Senior Program Manager

About Chemonics
Chemonics International is an international development company based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to promote meaningful change around the world to help people live healthier, more productive and more independent lives. Since 1975 we have worked in 149 countries around the world, and currently implement 113 contracts in 68 countries. Our main partner is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), but we occasionally work with foreign donors as well. We have over 600 staff based in our Washington, DC office and over 3000 staff in our project offices around the world.

Project Background

The Lebanon Community Support Program (CSP) is a multi-year project funded by USAID to support municipalities and underserved and vulnerable communities in providing better services and enhanced economic opportunities to improve lives and reduce tensions that contribute to conflict and violence, primarily in Lebanon’s North, South, and Bekaa regions. Under CSP, Task Order No. 2 (TO 2) implements both community stabilization and community development activities based on the program’s Community Selection and Implementation Methodology. The methodology lays out the community selection approach from preselection, profiling, analysis, and selection as well as a menu of options for activity design, including Rapid Analysis and Design, Local Systems Approach, or program-led. TO 2 is a multisectoral, dynamic, and fast-paced program.

1. Summary of Position

The Senior Program Manager (SPM) is a critical member of the CSP team. S/he serves as the fulcrum or pivot between field-level interventions and CSP’s senior management team. As such, the SPM is charged with the overall oversight, supervision, and coordination of the Regional Program Managers in the North, South, and Bekaa regions under TO 2. The SPM plays a lead role in the activity design and  implementation process across all targeted regions in accordance with the CSP activity selection and implementation methodology.

2. Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• Supervise Regional Program Managers (RPMs) and provide guidance to ensure effective design and implementation of CSP activities in targeted regions consistent with CSP methodology.
• Oversee the design and implementation of community stabilization and development activities in all targeted regions, in close coordination with the program’s technical advisors.
• Manage and report on the status of CSP activity implementation, working closely with the RPMs and field officers.  
• Provide regular updates on activity implementation, accomplishments, and challenges of RPMs and field officers through weekly reporting, appropriate database management, and other ad hoc reporting mechanisms as needed.
• With input from the RPMs and field advisors, advise COP, TO 2 Director, and technical advisors on local political, legal, and economic conditions across targeted regions and propose changes to current activities as needed to ensure CSP’s program activities remain relevant and impactful.
• Actively mentor and build the capacity of RPMs in best practices and successful strategies to ensure the impementation of high-impact and relevant activities.

• Other duties as assigned by the TO 2 Director or Chief of Party.

3. Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree required in a relevant discipline such as engineering, economics, education, business administration, or other
• 5-10 years of experience in community stabilization and/or community development type programming, with some demonstrated experience in the improvement of essential services (e.g. water, electricity, solid waste management, public education) or the enhancement of economic opportunities (livelihoods).
• A minimum of three years of experience in a managerial position. Experience overseeing community support programs entailing engineering and heavy procurement components is highly preferred.
• Experience working with international donors and international organizations, including familiarity with USAID programs preferred.
• Experience working with municipalities, unions of municipalities, regional water establishments, civil society organizations, and/or private sector.  
• Experience designing and implementing community stabilization/community development activities.
• Familiarity with grants, subcontracts, and commodity procurement with an emphasis on knowledge of USAID’s rules and regulation preferred.
• Experience working in Lebanon’s most underserved and vulnerable communities.  

4. Place of Assignment

The Senior Program Manager will be based in the program’s office space in Beirut, and will be expected to travel regularly to areas of operation throughout the country as needed.

5. Reporting

The Senior Program Manager will report directly to the TO 2 Director, or equivalent.