Project Director SR2

Role Title

Project Director-Strengthening Resilience 2

Role Information

Role Type New-FTC

Pay Band E/8

Location Lebanon-Beirut

Duration 3 Years

Reports to Team Leader- SR‖ in MENA

Role purpose

The Project Director will lead the delivery of Strengthening Resilience II Programme (SRII) in Lebanon ensuring project and financial management meet client, corporate and programme quality standards.

Reporting to the Team Leader SRII in MENA, the post holder will act as key point of contact for project implementation and all project activities in country, including liaison with partners and other relevant stakeholders

About us

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.  We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.

British Council Lebanon operates from Beirut and we employ approximately 50 staff, including regional and Syria directorate colleagues based in Lebanon. Our activities are broad based, including a growing Exams business, and a sizeable portfolio of grant, partnership and externally funded English, Education, Arts and Society programmes and projects.

In partnership with Foreign and Commonwealth Office and funded by the European Union, the British Council through the Strengthening Resilience Programme in its first phase has brought together experienced government and civil society organisations in Tunisia, Morocco and Lebanon to work together to design and deliver campaigns and other interventions that provide youth vulnerable to violent extremism with alternative pathways. The programme has adopted a problem-driven iterative approach, focussed on providing an immediate and short-term response, adapted to in country needs and generating learning on how to address the problem of radicalisation. Phase II of the programme will also explore programming opportunities in Jordan and Algeria, with an approach to be determined and agreed with EU Delegations based on analysis which will be produced during the scoping phase.

Geopolitical/SBU/Function overview:

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is facing a time of unprecedented challenge. Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen are in civil war, causing untold damage to human lives and physical infrastructure. 15 million people have fled their homes, many to fragile or economically challenged countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Tunisia, giving rise to the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. 4.8 million internally displaced people (IDPs) are linked to conflict in the region. Countries undergoing political transition such as Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan, are being forced to address security concerns as well as growth-promoting policies. Gulf economies are developing ambitious plans for economic growth and diversification, as well as the development of their national human resources.  However, these ambitions are currently restricted by falling oil prices and an uncertain economic outlook.

On a positive note, the political consensus around the constitution in Tunisia, and legislation in Morocco and Jordan that gives greater rights to women and protects freedom of expression and information, indicate that citizens are increasingly engaging in policymaking. (World Bank March 2016)

As the landscape of the region has been changing, the British Council has been responding by developing a range of responses through our cultural relations work that meets young people’s concerns about making their voices heard in an inclusive and equitable society whilst improving their prospects for a better life.  We have developed an ambitious strategy of growing our impact through focusing and prioritising our work in partnership with governments, NGOs, international donors and agencies.  . 

In Lebanon, SRII will target Tripoli and the surrounding areas. The post holder will be based in the Beirut office and will be a member of the MENA SRII team and also the Lebanon Programmes and Partnerships team. S/he will report directly to the Team Leader SRII and work closely with stakeholders/partners in Lebanon.  S/he is required to demonstrate excellent relationship building for influence, team leadership, project and finance management, entrepreneurial, communication and team working skills.

Main opportunities/challenges for this role:

• Ability to manage colleagues and consultants based off-site and or/travelling to Tripoli and the surrounding areas.
• Ability to understand and respond to the complexities and range of challenges faced by different communities in Tripoli and the surrounding areas.
• Evening and weekend working will be required from time to time. The post is likely to require considerable travel within Lebanon, primarily to Tripoli and surrounding areas.

Main Accountabilities:

• Manage and quality assure the delivery of programme products, initiatives and activities in line with agreed contract and project plans, policies and standards.
• Lead on the reporting of all Lebanon project activities ensuring that collection and dissemination of all technical, financial and other data are met.
• Undertake regular monitoring activity and provide management information to relevant stakeholders in the form of activity status reports and summaries to an agreed schedule, format and quality
• Ensure the project is managed and delivered in accordance with all agreed financial and procurement standards in the head contract and British Council procedures
• Developing, maintaining and regularly updating a project risk management strategy.
• Leading the Lebanon  project team in line with British Council policies and standards; overseeing the recruitment and performance management of short term staff, experts and consultants
• Leading local internal and external communications - appropriate liaison and engagement with key project stakeholders including national and local government, beneficiary institutions, non-state actors, third party providers and international development partners.  
• Developing local networks to promote the project and facilitate provision of strategic guidance and local insights for the Lebanon component, the Team Leader SRII and Programme SRO.

Key Relationships:

Internal/External

• British Council Lebanon and regional teams
• Team Leader SRII
• UK Government partners
• EU Delegation in Lebanon
• High level Government of Lebanon and civil society stakeholders
• Lebanon and regional delivery partners
• UK partners and stakeholders

Role Requirements:

Passport requirements/ Right to work in country

Ability to work in Lebanon

Direct contact or managing staff working with children?

Yes/No

IF YES. Appropriate police check

Notes

Criminal records checks as the post will involve some contact with young people.

Person Specification:

Qualifications

Minimum / essential

• Undergraduate/Bachelor’s degree with at least 5 years of experience at a senior level

Desirable

• Master’s degree or equivalent Recognised Project Management/International; Development/Conflict Management qualification

Assessment Stage: Shortlisting

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience

Minimum / essential

• Work experience in managing similar donor and partner funded projects to agreed financial and non-financial targets and to client satisfaction.
• Experience of managing project budgets and using corporate financial management systems and controls.
• Internal and donor reporting both financial and non-financial
• Working with Lebanon state and civil society institutions.
• Representational activity with internal and external stakeholders.
• Fluency in English and Arabic – written and spoken

Desirable

Technical knowledge and/or experience of a sector relevant to the programme (e.g. civil society, youth and conflict programmes).

Fluency in French

Assessment Stage: Shortlisting and Interview

British Council Core Skills

Managing projects (level 4)

Planning and organising (level 3)

Managing finances and resources (level 3)

Communicating and influencing (level 4)

Managing risk (level 3)

Managing people (level 3)

Assessment Stage: Shortlisting AND Interview

British Council Behaviours

1. Connecting with others: (Most demanding)

Building trust and understanding with people who have very different views

1. Shaping the future: (More demanding)

Exploring ways in which we can add more value

1. Making it happen: (Most demanding)

Achieving stretching results when faced by change, uncertainty or major obstacles

1. Being Accountable: (More demanding)

Putting the needs of the team or British Council ahead of my own

1. Creating shared purpose (More Demanding)

Creating energy and clarity so that people want to work purposefully together

1. Working together: (More demanding)

Creating the environment in which others who have very different aims can work together

Assessment Stage: Interview