct experience managing and/or supporting cash programming in the field, including field-based research and market assessments.
• Proven understanding of and experience using CfW/CVA tools,indicators and otherbest practices.
• Previous experience managing cash transferprogramming and knowledge of e-transfer mechanisms.

• Previous experience building the capacityof staff and local partners.
• Ability to work in a collaborative spirit with other departments, in particular Procurement and Finance, to support implementation while staying compliant with donor and Mercy Corps regulations.
• Advanced computerskills in MS Office programmes, particularly Excel.
• Effective verbaland written communication, multi-tasking, organisational and prioritisation skills.

Excellent oral and writtenArabic and Englishskills required

Success Factors

• Context-driven judgement and adaptability: quickly understands evolving security, access, market and community dynamics and adjusts plansto maintain progressand quality whilemanaging risk and avoiding harm.
• Strong operational discipline: consistently delivers CfW activities on time and to standard, with clear workplans, reliable supervision and effective coordination of tools and materials, worksitereadiness and field logistics.
• Commitment to inclusion and safeguarding: ensures transparent and fair targeting and selection, and actively supports the meaningful participation of young women, displaced youth and youth with disabilities through practical adjustments and safe working environments.
• Safety leadership: prioritises worksite safety through consistent induction, risk mitigation, PPE use and rapid response to incidents, promoting a culture of safety among staff, partners and participants.
• Accountability and compliance mindset:maintains rigorous documentation and controls for cash deliveryand public works implementation, supports audit readiness and ensures that community feedback and complaints mechanisms are functional and trusted.
• Constructive partnerand community engagement: builds effective workingrelationships with local partners, community committees and authorities, strengthening local ownership and supporting conflict-sensitive implementation.
• Results focus and learning orientation: uses monitoring data and field feedback to identify problems early, improve delivery, documentlessons and strengthen linkages from CfW into longer-term livelihoods pathways for youth.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Atbara or El Obeid and requires substantial travel (up to 70% of the time) to support the programme across all projectstates, which may include travelto insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing is individual housing; staff have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our beliefthat learning organisations are more effective, efficient and relevantto 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 recognise 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 equalopportunity 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 toleratediscrimination on the basis of race, colour, 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 and Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, programme 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 adhere to the Mercy Corps Code of Conduct policies and values at all times.Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conducte-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.