Livelihood Assistant-Zahle- ((Kindly note that your application will be disregarded in case you used the email mentioned (lb-recruitment@mercycorps.org) Your application must be sent online through the URL provided only)).

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. The agency pursues its mission through emergency relief services, sustainable community development, civil society and economic development initiatives. Mercy Corps has been present in the Middle East since the 1980s and currently works in Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq.

Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps has implemented community development programs focused on promoting economic development and increased opportunity for disadvantaged communities, while responding to emergencies as they emerged in the country. In 2012, the program portfolio shifted in response to the massive refugee influx from Syria and Mercy Corps in Lebanon has solidified its emergency response programming while integrating longer-term development programming by focusing on key sectors: Protection, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Governance and Conflict, and Livelihoods.

Mercy Corps is launching the “Holistic Humanitarian Assistance to Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Lebanon Program” (HHAP). The HHAP programs aim to provide a multi-sector humanitarian assistance to improve the wellbeing of conflict-affected Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities in Lebanon through integrated WASH services and facilities, livelihood opportunities and Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) prevention and response services. The project will be implemented in the Governorates of Bekaa, Hermel-Baalbek, South Lebanon, and Nabatieh, funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM) for 24 months. The program will take a multi-faceted approach to achieve this goal by:

(1) improving access to water and sanitation facilities and promoting improved hygiene practices;

(2) creating short-term livelihood opportunities through Labor Intensive Projects (LIP); and

(3) reducing SGBV through increased awareness and improved access to quality services. This will be accomplished by carefully sequencing and integrating activities, with WASH and livelihood activities integrating SGBV risk mitigation in their design and implementation.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Livelihood Assistant contributes to the implementation of the livelihood subcomponents of the BPRM program in Beqaa and Hermel-Baalbek governorates. The job mainly aims at targeting the basic needs of vulnerable HHs with immediate income generation opportunities through LIPs, focusing on infrastructure rehabilitation and improved delivery of services while helping to mitigate negative coping mechanisms to sustain the livelihood.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

The Livelihood Assistant is expected to contribute to the targeting of cadasters, and lead on the selection of labor based on vulnerability criteria and skills matching. He is also expected to support in the facilitation of skills training for labors, the design of the infrastructure rehabilitation projects and the day-to-day monitoring of the site activities. S/he needs to:

• Assist in stakeholder outreach and identify potential Labor Intensive Projects using the participatory needs assessment;
• Work with municipalities and refugee committees to build their capacity on how to conduct participatory needs assessments to identify potential LIPs, but also on how to provide financial planning and budgeting, work planning, and scheduling to ensure proper maintenance of rehabilitated infrastructure;
• Assist in various activities related to the livelihood component, including area selection, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) preparation and signatures, laborers’ identification with key stakeholders and predetermined criteria, community mobilization, and prioritization activities, and coordination;
• Support the Livelihood Coordinator and the Project Engineer in the technical studies and design of the community infrastructure LIPs;
• Provide a day-to-day supervision of the municipal and community infrastructure LIPs;
• Assist the Livelihood Coordinator in organizing and delivering skills trainings through various methods, and track and monitor the impact over the lifetime of the project;
• Review labor and timeline requirements for LIPs activities, determining staffing requirements;
• With the Livelihood coordinator, coordinate payment procedures, including documentation, approval and actual payments;
• Ensure the needed coordination with the SGBV team to plan for the provision of the SGBV awareness session to project laborers and participants, and ensure referring to SGBV and protection cases to related parties;
• Develop implementation work plans for LIPs and monitor activities and their contribution to achieving program deliverables;
• Oversee procurement of all materials for LIPs in coordination with the Project Manager and the Program Support Officer.
• Report and follow up on any problems encountered in the field such as project participant complaints, local authority interference, security threats, etc…;
• Maintain all documentation relating directly to LIPs activities required to ensure accountability to the donor, organization, and beneficiaries, particularly where labor is concerned;
• Ensure regular internal and external coordination with concerned parties;
• Report work progress of ongoing activities on regular basis;
• Other duties as assigned.

Other:

• Ensure all activities are gender sensitive and follow Mercy Corps’ Gender Equity Policy;
• Apply Do No Harm standards to ensure activities do not have detrimental effects on vulnerable communities;
• Contribute to monthly reports and other ad hoc reports to meet donor and internal requirements;
• Participate in internal office coordination and planning meetings and workshops;
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not jeopardize its humanitarian mission;

   

Organizational Learning: As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve. We expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, M&E of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY:

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Livelihood Coordinator

SUPERVISES: NA

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Program Officers and Coordinators, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Coordinator, Project Engineer, Project Manager, GBV Team, Program Support Officer and Program Manager.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• At least 2 years’ of Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) humanitarian field within Livelihoods, Cash for Work, and Households targeting.
• A university bachelor degree with the preference of Civil Engineering, Architecture, Mechanical engineering, or Agriculture;
• Experience in handling and analyzing pre/post testing results and scoring sheets;
• Experience in assessing, implementing and monitoring of civil works or infrastructure improvement;
• Experience in identifying and developing local partnerships;
• Demonstrated ability to manage and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles;
• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving;
• Proven ability to learn quickly, lead a program to achieve stated results and objectives;
• Ability to effectively represent Mercy Corps and its interests to key stakeholders;
• Oral and written Arabic and English are required;
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment;
• Willingness to travel throughout the country.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful Livelihood Assistant will combine knowledge of administrative, executive and financial workflow related to infrastructure activities and LIPs program implementation. S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural team and capacity building. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem-solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving is essential in a complex security and political environment like Lebanon. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.