Private Sector Engagement Manager

Background/IRC Summary:  

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and is at work in over 40 countries. 

In response to the influx of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the IRC provides income and livelihoods support to vulnerable Syrian refugees and host communities, through its Economic Recovery and Development Program. The objective of the program is to assist vulnerable households in the most affected areas of the Akkar, Mount Lebanon, Tripoli and Wadi Khaled in meeting their essential needs and increasing their self-reliance; this is expected to ultimately lessen the use of negative coping strategies for survival.

Interventions include conditional cash assistance, financial management training, access to training and business development opportunities, legal and job counseling, and job referrals through all delivered through livelihoods centers. Specifically, the IRC has been delivering support to the local private sector environment comprising micro and small business owners in an attempt to hel reduce the economic burden they face as a result of the Syrian refugees influx to Lebanon. IRC’s support includes on-the-job training opportunities, access to capital for struggling entrepreneurs as well as access to loans and business development services.  IRC’s interventions are aligned with the private sector’s needs and are implemented in such a way to avoid market disruptions.

The ERD program will develop synergies with the other programs implemented by the IRC in Lebanon, particularly working closely with the Protection sector to mainstream protection principles into livelihoods approaches and expand program offerings.  The ERD program will also seek synergies with the Women’s Protection and Empowerment and Children Protection sectors.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience in apprenticeship programming, increasing access to finance, basic business planning or MSME development. The Private Sector Engagement Manager will lead on the implementation of the program’s private sector engagement initiatives, ensuring that activities are market-based and that business development initiatives are aligned with the objective of sustaining businesses and generating employment where possible.

Job Overview/Summary:

The Private Sector Engagement Manager will lead on the on-going implementation of initiatives engaging local businesses in Akkar, Tripoli and Mount Lebanon, including:  working closely with the Livelihoods team to ensure apprenticeship training is delivered in such a way that respects the Do No Harm principles and oversee access to capital and business development support to local employers per IRC’s established guidelines and selection criteria.

The main objectives of this position are:

Ensure that local micro-entrepreneurs develop market feasible ideas and launch successful microenterprises and MSMEs receive access to finance and training support and apprenticeship programs provide meaningful opportunities for both employers and job-seekers.

Major Responsibilities:

General

• Oversee the private sector engagement strategy including but not limited to beneficiary selection criteria, work plans and M&E plans for apprenticeship activities and support to start-up microenterpreneurs and existing business owners in consultation with the ERD Coordinator and in coordination with the Livelihoods Manager and other Program Managers.
• Periodically revise the private sector engagement strategy based on lessons learned and field feedback and observations
• Develop detailed activity plans in line with program objectives, ensuring that those plans are implemented and any expected delays and / or modifications are communicated and raised in a timely manner with the ERD Coordinator.
• In conjunction with the M&E team, update the M&E tools as they are relevant to the private sector engagement activities and in accordance with the M&E plan.
• Conduct routine monitoring visits to livelihoods sites as well as to supported businesses to ensure activities are progressing as planned and are of high quality.
• Support the ERD Coordinator to prepare spending plans and cash projections for the private sector engagement program
• Monitor spending as it relates to apprenticeship and micro-enterprise support activities
• Compile and submit monthly progress reports to the ERD Coordinator.
• Liaise with interagency and outside technical stakeholders working on private sector engagement and SME development.   
• Feed into larger regional and global enterprise development and employment learning, and liaise with other IRC stakeholders to provide input on these initiatives.
• Ensure that all Livelihoods Center staff develop an understanding of apprenticeship, microenterprise support and access to Business Development Services and how the private sector engagement component fits within the overall strategy of the ERD program

MSME Support

• Identify financial constraints or capacity-building needs of employers in the relevant geographic areas and drive learning on support needed to reduce the constraints on business owners
• Lead the development of a support package for SMEs with support from ERD Coordinator and Technical Advisor as well as relevant  partners and consultant services as needed and identified
• Draft a strategy to target budding entrepreneurs
• Update the microenterprise support tools ensuring they are relevant to the needs of the business owners and taking into consideration feedback from the microenterprise support officers
• Liaise with IRC’s partner on the implementation of access to capital and business development support ensuring that objectives are met

Apprenticeship

• Work with ERD Coordinator to build on the IRC Market Assessments in Akkar and in Tripoli to identify skills gaps and specific sectors for growth in relation to apprenticeship opportunities
• In conjunction with ERD Coordinator and interagency groups, finalize SOPs for apprenticeship programs
• Adapt and train staff on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for apprenticeship programs
• Support the apprenticeship resource persons in developing and cultivating employer hosts for apprenticeship program, and the monitoring of placements. 
• In coordination with the M&E Manager, develop an approach within apprenticeship focusing on improving skills acquisition for the supported apprentices

Staff Management and Development

• Direct supervision of six staff
• Discuss job expectations, set objectives and provide appropriate and timely feedback regarding performance, including timely implementation of the annual staff performance management system.
• Clearly define the training needs of direct reports and ensure they are able to access training and professional development resources appropriate to their skill gaps/needs.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions including staff development plans.
• Provide leadership support for the successful implementation of and adherence to the IRC Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures
• Lead with commitment, integrity and accountability to the “IRC Way” –  Global Standards for Professional Conduct

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:  ERD Coordinator
Position directly supervises:  Microenterprise officers and Senior Apprenticeship Officer

Indirect Reporting: None
Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Senior Livelihoods Manager, Centers Supervisors, other ERD Managers and team leaders, IRC Operations managers (HR, Supply Chain, Finance) and IRC’s Partnership Senior Manager

External:  Other INGOs conducting livelihoods programming, partner organizations and private sector companies

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor of Arts or Science in Economics, Business Management,
• Masters of Business Administration (MBA) is a plus
• Managerial experience; minimum of 2-3 years is required
• At least 4-5 years of relevant working experience in the area of private sector development, microenterprise support or on-the-job training delivery
• Demonstrated experience in business planning development
• Demonstrated experience in access to finance approaches and implementation
• Strong writing and reporting skills
• Strong project planning skills
• Strong ability to work independently, organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure along with a sense of humor, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail. 
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, creativity and flexibility
• Private sector experience preferred
• Ability to engage both private sector actors and vulnerable beneficiaries of humanitarian assistance
• Personal qualities: works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible,  able to handle pressure well and good time management skill
• Fluency in English and Arabic (particularly written, formal Arabic) required

Working Environment:  Located in Mkalles, the working environment will be a combination of office-based (50%) and field-based (50%), with frequent travel to Akkar (Deir Dalloum, Wadi Khaled and supported business’ locations), Tripoli and within nearby sites in Mount Lebanon.