Deputy Country Director - Programs

Deputy Country Director - Programs

RI - Relief International

Lebanon

Position Summary

The DCD-Programs will be responsible for developing, planning and leading RI’s programs implemented in Lebanon. The job holder will ensure the successful implementation of all projects within the portfolio while focusing on program quality assurance, donor compliance, and coordination with external stakeholders, grants and personnel management, and program development. The position reports directly to the Country Director for Lebanon. The DCD-Programs will also coordinate closely with RI-Lebanon Heads of Departments (Operations, HR, and Finance) and members of RI’s Regional Support Office (RSO).

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Program Management Oversight:

• Focus on program quality assurance by overseeing and guiding the MEAL Team, Program Managers and Technical Advisors, utilizing innovative approaches and technical support as appropriate and feasible.
• Ensure effective and agile program contingency plans are always up to date and evolving as needed
• Ensure that program activities comply with all donors’ regulations, Lebanese legislation and professional standards
• Ensure high quality drafting and timely submission of all reports required by the donor(s).
• Ensure satisfactory management of project budgets for projects within Lebanon’s portfolio.
• This will require close coordination with Finance Manager, Program Director and Grants Manager.
• Oversee development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and tools to support implementation and monitoring of the programs.
• Ensure the high quality start-up and closeout of all projects within the RI-Lebanon portfolio.

Strategic Engagement:

• Lead on development of RI Lebanon’s program strategy, including reviewing and adapting as necessary depending on the changes.
• Develop new programmatic initiatives to support the strategic direction of RI in Lebanon
• Develop long-term goals and objectives to achieve the successful outcome of the program
• Provide overall guidance and direction focusing the program team on achieving agreed targets and long-term strategic objectives;
• Stay updated regarding developments/changes to the operational environment nationally and in the locations and sectors where RI operates – including, but not limited to political developments, major/relevant security developments/incidents, key programming initiatives by other stakeholders.
• Identify and evaluate the risks and possible threats associated with program activities and take appropriate action to control the risks, communicating and collaborating regularly with the CD, Operations Manager and Security Manager
• Act as Emergency Focal Point (EFP) for Lebanon Country Office in link with RI Humanitarian Department (Emergency alerts, Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans, Emergency Sitrep)

External Coordination:

• Proactively ensure RI’s reputation as a key actor implementing programming inside Lebanon by consistently representing RI and participating in networking opportunities.
• Ensure coordination with/active engagement in relevant sector working groups, and bi-laterally with other implementing agencies as appropriate.
• Prepare for and ensure to the extent possible the positive outcome of meetings with senior-level external factors including national and local authorities , donors, U.N. agencies, coordination fora, private sector

Program Development:

• Work closely with Country Director to identify potential donors for funding projects in Lebanon, including participating in donor meetings and other forms of direct donor engagement.
• Oversee conducting assessments to inform program development initiatives for programming in Lebanon.
• Identify new partners and other key stakeholders to work with for new projects and to expand/ deepen RI-Lebanon’s portfolio.
• Lead on designing new programs which are supported by data and strong information well-coordinated with other actors in cooperation with the Country Director and any other relevant program teams.

Team Management and Employee Supervision:

• Ensure effective management of the Program, MEAL and Grants team leading by example, supporting them in their efforts to direct the implementation of programs in coordination with other departments.
• Participate in the recruitment, selection, orientation and training of key project/ program staff, and other staff
• In collaboration with the HR team, develop an adapted and focused capacity building plan for staff when relevant
• Ensure timely and quality staff performance management of directly managed staff, making sure all program team follows best practices in this regard
• Ensure proper communication within the program team, making sure that the strategy, decisions and future endeavors are shared in a transparent manner
• In collaboration with the HR team, help address disciplinary, conflict and abuse issues within the program team
• In accordance with RI’s HR policy and in-line with RI’s staff care efforts, maintain a healthy work environment, with reasonable workloads and proper leaves. Work with CD and HR manager to assess and prevent risks of excessive stress and burnout in the workplace

Work Coordination:

Internal direct reporting, dotted line work coordination and external coordination

• The Job Holder reports directly to the Country Director and has a functional link with Middle East regional Program Director
• Under the supervision of the Country Director, the Job Holder should coordinate closely with internal support departments: Operations, HR, and Finance to ensure accurate spending, compliance, resource allocation, and planning.

Span of Control & Decision Making

• The Job Holder should take decisions related to the accountabilities outlined above seeking approval/ coordination from Country Director, Operations Coordinator (related to procurement and logistics), HR Manager (related to recruitment, performance evaluations and other HR-related decisions), Finance Manager (related to budgeting, spending and other Finance-related decisions) and as appropriate. The DCD-Programs maintains approval authority for the grants under the DCD- Programs responsibility as per the Procurement Authority Matrix.

Operating Environment

• The Job Holder will be working from RI’s main office in Lebanon, which is located in Beirut. Frequent travel to field offices (in North and Bekaa), implementation areas (across all of Lebanon), and occasional travel within the region (i.e., for regional meetings and/or trainings) or globally (ie, for global meetings and/or trainings) will be required on an “as-needed” basis.

Safeguarding

• Uphold and promote RI’s commitment to ensuring the safeguarding and safety of the vulnerable communities we serve.
• Consistent with RI’s safeguarding and protection policies, ensure all people who come into contact with Relief International are as safe as possible.

Equity and Diversity commitment

• Demonstrate sensitivity and understanding of systemic diversity and cultural differences.
• Ensure that gender equity is addressed in our staffing and programming

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS REQUIREMENTS

• This position will require a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast paced environment.
• At least five years of managerial experience implementing complex donor-funded projects, with an emphasis on those that focus on humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities and partnership management.
• Experience with reporting, budgeting and grants management.
• Graduate degree in Education, Health, International Relations, Program Management, or related field.
• Solid knowledge of several donor regulations.
• Strong leadership and management skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Team player with strong negotiation/ collaborative communication skills.
• Dedication to the mission.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Strategic thinking.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, representation and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, both independently and with teams
• Flexibility
• Ability to work in a dynamic environment and to multi-task to meet deadlines
• Promotes teamwork, contributes towards building team consensus and acts as a team player
• Consistently approach work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Demonstrates ability to identify problems and take initiative to propose solutions

Apply Now

More Job Searches

Asia     Asia - West     Middle East     Lebanon     Consumers, Public Health and Food Safety     Development Aid     Education and Culture     International Relations     NGO     RI - Relief International