Program Director - Empower - Sudan

Program Director - Empower - Sudan Mercy Corps Atbara, Nyala International Senior level Speaks Arabic, English Apply Summary by Impactpool The Program Director for the EMPOWER program in Sudan will lead Mercy Corps' efforts to support conflict-affected youth through a €21M initiative. This role involves strategic oversight, program management, and collaboration with various stakeholders, including government and private sector partners. The Program Director will ensure the integration of gender equality and protection measures while driving performance against targets and compliance standards. The position requires significant travel across program locations and a commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive team environment. Candidate Requirements: MA/MS in economics, business, international development, or related field; BA/BS required 10+ years of leadership managing complex, multi-year consortia in fragile settings Experience with EU-funded programs Expertise in youth employment, market systems, and financial inclusion Proven financial stewardship of large awards Strong track record in protection mainstreaming Excellence in partnership management Advanced financial management and compliance skills English required; Arabic highly desirable Willingness to travel frequently to field locations Description Location: Atbara & Nyala, Sudan (Roving) Position Status Full-time, Regular Risk Level: X 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 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 Summary Mercy Corps has been operational in Sudan since 2004 and currently leads humanitarian assistance and longer-term development efforts in conflict-affected South Darfur, Central Darfur, South Kordofan, North Kordofan, Kassala, Gedaref, and Khartoum States, supporting host communities, IDPs, returnees and refugees. Mercy Corps’ current areas of programming include food security and livelihoods, WASH, health, nutrition, peace building and protection, resilience, and Market Systems Development. The EMPOWER program is a €21M European Commission-funded action implemented by Mercy Corps in consortium with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and local partners to support conflict- and displacement-affected young people aged 15–35 in nine target states (of which Mercy Corps will work in five states: South Darfur, Kassala, River Nile, and North and South Kordofans). The 42-month program started in January 2026, and has a six month inception period through June 2026, with the implementation phase through June 30, 2029. It will respond to Sudan’s protracted crisis by combining short-term income opportunities with pathways to longer-term economic recovery, while strengthening protection and social cohesion for youth, especially young women, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and youth with disabilities. Through an integrated approach, the EMPOWER program will deliver 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- and gender-sensitive approaches and are informed by assessments, with protection mainstreaming and community safety measures embedded where feasible to support safe participation and reduce vulnerabilities. General Position Summary The Program Director (PD) provides overall leadership for Mercy Corps’ portfolio and responsibilities within EMPOWER, serving as MC’s principal representative to the DRC‑led consortium, the EU Delegation, government counterparts, private sector actors, and local partners. The PD ensures strategic clarity, adaptive delivery, risk and compliance management (including FSTP governance), and acts as the primary financial steward for Mercy Corps’ €21M share of the award. The PD steers Mercy Corps’ technical leadership on Output 2 and contributes to consortium‑wide coordination of Output 1 linkages and youth transitions from public works into employment or entrepreneurship pathways. Essential Job Responsibilities STRATEGY & VISION Translate the program’s theory of change into costed, statelevel workplans that link immediate income (e.g., CfW) to sustainable youth employment and entrepreneurship pathways. Lead Mercy Corps’ technical direction for Output 2 and ensure seamless referral/ linkages from Output 1 (public works/CfW) into training, jobs, and enterprise support. Integrate gender equality, disability inclusion, and protection mainstreaming across designs and delivery, ensuring safe access for atrisk youth, including reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. Embed climate/environmental safeguards (e.g., NEAT+) and Decent Working Conditions (DWC) principles within marketdriven pathways and curricula. Drive synergies with the CAREled consortium and complementary DRC/MC programs to avoid duplication and expand opportunities for youth and MSMEs. Champion a learning agenda (including the ~5% learning time expectation) that uses monitoring and market intel to adapt strategy in a volatile context. PROGRAM & CONSORTIUM MANAGEMENT Lead delivery of the entire program across Outputs 1 and 2; plan and sequence activities across states; ensure integration between public works/CfW, trainingtoemployment pathwa