Project Manager (Society)

Role purpose

To manage the implementation and quality assurance of assigned education and society projects and programmes by working with partners, stakeholders and wider target audiences in Lebanon and the UK to meet the British Council’s strategic objectives. Moreover, the post holder is required to assist in income generation through full-cost recovery contracts and cost-sharing partnerships.

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.

Geopolitical/SBU/Function overview:

The British Council has been in Lebanon since 1946.  As the United Kingdom’s international organisation for education and cultural relations, we are building on the British Council’s respected and trusted brand by expanding existing programmes and developing new opportunities with government and key stakeholders across the public, private and NGO sectors.  We employ 50 staff, including five regional and five Syria post and our portfolio spans our main sectors of English, Education, Society and Arts. 

The Programmes and Partnerships team within British Council Lebanon manages all aspects of business development and delivery.  Working closely with colleagues across British Council (regionally, locally and in UK), the team is responsible for ensuring the quality and consistency of projects and programmes, meeting the expectations of contractors and partners.  This includes:  managing all aspects of delivery, compliance, risk and finances across the portfolio.  The team also provides input into business development, product development, proposals and business case production to ensure that robust delivery processes and delivery models are in place.

This post holder will be a key member of the Lebanon Programmes and Partnerships team, reporting to the Programmes Manager and closely working across different SBU and with different Project Managers, Project Co-ordinators, Marketing and Communications Manager, as well as the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Universities, different NGOs, and regional sector and functions managers.  Therefore, s/he is required to demonstrate excellent relationship building for influence, project management and entrepreneurial, communication and team working skills.

Main opportunities/challenges for this role:

• Working closely with colleagues across British Council (regionally, locally and in UK), and learning across the wider global team.
• Meeting the expectations of different contractors and partners. 
• Managing all aspects of delivery, compliance, risk and finances across the portfolio.
• To comply with British Council and client standard procedures to ensure contract delivery and eligibility and manage relationship with key stakeholders from the public and private sectors. 

Main Accountabilities:

Project / programme management

• Plan, implement, monitor and evaluate education and society projects
• Develop and update project management plans.
• Coordinate the work between all relevant stakeholders (Partners, Experts, Staff members).
• Liaise with all parties and provide regular and clear communication, supporting the achievement of the project activities.
• Coordinate meetings with relevant ministries, partners and other stakeholders.
• Provide quality control and where appropriate draft reports to partners and stakeholders.
• Ensure British Council brand standards are upheld, effective marketing and communications plans are created and implemented, and that impact/ Key Performance Indicators are measured throughout using Result Evidence Framework Model.

Monitoring and evaluation

• Support relevant Project Managers/Project Directors in gathering data and results for reporting purposes
• Ensure that the projects M&E plan and work plans are properly coordinated with M&E specialist and implemented accordingly.
• Ensure project documentation is obtained, filed and regularly updated.
• Ensure particular activities are followed up and constantly reviewed for success stories.

Financial management

• Prepare accurate, timely, realistic and feasible monthly cash projection in accordance to the approved activity plan.
• Ensure financial management of the projects comply with the British Council’s policy and procedures using SAP and off-system tools.
• Coordinate with finance coordinator for cash flow and requests that need to be in accordance to the submitted cash projection for the month.
• Ensure, control and monitor the payment process to the contracted partners, suppliers and service providers.
• To identify and control project risks.

Resource & Stakeholder Management

• Line manage at least one direct staff member to ensure effective performance
• Coordinate project activities with relevant ministries, donor, national stakeholders  at national level

• To identify, build and maintain strategic relationships and partnerships with external stakeholders including government bodies, donors, INGOs, private sector organisations, media, schools and higher education institutions, local NGOS, academics, research institutions

Key Relationships:

Internal

• Director Programmes & Partnerships
• Programmes Manager, Arts & Society
• British Council local, regional and UK programmes teams and education/society/English sector specialists
• British Council cross-departmental teams (Marketing and Communications, Finance and Resources, Exams, Customer Service)
• Country Director

External

• Senior officials in government ministries
• Partners, Civil Society Organisations/NGOs providing development services (across different sector: Education, Youth Development…)
• Donors and agencies including EU Delegation, UN agencies, FCO and British Embassy
• Media

Role Requirements:

Passport requirements/ Right to work in country

Post holder must be eligible to work in Lebanon.  When required, successful candidate needs to secure, at his/her own cost and liability, the appropriate work and residency permits and any other required document, as well as any renewals thereof, from the Lebanese competent authorities.

Language requirements

• Proven Written and spoken English and Arabic - essential
• Good command of written and spoken French - desirable

Qualifications

• University Degree in related area: Social sciences, Development, Management, Communications, Administration - essential

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience

• Minimum 2 years of experience in development sector in an international or local organisation in Lebanon leading and managing projects; demonstrating good planning, communications, monitoring & evaluation and reporting - essential
• Proven experience in working with financial plans, forecasting and budgeting - essential
• Proven experience in managing youth based projects - desirable
• Proven track in writing project proposals to donors - desirable

Role Specific Skills

• Compliance and financial management

British Council Core Skills

• Managing people (Level 2)
• Managing projects (Level 2)
• Communicating and influencing (Level 2)
• Planning and organising (Level 2)
• Managing finance and resources (Level 2)
• Using technology (Level 2)
• Managing Risk (Level 1)
• Managing Accounts & Partnership (Level 2)

British Council Behaviours

Assessment stage: Interview

Creating Shared Purpose (essential):

• Communicating and engaging picture of how we can work together.

Making it happen (more demanding):

• Challenging myself and others to deliver and measure better results.

Being Accountable (more demanding):

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

Connecting with others (more demanding):

• Actively appreciating the needs and concerns of myself and others.

Working Together (Essential)

• establish a genuinely common goal with others

Shaping the Future (Essential);

• looking for ways in which we can do things better