Area Manager – Lebanon Project Office*

The position is to be filled by June 1, 2023, with an initial contract duration of two years. There are very good prospects for an extension. Employment location will be Beirut, Lebanon.

Welthungerhilfe (WHH) has been engaged in Lebanon since 2016 responding to the impacts of the Syria Crisis. Initially working through partners, WHH opened a project office in Beirut in 2019. WHH works in the fields of development cooperation and humanitarian aid. We seek to improve the living conditions of Syrian people in need and of Lebanese host communities, who suffer negative effects of the Syrian war and the economic decline.

As Area Manager you are a key member of the Syria Response Regional Strategic Management Group, based in Gaziantep and act as the representative of the Country Director for Lebanon operations. Your primary objective will be to oversee project implementation across Lebanon. You will work closely with the respective Heads of Department based in Gaziantep to ensure the support services are appropriately structured and resourced for the planned activities.

You will manage one major project, line managing the respective project team and the national Heads of Projects (HOP) of the additional projects in Lebanon. With your work, you will ensure productive and accountable relationships at local level, result-oriented teamwork and a safe environment for staff, beneficiaries and assets within WHH’s security framework.

Your responsibilities

• Represent all aspects of projects and overall accountability for ongoing implementation in Lebanon, including engagement with donors regarding modifications / extensions, and an orderly conclusion of projects
• Ensure WHH is adequately represented in media and at relevant national level forums and maintain close working relationships with local donor representatives (for ongoing and new projects), local authorities, NGOs, and local counterparts
• Follow-up on the ongoing registration process
• Line manage national Heads of Project ensuring inter-department coordination at project level for on target implementation and participate in recruitment and mentoring of team members
• Manage BMZ projects, closely monitoring and managing the project budget spending ensuring close coordination with implementing partner organizations
• Conduct regular monitoring visits to the field and ensure adequate monitoring by project staff
• Assist the Program Department in further project development including identification of new project ideas as well as development of partner portfolio
• Monitor the humanitarian context and manage emergency responses as appropriate
• Enable an effective team through result-oriented management systems, providing leadership, on-job capacity building and designing staff development strategies
• Close coordination with the Program Unit based in Gaziantep including the Head of Programs, Sector Coordinators and Grants Unit ensuring regular information flows, adherence to sector strategies and proposal development processes
• Ensure overall provision of and adherence to WHH policies, procedures, guidelines, donor regulations, systems and standard practices across the Lebanon operations
• Provide regular analysis on the context and humanitarian situation for the development of project proposals and safety assessments, including compiling and writing of periodic project reports as required
• Participate in the identification of local partners and support the development of tailored capacity building plans
• Oversee the management of local partnerships at field level and ensure follow-up with partners on quality implementation
• Ensure a safe and secure environment for staff, beneficiaries, and assets by ensuring the local security procedures are up to date and SOPs are being followed in line with the WHH policy, promoting regular staff training, providing safety and security analysis, recommendations, and follow-ups

Your profile

• A university or polytechnic degree in project management or a comparable level of qualification
• A minimum of 5 years of senior management experience in NGO project management, including project implementation with partners
• Experience in working with and developing the capacities of national and international implementing partners
• Expertise in at least one of the following sectors: food security, agriculture, livelihoods, social stability
• Previous experience working in Lebanon or within the Middle East is an advantage
• Experience in security/crisis management
• Experience with GIZ / BMZ donor regulations is an advantage
• Readiness to receive necessary vaccinations for traveling to Welthungerhilfe’s programme countries
• A very good command of both written and spoken English; German and/or Arabic language skills would be an asset

Our offer

We offer you the opportunity to work in a responsible and interesting field as part of an extremely dedicated team. Welthungerhilfe attaches great importance to the personal and professional development of its employees and the balance of their work and private life. Remuneration is based on our gender-independent salary scale. In addition, Welthungerhilfe offers numerous other benefits, which are listed under “Our benefits”.