Project Officer (School Meals Program)

The Project Officer will support the Project Coordinator in ensuring the smooth implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the WFP-funded School Meals Programme. The role focuses on coordinating with IOCC field staff, community stakeholders, school administrations, and the donor to ensure efficient and compliant delivery of snacks and meals in line with organizational and donor standards. Based primarily in the Bekaa to reinforce IOCC’s field presence and strengthen coordination with WFP’s local office, the position also entails occasional visits to the South and IOCC’s main office in Beirut.

Responsibilities and Essential Functions

Project Implementation

• Conduct daily field visits to schools to ensure smooth implementation of the program.
• Follow up on the implementation of cold meal and snacks distribution activities across assigned schools.
• Support the Project Coordinator in managing daily operations of the School Meals Programme.
• Coordinate with IOCC School Kitchen Supervisors and Area Monitors to ensure timely meal distribution.
• Follow up on logistical, maintenance needs related to school kitchens and school snacks.
• Strengthen field-level oversight in the Bekaa to ensure alignment with WFP’s operational priorities.
• Perform other duties as requested by the Project Coordinator/Manager.

Monitoring & Reporting

• Collect, verify, and consolidate data from School Kitchen Supervisors and Area Monitors.
• Support in preparing weekly and monthly progress reports for submission to the Project Coordinator.
• Report challenges, incidents, and corrective actions from the field in a timely manner.
• Conduct daily field visits to monitor quality, hygiene, and compliance with WFP standards.
• Provide continuous feedback from the Bekaa field operations to improve program efficiency and address context-specific challenges.

Coordination & Communication

• Act as IOCC’s focal point in the Bekaa, ensuring close coordination with WFP’s field offices and other local stakeholders.
• Coordinate closely with the Project Coordinator and Project Manager to align field implementation with overall program strategies and priorities.
• Liaise with school directors, health educators, and school staff to facilitate project implementation.
• Ensure effective communication and collaboration between school staff, health educators, and kitchen teams.
• Support coordination with WFP representatives and ensure donor visibility at field level.
• Collaborate with IOCC’s Food Safety Consultant to ensure compliance with food safety standards and to integrate technical guidance into daily operations.

Capacity Building & Support

• Provide guidance and capacity-building sessions for Area Monitors, School Kitchen Supervisors, School staff, and Kitchen staff on project implementation, food safety, and reporting requirements.
• Support in developing tools, checklists, and training materials as needed.

Compliance & Accountability:

• Ensure that all activities follow WFP, donor, and IOCC guidelines.

• Promote accountability, transparency, and safeguarding principles at school and community levels.
• Immediately report any protection or safeguarding concerns to the Project Coordinator.

Qualifications

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Knowledge of food safety and quality management is an asset.
• Strong organizational, coordination, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in data collection, monitoring, and report writing.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), KOBO.
• Fluency in Arabic and English (spoken and written).

Experience:

• Minimum 3-5 years of work experience.
• Previous experience in food safety, nutrition, or school feeding.
• Previous experience in coordination and management.
• Experience working for an NGO preferred.

Working Conditions

Field-based in the Bekaa, with occasional visits to IOCC’s main office in Beirut and to the South as required.