Shelter Field Officer

INTERSOS is a non-profit humanitarian aid organization that works to bring assistance to people in danger, victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts. Established in 1992 with support from the Italian Federation of Trade Unions, its actions are based on the values of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equal rights and opportunities for all people and respect for diversity and coexistence, paying particular attention to the most vulnerable and the unprotected.

INTERSOS identifies with the core values of CONCORD, the European Confederation of NGOs; it adheres to international codes of conduct for humanitarian organizations and the values and principles expressed within those codes. INTERSOS is recognized by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the European Commission and the principal UN agencies; it is privileged to hold an advisory status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

INTERSOS is an independent association which, through its own humanitarian operators, intervenes to effectively answer the needs of people in serious crises situations, mainly in the world's poorest regions, who are suffering, deprived of rights, dignity and essentials goods. It maintains a flexible operating structure. The head office in Italy coordinates, supports and monitors the planned activities in the countries of intervention carried out by decentralized offices.

Job Title          : Shelter Field Officer

Reports to         : Project Manager and WaSH & Shelter Manager

Duty Station       : Mount Lebanon

Position Type    : Full Time

Job Purpose:

The Shelter Field Officer is part of the INTERSOS Shelter Team, working on Shelter activities, including but not limited to construction and rehabilitation of schools, upgrading of sanitation facilities, and distribution of relief items at field level, in the framework of INTERSOS Program in Mount Lebanon funded by AICS - the Italian Cooperation. The Shelter Field Officer will be managed by the AICS Activity Manager and he/she will work in close collaboration with team members of the Shelter, under the technical supervision of the WaSH & Shelter Manager. He/she contributes to and is part of conducting surveys and assessments, collecting and processing of information, implementing activities and reports. The Shelter Field Officer spends most of his/her time in the field and is in regular and direct contact with beneficiaries.

Generic Duties:

1. Monitor and report on the project activities and ensure compliance with plans and INTERSOS-AICS standards
2. Suggest new methods and approaches in order to improve the quality of the activities
3. Collect all the data related to the Shelter Activities in Mount Lebanon and, if required, in other areas of Lebanon;
4. Prepare and file relevant documents according to procedures
5. Organize and implement the construction works and items distribution on the field 
6. Report on the running activities in the implementation areas after site visits;

Specific Duties:

1. Organize and lead on conducting technical surveys, questionnaires or assessments as required.
2. Be the focal point for technical related database management of the assigned area.
3. Ensure the timely distribution of shelter relief items to beneficiaries.
4. Prepare BoQ and Technical Drawings and final measurements for works, in line with INTERSOS and AICS project criteria, and any other shelter intervention.
5. Participate in the design of tools to be used by the Shelter team.
6. Coordinate with various Intersos staff at field level on planning and implementing program activities.
7. Supervise and carry out the implementation of shelter support activities, including but not limited to rehabilitation and construction of schools, shelters(individual and collective), rehabilitation and upgrading of water and sanitary facilities.
8. Provide technical input in the general supervision, progress of construction activities and control of quality of materials and workmanship.
9. Inspect on daily basis construction activities at each site to ensure adherence to agreed standards and processes.
10. Ensure project documents are properly filed and kept secured.
11. Act responsibly and communicates respectfully with Landlords to give a clear and accurate picture of the households’ past, current and future situation.
12. Participate in the field work and respond to beneficiaries’ queries with good knowledge of relevant information.
13. Explain the INTERSOS assessment and selection process well both to Landlords and beneficiaries who do not fall within the project criteria.
14. Management of assigned case-loads, including keeping up-to-date records of numbers of housing units, shelter, and landlords contracted.
15. Produce weekly/daily progress reports on the field activities, contract status and beneficiary participation as required.
16. Ensure respect of security rules and report immediately to the Activity Manager and WASH & Shelter Manager.
17. Identification and referrals of needs and potential new beneficiaries to the WASH&Shelter Manager .
18. Participate actively and constructively in team meetings.
19. Respond to donor requests for special cases which need individual attention and follow their progress.
20. Any other task assigned by the PM or the WASH&Shelter Manager .

Competencies: (Knowledge, Skills & Abilities)

Professional competencies:

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience  
• Experience in monitoring construction and managing contractors is highly desirable
• Experience in Solar Energy system is highly desirable
• Experience in community-based approaches to construction
• Familiarity with the minimum construction standards for SSB (eg., Shelter Sector Standards in Lebanon)
• A previous experience with Intersos is a plus 

Behavioural competencies:

• Ability to facilitate change, and negotiate with diverse stakeholders to achieve organizational goal
• High integrity and transparency
• Relationship building
• Teamwork
• Initiative
• Developing and motivating others

• Driving and achieving results; Ability to coordinate and manage the given tasks and achieve target deliverables and outputs
• High degree of flexibility, and capacity to perform under pressure
• Strategic vision
• Strong organizational skills and able to coordinate and manage a diverse array of activities and stakeholders
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent reporting skills
• Strong negotiation and mediation skills and ability to work independently
• Report writing skills and computer skills in word processing, spreadsheets, CAD, Power point
• Experience in conducting surveys, managing data and statistics is desirable
• Knowledge of the NGO operations and the dynamics of the humanitarian sector is a plus