Project Director

POSITION DESCRIPTIONPROJECT DIRECTORLEBANON REFORESTATION INITIATIVE (LRI)BEIRUT, LEBANONFebruary, 2015 Background The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Forest Service (USFS)jointly established the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative in 2010 to provide technical assistanceand institutional support on sustainable forestry practices and wildfire management ineconomically depressed and environmentally degraded regions of Lebanon. The four-year, $11.9million project, concluding in June 2015, introduced new technical practices and standards fornative tree nursery production, assisted local communities throughout the country to restorecommunal forest lands, established the first web-based platform in Lebanon of reforestation andrelated biophysical data for reforestation practitioners, and introduced advanced reforestation andwildfire management practices to ensure sustainable landscape restoration. The project has transformed the way native trees are grown in Lebanon and resulted in theplanting of more than half-a-million trees, including cedar, pine, juniper, oak and many othernative species, with survival rates after several planting seasons of more than 70-90% (from aprevious average of about 25%). Notably, diverse sectarian communities in various parts ofLebanon – including Christian, Druze, Shia, Sunni and others of mixed denominations – haveengaged with one another under the project to realize large-scale community tree planting thatstrengthens their communities, sharing best practices in the protection of native tree forests.Inter-community reforestation efforts bringing together neighboring Christian and Muslimcommunities in the Bekaa Valley have shown the powerful impact that can be realized throughtree planting to support natural resource and watershed protection for vulnerable and underservedlocal populations. Perhaps just as important, such nonpolitical efforts improve livelihoods andpromote stability for communities and regions previously torn apart by sectarian conflict andfacing the increasing pressures of the Syrian refugee crisis. With support and cooperation from USAID, the US Forest Service plans to launch a secondphase of LRI in July, 2015. This two- to three-year effort will replicate the impact of LRI’scommunity-led landscape restoration by engaging communities in participatory reforestation,“twinning” with neighboring communities, and capacity building of civil society andmunicipalities. While landscape-scale reforestation will remain the main entry point for theproject, this second phase will aim to leverage the program’s socio-economic co-benefits,focusing on underserved areas of the country and in diverse sectarian communities, especiallythose hit hardest by the Syrian refugee crisis. The US Forest Service seeks a full-time project director to manage the second phase of LRI fromits offices in Beirut and to help shepherd the project’s orientation toward broader communityengagement and leveraging of socio-economic gains associated with reforestation.Requirements Experience managing USAID projects overseas, experience in the Middle East preferred Experience in community outreach and mobilization, and civil society strengthening Experience in natural resources and forestry desired Excellent communication and representation skills English fluency required. Arabic and/or French fluency preferred Proven ability to work well with multi-level stakeholders; strong interpersonal skills Familiarity with USFS and USAID policies and procedures Demonstrated leadership and management skills Duties The Project Director will manage LRI duties in the Beirut office in coordination withWashington, DC. As such, the Project Director will oversee implementation of activities with theLRI including outreach to target communities throughout Lebanon, community relationship andprogram development, and technical activities including nursery/seed establishment, mappingand data services, and tree planting protocols. The Project Director will report to the US Forest Service Africa and Middle East RegionProgram Coordinator and will plan, direct, coordinate, and control the financial and logisticalmanagement of the initiative in Beirut. The Project Director will advise and manage up to tenstaff members in Beirut and partner with the Washington office, USAID, Lebanese governmentaland non-governmental institutions, and local communities. The ability to efficiently plan, track,monitor, report, and communicate progress to all interested parties is essential. The Project Director will travel to Washington, DC to meet with the USFS/IP Africa and MiddleEast team to consult on the initiative as necessary. Responsibilities Responsibilities of the Project Director include, but are not limited to:   Provide strategic direction for community outreach and mobilization, forest nursery development, reforestation, conservation, and sustainable financing Provide reporting and program implementation information on a regular basis to USFS/IP Washington, USAID Lebanon, and local partners Finalize work plans, budgets, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks Hire and supervise personnel, both local hires, visitors, and short-term consultants as needed to implement program activities within Lebanon Organize technical assistance missions for USFS/IP and USAID experts in support of program goals Provide technical and logistical support to short-term USFS/IP detailers on technical assistance missions to Lebanon Collaborate on reforestation activities with relevant international and local NGOs, GoL institutions, and donor Oversight and Reporting: The Project Director shall report to the Africa and Middle EastProgram Coordinator at the USFS/IP Middle East office and provide regular evaluation andguidance. Location of Work: Beirut, Lebanon The successful applicant will be hired through a contractor.Interested candidates should send a resume and letter of interest to the HR Department at METIby April 15, 2015: HRDEPT@meticorp.com; fax: 915-772-2253. METI is an EqualOpportunity Employer: M/F/V/D www.meticorp.com.