Project Manager for Rural Sustainable Development in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

Title of the project: “ROOTS of dignity in Lebanon: from the land a fair, resilient and inclusive rural economy”

Job location: Lebanon, Beirut with often field visit in the project area in the Bekaa Valley and the coastal area

Duration: 12 months (including 3-months’ probation period), renewable for further 24 months

Starting collaboration from: October 2022 – Closing date: 10th September 2022

Salary level: remuneration is based on a senior profile, established on the basis of actual past experience and JPIIF salary grids as set out in the Internal Project Management Procedures approved by the donor

Organization: John Paul II Foundation

Type of contract: Project collaboration contract

Project description: The project foresees a three-year strategy for the promotion of sustainable economic development in the rural areas of Lebanon, through a process of reorganisation of production systems and processing of agricultural products, orienting them towards quality for access to more profitable markets. The strategy intervenes in an area characterised by favourable environmental conditions but by serious structural and organisational lacks in the agricultural economy, which has led, especially for small farmers, to the impossibility of completing the production process up to the final product ready for the organised markets, large-scale retail trade and international importers. The strategy aims to improve the quality, sustainability and social inclusion of the productive, managerial and commercial management of small farmers, their cooperatives and workers in the agricultural fresh fruit supply chains of the coastal area and the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, through the improvement of skills, associated management models, the construction of processing and storage facilities and access to more profitable markets. The beneficiaries target groups are small farmers, permanent and seasonal workers employed in the field and at the cooling unit facilities, agricultural cooperatives and the consortium, agronomists, laboratory technicians and field extensor trainees. The intervention will support small farmers, cooperatives and institutions in an upgrading process, generating an impact on: a) Production, b) Governance, c) Trade. The strategy provides the involvement of high-profile institutional and technical partners at local and international level, as well as the NGO WW-GVC committed to the sustainable management of water resources.

General Responsibilities The Project Manager (PM) is responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of the project in all its aspects (executive, technical, economic and financial, human resources, reporting, budget management, quality, impact). The Expatriate Project Manager reports to and coordinates with the JPIIF Country Coordinator in Lebanon

Specifics Responsibilities

Activities planning and implementation

• Ensure consistency with the Donor Agreement for the implementation of the project, the general and specific procedures of both the Donor (AICS, EU) and the internal JPII F procedures

• Collaboration with the Communication and Fund-Raising office concerning communication, awareness and visibility actions provided by the project Human Resources management

• Supporting to local staff recruitment covering project activities implementation all over the project areas in the country.

• Planning regular internal staff meetings for the coordination of activities according to roles and papers of each

Administrative and Financial management

• Ensure proper administrative and financial management, particularly concerning expenditure planning, in close coordination with the Country Administrator in Lebanon and the reporting contact person in Italy

• Ensure proper supervision of expenses and resources managed by project partners

• Ensure proper expenditure planning, in compliance with the relevant procurement procedures (PRAG, Donor and internal FGPII) and in close coordination with the Procurement Officer in Lebanon

Logistics

• Responsible for the proper management and distribution of goods acquired through the project and regularly update the inventory file, also in preparation of the hand-over procedure foreseen at the end of the project

• Contribute to the regular updating of the Country Security Plan, in close collaboration with the Country Coordinator in Lebanon

Reporting and proposal drafting

• Ensuring the timely preparation of the required reports: interim and annual narrative and financial reports

• Communications with the donor

• Ensuring the proper reporting also of partners and experts’ actions (mission reports, activity reports, monitoring reports, etc.)

• Need assessments in the country for new project proposals drafting

• Support for new project proposals drafting and identification of potential new donors for the development and continuity of the country strategy in the related areas

Requirements

Essentials

• Bachelor’s degree in related project intervention areas and/or equivalent experience

• At least 3 years of experience in coordination and management of Development projects, including management of complex multi-component programmes;

• Previous experience in projects in rural areas;

• Knowledge of AICS and EU management and reporting procedures;

• Proven experience in reporting and drafting project proposals;

• Proven experience in needs assessments drafting;

• Previous experience in team coordination and team work;

• Fluent in English language (written/spoken);

• Good knowledge of the Office package

Soft skills

• Ability to develop institutional relations with partners and relevant local authorities;

• Ability to mediate and manage group conflicts

• Ability to work to objectives while respecting deadlines;

• Dynamism, critical spirit, ethical motivation, willingness to comparison and change

Desired

• Degree in Agronomy, Economics, International and Diplomatic Sciences and International Cooperation

• Previous work experience in the field of international cooperation in agriculture

• Knowledge of Lebanon and Middle Eastern countries

• Knowledge of Italian and Arabic language;