LEBANON – CONSORTIUM COORDINATOR (H/F) – BEIRUT At Solidarités International

Desired start date: 01/10/2021

Duration of the mission: 12 months, renewable

Location: Beirut, Lebanon**

ABOUT THE MISSION…

SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL (SI) has launched its operations in Lebanon in March 2013 to address immediate needs of both Syrian refugees and Lebanese affected by the crisis.

Ever since, SI in Lebanon has transitioned towards more integrated programs to still address basic needs such as WASH, Shelter, Health and protection (the 2 latter through partners). In 2020, SI Lebanon started an ambitious DRM project (in consortium with the Lebanese and the French Red Cross), funded by the AFD and DANIDA, and which aims at developing a river-basin integrated model to prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies such as floods. With the same partners, SI is addressing the consequences of the Beirut Blast response through a 2-phased project to rehabilitate damaged dwelling units and public spaces (in partnership with the Lebanese and the French Red Cross). In 2021 SI Lebanon started an EU-funded WASH project to work with local Water authorities to improve Water delivery networks.

SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL’s mission in Lebanon has two operational bases (Tripoli and Zahle) and a coordination office in Beirut. The expatriate team consists of 18 staff members, while the national team represents about 170 staff members. At the time of writing, SI LEB budget volume amounts to roughly 15/16 M USD, Tripoli base counted for 60% of this amount and Zahle base for 40%.

Key areas of intervention for the mission are the following:

Emergency WASH service provision in informal settlements (UNICEF)
Emergency response and Integrated Protection for basic services (shelter and WASH rehabilitation) in Substandard Buildings (ECHO)
Integrated Wash and Shelter for Protection and Health in Collective shelters and substandard buildings (BRM)
Disaster Risk Management (AFD)
Wash infrastructures development (EU)
Mapping of informal settlements (MEDAIR / UNHCR)
Cash assistance third party monitoring system (CAMEALEON)

ABOUT THE JOB

Current situation in Lebanon:

The Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017-2021 is currently under revision (adaptation) to better capture the new emerging needs and ensure a bigger inclusion of most vulnerable populations within the scope of the plan.

General objectives:

The Consortium Coordinator oversees the development, implementation and monitoring of SI Lebanon consortium project (funded by AFD/DANIDA) of which SI is the lead organization (premium). He/She facilitates the governance of the consortium, ensures the link between the partners, the institutional donors of the project and other stakeholders. He/She is – with the Steering Committee – the safeguard of the strategic orientation of the project, its consistency and its compliance with SI procedures and funding partners.

Responsibilities and main activities:

Supports the development and update of an integrated strategy at the project level in coordination with the Consortium Steering Committee.
Anticipates contingency plans allowing continuity of the humanitarian response in case of a change in context.
Ensures monthly reporting from the members of the consortium and organizes program monitoring meetings and capitalization exercises with the various partners.
Ensures compliance with the rules and modalities of governance of the consortium as defined in the partnership agreements between the lead and the partners and supervises compliance with contractual validation obligations with institutional donor(s).
Ensures the efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and participatory nature of the means of coordination implemented between the partners.
Checks the relevance, quality and consistency of the implementation of the project.
Supervises and assesses the achievement of common and specific objectives.
Proposes programmatic and operation adjustments necessary to the project to the members of the Steering Committee, and facilitates the implementation of those changes with the partners’ respective teams.
Maintains and/or develops a transparent, constructive and trusting relationship with the institutional donor(s) of the project.
Leads the consortium’s external representation to all relevant operational coordination platforms.

The main challenges and priorities for the 2/3 first months:

Continue building the constructive and trusting relationship with the donors of the project and the key
Finalize Consortium Contingency Plans SOPs and have them validated by the donors
Reinforce the compliance framework of the consortium
Oversee the finalization of key procurements
Follow-up with partners the implementation of key ongoing activities (initial study, CBDRM…)
Ensure the set-up of technical taskforces
Coordinate the writing of an intermediate donor report

Management:

The Consortium Coordinator is under the line Management of the Country Director and under the functional supervision of the Desk Program Manager Officer and the Desk Donor’s Accountability and Development officer.

YOUR PROFILE

EDUCATION:

Advanced university degree (BA) in development & humanitarian studies, social sciences or equivalent

EXPERIENCE:

Minimum 4 years with INGO specialized in Humanitarian assistance
Previous experiences at management and coordination level
Previous experience working in a consortium structure
Previous experience in integrated programing especially in shelter/WaSH, Health and Protection programing
Previous experience in the Middle East and/or Lebanon an asset

TECHNICAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

Strong Project Cycle Management skills
Strong coordination skills

SOFT SKILLS AND SPIRIT:

Organized and problem solving spirit
Autonomy and capacity of initiative
Flexibility and strong coordination skills
Ability to work under pressure, with peaks of heavy workloads

LANGUAGES:

Fully fluent English: excellent speaking, reading and writing skills
Arabic and French are a strong asset

SI WILL OFFER YOU

A salaried post:
According to experience, starting from 2400 euros gross per month (+ 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly i.e. 2640 euros gross per month) and valorization according to experience (+100€/year of humanitarian experience on an equivalent position and +50€/year of humanitarian experience on a non-equivalent position)
and a monthly Per Diem of 750 USD

Vacation: During the assignment, a system of alternation between work and time off is implemented at the rate of 7 working days every three months. For a one-year assignment, the expatriate will have a 7 working days break at 3, 6 and 9 months (with 850 USD allocated by Solidarités).

To these break periods, it is necessary to add the granting of one additional rest day per month worked, i.e. 12 days in addition for a one-year contract**.**

Social and medical cover:
Expatriates benefit from an insurance package which reimburses all healthcare expenses (including medical and surgical expenses, dental care and ophthalmological expenses, repatriation) and a welfare system including war risks. Essential vaccination and antimalarial treatment costs are refunded.

LIVING CONDITIONS:

Specific update related to context:

The political and security situation in Lebanon is complex and volatile and domestic tensions remain high. Reflective of divisions within Lebanese society, the situation of Syrian refugees is becoming increasingly precarious.

International tensions are as well important, even if no imminent conflict is for now foreseeable.

Despite these on-going internal and external tensions, Lebanon’s security situation is currently good. There is no curfew in place on the Lebanon mission and international staff can move around without too many restrictions (except from the ones related to the COVID context) even though Akkar and the Beqaa valley include some no-go areas. The security measures in place could still be upgraded quickly depending on the context’s evolution.

Key information about living conditions:

As the country’s capital and one of the largest and safest cities in the Middle East, Beirut is home to many iNGOs, UN agencies, and international news networks.

Depending on the employee’s contract, SI Expats are either hosted in the Beirut guesthouse (

The Beirut guesthouse is located inside the city – Sodeco area -, at walking distance from shops, cafes and restaurants. The city hosts cinemas, gyms and reputable walking and hiking trails. Each international staff member has its own room, access to 24/7 electricity and Wi-Fi, a central heating system for the winter as well as air conditioning for summer months.

Beirut is a relatively liberal city by Western standards and no particular clothing restrictions apply, although this may vary depending on the neighborhood.

Vehicles are available for SI expatriates on evening and week-end if you have a valid international driving license. When COVID19 related lockdown is not on, Lebanon is a safe country that you can discover by yourself. SI also have guesthouses in Zahle and Tripoli where you can stay over the weekend.