Beirut Emergency Response Project Manager (Applications will only be accepted if submitted through the link provided)

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 present in the Middle East since the 1980s and currently works in Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq. Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps is committed to generating positive opportunities for women, men, boys and girls from Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian communities, with a strong focus on engaging youth.  Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping build secure, productive and just communities. Our programs focus on four sectors:  Economic Opportunities, Governance and Social Stability, Youth and Humanitarian interventions. The Mercy Corps Lebanon team consists of over 180 staff working across six offices throughout Mount Lebanon, South Lebanon, Tripoli and the Bekaa Valley.

Program / Department Summary

Following the tragic explosions in Beirut of August 4, 2020, numerous lives were lost, thousands wounded and hundreds of thousands rendered homeless. The infrastructural damage has been devastating. Lebanon is also experiencing a debilitating confluence of financial, political, economic, COVID-19, and social crises as the central government struggles to respond. The social and economic consequences of the events from October 2019 have seen tens of thousands of businesses close, hundreds of thousands of jobs lost and the increasing struggle of the majority of the population to afford even the basic necessities of food, medicine, and shelter. Lebanon’s economy is on the verge of collapse.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the main economic drivers in Lebanon, representing 97 percent of the total enterprises, employing more than 51 percent of the working population, and are mostly family-owned. Mercy Corps’s Beirut Response Program seeks to support blast-affected MSMEs to protect, maintain and grow MSMEs to protect the livelihoods of those they employ, and ensure their continued provisions of basic goods and services to the neighborhoods in which they work. Mercy Corps particularly focuses on poorer and lower middle class neighborhoods, already struggling prior to the explosions and struggling to survive, yet vital to the survival of their neighborhoods to get back on their feet.

Even before this explosion struck, Lebanon was facing a crisis on multiple fronts. Home to the largest number of Syrian refugees per capita in the world, the financial woes are stark with the Lebanese Pound having lost 80% of its value since October and the country in hyperinflation for the last two months. Lebanon is also experiencing an escalation in COVID-19 cases, with around 200 new cases reported every day. This explosion comes at the worst possible time for Lebanon and adds yet another setback that will deeply affect people's ability to cope.

The primary objectives of the program are that:

1. Assess immediate urgent needs of targeted MSMEs for rapid response interventions allowing quickest possible reopening and resumption of services
2. Identify Quick Impact Project (QIP) opportunities for particularly vital businesses required by their communities
3. Provide targeted in-kind or cash support to identified MSMEs for quick resumption of services.
4. Scale geographic and programmatic breadth and width of program for greater humanitarian and economic impact.
5. Build the foundation for a broader-based Phase II and Phase III program design that effectively transitions from emergency response to recovery to larger scale, market systems-based development.

General Position Summary

The Program Manager for the Beirut Response program will work under tight deadlines with a keen situational analysis, adapting to a rapidly changing context to identify the most crucial MSMEs for neighborhood coping and eventual recovery, the needs of those MSMEs, and rapid, right-sized support for their re-opening, building back better, and continued, sustainable operation. The program seeks to protect and maintain the employment opportunities these MSMEs provide, with a particular focus on women-owned, -managed, and -employing businesses, as well as protecting the goods and services provision needed by their communities, while laying the foundation for longer-term growth and resilience. The Program Manager is responsible for the planning and day-to-day implementation of all program activities, including procurement, finance and MEL and ensuring that program activities are being implemented on deadline and on target, providing regular updates on required adaptations and new opportunities for greatest long-term positive impact.. S/he will ensure the coherence and quality of the program interventions, seeking out innovations and adaptations to ensure that they lead to the desired impact in the rapidly changing political, economic and political context of Lebanon. The Program Manager will actively seek out opportunities to engage community members and youth for volunteer engagement, community buy-in, support and ownership of the overall program arc.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Work closely with the program team, Director of Programs and PaQ Team to fully understand the ‘bigger picture’ of the program and what it aims to achieve;
• Work with and support team members in the design, adaptation and implementation of program components to achieve measurable impact within an uncertain country context;
• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create a positive collaborative environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed, recognized, and have the opportunity to create ownership by all team members.

Program Management

• Ensure that the program targets are well understood and achieved according to the implementation work-plan, and to adapt the work-plan when required. This includes being responsible for the quality of regular reports/updates and grants tracking systems by ensuring that any subgrant and grant records are kept up to date.
• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities’ needs and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
• Ensure that program participants are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
• Integrate inclusive community approaches and gender sensitivity into all activities as appropriate.
• Ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, and collaborate with the MEL Team and PAQ Manager to monitor desired impacts.
• Fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guidelines.
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, Safeguarding, and beneficiary accountability standards.
• Ensure proper implementation of referral mechanisms in Mercy Corps.

Partner Coordination

• Assist in ensuring that any future program partners are implementing activities as per their work plan, on time and within budget, with the quality required, assisting partners in updating their work plans as required;
• Review partners’ financial and narrative reports before submission to the Program Manager;
• Pay close attention to issues, trends or concerns that arise from partner reports, updates and meetings. In discussion with the Program Manager, make decisions and take action;
• Ensure a smooth coordination between the different program outcomes and the partners’ activities;
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures;
• Contribute to fostering a positive collaborative and mutually beneficial working relationship  between Mercy Corps staff and partners.

Team Management

• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one-on-ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence as individuals and as a team.

Finance & Compliance Management

• Ensure compliance with donor (potentially multiple donors) and Mercy Corps regulations;
• Keep track of expenditures in coordination with the Program Support Coordinator;
• Ensure financial monitoring of the partner expenditure in coordination with the Finance Department and represent the program during monthly BvA meetings.

Reporting and Communication

• Develop communication material for internal and external audiences;
• Contribute to and review all internal and external reports to ensure coherence, accuracy, high professional standards, and timeliness

Representation

• Maintain productive relationships with internal and external constituents such as private partners, national government, foundations, the private sector, etc.
• Maintain productive relationships with the international community inclusive of the United Nations, International NGOs, Think Tanks, Research Institutes, and Foreign Governments.

• As required by the supervisor, represent Mercy Corps at donor meetings, and government and sectoral coordination forums/meetings.
• Adhere to Mercy Corps’ Code of Conduct policy, understanding that all team members represent the organization both inside and outside the office and should act in ways that bring credit to the individual, the team, the program and the organization.

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 and adhere to policies.

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 commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
  to our program participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging participating 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 at all times and in all in-country venues.

Supervisory Responsibility

Direct supervision of the program team and potential volunteers under possible Phases II and III.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Director of Programs

Works Directly With: Program Team, PaQ Team, Finance Team, Operations and Procurement Team, HR Team

Knowledge and Experience

• University Degree or Higher in field relating to humanitarian and development work or Degree relevant to one or more of the following technical sectors (Economics, Business, Sociology, Development, International Relations, Political Science)
• 5-6 years of experience working in Non-Governmental Organisation, ideally focused on livelihoods or economic development programs;
• Demonstrated experience in emergency response, business development or market development in fragile contexts are particularly desired assets;
• Excellent organizational and program management skills, able to keep an eye on the ‘bigger picture’, with great attention to details;
• Good understanding of procurement, administration and finance procedures;
• Commitment to local capacity development and past experience of engaging and working with local stakeholders in program design and implementation.
• Demonstrated capacity to collaborate closely with local and national government offices, INGOs, national NGOs and Community Based Organisations.
• Proven ability to work cooperatively with colleagues from other departments in a team environment, and to lead a diverse group of people.
• Show great initiative and be able to work well in a team and independently.
• Creativity and sense of humor to adapt to challenging circumstances;
• Arabic and English language written and spoken is essential. Excellent written English is strongly desired.

Success Factors

The successful candidate will have a keen interest in and an understanding of the complex socio-political and economic context of Lebanon, able to spot emerging trends and opportunities that may positively or negatively impact the program.They will have a good understanding of how markets function and have a keen curiosity in helping develop solutions for those in Lebanon suffering economically. A curious and open mind with a good sense of humor are important, as is the ability to stay calm and focused in times of high stress and multiple competing demands on their time.