Project Manager

VACANCY NUMBER: FVAC16.021-R Job Title Project Manager Division/Department FAO Representative in Lebanon Programme/Project Number GCP /LEB/027/SCF “Smart Adaptation of Forest Landscapes in Mountain Areas (SALMA)” Location Beirut – Lebanon, with extensive travel to the project sites Expected Start Date of Assignment 01 March 2017 Duration: Up to 5 years (1 year contract, renewable based on performance) Reports to Name:               Abdel Hamied Hamid                           Maurice Saade Title: Senior Regional Forestry Officer/RNE FAO Representative in Lebanon   General Description of task(s) and objectives to be achieved The Smart Adaptation of Forest Landscapes in Mountain Areas (SALMA) project is a 5-year project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by FAO. The objective of the SALMA project is to enhance the resilience of vulnerable rural communities and their livelihoods in the mountain areas of Lebanon through sustainable forest management. The Project will contribute to reduced soil and water erosion, forest fire prevention and control, and enhanced forest pest management. It will also contribute to diversification of livelihood income (from ecosystem services) of 24 selected vulnerable communities, and to improving the adaptive capacity of these communities through reforestation and sustainable and participative forest management at the landscape level. The project lies under the overall framework of Lebanon’s National Afforestation and Reforestation Programme. The project will be implemented by FAO in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment, with the participation of all concerned stakeholders including NGOs and municipalities.   FAO is looking to recruit an experienced Project Manager to be responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of the SALMA project. He/She is expected to lead a project team consisting of 4-5 full-time national technical experts in addition to short-term international and national consultants. The Project Manager will work under the overall guidance of FAO Representative in Lebanon and the technical guidance of the FAO Lead Technical Officer (LTO), in close consultation with the National Project Coordinator (NPC) representing the Ministry of Agriculture.  The Project Manager will be responsible for the overall planning, coordination of project activities, and monitoring of project results. Specifically, he/she will carry out the following tasks:   Prepare and supervise the implementation of Annual Work Plans and Budget (AWP/B); In accordance with the approved AWP/B, develop detailed TORs for short-term consultants and contracts, assist with their selection and recruitment, then monitor and supervise their work to ensure timely delivery of outputs to an acceptable standard; Monitor and maintain records of actual project expenditures; Assist in the set-up and implementation of the project M&E system; Closely monitor project implementation and results and prepare project progress reports; Collect other co-financing partners’ data and consolidate data into the PPR; Facilitate the establishment of the Project Technical Consultative Mechanism and convene regular meetings in order to coordinate project activities with the co-financing projects, exchange lessons learned and harmonize approaches; Ensure regular communication and promote close collaboration with development partners, collaborating institutions and other stakeholders; Make all necessary arrangements and preparations for the missions of the international consultants and FAO backstopping officers, including domestic logistic support, mission schedule, availability of relevant documents, and meetings with relevant officials as needed; Facilitate the different workshops to be organized during the project period and assume full responsibility in preparing workshop reports/proceedings as applicable; Provide technical advice to ensure that that the appropriate approaches are followed during project implementation (participatory and integrated approaches, multi-stakeholder participation, etc.). Act as Secretory for the Project Steering Committee. Facilitate the consultants’ work and oversee their day to day delivery. Represents the project in relevant national meetings and events as needed. Perform other duties as may be required in order to ensure that project operations proceed according to schedule and foreseen project results are achieved. Required Competencies Qualifications The consultant must have: Preferably master’s degree or equivalent in natural resource management, rural development, forestry, agriculture, or other relevant discipline.  Minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience. Proven experience in managing complex donor-funded projects Working experience with an international organization is desirable; working experience with UN agencies is a plus. Technical Competencies and Experience Requirements Results focused. In-depth experience in project cycle management and in planning, monitoring and evaluation, Excellent team building and leadership skills Proven knowledge of the Lebanese institutional context. Ability to develop good working relations with a variety of stakeholders Strong analytical skills and excellent written and oral communication skills in both Arabic and English Experience in facilitation, extension, conflict resolution as plus. Good grasp of Excel, Word, PowerPoint, MS Office.  Flexibility and ability to work within a team and to travel to project sites.