Consultancy - Chief Technology Officer Mobilization Officer - Remote

Mercy Corps

10d • Remote

About The Position

Mercy Corps is seeking an experienced and senior digital transformation leader to conduct a structured enterprise diagnostic of its current digital, data, and technology landscape and provide prioritized, actionable recommendations which a) strengthen enterprise alignment across functions, regions, and operating contexts, and b) identify opportunities to evolve Mercy Corps’ global technology ecosystem (including delivery models, partners, and vendors) in preparation for long-term digital leadership under a future permanent Chief Technology Officer and c) mitigate identified risks. The engagement will clarify the current-state baseline, alignment gaps, and the most important near-term decision points required to stabilize and position Global Technology for effective, integrated execution under the permanent CTO. This engagement is diagnostic and preparatory in nature. It is not intended to define a full future-state enterprise technology strategy, which will sit with the incoming CTO.

Requirements

• Experienced and senior digital transformation leader
• Ability to conduct a structured enterprise diagnostic of its current digital, data, and technology landscape
• Ability to provide prioritized, actionable recommendations
• Ability to strengthen enterprise alignment across functions, regions, and operating contexts
• Ability to identify opportunities to evolve Mercy Corps’ global technology ecosystem
• Ability to mitigate identified risks
• Ability to clarify the current-state baseline, alignment gaps, and the most important near-term decision points
• Ability to establish a clear, evidence-based understanding of Mercy Corps’ current digital maturity
• Ability to identify material vulnerabilities, risks, opportunities, and stabilization priorities
• Ability to clarify short-term decision points and strategic options for executive consideration
• Ability to provide a recommended sequenced set of immediate next steps (0–6 months)
• Ability to equip the incoming CTO with a clear technical starting brief
• Ability to assess current state of maturity in Mercy Corps across five domains: Digital Strategy and Governance, Technology Architecture and Systems, Organizational Capability, Cybersecurity and Data Risk, Data and Analytics, and Hardware and IT infrastructure.
• Ability to map decision-rights, governance forums, and escalation paths for enterprise platforms, regional/country solutions, and program technologies.
• Ability to assess the extent to which standards and guardrails enable aligned execution versus creating fragmentation or shadow solutions.
• Ability to baseline enterprise platforms and major systems, with attention to interoperability, integration dependencies, identity/access patterns, and lifecycle/ownership clarity.
• Ability to identify where multiple tools or platforms deliver similar outcomes across functions/regions and assess consolidation or rationalization opportunities.
• Ability to assess delivery capacity and capability distribution across HQ, regions, and countries (roles, skills, coverage, and operating rhythms).
• Ability to evaluate service management maturity and “ways of working” across teams to identify opportunities for more integrated, globally distributed delivery.
• Ability to conduct a high-level assessment of the organization's enterprise technology ecosystem to evaluate how well current systems support the future operating model.
• Ability to identify opportunities to strengthen integration across Finance, HR, IT and other corporate functions, streamline processes, strengthen data and reporting capabilities, and establish priorities for future technology investment.
• Ability to assess risk posture across HQ/region/country contexts, including coverage gaps (policies, controls, monitoring, incident readiness) and high-risk operating realities.
• Ability to identify areas where uneven practices or local workarounds increase enterprise risk.
• Ability to assess data governance maturity, data quality, stewardship/accountability, and the extent to which analytics supports decision-making consistently across functions and regions.
• Ability to identify priority opportunities to standardize core data definitions and enable cross-enterprise reporting.
• Ability to assess infrastructure fitness across varied operating environments (including connectivity constraints), endpoint standards, identity and device management, and business continuity readiness.
• Ability to identify high-impact opportunities to simplify and standardize while maintaining local relevance.
• Ability to work with key stakeholders to assess optimal approach to migrate servers currently housed in Portland office building.
• Ability to identify critical vulnerabilities requiring immediate action.
• Ability to identify operational fragilities that threaten business continuity.
• Ability to identify governance gaps creating exposure.
• Ability to identify key misalignments across functions/geographies (e.g., duplicated tooling, inconsistent processes, uneven support coverage) and practical steps required to restore alignment.
• Ability to identify “quick wins” that build confidence and momentum.
• Ability to articulate 2–3 high-level future operating model pathways, including opportunities for efficiency gains, including but not limited to outsourcing and offshoring.
• Ability to clarify trade-offs and implications associated with different options.
• Ability to outline capability and sequencing considerations.
• Ability to identify key financial considerations.
• Ability to prepare a structured transition pack for the incoming CTO including: Diagnostic summary, Risk register, Suggested immediate priorities, Known constraints and opportunities, Early stakeholder map, Options to diversify and strengthen the global IT ecosystem, including delivery model choices, vendor/partner landscape, and recommendations to reduce single points of dependency, and Other materials which have been identified as relevant and useful.
• Independent right to work for the country of hiring.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a global organization
• Experience with digital transformation in non-profit or humanitarian sectors

Responsibilities

• Establish a clear, evidence-based understanding of Mercy Corps’ current digital maturity, including how maturity varies across functions, regions, and country operating contexts.
• Identify material vulnerabilities, risks, opportunities, and stabilization priorities, including those arising from fragmented tools, duplicated capabilities, uneven support capacity, and misaligned decision-rights.
• Clarify short-term decision points and strategic options for executive consideration, including where enterprise standards and governance are needed to enable speed without creating unmanaged risk.
• Provide a recommended sequenced set of immediate next steps (0–6 months) that improve enterprise alignment, reduce exposure, and accelerate coordinated delivery across functions and geographies.
• Equip the incoming CTO with a clear technical starting brief, including a consolidated view of core platforms, integration dependencies, current delivery capacity, and the most consequential alignment and ecosystem decisions to address in the first year.
• Assess current state of maturity in Mercy Corps across five domains: Digital Strategy and Governance, Technology Architecture and Systems, Organizational Capability, Cybersecurity and Data Risk, Data and Analytics, and Hardware and IT infrastructure.
• Map decision-rights, governance forums, and escalation paths for enterprise platforms, regional/country solutions, and program technologies.
• Assess the extent to which standards and guardrails enable aligned execution versus creating fragmentation or shadow solutions.
• Baseline enterprise platforms and major systems, with attention to interoperability, integration dependencies, identity/access patterns, and lifecycle/ownership clarity.
• Identify where multiple tools or platforms deliver similar outcomes across functions/regions and assess consolidation or rationalization opportunities.
• Assess delivery capacity and capability distribution across HQ, regions, and countries (roles, skills, coverage, and operating rhythms).
• Evaluate service management maturity and “ways of working” across teams to identify opportunities for more integrated, globally distributed delivery.
• Conduct a high-level assessment of the organization's enterprise technology ecosystem to evaluate how well current systems support the future operating model.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen integration across Finance, HR, IT and other corporate functions, streamline processes, strengthen data and reporting capabilities, and establish priorities for future technology investment.
• Assess risk posture across HQ/region/country contexts, including coverage gaps (policies, controls, monitoring, incident readiness) and high-risk operating realities.
• Identify areas where uneven practices or local workarounds increase enterprise risk.
• Assess data governance maturity, data quality, stewardship/accountability, and the extent to which analytics supports decision-making consistently across functions and regions.
• Identify priority opportunities to standardize core data definitions and enable cross-enterprise reporting.
• Assess infrastructure fitness across varied operating environments (including connectivity constraints), endpoint standards, identity and device management, and business continuity readiness.
• Identify high-impact opportunities to simplify and standardize while maintaining local relevance.
• Work with key stakeholders to assess optimal approach to migrate servers currently housed in Portland office building.
• Identify critical vulnerabilities requiring immediate action.
• Identify operational fragilities that threaten business continuity.
• Identify governance gaps creating exposure.
• Identify key misalignments across functions/geographies (e.g., duplicated tooling, inconsistent processes, uneven support coverage) and practical steps required to restore alignment.
• Identify “quick wins” that build confidence and momentum.
• Articulate 2–3 high-level future operating model pathways, including opportunities for efficiency gains, including but not limited to outsourcing and offshoring.
• Clarify trade-offs and implications associated with different options.
• Outline capability and sequencing considerations.
• Identify key financial considerations.
• Prepare a structured transition pack for the incoming CTO including: Diagnostic summary, Risk register, Suggested immediate priorities, Known constraints and opportunities, Early stakeholder map, Options to diversify and strengthen the global IT ecosystem, including delivery model choices, vendor/partner landscape, and recommendations to reduce single points of dependency, and Other materials which have been identified as relevant and useful.

Benefits

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed