Senior Gender and Protection Coordinator

Near East Foundation (NEF) – Lebanon

Job Announcement

Title:                           Senior Gender and Protection Officer

Unit:                           Programs, NEF Lebanon


Reports to:                 Head of NEF Lebanon office and programs

Location:                    Beirut, Lebanon


Travel:                        Regular travel to field sites in Lebanon. International travel if needed.

The Near East Foundation (NEF) is seeking candidates for a Senior Gender and Protection Officer to be based in its Lebanon Office in Beirut. For 100 years, NEF has worked to build more sustainable, prosperous and inclusive communities in the Middle East and Africa through education, governance, and economic development initiatives. Working through a network of country offices and local partners, NEF currently operates in nine countries. Its programs are organized around three themes: Peacebuilding; Sustainable Agriculture; and Micro-enterprise Development.

Position Description

The Senior Gender and Protection Officer is a member of the NEF team in Lebanon, reporting to the Head of NEF office and programs. The purpose of the Senior Gender and Protection Officer position is to ensure the management, implementation and accomplishment of the gender-related objectives and activities of “Reducing Economic and Social Vulnerability for Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Lebanon”, a project supported by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. This 1-year project will reduce household economic vulnerability and reliance on harmful coping strategies by increasing access to livelihoods and protection information and skills; home-based income-generating activities; and training and career guidance linked to savings and protection for adolescents.

The Senior Gender and Protection Officer will: (a) coordinate gender-based violence (GBV) awareness and protection workshops with partners and participants; (b) ensure that community-based organizations (CBOs) have proper GBV and protection protocols in place; (c) ensure GBV awareness and protection are mainstreamed into programming; (d) ensure safe spaces for project participants are available within the CBOs and meet necessary standards.

The Senior Gender and Protection Officer will perform his/her duties and responsibilities in accordance with project proposal and budget in addition to the programmatic, administrative and financial policies/regulations of NEF. In consultation with the NEF Project Manager for Lebanon, the HQ Senior Practice Area Lead for Protection and Gender and in collaboration with project staff, including local partner organizations, the Senior Gender and Protection Officer will develop annual implementation plans and budget, allocate appropriate resources to accomplish the plan, manage staff if needed and ensure that an appropriate monitoring system is in place to track progress and deviations of project implementation. S/he establishes and maintains effective working relationships with local partner organizations, key government departments and any relevant local or international organizations.

Responsibilities

Management/Oversight

Ensure project components and activities implemented are gender sensitive as outlined in the project proposal and budget, in accordance with NEF policies and regulations.

Lead protection and gender-focused programmatic approach and activities.

Continuously assess protection and gender contexts, assumptions and changes in the working environment (a) to ensure the project’s focus, strategies and activities related to protection and gender inclusion and GBV response remain relevant and (b) to propose adjustments when needed.

Ensure gender and protection strategies, guidelines and frameworks are in place to guide project implementation and ensure all activities promote gender and provide equal opportunities among participants. Support a consultant to identify needs and develop materials that will respond effectively to them.

Monitor progress on gender inclusion and protection for different project activities implemented.

Reporting

Develop monthly updates, quarterly and annual implementation plans for protection, gender inclusion and mainstreaming, in coordination with project staff and local partner organizations.

Document all processes and materials related to gender, GBV and protection.

Collate/compile field-generated information and complete required progress/final reports related to gender, GBV activities and protection in a timely manner and in compliance with donor requirements for onward incorporation in the program report.

Identify relevant impact and success stories from GBV activities as well as successful examples of gender inclusion.

 

Training/Guidance

Build the capacity of partners and, in particular, the project team on gender, including in response to GBV and protection-related issues and challenges.

Provide team guidance and technical capacity, including to the project team, through training, operational planning, daily interaction, regular team meetings, and learning and reflection events to implement gender, GBV and protection effectively and efficiently into the project.

Provide training to beneficiaries on gender, gender equality, GBV and protection norms and rights.

Coordination

Maintain ongoing communication with project stakeholder regarding project progress and challenges for protection areas and the promotion and inclusion of gender in all operations.

Share information and documents with project team, partners, HQs and other stakeholders relevant to gender and protection.

Coordinate with UN agencies, International NGOs, Local NGOs, government departments around protection and gender issues for refugees and host communities, including UN Working Groups on protection/GBV.

Establish positive working relationships with relevant government offices, local and international organizations, academic institutions, UN Working Groups (mainly protection and GBV), and private sector actors with activities relevant to protection, gender inclusion, and GBV mainstreaming and response to identify areas for potential collaboration in coordination with the Country Director.

Maintain frequent communication with colleagues at NEF Lebanon and HQ to ensure consistent information sharing.

Administration, Compliance, Budgeting

Ensure compliance with applicable donor rules and regulations on gender and protection.

Ensure security and appropriate use of project and NEF assets, in coordination with the Safety, Security and Compliance Office.

Implement programmatic and financial directives, as provided by the Finance Manager and Project Manager.

Manage GBV, gender and protection line items within the budget, including monthly review of expenditures.

Recommend project changes, including realignment of activities, budgets, contract extensions related to GBV and protection.

Prepare procurement plans and requests relevant to GBV and protection activities.

 

Other

Perform other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications and Requirements

The successful Senior Gender and Protection Officer must be a self-directed individual with the following qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in women/gender studies, education, social science, economics, or equivalent combination of education and work experience;

3-5 years of experience in development and/or humanitarian organizations, including significant experience working with partners to deliver development and/or humanitarian interventions with a focus on gender, women and youth;

expertise in protection and gender analysis and mainstreaming in a refugee context is essential, including youth and adolescent rights, programming with a rights-based approach/focus in addition to a focus on one or more of the following: income generation, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), social inclusion and protection, and alternative basic education;

proven record of effective management (project planning, implementation, budgeting);

fluency in English and Arabic and ability to effectively write reports;

proven skills in partnership building, influencing and negotiating with a range of development actors, including governments, UN agencies, academic institutions, networks, national/local NGOs and community groups;

strong facilitation skills, including the design and management of effective trainings, workshops and meetings that have an evident focus on gender and target a diverse population;

sensitivity to cultural differences and the ability to work effectively across a wide variety of cultural contexts;

effective team player with the ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships;

flexible, creative and problem solving-oriented; and

competence with MS Office applications (i.e. Word, Excel, Outlook).

Salary: Commensurate with experience

To apply, please send the following documents to nef.hr.leb@gmail.com

Cover letter outlining all relevant experience, availability and salary history 


Curriculum Vitae

List of three references (including one from current, or most recent, employer) 


Deadline: 24 December 2017.
Subject line: Senior Gender and Protection Officer Position, Lebanon

Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with NEF by visiting the NEF website at www.neareast.org.

NEF will conduct pre-employment background checks that may include contacting off-list references from past employers. The Near East Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.