Technical Project / Product Manager

Job Posting Organization:
Mercy Corps is an international non-profit organization founded in 1979, dedicated to alleviating suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. With a mission to empower individuals and communities to overcome challenges and achieve their potential, Mercy Corps operates in over 40 countries worldwide, employing thousands of staff members who work collaboratively with local partners to implement programs that address immediate needs while fostering long-term development. The organization emphasizes diversity and inclusion, believing that a diverse workforce enhances its ability to achieve its mission and create lasting impact.

Job Overview:
The Technical Project / Product Manager for Codename Compass is a pivotal role within the Mercy Corps Technology for Development department, responsible for leading a 12-month, $300,000 Minimum Viable Product initiative funded by the Impact Alliance, which includes Mercy Corps, Save the Children, and CARE. This position is designed to leverage ambient voice capture technology to streamline humanitarian data collection processes, allowing field workers to engage in natural conversations with community members while automatically transcribing and structuring responses. The role encompasses project management, product ownership, and technical stewardship, ensuring that the project meets its objectives and delivers valuable insights through validated datasets of community voice recordings in low-resource languages. The successful candidate will coordinate efforts across multiple organizations, manage vendor relationships, and oversee the integration of technology into existing workflows, all while maintaining a focus on ethical data governance and community engagement.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Technical Project / Product Manager will be responsible for a comprehensive set of duties, including: owning and maintaining the Compass project plan, tracking progress against milestones, and managing the budget; leading preparations for steering committee decision gates; coordinating day-to-day workstreams across Mercy Corps, Save the Children, and CARE; managing the MVP contract build, including vendor scoping and procurement support; ensuring budget tracking and financial reporting; leading technical validation and defining product requirements; overseeing the integration of Compass technology with existing data collection workflows; supervising development and providing technical direction to the contracted team; designing a community consent framework; developing an open-source data ethics and governance framework; ensuring diversity in voice data collection; identifying and supporting engagement with NLP research actors; coordinating logistics for country pilots; designing and managing monitoring and evaluation processes; leading learning reviews and producing validated datasets and technical frameworks; and contributing to thought leadership on ambient voice technology and low-resource language AI.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, International Development, or a related field, with a Master’s degree preferred. A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience managing complex technology projects, particularly in humanitarian or non-profit contexts, is required. Candidates should demonstrate experience with voice/audio technology, speech-to-text systems, and natural language processing (NLP), or the ability to quickly develop technical fluency in these areas. Experience in shipping MVPs or digital products in low-resource environments, familiarity with humanitarian data collection tools, and a strong understanding of data ethics and community consent frameworks are essential. Additionally, candidates should have excellent project management, budgeting, and reporting skills, as well as exceptional written and verbal communication abilities.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, or International Development. A Master’s degree is preferred, indicating a higher level of expertise and understanding of the complexities involved in managing technology projects within humanitarian contexts.

Experience:
The ideal candidate should have at least 5 years of experience managing complex technology projects, particularly in humanitarian, development, or non-profit sectors. This experience should include demonstrated proficiency with voice/audio technology, speech-to-text systems, and natural language processing, as well as a proven track record of delivering MVPs or digital products in challenging field environments. Comfort in managing external development contractors and coordinating multi-stakeholder projects with competing priorities is also essential.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory for this position, as it is the primary language of communication within the organization. Proficiency in additional languages such as French, Spanish, Swahili, Hausa, Tigrinya, or other low-resource languages is considered a significant asset, enhancing the candidate's ability to engage with diverse communities and stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This position is remote/home-based, requiring up to 20% travel to support country programs, which may involve travel to insecure locations with limited amenities. Mercy Corps promotes ongoing learning, allowing team members to dedicate 5% of their time to personal and professional development activities. The organization is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team, fostering a culture of trust and respect, and ensuring equal employment opportunities for all applicants. Additionally, Mercy Corps adheres to strict safeguarding and ethical standards, ensuring that all individuals involved in its work are treated with dignity and respect.