Forsa Program Support Coordinator

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY: Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. The agency pursues its mission through emergency relief services, sustainable community development, civil society and economic development initiatives. 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 has implemented community development programs focused on promoting economic development and increased opportunity for disadvantaged communities, while responding to emergencies as they emerged in the country. In 2012, the program portfolio shifted in response to the massive refugee influx from Syria and Mercy Corps in Lebanon has solidified its emergency response programming while integrating longer-term development programming by focusing on key sectors: Protection, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Governance and Conflict, and Livelihoods.   With funding from Netherlands MoFA, Mercy Corps is implementing a three-year program designed to reduce inter-communal tensions between refugees and host communities by alleviating competition over livelihoods. FORSA (Fostering Resilience by Strengthening Abilities) will focus on expanding economic opportunities by improving access to employment, supporting MSME, and building technical capacity of private and government run vocational training centers.   GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY: The Program Support Coordinator is responsible for coordinating all procurement and financial aspects of FORSA programming with the Operations and Finance departments. Working closely with the FORSA team in Zahle and Beirut, the Program Coordinator will be the focal point for all procurement and financial services. This is to include updating the budget vs. actual reports, the reception of field administrative and grant documents, following up with field suppliers as needed, and responsible for all FORSA grant processes in coordination with the Mercy Corps Operations and Finance Department in Beirut.   ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:   Finance: Maintain and distribute current copies of the approved coded budget to all relevant parties; Assist in the month end review of sub-office journals to ensure proper coding of all transactions. Assist in updating the Budget Vs. Actual reports from FORSA spending; Organize the sub-grants files per Mercy Corps’ minimum standards and procedures. Assist in the preparation and financial review of subawards, to ensure compliance with MC policies and procedures and project budgets; Review grants financial reports/invoices to ensure they are correct and complete, coordinating with teams to also ensure they are submitted on time. Check all reports and supporting documentation so they are prepared and filed according to Mercy Corps procedures, including grant correspondence. Assist in partner site monitoring visits per the monitoring plan. Provide compliance guidance and consultations to partners by answering daily questions and following up on financial issues, including through field visits. Track partner financial reports submissions and payments. Prepare payments for partners after ensuring all requirements are met per procedures and record the payments.   Procurement: Daily coordination of FORSA program procurement activities; Attend Mercy Corps Program and Procurement planning meetings as needed in order to remain at all times up to date on the status of all FORSA purchase Agree with procurement on an adequate reporting tool to be regularly update Act as a focal point on all Purchase Requests submitted from FORSA program to the procurement unit. Coordinate with the procurement unit on the preparation and issuance of tenders and preferred supplier agreements in order to streamline purchases. Attend tender opening sessions and take part in technical review committee as needed for ORSA tenders Coordinate with Finance department to ensure payments are facilitated in a timely manner; Assist in gathering and preparing the required documentation following the delivery of supplies and completion of services as per MC standards. Ensure goods are received in accordance with Mercy Corps standards; Preparation of status reports on procurements for Operations and Program Management and recipient of supplies. The Program Coordinator will conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission; Assists Management with asset management. Identify assets during the course of procurement and notify the Asset Controller on receipts of assets. Other duties as assigned     Other: • Ensure all activities are gender sensitive and follow Mercy Corps’ Gender Equity Policy; • Apply Do No Harm standards to ensure activities do not have detrimental effects on vulnerable communities; • Contribute to monthly reports and other ad hoc reports to meet donor and internal requirements; • Participate in internal office coordination and planning meetings and workshops; • Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not jeopardize its humanitarian mission; • Other assigned tasks, as necessary. 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 towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, M&E of our field projects.   SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY: REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Program Manager SUPERVISES: None WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Program and Project Managers, Technical Advisors, M&E teams, HQ Compliance team, and Mercy Corps’ Lebanon Operations and Finance department.   KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:   • Two or more years of experience of bookkeeping, banking and/or financial reporting. • A university degree in finance, accounting, business administration or a related business field is required. • Familiarity with major international donor rules and non-profit accounting. • Excellent written and verbal English and Arabic is a plus. • Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel. • Strong analytical skills coupled with a solid understanding of grant management rules. • Strong organizational skills, and ability to work independently and take initiative under pressure in a rapidly changing, multi-cultural context, whilst adhering to strict deadlines. • Ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel. • A demonstrated ability to multi-task and process information into action as to not delay program activities. • Must work well as a member of a team. • Ability and willingness to travel regularly to the field.   SUCCESS FACTORS: The Program Support Coordinator will be bright, energetic, hard-working and eager to learn. They will take a deep personal interest in humanitarian and development assistance. They will have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability. They will be attentive to detail and able to carry out assigned tasks in a timely manner and according to a very high standard of quality. They will be creative and flexible; contributing to developing and encouraging new and innovative solutions, but at the same time will not have any difficulty in adhering to systems and procedures. They will strictly follow all protocols related to safety and security, and holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Mercy Corps’ values.