Area Coordinator, North and Akkar

Job Purpose:

S/he will provide strategic leadership, direction and overall management of Concern’s programme and operations in the North and Akkar governorates, according to Concern’s Lebanon Country Strategic Plan. S/he will represent Concern in the coordination mechanisms, liaisewith Government and donor representatives to ensure delivery of a high quality coordinated integrated programme, as implemented by Concern and/or partners. S/he will lead on advocacy and strategic engagement for continued growth and development of Concern’s programme in the area. S/He will oversees systems and finance functions effectively and timely support programmes in their activities as well as comply with procedures and regulations.

Main duties & Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Coordination:

Represent Concern’s North and Akkar programme and develop effective relationships with coordination mechanisms, the Government of Lebanon, other actors, Concern’s partners, and Alliance2015 members like WHH, ACTED, etc, so that all stakeholders are aware of Concern’s current programme and strategic direction.

Ensure alignment and coordination of Concern’s operations with the wider coordination mechanisms by ensuring Concern’s engagement, coordination and reporting with Sectors and government structures at community and higher levels

Contribute towards the strategic direction of Concern’s programme in North and Akkar and sector strategies through influence of and leadership within sectors and NGO fora.

Lead and oversee the implementation of a coherent and strategic programme by setting the strategic vision and direction for the North and Akkar team.

Programme Delivery:

Provide oversight and management of Concern’s programme in North and Akkar, coordinating multi-sectoral and multi-donor projects in accordance with respective project plans, ensuring adherence to Sector strategies, Concern’s Global standards and guidelines, CHS, SPHERE standards, and relevant Government of Lebanon national guidelines.

Regularly review the ongoing programme implementation to ensure that technical standards are being met, and the strength and alignment of Concern’s programme to the context.

Lead Concern’s emergency preparedness and response plan for North and Akkar, ensuring that the team is trained and ready to respond as per the Standard Operating Procedures in place.

Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation systems, and project reporting in compliance with Concern, sector and donor requirements, and contributing to sector and donor evaluations.

Ensure effective execution of all Concern policies and procedures in all the North and Akkar programme and that systems functions are compliant with Concern’s standards.

Supporting the localization agenda:

Conduct periodic strategic analysis of the North and Akkar context, identifying unmet needs, through high quality assessments and gap identification in consultation with sectors, and potential entry points for Concern and/or partners.

Identify opportunities for Concern to implement projects with and/or through partners in the North and Akkar and lead on the identification and assessment of potential partnerships.

Coordinate the development of proposals and support local partners to respond to proposals.

Operations Management and Security

Oversee the running of the Field Office, coordinating all operational aspects with support from the Country Office and HQ.

Ensure the implementation of Concern’s Security Management Plan in the North and Akkar, and that procedures are in place, and the security situation monitored and procedures adapted

Ensure the update of Security Management Plan and Security Tree in collaboration with the Systems Director and the Security Focal Group, as appropriate

Oversee effective functioning of logistics and procurement systems to procure, store and distribute stock, supplies and services for the timely implementation of project activities.

Plan, identify and resource appropriate and effective structure and staffing needs for the North and Akkar programme, as per Concern’s Global Policies, and Lebanon laws.

Ensure that the North and Akkar team and project beneficiaries have a strong understanding of safeguarding as per Concern’s Code of Conduct and Associated policies.

Financial management

Ensure proper management of Concern’s resources through appropriate budgeting, expenditure and monitoring processes and procedures.

Work closely with Concern’s Country Finance team to ensure compliance with all internal, Government and legal compliance, and submit accurate timely financial reports to donors.

Oversee the financial position of Concern’s North and Akkar programme and operations, including identification and implementation of changes, in consultation with the PD and CD.

People Management:

Line manage the Systems Manager, Finance Officer and the Project Managers, contributing to their capacity building and career development through technical support and on-the-job training and coaching, including in particular a thorough induction at the start of their contract.

Ensure that all department positions have accurate job descriptions and that each member of the team fully understands outcomes which are expected of them, by setting SMART objectives, and that they are aware of the success criteria relating to their work.

Ensure that all department staff are aware of and comply with all of Concern’s policies and procedures.

Monitor and review performance of the Area staff and hold staff accountable for meeting their success criteria; give corrective feedback where required and take decisive action in the case of poor performance.

Ensure that work within the team(s) is planned and organised in a way which will meet the organisation’s needs in the most cost effective manner possible; ensuring that team members are given appropriate workloads and are working efficiently

Other:

Actively participate in preparation or updates of Preparing for Effective Emergency Response (PEER) plan, Security Management Plan (SMP) and other Concern initiatives. 

Take active measures to address equality issues, particularly relating to gender, in programme as well as operational activities.

Ensure the highest stands of accountability through ensuring good communication and information sharing within and outside the organisation.

Be aware of, understand and comply with all of Concern’s policies and procedures (P4, finance, logistics, HR, security management etc).

Actively participate in any emergency response if called upon to do so (within the existing programme area or in a new one).

Undertake other related duties as may reasonably be assigned by the CD or PD

Emergency response

Concern is committed to responding to emergencies efficiently and effectively in order to help affected people meet their basic needs, alleviate suffering and maintain their dignity. To this end, when emergencies strike and Lebanon Programme is to respond, all staff are required to actively participate in the response, regardless of location and contribute to the efforts aimed at achieving the humanitarian objective of the organization.

Person specification:

Essential

Post Graduate Degree in Development or a related discipline

At least eight years of relevant experience with an NGO, UN agency or donor

At least one year of senior management experience with NGO

Knowledge of humanitarian principles, standards and system (e.g. IHL, CHS, Sector System, etc)

Experience of organisation representation, advocacy and coordination with NGOs/UN, donors

Experience of leadership and management of multi-sector and multi-discipline teams

Experience of programme design, planning, management, implementation and M&E

Experience of managing multi-donor funding

Desirable

Experience of working in the North and Akkar is an advantage

Experience related to support functions (Logistics, HR, Security, Finance)

Special Skills, Aptitude or Personality Requirements:

Aptitude to inspire creative growth, innovation and learning.

Advocacy to stakeholders for resources and recognition of complex development problems.

Strong human resource management skills including capacity building and mentoring.

Budget and fiscal oversight.

Ability and personal resilience to work in fast paced, dynamic and pressurised environment.

Excellent written and oral communications skills in English for representation and negotiation.

Ability to work, live and thrive in a complex environment