Project Assistant– FORSA II (Applications will only be accepted if submitted through the URL link provided below)

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.
In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions
into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future. Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps is committed to generating positive opportunities for women, men, boys and girls from Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian communities, with a strong focus on engaging youth.

• Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping build secure, productive and just communities. We do this through:
• Addressing the humanitarian and protection needs resulting from crisis situations for the most vulnerable communities
• Enabling local communities, civil society and government to better prevent and respond to conflict, address needs and deliver sustainable development solutions
• Promoting economic growth and catalysing economic opportunities for vulnerable, under-employed groups in Lebanon

The Mercy Corps Lebanon team consists of over 150 staff working across five offices throughout Mount Lebanon, South Lebanon, Tripoli and the Bekaa Valley.

The Program / Department / Team

The “Fostering Resilience by Strengthening Abilities” FORSA II program is a 6.5 million Euros three-and-a-half-year (December 2019 - May 2023) program focusing on the nexus between education and employment. The program targets youth between the ages of 16-34 from Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian families, with a specific focus on women and girls in the target areas.  The overall objective is that women and youth are supported to access education and employment in targeted areas in the Bekaa and South. 

The primary objectives of the program are that:

1. Youth from all targeted communities have improved market-driven skills as a result of better quality training systems;
2. Job placement systems provide equitable and sustainable access to jobs for targeted populations;
3. Male and female youth have improved pathways to self-employment.

The Position

The Project Assistant is expected to contribute to the daily tasks related to several activities: SMEs support, job platforms, and freelance training & coaching.  The Project Assistant will work closely with the senior field coordinator and the project officer to support all activities. S/he will work closely with partners and other stakeholders involved in program implementation in order to ensure a coherent and comprehensive program is implemented, lessons are learned and experiences shared across the various sectors and program teams.

Essential Responsibilities

Programmatic Responsibilities:

• Assist in organizing and promoting the Freelance Academy throughout outreach events to build a pipeline of future participants to the Academy, in coordination with the service provider and the senior field coordinator
• Support the senior field coordinator and the Project Officer in the planning and implementation of  of FORSA II and FORSA + programs
• Fully document program activities contribute to data collection and entry, record keeping, and related tasks.
• Support the team in l the procurement process for Forsa II and Forsa + activities 
• Help with the day-to-day workflow of the Freelance Academy as well as job platforms and SMEs 
• Support with any administrative tasks in order to ensure the timely and proper progress of activities

Other Related Responsibilities

Freelance academy

• Provide day-to-day support and coordination, including administrative and logistical support for the Freelance Academy
• Support the team in outreach activities 
• Assist in responding to participants inquiries 

SMEs

• Conduct field visits to the SMEs’ and suppliers’ locations with the FORSA team to ensure proper flow of work and smooth implementation
• Support in filing and entering the data of the in-depth assessment 
• Follow up with procurement on pending PRs and assist in updating the SMEs tracker sheet 

 Job platforms

• Support in drafting narrative reports including updates about deliverables mentioned in the work plan 
• Track all deliverables for each job platform based on the work plan developed

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Senior field coordinator

Works Directly With: ORSA field staff, FORSA program manager, other Mercy Corps MEL staff

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

• Ensure that Mercy Corps’ Community Feedback and Accountability Mechanism is clearly communicated to project beneficiaries, and that the hotline numbers are visible to end beneficiaries throughout the program;
• 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 effects on vulnerable communities;
• 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;

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• BA/S or equivalent, preferable business administration, public administration, international development or other related field;
• At least 1 year of proven work experience with projects supporting youth
• Fluent in both spoken and written Arabic with good knowledge of English;
• Previous experience working with international and/or local NGOs;
• Good computer skills and good knowledge in MS Office, Google products (Drive, Sheets, Docs), and online meeting tools (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams)
• Experience working in the freelance work, or supporting SMEs is an asset;
• Strong team coordination, listening, and consensus building skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Positive attitude and passion for your work

Success Factors

The successful Project Assistant 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, contributing to developing and encouraging new and innovative solutions, 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, and holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Mercy Corps’ values.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

None

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.