Livelihoods Officer for JRS Lebanon and Syria

The Organisation
JRS began working in the MENA region in July 2008, responding to the needs of Iraqi refugees. Today JRS accompanies, serves, and advocates on behalf of refugees, internally displaced persons, returnees, and vulnerable host community members in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. JRS programmes in the region deliver multisectoral interventions including home visits, emergency assistance, child and adult education, mental health and psychosocial support, social services, protection, health care, livelihoods, community building and advocacy programmes.

Job Purpose
The Livelihoods Officer is responsible to support multiple projects focused on Livelihoods in Lebanon and Syria. S/he is as well responsible for overall programme management and for ensuring that program objectives are on track, which will require him/her to work constructively with colleagues across the two countries. The officer will provide technical direction to country staff and in the areas of livelihoods, according to the projects’ activities, and provide recommendation for improvements. In addition, s/he will, on an on-going basis, assist in programme development to secure funding for new livelihoods projects in both countries from a range of donors.

Main Responsibilities of the Position

1. Programme Management and Coordination

• Provides strategic direction and overall supervision on successful implementation of livelihoods project(s);
• In collaboration with the country finance officers, programmes officers, and MEAL officers, develops work plans and budget management according to project outputs and results;
• Ensures that livelihoods reports are timely and meet institutional and donor requirements;
• Represents JRS at livelihoods sector and other related working groups and other stakeholder or coordination meetings, as needed, and maintains a positive, continuous presence for JRS;
• Ensures a solid and strategic relationship with partners and authorities;
• Works constructively with support teams to ensure sound administrative practices with regards to record keeping, compliance with donor regulations, communications, etc;
• Manages and supports the implementation of livelihood projects by field staff and ensures continued MEAL reporting on the progress of livelihood projects while making necessary adjustments to ensure success.

2. Technical Direction

• Reviews the short- and long-term plans for delivery of project services and provides guidance to the field staff toimprove planning, management, and delivery;
• Works closely with the country MEAL Officers to implement monitoring systems and record keeping methods;
• Works closely with the country programmes officers to analyse program databases to report on key indicators and advises on improved methodologies when applicable;
• Proposes and implements capacity building activities aimed at enhancing skills of field staff in delivery of livelihoods activities;
• Develops terms of references for labour market assessments to be carried out in both countries and works with external evaluators to develop the assessments’ tools and methodologies, implement the assessments and produce action-oriented reports;
• Supports the field staff in identifying training courses which help directing the participants towards competitive productive sectors;
• Helps the projects’ teams understand the profiles of the people served by JRS in the countries, their capacities and needs to adapt and meet emerging market needs;
• Provides trainings and capacity building on livelihoods to JRS team when needed.

3. Programme Development

• Supports the Country Directors, Programmes Officers, and Project Directors in the countries in assessing the livelihoods needs of the populations;
• Stays up to date with all regional and country-specific response plans through donors active in the livelihoods sector, and other key actors;
• Provides technical input, writing, and budgetary input for proposal writing and new program design;
• Interfaces with key donors regarding livelihoods programs;
• Shares methods, approaches, and tools with JRS colleagues across the two countries, and contributes toward JRS’s regional response strategy by ensuring programmatic coherence, innovation, and responsiveness;

4. Relationship Management

• Works closely with other staff in the country and regional office to fulfil key functions, coordinates programming efforts, and ensures successful operations;
• Attends regular team meetings and plans meetings and workshops as required;
• Conducts regular visits to project sites;
• Promotes and maintains effective communication with the regional and country teams.

Availability

• Ensures prompt execution of other tasks that are within the ambit of the position as requested by the Regional Director or their nominee.

Qualifications, Skills, and Personal Attributes

• Bachelor’s degree economics, development, or any other related discipline;
• A minimum of five years’ experience in the implementation of donor-funded livelihoods projects (employment, self-employment, business development support, and local economic development, etc.);
• Experience carrying out in-depth assessments of MSMEs to identify bottlenecks, challenges, and potential for growth;
• Demonstrated experience working with marginalised communities of diverse backgrounds;
• Working experience with faith-based organizations and forcibly displaced people are an asset;
• Project management and project planning experiences are desirable;
• Knowledge of the local market and vulnerabilities;
• Experience conducting market assessments;
• Strong assessment, analytical, strategic-thinking, and planning skills/experience;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, and a good working knowledge of Arabic is desirable;
• Demonstrated ability to work in limited resources settings;
• Demonstrable experience of, and capacity for, working collaboratively as part of a team;
• Demonstrated ability and experience of working in a multi-cultural environment;
• Excellent time management, coordination, communication, planning, and organizational skills;
• Service-oriented, collaborative, creative, and charismatic;
• Capacity to design strategies, take initiatives and bring innovative ideas;
• Capacity to coordinate and work with teams as well as independently;
• Ability and willingness to travel to JRS project sites and adapt to modest living and working conditions;

Core Values and Ethics

• Commitment to JRS’s mission, vision and values; ability to convey with enthusiasm JRS’s role in accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and to advocate for their right to protection and a life in dignity;
• Trustworthy and good listener;
• High sense of discretion in dealing with confidential matters at all times;
• High integrity and honesty; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with people, situations and information;
• Acceptance of diversity and inclusion as core values.