Disaster Risk Management Specialist-Heat Lead

Posiiton: Disaster Risk Management Specialist-Heat Lead
Location: Kathmandu with frequent travel to working areas

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. Mercy Corps has been operating in Nepal since 2005, implementing programs in food security, agriculture, market development, financial services, youth engagement, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. We take a systems-based approach in our programming, with the aim of improving the lives and potential of vulnerable individuals and communities across Nepal.

Program/Department Summary

The Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance (ZCRA) is an alliance of nine organizations including international NGOs, private sector, and academic organizations, who have come together with the support of the Zurich Foundation to drive better policy and practice to reduce the negative impact of floods on peoples’ and communities’ ability to thrive.

The Alliance is implementing a 12-year vision through 2025. The current phase (phase 3, 2024-2027) represents the first cycle of this long-term vision. Previously, the Alliance completed its first phase in 2018, and its second phase in December 2023 and third phase will run till Dec 2027. During this time, The Alliance works together to achieve 12-year vision by implementing solutions, promoting good practice, influencing policy and facilitating systemic change. In Nepal, the Alliance is comprised of Mercy Corps and Practical Action, working together on joint outcomes aiming at:

• Building ex-ante resilience of communities at risk of flood and heat impacts across Nepal
• Improving early warning and early action in advance of probable hazards
• Enabling people who experience livelihoods losses due to floods and heat to recover quickly through compensation and/or insurance

General Position Summary

The Disaster Risk Management Specialist – Heat Lead will serve as Mercy Corps’ technical lead on heat resilience, providing technical expertise and coordination to strengthen the management of extreme heat risks across programmes and partnerships in Nepal. The position will lead the design, implementation, and quality assurance of heat resilience interventions and support the integration of heat risk management into disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, health, urban planning, livelihoods, and resilience programming. Working closely with government agencies, technical institutions, development partners, academia, the private sector, and communities, the Heat Lead will strengthen heat governance, policy, planning, early warning systems, and sustainable financing while promoting gender equality, disability inclusion, and locally led approaches. The role will also lead research, knowledge management, capacity strengthening, technical advocacy, and resource mobilization to enhance evidence-based programming and support the scale-up of heat resilience initiatives in Nepal. While heat resilience will be the primary technical focus of the position, the Specialist will also provide technical support to broader disaster risk management programming, including flood and wildfire resilience initiatives, ensuring integrated multi-hazard approaches across Mercy Corps’ resilience portfolio.

As gender and social inclusion (GESI), governance and environmental compliance are cross-cutting and core components of all MC programs and is required to own these components to ensure GESI sensitivity and integration, governance practices and environmental compliance are integrated into the program activities.

Essential Job Responsibilities

The specific duties and responsibilities of the Disaster Risk Management Specialist -Heat Lead include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Technical Leadership, Thought Leadership and Program Development (25%)

• Serve as Mercy Corps’ technical focal point on heat resilience and provide strategic leadership across program components.
• Provide thought leadership on heat resilience by promoting innovative approaches, generating evidence, influencing national discourse, and positioning Mercy Corps as a leading technical partner on heat risk management in Nepal.
• Lead the design, implementation, and quality assurance of heat resilience interventions, ensuring alignment with national priorities and global good practices.
• Provide technical guidance on integrating heat risk management and GESI considerations into DRR, climate adaptation, health, urban planning, livelihoods, and resilience programming to ensure inclusive and equitable outcomes.
• Develop technical tools, training packages, guidance notes, methodologies, and standards on heat to support program implementation.
• Identify emerging trends, best practices and opportunities for innovation and scaling of heat resilience interventions through research, technology, partnerships, and adaptive programming.
• Lead and contribute to technical publications, policy briefs, conference presentations, webinars, and knowledge-sharing events to advance learning and influence policy and practice on heat resilience.
• While leading Mercy Corps’ heat resilience portfolio, provide technical support to flood, wildfire, and other multi-hazard disaster risk management initiatives, promoting integrated and risk-informed approaches across programs.

2. Heat Governance, Policy and Systems Strengthening (25%)

• Support federal, provincial and local governments to strengthen institutional mechanisms for heat governance.
• Lead technical support for the development and implementation of Heat Action Plans (HAPs), heat governance strategies, technical guidelines, and standard operating procedures.
• Strengthen integration of heat risk management into disaster management, climate adaptation, health, urban development, and sectoral plans.
• Support the development and strengthening of heat early warning systems, impact-based forecasting, and preparedness protocols in collaboration with technical agencies.
• Support the integration of heat priorities into government planning, budgeting, budget advocacy, expenditure tracking, and climate finance mechanisms to strengthen sustainable investment in heat resilience.
• Support community empowerment on heat resilience through awareness campaigns, risk communication, behaviour change initiatives, and community engagement, ensuring vulnerable groups have the knowledge and capacity to prepare for, respond to, and adapt to extreme heat.
• Promote the integration of GESI considerations into heat governance, policies, plans, and institutional mechanisms to ensure that the needs and priorities of women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups are addressed.
• Provide technical support for heat-responsive planning, budget advocacy, and expenditure tracking at federal, provincial, and local levels to strengthen investment and accountability for heat resilience.
• Coordinate and strengthen partnerships with government institutions, including Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the Ministry of Health, provincial governments, development partners, academia, and the private sector.
• Support the establishment and strengthening of multi-stakeholder coordination platforms and communities of practice to promote collaboration, knowledge exchange, and coordinated action on heat resilience.
• While leading heat resilience initiatives, provide technical support to the integration of flood, wildfire, and other priority hazards into government policies, plans, and coordination mechanisms to strengthen multi-hazard disaster risk management.

3. Program Implementation, Capacity Strengthening and Partnership (25%)

• Lead heat hotspot mapping, vulnerability assessments, heat studies and research to inform program design and policy.
• Provide technical oversight for the implementation of Heat Action Plans and community-based heat resilience interventions, ensuring they are gender-responsive, disability-inclusive, and accessible to vulnerable populations.
• Support implementation of heat mitigation measures including cooling centres, nature-based solutions, drinking water facilities, heat-resilient infrastructure, and public awareness initiatives etc. and ensure effective implementation in accordance with program standards and global best practices.
• Support implementation of heat resilience interventions that strengthen the resilience of local enterprises, workers, and markets to extreme heat.
• Build the capacity of government officials, municipalities, health workers, schools, community disaster management committees, media, and partner organizations on inclusive heat risk management, ensuring meaningful participation and leadership of women, persons with disabilities, older persons, and other vulnerable groups.
• Foster partnerships with research institutions, academia, private sector actors, and technical organizations to promote innovation and collaboration.
• Lead the planning, coordination, and facilitation of heat resilience workshops, consultations, and technical dialogues at federal, provincial, and local levels.
• Provide technical support to the design, implementation, and quality assurance of flood, wildfire, and other multi-hazard resilience interventions, as required, ensuring alignment with program standards and integrated disaster risk management approaches.

4. Knowledge Management, Monitoring and Resource Mobilization (20%)

• Lead research, documentation of program learning, evidence, case studies, technical reports, and knowledge products.
• Monitor implementation progress, analyse program performance, and support adaptive management.
• Develop and track program indicators related to heat resilience and contribute to monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) processes.
• Prepare technical inputs for donor reports, presentations, policy briefs, and communication products.
• Represent Mercy Corps in national and international technical working groups, forums, and coordination platforms related to heat and climate resilience.
• Contribute to proposal development, technical design, and resource mobilization efforts to expand Mercy Corps’ heat resilience portfolio.
• Promote cross-learning and knowledge sharing across heat, flood, wildfire, and other disaster risk management programs to strengthen integrated multi-hazard resilience programming.

Others

Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
Mercy Corps as a humanitarian agency is expected to response as and when crisis and humanitarian situation engulfs. As an MC employee, all staff are expected to be part of humanitarian and emergency response in addition to their regular roles and responsibilities in such situations.
Other duties as assigned by the Country Director.

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.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our 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 our field projects.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values always and in all in-country venues.

Supervisory Responsibility: N/A

Accountability

• Reports Directly to: CRC Program Manager
• Works Closely with: Province Coordinator(s), Senior Advocacy and Influencing Officer, Private Sector Engagement Specialist, Implementing Partners, Mercy Corps’ cross functional departments, other programs, ZCRA Alliance III partners – Practical Action etc.

Knowledge and Experience

• Master’s degree in Disaster Risk Management, Climate Change, Environmental Science, Urban Planning, Engineering, Geography, or a related field.
• At least 6 years of experience in disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change adaptation, resilience, or related fields, including at least 3 years of specific experience in heat resilience or extreme heat programming.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing Heat Action Plans, heat resilience strategies, or related policies and programs.
• Strong knowledge and experience of heat risk assessment, vulnerability analysis, early warning systems, impact-based forecasting, and climate data interpretation.
• Proven experience in conducting research, synthesizing technical evidence, and translating research findings into practical recommendations, policies, and programs design.
• Demonstrated experience in developing high-quality knowledge products, including technical reports, policy briefs, guidance notes, case studies, training materials, and communication products.
• Experience in knowledge management, documentation of lessons learned, evidence generation, and facilitating learning and knowledge-sharing processes.
• Strong experience working with federal, provincial, and local government institutions, technical agencies, and development partners.
• Strong facilitation, stakeholder engagement, partnership development, and capacity-building skills.
• Excellent analytical, coordination, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent report writing, technical writing, and verbal communication skills in both English and Nepali.
• Experience integrating GESI principles into disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, or resilience programming.
• Experience working with international NGOs, bilateral or multilateral donors, or donor-funded program.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Success Factors

A successful candidate will have the ability to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment with a capacity to spark innovative approaches to programming and inspire groups to collaborate closely to implement high-quality programs. They will have a proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results, with an ability and willingness to remain mobile for short-term and/or long-term as necessary within the region, based on programmatic needs. An ability to work independently and as part of a team, with curiosity about and sensitivity to new cultures, a desire and ability to learn and grow, both personally and professionally, and a great sense of humor.

The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations. Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/short-term assignment to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Kathmandu, and it requires up to 50% travel to support country programs.

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.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse 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 tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, 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 & 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 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 must complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and annually.

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 (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).

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