Program/BPA Assistants - ARE Activity

BACKGROUND

The Lebanon Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) activity, funded by USAID and implemented by Chemonics International, supports Lebanese rural and peri-urban communities to obtain technical and financial resources in order to facilitate increased productivity, sales, and exports, improved business income, while also ensuring livelihood sustainability. To support this purpose, ARE will increase jobs; improve incomes; improve female participation and employment opportunities; increase domestic and export sales; increase private sector investment; improve access to finance; link value chain actors to domestic and international markets; and improve production through improved practices, technology, increased volume, and/or decreased cost. ARE supports two key expected results:

1. Increased domestic and export sales at both firm and farm levels.
2. Livelihoods improved, especially in rural areas and for women. 

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Business Portfolio Assistant (Beirut and Mount Lebanon, Beqaa, North and South Lebanon) and Program Assistant is an early career level position for a candidate that seeks to apply his/her financial and business analysis skills to strengthen program design and implementation. He/she will work closely with ARE’s Intervention Manager and/or Program Director on the day-to-day activity management and will support in the account management of partners, grantees and stakeholders in Beirut and ARE’s areas of implementation, research specific agricultural topics, review studies and documentation, help diagnose and resolve challenges, and conduct field meetings. She/He will have administrative, technical/operational and communication duties that are essential to the efficient and effective implementation of project management team and wider ARE portfolio.

DETAILED RESPONSIBILITIES

Administrative Duties

• Arrange programmatic and technical meetings/site visits as requested.
• Maintain calendars and appointments.
• Assist in taking notes and minutes of meetings when and as needed.
• Arrange program logistics including but not limited to travel requests, room booking, event booking.
• Other administrative duties as assigned by the Intervention Manager and/or Program Director.

Technical and Operational Duties

• Shadow and support the Intervention Manager and/or Program Director on the design and implementation of ARE's interventions.
• Support and assist with reviewing and/or editing and/or summarizing reports, studies, and other documentation.
• Conduct field visits with the ARE team members to SMEs, partners and other stakeholders.
• Take notes and memos during site visits; type documents, drafts, and reports; sort and manage files.
• Support in developing partnership agreement and grants .
• Support in updating grants progress and tasks in the project management tracking tools
• Support in gathering documentation needed for the monitoring, evaluation and learning as well as Grants teams (fill surveys, collect data, etc.).
• Undertake research on specific/assigned agricultural, agribusiness and tourism topics and review studies and other relevant documentation.
• Review supporting documentations and deliverables of milestones.
• Other programmatic and technical duties as assigned by the Intervention Manager and/or Program Director.

Other Duties

• Support in planning and organizing ARE networking events and site visits.
• Track projects and media exposure.
• Maintain calendars and appointments.
• Facilitate effective internal communications with other departments.
• Prepare presentation and reports.
• Other  related tasks as assigned by the  – Intervention Manager and/or Program Director.
• Collect data, maintain and update ARE’s database.
• Update ARE’s virtual library and media lists.
• Support as needed in sourcing and developing content for online material and toolsFacilitate effective internal communications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in relevant field, including Business Administration, Agribusiness, Agriculture.
• Minimum of two years of experience preferably working on donor-funded projects in a related role. Applied business skills in agricultural programs are a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in assisting technical teams in day-to-day program operations, basic financial modeling and analysis, and report writing.
• Knowledge of USAID, or other donor preferred.
• Excellent/fluent written and spoken English and Arabic.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office package (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) is required.
• Demonstrated capacity to adapt to an international multicultural environment.
• Good communication and excellent English writing skills, ability to work independently and under pressure, solid managerial skills and environment team player with demonstrable self-initiative and drive.

LOCATION OF ASSIGNMENT

Four Business Portfolio Assistants located in Beirut/Mount Lebanon, South, North and Bekaa areas and one Beirut-based Program Assistant.

REPORTING

The Business Portfolio Assistants will report to the Business Portfolio Managers in their respective area and the Beirut-based Program Assistant will report to the Program Director.