Youth Advisor

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY: The Youth Advisor will advance Mercy Corps’ ongoing youth, adolescent, and children-related programming in Beirut, Beqaa, and South Lebanon.  S/he will be hired on a part-time basis for an initial three months to provided needed support to plan and implement key components of ongoing programming. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: Youth Scholarship Program Meet with all scholarship students to communicate status of the project and understand interests to inform work plan Identify internships to match students’ interests and build desired skills and networks; Arrange Memorandum of Understanding between Mercy Corps and identified internship provider with clear position description with deliverables and timeline for each student; Facilitate link between student and internship, providing mentoring through monthly check-ins and regular monitoring of work and deliverables; Support necessary logistics for internship needs, in coordination with Mercy Corps’ Operations Team, as needed; Review identified community based projects, devise way forward for Cohort 1 (graduating in June 2015) to initiate project and achieve desired results; Plan with Cohort 1 to facilitate action planning and implementation of projects, including supporting community mobilization process and secure necessary approval from relevant authorities; Foster positive learning environment for students to gain skills and benefit from non-academic learning and community-service oriented action; Conduct pre/post internship and community service test to measure change in perceptions, in coordination—in coordination with Director of M&E; Contribute to quarterly report writing to document project activities—in coordination with Director of M&E; Arrange video conference with youth groups in other countries, and facilitate exchange and learning between youth—in coordination with Director of Program; Pending budget approve, facilitate additional training with Alt City for all 50 students on social media, linking with internship and community service project work; Adolescent Program Start-up Identify potential local partners in Beqaa (Zahle and Baalbeck) and South Lebanon (Sour and Saida) who have strong programmatic and operational ability to work with adolescents; Review potential partner’s programmatic and operational capacity based on agreed criteria and recommend selection to Mercy Corps; Determine key capacity gaps that should be addressed to build partners’ ability to complete anticipated scope of work under adolescent program Identify and review adolescent-specific curriculum and training, which is age appropriate to boys and girls from Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian backgroup Support start-up of new adolescent program in coordination with program manager Attend meetings and/or assessments with potential local partners in the South and the Beqaa Child Protection and Psychosocial Support Identify potential local partners in Beqaa and South Lebanon to have programmatic and operational ability to work on psychosocial programming for children Review potential partner’s programmatic and operational capacity based on agreed criteria and recommend selection to Mercy Corps, identifying key gaps that should be addressed to build ability Identify potential staff for next phase of programming with strong child protection programming experience Attend interviews and/or assessments with potential local partners in the South and the Beqaa 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 affects 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 toMercy Corpsand to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission; Other assigned tasks, as necessary KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE: At least five years of experience working with youth engagement and community-based activities.  Strong network to civil society organizations within Lebanon.  Must be willing to travel throughout Beqaa Valley, South Lebanon and Beirut.