Project Assistant

Private Sector Development Programme:

The PSD programme aims to contribute to Lebanon's economic development and job creation by enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of its private sector (with a focus on vulnerable groups). This will be achieved by supporting MSMEs active in 3 sectors (agribusiness, wood processing) by increasing their competitiveness, participating in the economy and fostering their development and integration into value chain through integrated non-financial and financial services.

The specific objectives of the PSD programme are:

• To re-organize MSMEs into stronger groups for a more efficient and cost-effective use of inputs and resources operating in the framework of an adopted and integrated action plan;
• To expand the current market positioning of the MSMEs’ target sectors and sub-sectors and to access new markets;
• To facilitate access to finance for needed investments, utilizing available funding instruments;

To create new and inclusive employment opportunities as a result of increased productions and sales

The PSD programme is structured around 3 components:

Component 1: agribusiness in Bekaa and Akkar.

The programme has carried out diagnostic sector research in the Bekaa and Akkar regions for crops that are suitable for support. Several crops have been identified and assessed against a set of criteria. For the Bekaa region, cherries and table grapes were the most suited to support.

Component 2: wood processing in Tripoli.

In Lebanon, the wood processing sector in general, and the furniture industry in particular, used to be an important driver of the Lebanese economy. Historically, Tripoli constituted the heart of the Lebanese wood industry and furniture production hosting the majority of timber warehouses and carpenters. It was the hub for wealthy buyers of luxury furniture especially from other Middle Eastern countries until 2010 when the downturn in the wood industry in Tripoli started.  

Component 3: access to finance

Access to finance is an important component, but the informality and bankability of MSME’s needs improvement before large scale funding applications are viable. Environmental management is a critical aspect of value chain support, in particular in agriculture where pesticide residues and high levels of water pollution lowers product quality, restricts entry into export markets and is not environmentally sustainable.
 

JOB DESCRIPTION

Missions & tasks

The project assistant will work on a daily basis with the project team and will manage the following mission:

1. Support the PSD-P team in Beirut in the management of the following administrative, financial, logistics and reporting tasks, under the supervision of the Team Leader.

• Daily administrative and logistic support to the project team such as:
  • Management of all the administrative and operational documentation generated in the framework of the project (Offline and online)
  • Perform short translations and interpreting (whenever needed).
  • Support for the management of the local office and deal with office logistics;
  • Co-coordination of travel plans and diary arrangements for the project team and short-term experts trips and missions (agenda, hotel booking, order of mission, visa management processes, etc.);
  • Support for the preparation and formatting of all the project documentation;
  • Support in the logistics management for all the events related to the PSD project (Invitations management, purchases processes, etc.)
  • Support in the management of the procurement processes with the providers (Recruiting and selection processes, contracting, follow-up and evaluation, etc.)
• Support for the reporting tasks:
  • Management of the daily reporting on the main meetings organized in the framework of the project
  • Assistance in the consolidation of all technical reports and deliverables of the project for the consolidation of contractual interim reports;
  • Support in gathering the different reporting documents provided by the local partners (Monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, etc.)
  • Support of the follow-up and management of the Monitoring and Evaluation system;
• Support for the daily financial management:
  • Cash management (managing petty cash file)
  • Accounting: Bank account management, verification and recording in the accounting system of all the expenses, compilation and analysis of the operation unit costs (including collection of the evidences), etc.

1. Contribute to the organisational and operational management of the activities when needed.

• Support in managing the operations of the short-term expert’s assignments (writing and launching ToR, collecting CVs, manage the selectin process, etc.);
• Support in communication activities and visibility plan implementation: newsletter, goodies, communication material and press releases, etc.
• Support in the operational coordination with the local partners’ administrations;

Profile

Education and experience:

• University Degree in Economics, Management and/or Accounting
• A first experience (from 1 to 3 years) on a similar job is a must
• Experience in organizing meetings/events and manage the related logistics is a must
• Experience in accounting management is a must
• Experience in international project management; knowledge of EU procedures for cooperation projects is an asset

Competences and skills:

• Ability to work effectively as a team member and independently
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure and to meet short- and long-term deadlines
• Personal initiative and ability to prioritize, monitor and evaluate progress
• A high degree of integrity and the ability to deal with confidential information is required
• Proven experience in budget and financial management
• Excellent written and verbal communication and negotiation skills
• Proven computer skills including Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Fluent in Arabic, French and English.