Project Assistant (Applications will only be accepted if submitted through the URL link provided below)

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long-term impact.

The Program / Department / Team

The “Fostering Resilience by Strengthening Abilities” FORSA II program is a 6.5 million Euros three-and-a-half-year (December 2019 - May 2023) program focusing on the nexus between education and employment. The program targets youth between the ages of 16-34 from Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian families, with a specific focus on women and girls in the target areas.  The overall objective is that women and youth are supported to access education and employment in targeted areas in the Bekaa and South. 

The primary objectives of the program are that:

1. Youth from all targeted communities have improved market-driven skills as a result of better quality training systems;
2. Job placement systems provide equitable and sustainable access to jobs for targeted populations;
3. Male and female youth have improved pathways to self-employment.

The Position

The Project Assistant is expected to contribute to the daily tasks related to several activities under the Freelance Academy Component: outreach activities, training planning and organization, follow up with program participants, record keeping and filing. The Project Assistant will work closely with the Senior Field Coordinator to support the implementation of activities. S/he will work closely with partners and other stakeholders involved in program implementation in order to ensure a coherent and comprehensive program is implemented, lessons are learned, and experiences shared across the various sectors and program teams.

Essential Responsibilities

IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVITIES

• Assist the Senior Field Coordinator in planning and conducting outreach activities for the Freelance Academy, as well as identifying actors working in the Freelance ecosystem
• Support the Senior Field Coordinator in the planning and implementation of FORSA II program activities
• Assist with the day-to-day workflow of the Freelance Academy and MSMEs components
• Identify capacity development needs for the program participants and local trainers, in consultation with the Senior Field Coordinator.
• Support the Senior Field Coordinator in planning the Freelance training and other related activities, when needed, in collaboration with service providers.
• Liaise with program participants and organize communication channels while responding to participants inquiries 
• Fully document program activities, contribute to data collection and data entry, record keeping, and related tasks for documentation.
• Support the team in the procurement and logistical processes for FORSA II activities.
• Help with the day-to-day workflow of the distribution of inputs to farmers and processors.
• Support with any administrative tasks in order to ensure the timely and proper progress of activities.

OTHER RELATED RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct phone calls and follow up with beneficiaries, if necessary.
• Follow up on all paperwork and reporting needed from the field.

• Conduct field visits to the MSMEs’ to ensure proper flow of work and smooth implementation.
• Support in filing and entering data from assessments, meetings, interviews, and other reporting requirements
• Follow up with procurement on pending PRs and assist in updating the tracker sheets and other administrative tools.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Senior field coordinator

Works Directly With: FORSA field staff, FORSA program manager, other Mercy Corps MEL staff

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• BA/S or equivalent, preferable business administration, public administration, international development or other related field;
• At least 1 year of proven work experience with projects supporting youth
• Fluent in both spoken and written Arabic with good knowledge of English;
• Previous experience working with international and/or local NGOs;
• Good computer skills and good knowledge in MS Office, Google products (Drive, Sheets, Docs), and online meeting tools (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams)
• Experience working in the digital ecosystem, and familiar with the freelance and remote work modalities
• Experience in working with the SMEs is an asset;
• Strong team coordination, listening, and consensus building skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Positive attitude and passion for your work

Success Factors

The successful Project Assistant will be bright, energetic, hard-working and eager to learn.  S/he will take a deep personal interest in humanitarian and development assistance. S/he will be attentive to detail and able to carry out assigned tasks in a timely manner and according to a very high standard of quality. S/he will be creative and flexible, contributing to developing and encouraging new and innovative solutions, but at the same time will not have any difficulty in adhering to systems and procedures. S/he will strictly follow all protocols related to safety and security, and holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modeling Mercy Corps’ values.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

None

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.