Lebanon Head of Mission

 

Position

Lebanon Head of Mission (National hire)

Grade

F

Department & Location

 

Lebanon

 

Date

September 2018

Amount of travel required:

Travels inside the country, in the region as required (Jordan, and Egypt) and internationally (UK, etc.).

Reports to:

 

Director of the Sub Region – Middle East

Line reports:

Lebanon Country Team – currently 10 staff

Purpose:  How does this post support Plan’s strategy and mission?

 

Plan International is an independent child rights and humanitarian organisation committed to children living a life free of poverty, violence and injustice.

 

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries. We actively unite children, communities and other people who share our mission to make positive lasting changes in children’s and young people’s lives. We support children to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to claim their rights to a fulfilling life, today and in the future. Our global strategy has a specific focus on girls, as they are often the most marginalised and most often left behind. We have committed ourselves to the ambitious target of reaching 100 million girls over 5 years, to ensure they can learn, lead, decide and thrive.

 

We need bold, forward-thinking and innovative individuals to lead our country operations, driving change and delivering results.

 

Plan opened an office in December 2016 in Lebanon and is currently in the final stages of registration. Plan has developed a portfolio of programming in Lebanon implemented through national partners. The position required for Lebanon aims at expanding the Plan mission in Lebanon through increasing Plan’s portfolio and working more closely with the host population. Plan is focused on longer-term interventions in Lebanon with a strong focus on host communities. The HOM will report in to the Director for the sub region as the country programme expands.

 

 

Responsibilities:

 

General profile:

The Head of Mission (HOM) Lebanon is expected to provide strategic direction and political approach for both the humanitarian and longer-term development needs in the country. There will be heavy focus on engagement with the host population. The position will lead and manage Plan International’s response in Lebanon.

 

The HOM is responsible for ensuring the overall relevance, quality and effectiveness of Plan’ Lebanon’s response. He/She will drive Plan’s programme and influencing work, setting overall direction, leading a high performing team, ensuring accountability for meeting demanding targets and maintaining alignment with the global strategy. The HOM will be required to articulate and set in motion a longer-term approach and rationale to working in partnerships with national partners and line ministries in Lebanon. The post holder will work closely with the Plan National Offices and manage donor relationships in-country.

 

He/she will have clearly defined Delegation of Authority in terms of legal representation and financial management within the limits set out as per the contexts.

 

Core Responsibilities:

 

 Strategy approach

 

1 – Elaboration of the revised strategy document and programme plans (contextualisation, approaches, main sector of intervention in line with the global strategy, coordination mechanisms in country, etc.);

2 – Revision and update of existing strategies in Lebanon and identification of specific areas of added value for Plan in country;

3 – Develop further the longer term and sustainable funding model for Lebanon that is primarily based on cost recovery from institutional grants.

4 – Manage the effective risk management and control systems for the programmes, including ensuring consistent compliance with Plan International code of conduct and policies including on child safeguarding and gender equality and inclusion.

5 – Ensure relevant support is notified in advance to Plan Egypt (supporting through a shared service agreement).

 

 

Relations with Government/Business opportunities/donors networking

 

1 – Continue to build and maintain strong relations with government of Lebanon and relevant line ministries;

2 – Liaison with donors in Lebanon and identification of priority areas of intervention, sectors and specific added value for Plan International in line with the current strategy and the LCRP with the outcomes elaborated at global level;

3 – Coordination with Plan National Offices on fundraising: identification of donors at international level, mapping of calls for proposals/opportunities of funding, elaboration of concept notes/proposals in cooperation other staff assigned;

4 – Maintain coordination networks with delegation of international donors in country, local donors, UN agencies, institutional donors: identification of specific areas of interested aligned with Plan’s strategy in country, communication and networking;

5 – Participation in coordination meetings, MoSA, LHIF, UN, etc. and other relevant forums to raise Plan’s profile and identify adequate funding opportunities;

6 – Support in identification of national partners suitable for implementation, support to screening/assessing local partners, identification of country specific networks of local agencies and engagement in building solid relationships with local agencies.

 

Project Implementation

1 – Supervision of project implementation in country, support to start-up of activities, monitoring of progress, troubleshooting and monitoring of activities in country

2 – Communication with local partners, participation to meetings, support to identification of potential additional partners;

3 – Supervision of budgets, expenditures, financial reporting in collaboration with Grant Managers and IH financial department;

4 – Supervision of in country budgets, cash flow and monitoring of expenditures

5 – Ensure a coordinated and consistent approach to the establishment and roll out of SAP and other Plan systems;

 

 

People Management:

1 – Direct supervision of all in-country staff

2 – Support to selection of staff, contract management, compliance with local fiscal legislation and domestic law in coordination

3- Establish and maintain a culture of safety and security, ensuring that security guidelines remain relevant and followed, and maintain strong connections to UNDSS, INSO and other relevant security networks

4 – Identification of adequate HR structure in country: identification of profiles, lines of reporting, internal governance;

5 – Mentoring, technical support, assessment of performance, contract management.

6- Work with HR to ensure Global priorities and change programmes are implemented

7 – Ensure HRIS is kept updated for Plan Lebanon staff

 

 

Financial management

1 – Review of core budget for country office;

2 – Elaboration of business model where fundraising, cost recovery and spending in country are factored in;

3 – Negotiation with NOs management of open funding pool for country office, supervision of spending, elaboration of adequate cash-flow

 

 

Plan’s profile

1 – Establish a political strategy for engagement in the country,

2-   Identification of clear areas of intervention and added value for Plan at country level;

3 – Establishment of network with relevant players in country, participation to in country initiatives to raise Plan’s profile

4– Management of visibility in line with profile;

5– Communication with National Offices and other relevant Country Offices.

6 - Make sure that decisions taken by PI are aligned with Lebanon’s policies and laws

 

 

Impact of results:

 

Expected results:

• Maintain functional, flexible and agile structured country office
• Elaboration of grant targets;
• Revision of existing programme plan in country;
• Establishment of solid networks with key players in country

 

 

Working Relationships:

 

Reports to: Director of the sub region- Middle East.

 

Line manages:

 

All staff in Lebanon – while leading on relevant Plan NO and IH visiting teams in the country.

 

 

Knowledge, skills and behaviours:

 

 

Knowledge

• Knowledge of Sphere and the Red Cross/ NGO Code of Conduct
• Requires general finance, administration, information management and telecommunication skills
• In depth knowledge and experience of the NGO sector in Lebanon

 

Skills and behaviour

 

• Ability to work independently and as a team player who demonstrates leadership and is able to support and train local and international staff. Proven skills in the development and management of effective and motivated teams, including distance management
• Well-developed written and oral communication skills. Ability to communicate clearly and sensitively with internal and external stakeholders;
• Works with trustworthiness and integrity and has a clear commitment to Plan’s core values and humanitarian principles.
• Proven analytical skills in isolating priorities and tackling them
• Ability to operate effectively under extreme circumstances. Works with a flexible, adaptable and resilient manner.
• Demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to gender and diversity.
• Experience and the ability to live and work in diverse cultural contexts in a culturally appropriate manner.
• Capacity to make accurate self-assessment particularly in high stress and security contexts.
• Well planned and organized and has a capacity for initiative and decision making with competent analytical and problem solving skills
• An agile manager able to lead and support the region through change.

 

 

 

Experience

• Eight to ten years professional experience in lead management / implementing both emergency response and long-term development programs;
• Experience of leading and managing in the nexus of humanitarian to longer-term development work in conflict-affected settings.
• Experience of managing teams and demonstrating leadership
• Experience of working in a multi-stakeholder NGO
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, strategic planning skills required;
• English and Arabic essential

 

 

 

Level of Contact with Children:

Low contact:     No contact or very low frequency of interaction