Counselling Officer (2 positions) (Applications will only be accepted if submitted through the link provided)

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

The Program

In 2019, Mercy Corps, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Oxfam in Lebanon and Al Majmoua established the Consortium “Linking Vulnerable Populations and Inclusive Market Networks to Advance Sustainable Economic Development in Lebanon” - or “LINKED” - to contribute to sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic development in Lebanon. DRC is the consortium lead.

With support from the European Union’s Madad Trust Fund (MADAD), LINKED intends to deliver an integrated livelihoods package comprising a series of mutually reinforcing and sequenced activities. On the one side, it will aim to ensure vulnerable households have enhanced capacities to identify and pursue decent livelihood pathways and improve access to employment opportunities for vulnerable job seekers through enhanced marketable skills and linkages with employers. In parallel, it will seek to strengthen capacities of selected local businesses to provide decent, inclusive and sustainable income generation opportunities.

The €14.5 Million programme will be delivered in Bekaa, Tripoli and Mount Lebanon governorates most affected by Syrian displacement for a period of 32 months and will target Lebanese vulnerable populations and refugees. The action is designed so that each agency will serve as thematic lead for various elements of each output – DRC for employability, Mercy Corps for Business Support, Oxfam for Advocacy and Decent Work conditions, and Al Majmoua for financial inclusion – while DRC and Mercy Corps will be delivering the bulk of employability and business support activities in their own geographical area of implementation.

The Position

The Counselling Officer will play a key role in implementing LINKED activities related to career counselling and employability of vulnerable individuals. S/he will particularly focus on conducting profiling and career counseling of vulnerable individuals in employability centers and place the career counselled beneficiaries into the most appropriate set of activities in coordination with other components of the program, and in particular with the training team. The officer will also play an active role in developing high-quality career pathways for the beneficiaries and be in charge of monitoring their progress.

Essential Responsibilities

Program Implementation:

• Actively contribute to the implementation of the program activities in a way that ensures coherence between planned activities and commitments outlined in project proposals.
• Lead the outreach process to vulnerable communities through municipalities, partner organizations, social media, radio, and in collaboration with other Mercy Corps programs and consortium partners’ programs.
• Organize and perform socio-economic profiling and work on information systems/database to record relevant data of beneficiaries. Report any information system issue and coordinate accordingly with the information management team.
• Provide individual career counseling services, following LINKED SOPs and guidelines, ensuring good communication and a safe space. Based on the beneficiaries’ needs, interest and capacities, develop individual livelihoods pathways and refer the person to the most suitable activities within the program or externally (employment and self-employment options, Cash for Work, vocational training opportunities, work-based learning, etc.).
• Provide regular reports on results of counseling sessions and satisfaction of beneficiaries. Provide suggestions for improvement if needed.
• Ensure the classification and good archiving of each beneficiary’s files, ensuring beneficiaries’ data protection.
• Provide beneficiaries with relevant information on the labor market, Lebanese labor law regulations and their implications for Lebanese and non-Lebanese.
• Follow up with beneficiaries after referring them to the activities, ensure that they are following their livelihoods pathways, and provide extra career counselling sessions if needed. Work closely with the Employability and Training Components team to support coordination between various project activities, in order to ensure integrated programming and streamlined communication.
• Support Mercy Corps local and international partners by building their capacities in regards to socio-economic profiling and career counselling.
• Keep track of the counselling component, update timeline and produce reports upon the request of the livelihoods and counselling coordinator.
• Ensure the integration of adapted approaches to respond to barriers to women’s engagement in the workforce.
• Assist in conducting market assessments of the areas of intervention and determining program intervention priorities based on needs and existing resources.

Coordination

• Liaise with UNHCR, NPTP and SDCs as needed for outreach and referral of potential participants.
• Collaborate closely with other teams (Employability, Cash for Work and Business Development teams) to identify the best livelihood pathways for beneficiaires and agree on selection processes and criteria for each pathway.
• Collaborate with other components of the program to enhance linkages between job seekers, training institutes, small and medium enterprises and job platforms.
• Work closely with the monitoring and evaluation department to facilitate monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure program implementation is on track and of highest quality.

Other

• Ensure all activities are gender sensitive and follow Mercy Corps’ Gender Equity Policy.
• Apply Do No Harm standards to ensure activities do not have detrimental effects on vulnerable communities.
• Conduct themselves both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission in Lebanon.
• Participate in internal office coordination, planning meetings, and workshops.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: LINKED Livelihoods & Counselling Coordinator

Works Directly With: LINKED Program team and in particular the training component, MC Support Departments (MEL, HR, Finance, Operations), other employment programming within Mercy Corps Lebanon

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• BA/S or equivalent in social science, education, sociology, psychology, or other relevant field;
• At least three years of progressive experience and proven high level of competence in working in skills development;
• Proven ability to successfully implement economic development programming, including counselling and referral to vocational skills and CFW;
• Experience in social work, in particular career counselling, is an highly desirable
• Proven problem solver with the ability to analyze and prioritize to meet objectives;
• Deep knowledge of Lebanon, in particular its economic challenges;
• Great communication skills and sense of humor;
• Proficiency in English essential.

Success Factors

A successful candidate will have a passion for supporting and facilitating access to vocational training and education and helping vulnerable individuals to use the acquired skills to find employment. S/he will have proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results.  Ability to work independently and as part of a team, with curiosity about and sensitivity to new cultures, a desire and ability to learn and grow, both personally and professionally, and a great sense of humor.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.