HR and Professional Development Expert

Program Background

The Government of Lebanon, with support from the international community, is implementing the Reaching All Children with Education (RACE) II Program. First launched in 2013, with Phase II becoming effective in July 2018, RACE seeks to improve access to formal education for 460,000 Syrian refugee children and underprivileged Lebanese children in the country. Efforts under this second phase Program are expected to minimize the short and medium-term costs of displacement for refugee families, while strengthening the long-term capacity of the Lebanese education system to prepare children for life and work once regional stability returns. MEHE, with the support of CERD, is responsible for implementing the S2R2 program.

Program Objectives

The Program Development Objective is to promote equitable access, enhance quality of learning, and strengthen the systems in Lebanon’s education sector in response to the protracted refugee crisis. The key results are as follows:

Increase in the proportion of school-aged Lebanese and non-Lebanese children (3–18) enrolled in formal education;

Increase in the proportion of students passing their grades, and transitioning to the next; and

Improvement in MEHE’s capacity to review, evaluate, and update Program implementation.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the S2R2 Program, the Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD) is looking for a Human Resources and Professional Development expert. Below are the main tasks and responsibilities:

Supporting in the design, planning and development of a Human Resources Management plan, in light of Program identified needs and capacity needs assessment.

Advising on the development of a strategic Human Resources Management Information System.

Supporting CERD in reviewing the Human Resources policies and procedures;

Advising on needed Human Resources policies and standards to ensure efficient and equitable management of staff being applied throughout CERD, during program duration time.

Ensuring that all units and staff at CERD are well aware of the policies and procedures and are able to exercise them effectively.

Supporting in the recruitment process of all Program needed and approved hires, in drafting new ToRs and / or updating existing ones, in planning and communicating jobs opening, in establishing selection criteria and overseeing the hiring process.

Supporting in the preparation of the contracts alongside CERD’s legal department and HR unit.

Advising on the optimal plan for knowledge transfer among CERD staff and the technical assistance, from inception till onboarding phase.

Developing, implementing, and managing a system of performance appraisal for CERD teams and for S2R2 hired assistance and all external consultants.

Coordinating with CERD’s Quality Assurance Unit to ensure proper monitoring of HR performance.  

Providing assistance to assess CERD current situation, specifically in relation to the HR unit and to establish a clear strategy to assist and reinforce all its functions.

Supporting in the preparation of CERD’s human resources mapping in order to set a sustainable capacity building plan.

Defining, monitoring, and evaluating processes to ensure the proper transfer of knowledge between S2R2 consultants or other externally funded assistance and CERD teams. 

Supporting in establishing a training and professional development unit within CERD’s HR unit in close collaboration with CERD’s Administrative Directorate

Supporting in establishing a system to track the individual training plans and performance portfolio.

Participating in the implementation and the continuous improvement of the quality management system of CERD, for S2R2, and for other related programs.

Providing support and advice as appropriate in grievance instances to CERD’s teams and S2R2 Steering Committee – when requested and applicable.

Ensuring that all Human Resources issues are given full consideration in meeting CERD’s mandate while satisfying S2R2 deadline requirements.

Ensuring CERD’s rules and regulations and the applicable Lebanese Laws are applied within S2R2.

Other tasks as needed or assigned by CERD’s S2R2 Steering Committee.

Previous Experience

7 to 10 years’ experience in human resources management.

A Minimum of 3 years’ experience in similar position preferably in the education field.

Behavioral Skills

Excellent communication and presentation skills

Excellent organization skills

Strong ethics

Problem solving and decision-making skills

Expertise and leadership

Technical Background and Computer Skills

Microsoft Office Suite

Knowledge of Lebanese labor law