Livelihood Coordinator-Zahle - Cancelled

• Kindly note that your application will be disregarded in case you used the email mentioned (lb-recruitment@mercycorps.org)
• Your application must be sent online through the URL provided only

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. The agency pursues its mission through emergency relief services, sustainable community development, civil society and economic development initiatives. Mercy Corps has been present in the Middle East since the 1980s and currently works in Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq.

Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps has implemented community development programs focused on promoting economic development and increased opportunity for disadvantaged communities, while responding to emergencies as they emerged in the country. In 2012, the program portfolio shifted in response to the massive refugee influx from Syria and Mercy Corps in Lebanon has solidified its emergency response programming while integrating longer-term development programming by focusing on key sectors: Protection, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Governance and Conflict, and Livelihoods.

Mercy Corps is launching the “Holistic Humanitarian Assistance to Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Lebanon Program” (HHAP). The HHAP programs is aims to provide a multi-sector humanitarian assistance to improve the wellbeing of conflict affected Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities in Lebanon through integrated WASH services and facilities, livelihood opportunities and Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) prevention and response services. The project will be implemented in the Governorates of Bekaa, Hermel-Baalbek, South Lebanon, and Nabatieh, funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM) for 24 months. The program will take a multi-faceted approach to achieve this goal by:

(1) improving access to water and sanitation facilities and promoting improved hygiene practices;

(2) creating short-term livelihood opportunities through Labor Intensive Projects (LIP); and

(3) reducing SGBV through increased awareness and improved access to quality services. This will be accomplished by carefully sequencing and integrating activities, with WASH and livelihood activities integrating SGBV risk mitigation in their design and implementation.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Livelihood coordinator is responsible for the overall planning and implementation of the livelihood subcomponents of the BPRM program in Beqaa and Hermel-Baalbek governorates. S/he will be responsible for targeting basic needs of vulnerable HHs with immediate income generation opportunities through LIPs, focusing on infrastructure rehabilitation and improved delivery of services while helping to mitigate negative coping mechanisms to sustain the livelihood.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

The Livelihood Coordinator will be responsible for the targeting of cadasters and lead on the selection of labor based on vulnerability criteria and skills matching. S/He is also expected to lead and facilitate the skills training for labors, and with the Livelihood Assistant and Project Engineer, to manage the design of the infrastructure rehabilitation projects and their day-to-day monitoring. S/he needs to:

• Conduct stakeholder outreach and identify infrastructure community project opportunities using a participatory needs assessment; the Livelihood Coordinator is the keeper of Mercy Corps communication with local authorities and relevant institutions.
• Train municipalities and refugee committees to build their capacity on how to conduct participatory needs assessments as means to identifying potential LIPs and on how to provide financial planning and budgeting, work planning, and scheduling to ensure proper maintenance of rehabilitated infrastructure.
• Conduct a comprehensive revision of selection criteria and vulnerability scoring of cadasters projects and laborers.  
• Coordinate all LIP activities related to the livelihood component, including area selection, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) preparation and signatures, laborers’ identification with key stakeholders and predetermined criteria, community mobilization, and prioritization activities, and coordination; 
• Manage the design, implementation, and monitoring of the municipal and community infrastructure LIPs.
• Organize and deliver trainings through various methods, and keep on tracking and monitoring impact over the lifetime of the project.
• Review labor and timeline requirements for LIP activities, determining staffing requirements.
• Coordinate payment procedures, including documentation, approval and actual payment.
• Develop implementation work plans and monitor activities and their contribution to achieving program deliverables.
• Ensure the needed coordination with the SGBV team to plan for the provision of the SGBV awareness session to project laborers and participants, and ensure referring to SGBV and protection cases to related parties;
• Launch and follow-up on the procurement of all materials for LIP projects in coordination with the Project Manager
• Report and follow up on any problems encountered in the field such as project participant complaints, local authority interference, security threats, etc…;
• Liaise with WASH and GBV teams for joint planning and holistic service provision.
• Ensure effective local stakeholders’ participation, including local government, refugees and host communities, at all levels of the activities identification, design, and implementation.
• Take account of gender and protection concerns in livelihood activities design and implementation.
• Carry out activities in a way that reflects the needs of specific groups and individuals’ e.g. elderly people, children, and people with disabilities.
• Maintain all documentation relating directly to LIP activities required to ensure accountability to the donor, particularly where labor is concerned.
• Represent Mercy Corps at field level coordination meetings to foster greater coordination and information sharing with local government, beneficiaries, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Timely respond to requests by the sector after receiving the review from program management and ensure proper activity info and other-sector related reporting in collaboration with the MEL team.
• Participate in recruitment for the livelihood field-based staff.
• Supervise the field-based project staff and ensure proper field level management of day-to-day logistics, administration, and personnel in accordance with national law and organizational guidelines.
• Ensure that subordinate staff understands and act in line with Mercy Corps’ conduct.
• Other duties as assigned.

Other:

• Ensure all activities are gender sensitive and follow Mercy Corps’ Gender Equity Policy.
• Apply to Do No Harm standards to ensure activities do not have detrimental effects on vulnerable communities.
• Contribute to monthly reports and other ad hoc reports to meet donor and internal requirements.
• Participate in internal office coordination and planning meetings and workshops.
• Conduct him/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.

Organizational Learning: As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve. We expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, M&E of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: BPRM Project Manager

SUPERVISES: Livelihood Assistant

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Project Engineer, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Coordinator, WASH Coordinator, GBV Team, Program Support Officer and Program Manager.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Four (4) years’ of Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) humanitarian field within Livelihoods, Cash for Work, and Households targeting.
• A university bachelor degree with the preference of Business Administration, Economics, or Agriculture Economics, Agriculture, Civil Engineering, or Architecture.
• Experience in identifying and developing local partnerships.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles.
• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem-solving.
• Proven ability to learn quickly, lead a program to achieve stated results and objectives.
• Ability to effectively represent Mercy Corps and its interests to key stakeholders.
• Oral and written Arabic and English are required;
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
• Willingness to travel throughout the country.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful Livelihood Coordinator will combine knowledge of administrative, executive and financial workflow related to infrastructure activities and LIPs program implementation. S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural team and capacity building. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem-solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving is essential in a complex security and political environment like Lebanon. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.