ECD Technical Manager - Beirut

Background:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with displaced populations, host communities, and those who remain in their homes. Operating in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, the IRC reaches over a million children annually through education and child protection programs.

High-quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs provide the foundation for children’s future health, learning, and well-being. Children affected by conflict, crisis, or displacement are particularly vulnerable to the long-term effects of prolonged stress, making early interventions critical.

In Lebanon, the Emergency Social Safety Net Program (ESSNP), funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Presidency Council of Ministers in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA), provides cash assistance and facilitates access to essential services for vulnerable households.

Under ESSNP Component 3, MoSA is prioritizing the delivery of targeted social services, with ECD recognized as a central focus.

MoSA, in partnership with IRC, is preparing to launch an integrated ECD package to improve outcomes for vulnerable children aged 0–5. The package aims to enhance caregiver knowledge and practices, strengthen early detection and referral for child health and developmental risks, promote safe and nurturing home and community environments, and build MoSA’s institutional capacity to deliver integrated ECD services at scale.

Job Overview:

The ECD Technical Manager provides strategic and technical leadership for the design, adaptation, and implementation of an integrated Early Childhood Development (ECD) package for household visits and group sessions. The role ensures alignment with national frameworks, including the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), and incorporates cross-cutting priorities such as disability inclusion, MHPSS, and child protection. The ECD Technical Manager supports capacity-building of frontline workers, coordinates with national stakeholders (MoSA, MEHE, MoPH), and guides the integration of evidence-based ECD approaches across program platforms.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & ECD Package Development

• Lead the development of an integrated ECD package for household visits and group sessions, aligned with the NCF and based on evidence-based models.
• Adapt curricula, tools, and materials to the Lebanese context, reflecting identified needs, contextual challenges, and cross-cutting priorities.
• Integrate disability inclusion, MHPSS, and child protection components into the ECD package, in close coordination with IRC’s technical units.
• Develop a caregiver kit and age-appropriate learning materials to support caregiver engagement and behavior change.
• Review existing ECD-related programs and initiatives to capture lessons learned, assess implications for cost, and propose a practical plan for national scale-up.

Stakeholder Coordination & Alignment

• Ensure the ECD package aligns with national systems, social service programs, databases, and established referral pathways, in close coordination with the technical consultant, MoSA focal points, and IRC’s technical units.
• Advise on national policy and programmatic integration of ECD approaches, providing technical expertise as needed.

Capacity Building & Training

• Design tailored training modules, facilitation guidelines, and job aids for various frontline worker roles.
• Deliver training sessions to frontline workers piloting household visits and group sessions on ECD principles, caregiver engagement, safe identification and referral, and integrated service delivery.
• Facilitate Training of Trainers (ToT) for selected MoSA social workers to enable cascade training of remaining frontline workers beyond the pilot phase, in close coordination with the technical consultant.
• Provide ongoing technical support, mentoring, and supervision at field level in three governorates to ensure quality implementation of the ECD package.

Monitoring, Learning & Quality Assurance

• Support monitoring and evaluation of ECD package implementation, ensuring lessons learned inform adaptation and scale-up.
• Maintain oversight of technical quality, and consistency of ECD content and service delivery across household visits and group sessions through regular field visits at national level.
• Contribute to documentation, reports, and dissemination of best practices at national and field levels.

Key Working Relationships

• Position reports to: ECD Specialist/ECD Senior Manager
• Internal: ECD Project Manager, ECD Senior Officers, ECD Specialist, Program Team, IRC’s technical units and technical focal points (Education-ECD, Health and nutrition, Child protection, inclusion).
• External: MoSA, Social Development Centers (SDCs), MoPH, MEHE, other ECD partners, technical consultants, and service providers.

Job Requirements:

• Master or Bachelor of Arts in ECD or relevant certificate, a Teaching Diploma for early childhood, nutrition, or related field is a must.
• Strong understanding of ECD context in Lebanon.
• Demonstrated understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation tools.
• Experience in working in curriculum development under ECD (early learning, health and nutrition, parenting, safety).
• Working experience with the Government (MoSA, MEHE, MoPH).
• Working experience in an NGOs/INGOs.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, coordination and communication skills, adaptability and flexibility.
• Positive and professional attitude, including ability to work well in a team.
• Strong ability to organize work, meet deadlines, prioritize work under pressure, and coordinate multiple tasks.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic.

Working Environment:  

The position is based in Beirut, with regular field visits at national level.