Project Manager Strengthening Resilience II

About us

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.

Geopolitical/SBU/Function overview

The British Council has been in Lebanon since 1946.  As the United Kingdom’s international organisation for education and cultural relations, we are building on the British Council’s respected and trusted brand by expanding existing programmes and developing new opportunities with government and key stakeholders across the public, private and NGO sectors.  We employ 50 staff, including five regional and five Syria post and our portfolio spans our main sectors of English, Education, Society and Arts. 

The Programmes team within British Council Lebanon manages all aspects of business development and delivery.  Working closely with colleagues across British Council (regionally, locally and in UK), the team is responsible for ensuring the quality and consistency of projects and programmes, meeting the expectations of partners.  This includes:  managing all aspects of delivery, compliance, risk and finances across the portfolio.  .

This post holder will be a key member of the SRII Lebanon team, reporting to the Programme lead and closely working with SR2 regional team, as well as the different stakeholders; with the aim of ensuring the use of relevant tools, process and strong working/mentoring relationships are applied to ensure compliance around BC and client requirements.

Main opportunities/challenges for this role

• Working Together: Working closely with colleagues across British Council- SR2 team (regionally, locally and in UK), and learning across the wider global team, as well as with national government – communication skills and political sensitivity to the context in Lebanon
• The programme is complex, political and with high risks in Lebanon . Programme management discipline, will be crucial to achieve sufficient control over budgets, contract management, to ensure compliance and avoid an operating loss in the programme
• Direct Line management responsibility
• Meeting the expectations of different contractors and partners
• Managing all aspects of compliance, risk and finances across the portfolio for Pagoda contract in Lebanon

Main Accountabilities

Project / programme management

Working with the programme lead in country, the postholder will be responsible for the day to day management of the contract – specifically this will cover:

• Project manage work packages/plans/schedules of activity, as determined by the programme lead, ensuring adherence to relevant client requirements, British Council policy and procedure and E&S standards
• Work with regional Project manager to ensure right processes and procedures are used
• Update Project management plans
• SAP duties in accordance with SAP guidance and/or as stated in British Council Essential Finance. SAP is an online financial system

Performance & resourcing

• Support with the procurement and management of Experts- partners, suppliers and consultants to agreed standards
• Support the management of partners and development of communication, governance plans for the work with the main partners 

Customers & stakeholders

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the project  suppliers' and contractors' project management teams (as appropriate), to facilitate the smooth running of the project and ensure alignment of interests.

Risk & compliance

• Ensure the British Council meets all relevant internal and external compliance and client requirements (financial, procurement, HR, quality management, regulatory etc) to ensure the organisation and all its sub-contractors operate legally, with integrity, and in a way that manages risk effectively.
• Ensure the project is delivered in line with BC quality standards and BC Project Management methodologies, including adherence to all process and procedures.
• Conduct regular compliance reviews/“health checks” for the work in Lebanon and lead on embedding best practice in this area.
• Advise, support and provide oversight to the team on preparation for and management of programme audits
• Work with the Finance, Procurement & Contracting Manager to ensure control environment is fit for purpose.

Analysis & reporting

• Contribute to internal and client financial reporting according to agreed standards
• Meet agreed British Council compliance and reporting standards including FCCF and adherence to Centre of Excellence standards
• Analyse and balance ongoing performance feedback and adapt work to realise agreed standards
• Within agreed authority levels, negotiate, procure and authorise all major project contracts and variations and approves and authorises all payment to meet value for money criteria.

Key Relationships

Internal stakeholders include:

• Lebanon Programme lead
• Project support officer
• Finance Manager
• Regional Programme Manager

External stakeholders include:

• Client – EU
• Government stakeholder
• Strategic delivery partner – civipol- RICU

Role Requirements

Passport requirements/ Right to work in country: Post holder must be eligible to work in Lebanon.  When required, successful candidate needs to secure, at his/her own cost and liability, the appropriate work and residency permits and any other required document, as well as any renewals thereof, from the Lebanese competent authorities.

Direct contact or managing staff working with children?  Yes/No. IF YES. Appropriate police check

Notes:

• Other important features or requirements of the job (e.g. travel, unsocial/evening hours, restrictions on employment etc.)
• Working hours are variable according to events and can include evenings and occasional weekends. On certain days it may be necessary to work longer hours to cater for key deadlines.

Person Specification

Language requirements:

Minimum / essential

• Proven Written and spoken English and Arabic.

Desirable

• Good command of written and spoken French

Assessment Stage

• Shortlisting/Interview Stage

Qualifications:

Minimum / essential

• Relevant project management qualification including Association of Project Management – Practitioner Level and / or Association of Project Management – Managing Successful programmes (MSP) qualification at introductory or practitioner level or equivalent

Assessment Stage

• Shortlisting

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience:

Minimum / essential

• Successful experience in delivering complex projects.
• Experience of working across a divided and fragile culture
• Sound IT knowledge and ability to use IT systems
• Budget Management
• Effective interpersonal, communication and influencing skills (including managing complex and numerous internal and external stakeholders )

Desirable

• Good understanding of the Socio Economic and Culture context of Lebanon as well as government and Civil Society in Lebanon
• Relevant experience managing EU projects
• Experience of delivering projects relevant to themes of conflict, stability and or violent extremism

Assessment Stage

• Shortlisting and Interview

Role Specific Skills:

Minimum / essential

• 2 years of solid project management experience and track record of successful delivery of projects to agreed financial targets.

Assessment Stage

• Shortlisting and Interview

British Council Core Skills

• Skill heading (Level 4)
• Managing People (Level 2)
• Managing Projects (Level 3)
• Finance & Resource Management (Level 3)
• Analysing Data and Problems (Level 3)
• Managing Accounts and Partnerships (Level 2)
• Communicating & Influencing (Level 3)
• Managing Risk (Level 3)

Assessment Stage

Shortlisting and Interview

British Council Behaviours

Creating Shared Purpose - More Demanding

• Creating energy and clarity so that people want to work purposefully together

Making it happen - More Demanding

• Challenging myself and others to deliver and measure better results.

Being Accountable - More Demanding

• Putting the needs of the team or British Council ahead of my own

Connecting with others - More Demanding

• Actively appreciating the needs and concerns of myself and others.

Working Together - Essential

• Establish a genuinely common goal with others

Assessment Stage

Interview