BDS Officer - Tripoli

The BDS and Livelihoods officers will contribute to the implementation of a livelihood project in Tripoli. This project is funded by BMZ and implemented by three local partners (TEC, SHIFT, and Ruwwad al Tanmeya). The project aims to enhance economic resilience of marginalized communities and individuals in Tripoli, Lebanon, in particular of youth (f/m) and women from refugee and non-refugee households.

The intervention will be done through three approaches: (1) Engaging communities by providing psycho-social support, vocational training and apprenticeships, (2) Engaging business owners and entrepreneurs, (3) Engaging local CSOs through building their capacities. This approach aims to contribute to the enhancement of economic and self-resilience within several communities in Tripoli, including but not limited to, Qobbe, Tebbane and Jabal Mohsen.

CARE International in Lebanon (CiL) supports local businesses and individuals. The senior officer’s will primary contribute to the achievement of the first goal by working on strengthening the employability of vulnerable individuals, identifying potential opportunities and placement arrangements to apply these skills, supporting the incubation and acceleration of existing and scalable micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and facilitating access to the necessary inputs to support their sustainability.

Project Implementation

Pro-actively work toward the overall project implementation as per donor agreement and CARE guidelines and agreed implementation strategy

Pro-actively work toward reaching the project objectives, i.e. strengthening the employability of vulnerable individuals, identifying potential opportunities and placement arrangements to apply these skills, building the capacity of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to access available economic opportunities and facilitating access to the necessary inputs to support their sustainability.

Conduct under the guidance and coaching of CARE Business Development and Urban Livelihoods Project Manager a qualitative Business Development Services (BDS) market assessment

Ensure the implementation of quality BDS delivery to MSMEs and monitor outputs.

Develop, update and follow up a detailed work plan, in line with donor agreement and in agreement with the CARE Business Development and Urban Livelihoods Project Manager

Conduct regular field monitoring visits to provide support when needed to ensure quality implementation.

Support in the identification of beneficiary SMEs in the targeted areas and ensure the high quality of the data collected during the assessments and baseline:

• Follow up with partner NGOS/community focal points about the project activities.
• Outreach & follow up with Youth Committees and educational institutions in selected areas to motivate them to apply for apprenticeships. This will entail field presence and possibly filling up of assessments
• Follow up with recommended profiles to ensure eligibility for the apprenticeship component.
• Evaluate applications to apprenticeships and prepare & conduct induction interview/sessions in coordination with HR.
• Identify companies that are willing to take on interns and follow up on the matching process as a whole (filling the application, matching them with a suitable intern, collecting legal documents).

Support in MSME identification component of the project may be required.

• Follow up with new entrepreneurs (social and other) to understand and evaluate their progress and their allocation of grants from the programme.
• Support the PM and local partners with designing and implementing an access to finance structure for new entrepreneurs and existing MSMEs
• Contribute to job placement in terms of:
  • Creating awareness on the availability of the recruitment database through supporting with the marketing strategy and communicating with local entities
  • Coordinate with SMEs who wish to join the recruitment database
• Other tasks, associated with the above may arise.  

Reporting & Information sharing

Support with drafting narrative and quantitative reports as per CARE internal requirements and donor requirements.

Ensure internal communication and information sharing on project with relevant staff (Economic Development and Livelihoods Coordinator, Communication, Advocacy and Information management focal point, M&E team etc.).

Representation and Coordination

Support the Project Manager in ensuring CARE representation in the relevant technical coordination meetings at field level and all relevant forums at the field level and vis-à-vis relevant actors and partners as relevant to the project (MSME/Private Sector, municipalities, UN agencies, INGOs, local NGOs, community focal points, etc.).

Support in the organization of field visits by donors, peer agencies, CARE Members, Media, etc.

The BDS officer will also have to fulfill any other task as requested by her/his supervisor depending on the programmatic priorities in the Field Office.

Experience required: 

 2 years’ minimum experience with INGOs, preferably in Livelihoods, Cash, or related sectors, which would include experience with the following activities: 

• Implementation of skills development and employability trainings programs 

• Implementation of livelihood Projects integrated in Community Support Projects 

• SME and local economy knowledge  

• Conducting market assessments. 

• Community mobilization  

• Training and facilitation for staff and community groups