Higher Education Accreditation and Capacity Building Specialist

Amideast is a leading American non-profit organization engaged in international education, training and development activities in the Middle East and North Africa. Founded in 1951, Amideast in its early years focused on promoting U.S. study to students in the MENA region and managing U.S. scholarships and exchanges such as the flagship Fulbright Foreign Student Program.  While these important programs continue apace, our work has expanded significantly. Today Amideast programs and services touch the lives of half a million individuals a year – improving educational opportunities and quality, strengthening local institutions, and developing language and professional skills critical for success in the global economy. Read More at: https://daleel-madani.org/civil-society-directory/amideast Copyrights © 2019 Lebanon Support. All rights reserved.

Summary of Position: Amideast seeks a qualified Higher Education Accreditation and Capacity Building Specialist for the anticipated $12M, five-year USAID-funded New Higher Education Capacity Development Activity in Lebanon. This activity will aim to provide technical assistance and institutional capacity building to local higher education institutions and to key official higher education entities in areas such as strategic planning, administrative and financial management, and collaboration with other stakeholders, to improve their effectiveness at the system level and to develop linkages with the private productive sector.

Based in Beirut, the Higher Education Accreditation and Capacity Building Specialist will be a key player in leading and supporting capacity-strengthening efforts for higher education institutions (HEIs) in Lebanon. The Specialist will primarily focus on improving the quality of academic programs through institutional development and ensuring compliance with national and international accreditation standards. This role will require a combination of strategic leadership, technical expertise in accreditation, and the ability to build effective relationships with government agencies, private-sector stakeholders, and academic institutions.**Only citizens of Lebanon or permanent residents with work authorization will be considered. This position is contingent on funding** 

Key Responsibilities:

• Accreditation Support and Compliance:
  • Lead and provide technical guidance to HEIs in Lebanon to support their efforts in achieving national and international accreditation.
  • Develop and implement strategies and action plans to guide HEIs through the accreditation process, ensuring alignment with relevant standards and quality assurance frameworks.
  • Conduct assessments of HEIs to identify accreditation gaps and recommend necessary improvements to meet or exceed accreditation standards.
• Institutional Capacity Building:
  • Design and implement capacity-building programs to improve the governance, management, and operational effectiveness of HEIs.
  • Provide technical support in areas such as academic quality, curriculum development, organizational management, and strategic planning.
  • Facilitate the adoption of best practices in quality assurance, teaching and learning, and institutional sustainability.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Building:
  • Foster collaboration between HEIs, the private sector, and government agencies to ensure that academic programs are aligned with workforce needs.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with relevant stakeholders, including university leadership, government officials, donors, and industry representatives.
  • Facilitate dialogue and partnerships between HEIs and the private sector to enhance employability and strengthen HEI-private sector linkages.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting:
  • Oversee the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems to track progress on accreditation and capacity-building activities.
  • Prepare regular progress reports, including analysis of institutional performance against established capacity-building goals and accreditation requirements.
  • Use data from M&E efforts to inform program improvements and adaptive management approaches.
• Training and Capacity Development:
  • Design and deliver training sessions for HEI leadership, faculty, and administrative staff on accreditation standards, quality assurance mechanisms, and best practices in institutional governance and management.
  • Provide ongoing technical assistance to HEIs in implementing institutional development plans, focusing on both academic and administrative improvements.
• Sustainability and Institutional Independence:
  • Work with HEIs to build internal systems and processes that ensure the sustainability of capacity-building efforts beyond the program’s duration.
  • Support HEIs in developing self-assessment frameworks and continuous improvement practices to maintain high standards of academic quality and institutional performance.
• Other Responsibilities:
  • Assist with the development of program work plans, reports, visibility products, and other program deliverables.
  • Provide guidance and support to the Chief of Party, program staff, consultants, and consortium partners to troubleshoot technical challenges.
  • Perform any other duties as assigned by the program leadership.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or Doctorate in Higher Education Administration, Educational Leadership, Quality Assurance, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of relevant experience in higher education capacity building and accreditation, with a focus on post-secondary institutions in Lebanon or the Middle East region.
• Proven experience guiding HEIs through the accreditation process, including knowledge of national and international accreditation standards (e.g., regional, institutional, programmatic).
• Experience with USAID or other donor-funded programs is preferred.
• Strong background in academic program design, quality assurance, and institutional governance.
• In-depth understanding of higher education accreditation processes and institutional capacity-building methodologies.
• Expertise in developing and implementing capacity-building plans, with a focus on sustainability and long-term impact.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship-building abilities.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Professional-level fluency in English (written and verbal) required.
• Proficiency in Arabic is highly preferred.
• Commitment to inclusive programming that ensures full participation of diverse groups, regardless of gender, disability status, ethnicity, religion, or other marginalized statuses.