Fords Project Manager

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY: The Project Manager will provide overall leadership and management to the implementation of the FORDS project, managing staff and resources to ensure that the project meets its targets and deliverables on-time and within budget.  The Project Manager will supervise the work of the partner organization and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps’ policies and donor rules and regulations. He/she will be the primary project representative to donors, relevant government entities, partners, other implementers and external stakeholders. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: Project Implementation: Oversee all aspects of Project implementation, development and management to meet project deliverables based on timeline and scope agreed with the donor; Ensure that project implementation is responsive to country needs, and aligned with Mercy Corps principles, values and strategic plan; Work closely with regional Economic Opportunities Regional Advisor for technical support on vocational training needs assessment, business start-up tools, and other relevant instruments for project direction and implementation; Work closely with local partner to implement pactivities, organize vocational and business trainings, monitor project progress, develop micro-business management tools  and select businesses and coops to receive grants for expansion. ; With the assistance provided by staff of Mercy Corps partners in South Lebanon, arrange for meetings and lead the discussions with the local entities and authorities to give them an overview about the project and seek their involvement by suggesting candidates for training; Spearhead the organizational efforts to schedule the trainings and coordinates with the staff of Mercy Corps partners in South Lebanon to ensure that all logistical, administrative and financial matters are fulfilled appropriately; In coordination with local partners, conduct periodic risk assessments and update implementation plan accordingly; Monitor adherence to grant agreement, Mercy Corps policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations; Coordinate with finance department to ensure project expenditures are properly projected and accounted for. Insuring the achievement of the planned impact; Lead discussions with partners and community on existing conflict dynamics; and Implements Mercy Corps’ Gender Equity policy and applies Do No Harm approaches.  Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and Reporting: Work with Economic Opportunities Regional Advisor and Director of M&E to conduct baseline/endline surveys of the project activities; Conduct regular monitoring of project activities and work with local partners to update implementation plan as required; Facilitate the achievement of project targets and objectives and lead efforts to design effective M&E systems. Oversee the scheduling and production of formal and informal reports on all aspects of the project in a timely and efficient manner; Work with Economic Opportunities Advisor and other technical staff to ensure that M&E reports focus on assisting the project to generate practical information that can be used for ongoing project decision-making while also capturing results at the impact level; and Ensure the achievement of planned results with a focus on lessons learned to be used for the design of a follow-on FORDS project. Coordination and Representation: Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO and other relevant events in the field, in close coordination with the Country/Deputy Country Director; and Coordinate activities with partners, local government and other stakeholders, with other Mercy Corps projects, and the Economic and Market Development TSU.  Partner Management, Professional Development and Team building: Create a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels; Supervise the work of the partner and ensure the integration of partners into relevant decision-making; and   Work with regional economic and market development focal point to develop regional proposals.  New Initiatives: In coordination with the Country Director, Director of Programs, regional advisors, and other relevant personnel and counterparts, play an active role in identifying new initiatives and drafting proposal to expand Mercy Corps work in Lebanon. KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:  Strong understanding of EC compliance issues Strong management and communication skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues. Extensive experience implementing and managing livelihoods, early recovery, and market-based programs. Significant knowledge and understanding of the current political, economic, cultural and historical context of South Lebanon. Prior experience working in South Lebanon strongly preferred.