Project Manager – Beirut, Lebanon or Ramallah, Palestine At Spark

SPARK in cooperation with Google will be launching a project aimed to build the capacity of vulnerable youth in Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine (with a focus on women) and match them with ‘tech’ jobs both in-country and remote.

SPARK is looking for a Project Manager with a digital and technology background to lead the implementation of the project by:

1. Organizing a digital skills training, followed by job matching for training graduates.
2. Organizing a regional business plan competition (roadshow) for aspiring entrepreneurs to build their skills, provide them with mentorship and coaching, and support them in their work on innovative business ideas.
3. The development of a digital job matching platform to link youth to labor market opportunities was created through the project.

The Project Manager will ensure the timely implementation of project activities, follow-up with partners and support them, ensure high quality, and best value for beneficiaries, as well as being responsible for donor reporting and budget management.

The Project Manager will report to Regional Programme Director (RPD)

The position is conditional upon final agreement with the donor

Main Tasks and Responsibilities:

The responsibilities and tasks include, but are not limited to:

· Be the main focal point for stakeholder management including maintaining relations with the donor, partners, and beneficiaries;

· Develop a project implementation plan, in coordination with the partners, follow-up on the implementation, and ensure the timely completion of project activities;

· Ensure that the project is being implemented in alignment with the donor’s policies and procedures;

· Monitor project achievements and timely submission of progress reports in alignment with donor requirements and M&E templates;

· Oversee the quality of the project activities, such as the design of the training courses and their content, and ensure that the best value is being provided to the project beneficiaries, in collaboration with the partners and SPARK’s in-house experts;

· Budget management of the project;

· Closely coordinate with other project leads to facilitate synergy between the different regional projects under SPARK’s regional ‘jobs’ programme;

· Provide inputs for regional reporting and acquisition upon request;

· Ensure compliance with SPARK’s policies and procedures;

· Promote SPARK’s values;

· Other tasks as required.

Requirements and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, computer science or a relevant field.
• Minimum of three years of experience doing similar work.
• Proven background in digital skills and technology.
• Experience working with refugees and vulnerable communities.
• Experience working with donors and writing donor reports.
• Good understanding of the environment of countries: Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine.
• Native Arabic speaker.
• Full proficiency in English.

SPARK Offers

• A challenging and exciting position in an international environment;

· Remuneration based on experience and will be discussed at the interview **

• Full-time contract 40h/per week with a possibility of extension based on performance and available budget.
• Training opportunities

About SPARK

SPARK develops higher education and entrepreneurship to empower young, ambitious people to lead their fragile and conflict-affected societies into prosperity. SPARK is a dynamic and growing, international not-for-profit development organisation with 100+ staff members, in more than 14 offices around the world. SPARK supports refugees in the Middle East by providing them with scholarships in universities and higher education institutions in the region. SPARK also supports young entrepreneurs in fragile states, to start or grow their own businesses.