Technical Advisor, Ebola Response - DRCnew

Location: Bunia, Ituri Province

Position Status: Full-time 

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, driven by the belief that a better world is possible.

In disasters, in hardships, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to bring bold solutions into action – helping people overcome adversity and build stronger communities from within. Today and for the future.

Mercy Corps has been operational in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since August 2007 with a current workforce of approximately 300 national and expatriate employees. As a leading NGO in the DRC working with several local and international partners in 2025, Mercy Corps has reached more than half a million people in North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Kasai with integrated programmes ensuring equitable access to improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in humanitarian and development contexts; economic development and livelihoods to strengthen food security and resilience; as well as institutional capacity-building and social cohesion to foster peace and good governance. 

EMERGENCY EBOLA RESPONSE TEAM

Mercy Corps is delivering a timely, appropriate, and high-quality response to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, grounded in a holistic, community-centered approach. A significant part of this response is delivered through the Integrated Ebola Response Driven by Communities (IERDC) consortium, led by Mercy Corps in partnership with local and international organizations. This consortium approach combines complementary technical expertise and extends the response reach across affected health zones. Mercy Corps' Ebola response is organized around the following integrated, mutually reinforcing focus areas that are all vital to stopping the Ebola outbreak and mitigating its secondary effects: 

Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and Community Surveillance: builds community trust, counters rumors and misinformation, and strengthens community-based prevention and early reporting. 

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH): strengthens IPC/WASH : infrastructure and hygiene promotion in health facilities and communities. 

Continuity of Services and Livelihoods: sustains access to essential services, livelihoods, functioning markets, and food security for vulnerable households through cash assistance and other targeted support.

Safeguarding, protection, conflict-sensitivity, conflict analysis, and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI): ensure the response is safe, inclusive, and does no harm in line with Mercy Corps' humanitarian principles and locally-led commitment. 

In line with Mercy Corps' humanitarian principles and commitment to local partnerships, the team ensures that interventions are delivered at scale, with impact, and in close coordination with the DRC MoH, Ebola response working groups and coordination pillars, communities, other community and international partners, and the broader humanitarian coordination system. 

OVERALL SUMMARY OF THE POSITION  

The Ebola Response Technical Advisor provides strategic technical leadership, quality assurance, and advisory support across Mercy Corps' Ebola response programming in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Under the supervision of the Ebola Team Leader, the Technical Advisor ensures that all team members (including staff from Mercy Corps' partner organizations) receive the technical guidance needed to implement a quality, evidence-based response aligned with DRC Ministry of Health (MoH) priorities and international public health standards. 

The Technical Advisor provides cross-sectoral technical support across Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and Community Surveillance, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Food Security and Livelihoods, and Protection. The Advisor advises Mercy Corps and partner organization Managers on technical approaches, reviews program design and reporting, and ensures interventions remain technically sound and adaptive as the outbreak evolves. 

The role works closely with program leadership, sector Managers across Mercy Corps and partner organizations, the Crisis Analysis Team (CAT), MEL and Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism (CARM) teams, the DRC MoH, and Ebola response coordination structures, including the Health Cluster, RCCE Working Group, IPC Working Group, and other technical forums, to ensure Mercy Corps' Ebola response remains technically strong, coordinated, and community-centered. 

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES 

Technical Leadership in Public Health 

•  Ensures that Mercy Corps' Ebola response strategy and activities remain current and aligned with the priorities and guidelines of the DRC Ministry of Health as well as those of the Ebola response.

•  Interprets epidemiological trends and outbreak watch information for Mercy Corps management, and advises teams on how changing transmission patterns should guide programming.

•  Integrates public health evidence, lessons learned, and best practices into Mercy Corps' Ebola response strategy and operational program implementation.

Technical Support to Mercy Corps and Consortium Ebola Response 

•  Provides cross-sectoral technical support in the following areas to enhance the quality and effectiveness of program activities:

•  Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE): Reviews behavior change strategies, advises risk communication priorities, ensures that messages reflect current epidemiological data, and reviews rumor management approaches.

•  Community-based surveillance: Advises community-based surveillance approaches to strengthen early detection of cases and rumors.

•  Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH): Advises community-based infection prevention measures, reviews water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions, and recommends adaptations based on transmission risks.
•  Food Security and Livelihoods: Assesses the risks associated with cash, distribution, and market activities, recommends operational adaptations to reduce transmission, and advises the recovery of livelihoods in affected communities.

•  Protection: Identifies the protection implications of public health measures, advises on stigma reduction, reviews of approaches to reintegrating survivors, and ensures that vulnerable populations are duly considered in programming.

•  Supports MC's Ebola response team by designing and reviewing technical aspects of program proposals and reports, and developing technical guidance notes, to ensure that activities are evidence-based.

•  Ensures that program implementation teams have the necessary tools and technical guidance to meet the objectives of the Ebola response strategy and meet timeline standards.

•  Draws data from different program components and partners to guide adaptive management and recommend necessary adjustments to the program and strategy.  

This includes collaboration with the Crisis Analysis Team (CAT), the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team, and the Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism (CARM) team to integrate Community Perception Tracker results, program and MEL performance data, and community feedback data.

•  Works with the Ebola Response and MEL program teams to document lessons learned and identify innovations that improve response effectiveness, recommending programmatic adaptations and supporting operational research as appropriate.

•  Conducts frequent and regular field visits to all program sectors to provide technical guidance for implementation and produce reports and advice on program quality and adherence to technical standards, in partnership with MC's other Ebola Response teams.

•  In coordination with Mercy Corps' Safeguarding team and the International Alert team, ensures that all program activities integrate safeguarding, conflict sensitivity, protection, and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI).

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT 

•  Trains Mercy Corps teams and consortium members on IPC measures, which are essential for the implementation of all projects.
•  Provides regular orientation and training to Mercy Corps team members and partners on Ebola-related SOPs so that these skills are understood and transferred effectively.
•  Trains staff on and test all contingency plans related to Ebola and medical emergencies.
•  In coordination with the Mercy Corps Safeguarding team and other consortium partners, ensures that all team members are trained in safeguarding and conflict sensitivity.

COORDINATION & REPRESENTATION 

•  Represents Mercy Corps in Ebola response technical coordination forums (including the Health Cluster, as appropriate, the RCCE Working Group, the IPC Working Group, other public health technical meetings, and Ministry of Health technical consultations) to ensure that Mercy Corps and its partners remain aligned with national coordination structures and technical approaches and brings emerging guidance back into Mercy Corps programming.

•  Ensures that Mercy Corps' programmatic activities are well coordinated between program teams (Program, MEL, CAT), with those of partners, and those of other humanitarian actors working in the targeted areas.

•  Represents Mercy Corps, as requested, in coordination meetings with humanitarian partners, donors, authorities, and other stakeholders.

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.

Supervisory Responsibility   

Position does not directly supervise other team members 

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO : Ebola Response Team Leader  

REPORTS DIRECTLY WITH: Mercy Corps Program Managers and their teams, partner organizations' program teams, the Ebola Response MEL Manager and MEL team, the Crisis Analysis Team (CAT), the Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism (CARM) team, the Mercy Corps Safeguarding team, Mercy Corps Support Teams (Operations, Finance, Human Resources), the Mercy Corps TEQ Team, and the Mercy Corps ERT Team.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING  

As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO PARTICIPANTS AND STAKEHOLDERS 

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts aimed at accountability, particularly towards our participants and according to international standards guiding international humanitarian aid and development work, while actively engaging participant communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our projects on the ground.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND TRANSFERABLE SKILLS 

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

•  Master's degree in public health, medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, nursing, or another related field.
•  3 to 5 years of demonstrated experience in an international NGO.
•  Experience consulting with multi-sectoral humanitarian programs.
•  Experience with project management tools and practices.
•  Experience in staff management and training.
•  Experience with key donors, including ECHO, WHO, and/or UNICEF, is a plus.
•  Experience supporting the response to Ebola or prolonged outbreaks is a plus. 

TECHNICAL

•  Demonstrated experience aligning program strategy with national Ministry of Health guidelines and outbreak response coordination structures.
•  Familiarity with interpreting epidemiological data and outbreak surveillance information to inform program decision-making.
•  Demonstrated ability to translate public health evidence and lessons learned into practical program strategy and implementation.
•  Demonstrated experience in RCCE, community engagement/mobilization, and/or behavior change activities (SBCC).
•  Demonstrated experience in IPC, WASH, and hygiene promotion.
•  Previous demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas: community surveillance, food security and livelihoods, protection, or other related public health sectors.
•  Ability to communicate complex public health information to non-technical audiences.
•  Knowledge and comfort in the use of technology, such as the Microsoft suite, including Excel and Word.
•  Knowledge of Sphere standards and other humanitarian response training is preferred 

LANGUAGES

Excellent oral and written English and French skills are required.

WORKING STYLE

•  Demonstrated ability to pay attention to detail, follow procedures, meet deadlines, and work cooperatively with team members.
•  Proven ability to work and solve problems independently without direct supervision.
•  Experience living and working in West or Central Africa is preferred.
•  Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
•  Dynamism, proactivity, and good humor.

SUCCESS FACTORS  

An accomplished candidate will be well-trained and aware of the risks of transmission and effective prevention measures for EVD. He/she will be analytical and proactive in identifying gaps and proposing solutions. He/she will be competent to conduct training and transmit important protocols and behaviors to others, and will know the health and safety protocols to be put in place during an outbreak such as Ebola. An accomplished candidate will understand the importance of our operations in the DRC and – while remaining cautious to avoid any unnecessary risk – will have the patience and focus to facilitate the safe implementation of the program's activities. 

LIVING/ ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS  

The Ebola Response Technical Advisor position is based in Bunia, DRC: a city currently located at the epicenter of the 17th Ebola outbreak. This location is insecure. Housing is group accommodation with limited freedom of movement beyond the house/office. Team members will have limited access to medical services but access to electricity, water, etc. This position requires 30% of travel by road and plane to field offices in insecure environments.  

Given the emergency context, this position requires exceptional work schedules, including evenings and weekends. 

ONGOING LEARNING  

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 and is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all qualified employees and applicants, regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. 

SAFEGUARDING and ETHICAL

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]).