INGO Forum – Roving Area Coordination Lead

Location: Port Sudan but roving over 50% of the time

Position Status: Full-time

Salary Level: (Refer to the relevant salary scale)

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.

The INGO Forum

Sudan is facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally, marked by widespread displacement, disease outbreaks, and confirmations of famine in several ‘hunger hotspots.’ In an effort to coordinate INGO efforts and establish a common voice for INGOs operating in Sudan, the INGO forum was established in 2009 as a key representation platform. To date, the forum is made up of more than 80 members operating across the country, including in some of the most difficult to reach parts of Sudan.

The INGO Forum is a permanent member of the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG). It co-leads the Humanitarian Access Working Group (HAWG), alongside OCHA and spearheads collective engagement with Government and other Authorities as well as with donors. The forum also leads collective advocacy nationally, regionally and internationally through its Advocacy Working Group (AWG) and in close coordination with the regional Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) and Member liaison offices in key donor/diplomatic capitals around the world.

Since 2023, the situation in Sudan has dramatically shifted as state and non-state actors wage a brutal war. The situation in non-Sudanese Armed Forces-controlled areas is particularly dire, with humanitarian access severely restricted and the absence of United Nations (UN) presence exacerbating the challenges. As humanitarian needs continue to escalate, there is an urgent need for an interim solution to address critical gaps in coordination, common services and aid delivery.

To this end, the three core tenants of the INGO Forum’s work include:

• Coordinated aid delivery – Enhancing operational alignment across organizations to maximize humanitarian impact.
  • This includes supporting NGO-led coordination mechanisms and facilitating area-based coordination structures to ensure coherent, effective and principled humanitarian action in emerging and underserved operational areas.
• Common service provision – Offering essential support, analysis, and shared resources to facilitate NGO operations.
• Stakeholder coordination and representation – Engaging with donors, UN agencies, authorities, and the broader humanitarian system to advocate for improved response conditions.

General Position Summary

The INGO Forum’s Roving Area Coordination Lead position has been created to provide flexible coordination capacity across Sudan response areas, with a particular focus on emerging humanitarian hotspots and operational gaps requiring immediate coordination support.

The position will play a key role in supporting humanitarian coordination efforts in newly accessible, rapidly deteriorating, or under-coordinated operational environments, including a particular focus on the Kordofan region. The Roving Area Coordination Lead will provide surge support to area-based coordination structures, facilitate collective humanitarian engagement, and strengthen information sharing and operational coherence amongst members in complex and fluid contexts.

The role may also entain a gap-filling and continuity function across the Forum’s area coordination architecture, including temporarily supporting existing Area Coordination Leads during periods of surge demand, staffing gaps, leave, or R&R rotations.

The Roving Area Coordination Lead will work closely with Member area-based coordination staff and Country Directors, OCHA, the Forum secretariat, INSO, local authorities and operational partners to ensure evidence-based collective positioning, strengthened operational coordination and improved humanitarian access and response coherence. It will also support the localization objectives for INGO Forum and interact with national NGO networks.

This position reports to the Deputy Forum Director and will work in close coordination with other Area Coordination Leads, the Access and Advocacy Advisor, and the Information Management function. The position may be required to undertake frequent travel, including to insecure and rapidly evolving operational environments.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Coordination and representation

• Support the establishment, strengthening or temporary facilitation of area-based coordination mechanisms in emerging hotspot areas, with a particular focus on Kordofan and other underserved operational environments
• Provide surge coordination support to existing Area Coordination Leads during periods of increased operational pressure, leave coverage, or temporary staffing gaps
• Ensure inclusive gathering of Member positions on topics of discussion to be raised at area-based and national coordination platforms
• Represent the INGO Forum on Area Inter-Cluster Coordination Groups for assigned regions or when needed
• Regularly liaise with Members as well as external stakeholders including authorities, UN agencies, data analysis platforms and donors to promote improved coordination and information sharing and to streamline understanding of the response and its challenges
• When required, represent the Forum in key coordination groups and external meetings with Members, donors, the UN system or other stakeholders, including deputizing for Area Coordination Leads as needed
• Proactively build relationships in support of the Forum’s work including with member NGOs, local civil society actors, and other international organizations
• Engage with relevant sub-national authorities to facilitate a better understanding of collective positions, humanitarian priorities and operational constraints
• Support collective access engagement and analysis in coordination with the Access and Advocacy Advisor and relevant Forum colleagues
• Facilitate linkages between area-based coordination mechanisms and national-level coordination structures to improve coherence and information flow across the response architecture

Information sharing

• Ensure transparent coordination mechanisms and regular information-sharing between the Forum, Members, the UN, authorities and other stakeholders as relevant
• Regularly compile and share lessons learned and best practices on strategic or operational issues emerging from hotspot and frontier operational contexts
• Support context analysis and operational mapping in newly evolving response areas
• Identify gaps in research and analysis that, if addressed, would support improved collective humanitarian action
• Contribute to monthly Forum bulletins and other collective publications, including ensuring regular updates of partner presence and operational developments in emerging response areas

Localization

• Maintain working relationships with national NGO or local actor networks in assigned coordination regions
• Support state- or regional-level roundtables or events on localization
• Localization tasks to be further defined follow the INGO Forum’s finalization of its localization strategy in 2026

Administration and other tasks

• Complete internal trackers and reporting documents on time and on a monthly basis
• Contribute to reporting on INGO Forum grants as requested
• Support onboarding of area-based coordination staff where relevant and provide temporary leadership support to area coordination functions as required
• Maintain readiness for rapid deployment or temporary reassignment in response to operational developments and coordination needs.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

INGO Forum team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to their beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of field projects, in line with Mercy Corps’ standards and policies.

Supervisory Responsibility

None.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: INGO Forum Deputy Director

Works Directly With: INGO Forum Secretariat including Area Coordination Leads, access and advocacy colleagues, the information management officer and primarily with members.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

Essential requirements

• A graduate degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience
• At least 10 years of relevant experience with NGOs, the UN system or other humanitarian/development actors with at least 4 years of leadership and management experience
• Experience living and working in complex humanitarian or fragile contexts with strong understanding of humanitarian principles, international humanitarian law (IHL), humanitarian operations and coordination mechanisms
• Demonstrated experience in humanitarian coordination, emergency response management and/or field operations in insecure environments
• Proven experience managing humanitarian field operations and responding to rapidly evolving crises
• Experience representing organizations in humanitarian coordination platforms (inter-agency platforms, NGO forums, etc.)
• Experience developing and updating ToRs, SoPs and other management tools
• Strong interpersonal, negotiation and relationship-building skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, adapt rapidly and manage competing priorities in highly fluid operational contexts
• Fluency in English (written and spoken)

Desirable requirements

• Previous humanitarian experience in Sudan, Chad or South Sudan
• Strong contextual understanding of Kordofan and/or other frontline operational areas in Sudan
• Existing relationships with relevant stakeholders including NGOs, UN agencies, donors, national authorities and advocacy stakeholders
• Working knowledge of Arabic highly desirable

Success Factors

• Ability to take initiative, learn quickly and be accountable for results
• Flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving
• Ability to operate effectively in rapidly changing and uncertain environments
• Ability to understand the larger picture while remaining focused on operational details
• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills
• Awareness of and sensitivity to multi-cultural international development work
• Even temperament and a good sense of humor
• Security awareness

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position requires frequent travel, including travel to insecure and operationally constrained locations where freedom of movement may be limited and basic amenities may be unavailable. The role is expected to maintain a high degree of flexibility and responsiveness to emerging operational priorities.

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.

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 ([email protected]).