Wash Project Coordinator

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY: Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. Mercy Corps has been present in the Middle East since the 1980s and currently has offices in Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Libya. Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps has been running community development programs focused on promoting economic development and increased opportunity for disadvantaged communities, while responding to emergencies as they have emerged. Recently, the program portfolio has expanded in response to the massive refugee influx from Syria, including grants from UNICEF, the European Commission, Canadian and American governments, and private foundations. The conflict that began more than four years ago in Syria has resulted in a steady increase of Syrian refugees to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. To date, more than one million refugees have fled to Lebanon. As numbers have continued to increase, humanitarian conditions are deteriorating. The burden on host communities and the financial and emotional stress on refugees and their hosts is tremendous. Mercy Corps is responding to these needs by addressing urgent basic needs, child protection as well as the psychosocial impact of the conflict and displacement. At the same time, Mercy Corps’ programmatic focus is on mitigating social tensions between hosts and refugees, particularly over economic resources, by addressing both livelihood opportunities, conflict mitigation capacity and local government capacity. Job Mission GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY: The WASH Coordinator will support Mercy Corps’ ongoing WASH programming in Lebanon by assisting the project manager in the overall implementation of the WASH portfolio that focuses on increasing access to safe water, sanitation services/facilities, and proper hygiene conditions and practices for Syrian refugees and Lebanese host communities. He/She will be responsible developing procedures for the implementation of the WASH program in accordance with Mercy Corps principles and promoting cordial working relationships with partners, communities and the Government. He/she will be required facilitate and coordinate the overall management of WASH component including planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of high quality, innovative projects, in collaboration with the Project Managers. This position requires very close coordination with the project manager and team implementing the WASH activities with Mercy Corps in Bekaa. Furthermore, this position will require field planning coordination and monitoring and evaluation coordination with the M&E team to ensure integrated project target achievements. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: 1. Provide timely sectoral analysis, input, support and collaboration to the Situation Analysis and prepare its periodic update for effective programme planning, readjustment and management. 2. Promote knowledge management effectively through the production of key urban WASH programme documents and reports; and sharing good practices, lessons learned, knowledge and information. 3. Formulate, implement and monitor work plans and activities implemented by local partners, ensuring alignment with defined programme approaches and objectives, and maintaining a focus on gender/sex disaggregation of relevant indicators. 4. In close coordination with the M&E team, plan and manage assessments, and analysis for results. 5. Participate actively and/or write technical reports and proposals to donors for WASH programmes Donor reports ((monthly, quarterly and final reports), rigorously and transparently in compliance with established guidelines and procedures. 6. Liaise closely with WASH team, programme managers, Operation and Finance Department to improve communication and quality of implementation. 7. Liaise closely with WASH team to ensure that all documentation is filed as per the Minimum Standards of the organization. 8. Monitor and report on project activities using project management and monitoring tools (progress follow up tools and TOLA). 9. Support the project managers by providing assistance to the team in all aspects of project cycle management – design, implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning - using Mercy Corps Best Practices; 10. Ensure quality and integrity of implementation, including adherence to technical guidelines, administrative systems, and established deadlines 11. Assist the project manager and WASH in preparing inception plans (kick-off phase), work plans (Gantt Chart) and regular donor progress reports. 12. Support in facilitating agency and donor monitoring visits; 13. Participate and represent the organization in regional and national WASH coordination meetings as requested by the Sector Lead. 14. Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission. 15. Represent the project in absence of the Project Manager; 16. Other relevant tasks as required. Do This SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: N/A REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Project Manager WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Project Managers, M&E Coordinator and WASH and Infrastructure manager KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE: • Bachelor’s Degree in social or natural sciences. • Familiarity with the issues of water and sanitation systems in refugee informal settlements, municipal water and sanitation facilities, • Minimum of 3 years’ work experience working directly for an NGO or relevant organization in Lebanon • Demonstrate good expertise in hygiene promotion and behavioral change activities under emergency programs • Commitment to local capacity building and the ability to engage local stakeholders in project design and implementation. • Demonstrated capacity to collaborate closely with INGOs and national NGOs and CBOs. • Good organizational and basic project management skills • Experience working with refugees or other vulnerable population required, implementing a WASH project and conducting training is preferred. • Proven understanding of Do No Harm principles and methodology with applied experience implementing projects with/for women and girls. • The applicants should have good written and verbal English and Arabic skills. • Must be computer-literate, particularly in programs such as MS Word and MS Excel. Strong organizational and collaboration skills required, with the ability to work independently and be self-directed, as necessary. • Must work well as a member of a team, with willingness to travel throughout Lebanon, sometimes staying overnight, as the job requires. SUCCESS FACTORS: The successful candidate 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, 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.