Civil Society Program Specialist

Program Summary: Citizens for Change, a three-year program funded by USAID in Lebanon, seeks to strengthen civil society capacity to act as a catalyst for change through civic advocacy and participation. As part of these efforts, the program will disburse grants to CSOs to support civic engagement, social entrepreneurship, media campaigns, and capacity building.   Responsibilities of Civil Society Program SpecialistProactively identify and conceptualize potential civil society activities that advance program objectives;Play a key role in soliciting and awarding grants in close coordination with the program team;Analyze and evaluate grant applications and proposals to ensure consistency with program objectives and relevance to local context;Provide technical oversight of a portfolio of grants and ongoing mentorship, guidance, and support to grantees throughout the grant cycle, from initial design to closeout;Manage technical implementation of all grants within assigned portfolio, maintaining continuous communications with grantees to remain up-to-date on their activities, progress, and plans;Assist grantees in developing performance monitoring plans to assess the results and impact of their grant-funded activities;Conduct capacity assessments of grantees and contribute to developing capacity-building approaches and activities to address identified gaps;Conduct regular site visits and attend grantee-sponsored events and activities;Identify and seize opportunities to promote civil society networking, partnerships, and coalition-building. Qualifications:Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in social sciences, international development, or a related field (experience can substitute for formal education);At least 5 years of experience, with at least 3 in civil society, community development, project management, or a related field;Field experience with local and/or international NGOs;Up-to-date understanding and knowledge of political and social conditions in Lebanon;Prior experience with and/or good understanding of donor organizations active in Lebanon, particularly USAID;Fluency in Arabic and English (written and verbal);Ability and willingness to conduct site visits throughout the country on a regular basis. Company Profile: Management Systems International (MSI) is a global international development firm based in Washington, D.C. providing specialized short- and long-term technical assistance. The firm has specific expertise in the fields of civil society strengthening and democracy and governance. Over the last 10 years, MSI has conducted 11 short- and long-term projects in Lebanon. For more information on MSI, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com. To apply, please send your resume, biodata form, and cover letter to lebanonproject@msi-inc.com. Only finalists will be contacted.