Temporary Arts Project Coordinator, Syria

Role purpose

The post holder will provide temporary coordination support for the British Council’s Syria Arts programming with a focus on overseeing the delivery of a range of projects and events in partnership with local, regional and international arts organisations.
 
Key responsibilities include shaping project content and delivering activities in liaison with partners, stakeholders and suppliers, managing project budgets and contracts, overseeing the development of project communications content and developing and delivering risk management and monitoring and evaluation plans for all project work.  

The post holder will work closely with the Syria Director Programmes and Partnerships, Syria Communications Officer and Syria Project Support Officer. 

About us 

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.

Geopolitical/SBU/Function overview

The British Council closed and suspended the operations of its Damascus office in 2012, having been present on the ground since 1943. Nonetheless, we have continued to deliver cultural relations programming in support of displaced Syrians through our neighbouring country offices and remotely through local partners still operating inside Syria. 

The current Syria Directorate is based in Beirut. It has a mandate to support host country offices to develop multi-country responses to the Syrian crisis, for overall coordination of the regional response to the crisis, and to develop viable long-term models and programmes for delivering impact back inside Syria.

Our vision is for young Syrians to feel less isolated and have greater access to opportunities to connect with the world and participate in conversations and learning experiences that give them hope for a better future. We are working towards this vision by initiating greater connections, knowledge sharing and collaboration between the people of the UK and Syria.

Our work in the arts aims to promote links, exchanges and mutual enrichment between the UK’s and Syria’s diverse culture, creativity and innovation. We work across all art forms and with the best of British talent to develop artistic programmes and opportunities for collaboration.

Main opportunities/challenges for this role

This job represents an exciting opportunity to lead on the delivery of a wide range of cultural projects within the British Council’s growing Syrian arts programmes portfolio. At the same time, the role entails working in challenging and fragile contexts and delivering projects in areas where we don’t have a physical presence. As such, it is expected that the post holder is highly agile and adaptable, has strong interpersonal and communications skills and is capable of managing work remotely and developing strong partnerships.

Main Accountabilities

Project and Partnership Management 

• Plan and oversee the implementation of Arts projects with Syrian and UK partners and audiences. This is done through working with Director Programmes and Partnerships, regional SBU leads and teams, UK advisors and external consultants and a wide range of local and international partners to meet country plan local, regional and global priorities. 
• Ensure high quality delivery of all projects through sound project and partner management. This includes managing relationships with a range of partners, providing input on project and activity content, coordinating grant-making processes, regularly reviewing partner delivery against plans and contractual agreements and reviewing the quality of reporting.

Marketing and Communications

• Work closely with the marketing and communications team to ensure the effective promotion and marketing of programme activities in accordance with communication plans. 
• Work closely with the Marketing and Communications team to ensure that: British Council brand standards are upheld, effective marketing and communications plans are created and implemented, and that impact and Key Performance Indicators are measured throughout.
• Provide quality content for communications material on Arts programming for internal/external purposes and proactively communicate projects achievements to both internal and external audiences through a variety of channels

Monitoring and Evaluation & Knowledge Management 

• Ensure all projects have embedded monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes that are fit for purpose and relevant to the needs the British Council and our partners 
• Provide regular project progress reports and participate in relevant meetings i.e. with the Syria programmes team, partners and other relevant stakeholders.  
• Ensure project outcomes and impacts are measured and reported according to corporate standards including British Council internal REF system
• Represent the British Council in relevant international /local conferences/forums

Financial and budget management 

• Draft budgets and actively manage project finances in line with British Council processes and standards: 
• Plan, forecast and monitor spending in line with agreed projects budget and expenditure 
• Prepare accurate, timely and feasible monthly cash flow projections in line with approved activity plans. 
• Ensure effective financial management of assigned projects using SAP and off-system tools.
• Control and monitor payment processes for the contracted partners, suppliers and service providers.

Risk and compliance

• In coordination with Director Programmes and Partnerships, ensure that risks are identified, monitored and escalated to Country Director as appropriate – with agreed mitigation plans and actions. 
• Ensure that all projects meet relevant internal and external compliance and requirements (financial, HR, quality management, procurement, security, etc.). 

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

• Ensure that all aspects of our work in the arts are delivered in a way that reflects the British Council values and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion principles
• Identify opportunities to support the British Council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) policy, and consider all six areas of the EDI framework in planning, implementation and reporting of project activities in the Arts.

Key Relationships

External stakeholders include

• Local and UK arts organisations, consultants, event participants, suppliers (hotels, taxi companies, restaurants, travel agencies, etc.)  

Internal stakeholders include

• Project Managers and wider Programmes team 
• Director Programmes and Partnerships
• Country Director
• Cross-departmental teams (Regional Arts Director, Marketing and Communications, Finance and Resources) 

Role Requirements

Passport requirements/ Right to work in country    Post holder must be eligible to work in Lebanon. When required, successful candidate needs to secure, at his/her own cost and liability, the appropriate work and residency permits and any other required document, as well as any renewals thereof, from the Lebanese competent authorities.

Direct contact or managing staff working with children?    Yes. Appropriate police check required

The post holder will understand the importance of child protection and ensure polices and processes are in place to offer maximum protection of young people at all relevant events and venues and ensure compliance with BC Child Protection policy.

Notes    Hours are variable according to events and can include evenings and occasional weekends.  The role includes representing the British Council at external events where appropriate.  On certain days it may be necessary to work longer hours to cater for key deadlines. 

Person Specification

Language requirements
Minimum / essential

• English – (Level C1) - Valid proof of level required (IELTS 7.5 or equivalent)
• Fluent in written and spoken Arabic

Assessment Stage

• Mandatory Aptis test in English (provided by BC) if shortlisted candidate cannot provide proof of English

Qualifications
Minimum / essential       

• University degree   

Desirable 

• Degree or other professional qualifications in arts and culture topics, project management or other relevant area

Assessment Stage    

• Shortlisting

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience
Minimum / essential    

• 2 years’ experience in a project management role
• Prior experience working with local or international arts organisations 
• Prior experience of working in collaboration with partner organisations and consultants 
• Knowledge of Lebanese arts scene and cultural context 

Desirable      

• Experience of remote working through partner organisations
• Knowledge of Syrian cultural context  

Assessment Stage

• Shortlisting AND Interview

British Council Core Skills

Managing projects (Level 4)
Leads larger projects - leading medium-to-large and/or high risk projects, coordinating a diverse team with awareness of equality and diversity impact as part of the project specifications and handling changes in specification or plan to meet unexpected circumstances

Managing finance and resources (Level 3)
Supports budget management - monitors and controls an agreed budget within a defined area, producing reports and analyses and contributing to planning

Communicating and influencing (Level 3)
Is creative and adaptable in communications - Able to use a range of non-standard and creative approaches to inform, and persuade others, extending beyond logical argument to influence decisions and actions in a way which is inclusive and engaging. 

Planning and organising (Level 2)
Plans ahead - Able to organise own work over weeks and months, or to plan ahead for others, taking account of priorities and the impact on other people.

Managing Risk (Level 2)
Supports a risk management culture - Has track record of identifying and highlighting risks and suggesting mitigating actions

Using technology (Level 2)
Operates as an advanced user - Works as an advanced practitioner in the use of office software and/or British Council standard and social media platforms and trains or coaches others in their use.

Assessment Stage

• Shortlisting AND Interview

British Council Behaviours

Connecting with others: (More Demanding)
Making regular opportunities to understand others better 

Working together: (More Demanding)
Establishing a genuinely common goal with others

Making it happen: (More Demanding)
Delivering clear results for the British Council

Being accountable (More Demanding)
Putting the needs of the team or British Council ahead of my own

Shaping the future:(Essential)
Looking for ways in which we can do things better

Creating shared purpose: (Essential)
Communicating an engaging picture of how we can work together

Assessment Stage

• Interview