Municipalities Project Manager (Bad Link)

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY: The conflict that began more than four years ago in Syria has resulted in a steady increase in Syrian refugees to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. To date, more than one million refugees have fled to Lebanon, and the numbers continue to mount. All refugees who have entered Lebanon are staying with host families or in rented accommodation. As numbers rapidly increase, humanitarian conditions are deteriorating. The burden on host communities and the financial and emotional stress on refugees and their hosts is tremendous. Mercy Corps is responding to these needs by addressing humanitarian and longer-term development needs alike. A growing programmatic focus is on mitigating the emerging tensions between hosts and refugees, particularly over economic resources, by addressing both livelihood opportunities and conflict mitigation capacity. Mercy Corps will be working with communities in areas with significant tensions between Lebanese and Syrians. Mercy Corps will work with the municipality to select respected local leaders and provide them the skills to identify sources of common tensions and create plans to implement projects that will mitigate sources of tensions. Mercy Corps will then work with the municipality to select and implement projects. Furthermore, Mercy Corps will be helping municipalities to identify capacity gaps and working with them to address these gaps and thereby increase their ability to manage the refugee crisis. GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY: The Project Manager will be responsible for all aspects of implementing Mercy Corps’ local municipality and social cohesion work, including managing the Assistant Project Officer. S/he will be responsible for the overall project planning and management. It will involve fulfilling specific deliverables outlined in the project plan, as well as strategically positioning the organization to expand the initiative. This will namely include building key relationships with the municipality and local leaders, mobilizing Lebanese and Syrian communities, coordinating between the municipality and local leaders, disseminating information, and advocating issues at the governorate and national levels to advance local municipalities’ response to the Syrian crisis. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS Program Implementation: Map target municipalities to understand relationships, power structures, etc… and select municipalities to work in; Build relationships with municipalities to introduce the project and facilitate access to information about their municipal service provision structures and capacities; Build relationships with the local Lebanese and Syrian communities to identify respected local leaders, including non-traditional leaders, who have an informal role in managing conflict in the community; In coordination with the municipality, select local community leaders to participate in the project; Coordinate the training of local leaders and municipality staff; Oversee and coordinate the formal and informal dialogues and discussions of Lebanese and Syrian leaders amongst each other and their communities in the identification of common tensions and potential solutions to mitigate said tensions; Work with the municipality to select projects to implement which will mitigate tensions; Work with the municipality to assess gaps in their project management knowledge and capacity and utilize external and internal resources alike to provide municipalities with solutions to identified gaps; Oversee internal Mercy Corps procurement processes to secure materials, transport to target area, provide, install, etc. based on requirements; Be responsible for all aspects of the project, including fulfilling Mercy Corps Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide; Ensure activities promote gender equity, conflict sensitivity, and environmental awareness; Conduct Do No Harm analysis to inform future activities related to the implementation of the project; Mentor local municipal actors to apply strategies to promote greater crisis response; Develop monitoring and evaluation system to inform the progress of the project, based on the indicators outlined in the proposal and others as necessary; Write monthly reports and other ad hoc reports to meet donor and internal requirements; Liaise with national government officials and donors to discuss the project and its findings to leverage new ideas and link to new initiatives; 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 to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission. Other assigned tasks, as necessary KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:  At least 5 years’ experience working on peacebuilding with local communities; At least 5 years’ experience implementing infrastructure projects; At least 5 years’ experience working with local government; Experience implementing cash-for-work projects a plus; Strong understanding of government and governance issues in Lebanon; Excellent knowledge of West and North Beqaa; Positive, respectful attitude and collaborative approach to problem solving; Demonstrated attention to detail; ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently as well as cooperatively with team members; SUCCESS FACTORS: The successful Project Manager will be bright, energetic, hard-working and eager to learn. S/he will take a deep personal interest in promoting municipal-level leadership in Lebanon and in learning about the work of Mercy Corps and the humanitarian/development community, in general. S/he 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. S/he will be creative and flexible, but at the same time will not have any difficulty in adhering to systems and procedures. S/he will strictly follow all protocols related to safety and security