National Project Coordinator

Expertise France (EF) is the French public agency for international technical assistance. The agency provides partner countries with knowledge, skills, and management expertise in:

• Democratic, economic, and financial governance,
• Stability, international security, and peace,
• Sustainable development, climate, and agriculture,
• Health and human development.

EF designs and implements cooperation projects addressing skills transfers between professionals. The agency also develops integrated offers, assembling public and private expertise in order to respond to the partner countries' needs.

With a business volume of 192 million Euros, a portfolio of over 500 projects in 100 countries, and 63,000 days of expert missions every year, Expertise France promotes French and European development policy goals.

I. Context

Despite the fact that Lebanon is party to various international instruments that protect the rights of women and the principle of equality[1], gender inequalities are still very pronounced in Lebanon, with low political and economic participation of women and discrimination at the level of some criminal and personal status laws that govern family and all other personal relationships/matters such as marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance, right to pass nationality and domestic violence.

In this framework, EF is implementing a 36 months’ EU-funded Project called EU for Women Empowerment (EU4WE, October 2019 - September 2022) aiming at promoting full and unconditional equality between men and women in Lebanon, with three components: 1) Strengthening economic empowerment of Lebanese women and their access to finance 2) Enhancing legal mechanisms to fight gender-based violence and 3) Strengthening NGEM's and relevant partners existing capacities and coordination.

II. Job Description

Under the direct supervision of the Team Leader based in London, the Deputy Project Manager will support the latter in the operational implementation of the EU4WE project. Based in Beirut, he/she will be the relay of the Team Leader on-site and the representative of the project in absence of the Team Leader. He/she will therefore be responsible for supervising/monitoring the sound day-to-day implementation of the project, in coordination with the EU Delegation.

1. Lines of management

Under the direct supervision of the Team Leader, successful candidate will perform the following tasks:

• The Deputy Project Manager reports directly to the Team Leader and by extension to the HQ Project Manager, he/she implements activities under the Team Leader’s supervision;

• He/she maintains regular communication on relevant project issues with other EF project managers to ensure coherence and complementarity of project activities;
• He/she manages project activities as per objectives set out in the relevant project document;
• He/she supervises and monitor directly the project officer day to day tasks;
• He/she provides guidance and ensures coordination of other project staff and experts including M&E staff, Communication Experts and short term experts.

2. Operation management:

• He/she supports the Team Leader in managing the EU4WE project and its 3 components; 
• He/she supports the Team Leader in managing and coordinating the implementation of project activities including supervision and guidance of implementing partners and short-term experts working under all 3 components.
• He/she ensures that the principle of gender equality, social inclusion and leave no one behind are effectively reflect in all project activities.

3. Partnership:

• During the absence of the Team Leader in Lebanon and with her agreement, he/she represents the project with implementing partners and stakeholders; he/she engages with the institutional anchor of the project;
• He/she coordinates with EUD on all financial and reporting activities.

4. Administrative and financial duties:

• He/she ensures proper and timely financial and narrative donor reporting in compliance with EF reporting requirements ;
• He/she is responsible for the financial management of the project;
• He/she ensures all necessary services and expertise are procured and grants are awarded following EF rules.

5. Other duties:

• He/she participates in coordination meetings with EF team based in Beirut;
• He/she travels across Lebanon to meet relevant stakeholders if necessary;
• He/she monitors and analyses the operating environment and provides regular updates on local and national developments to the Team Leader;
• He/she performs any other relevant duty as may be required.

III. ​​​​​​​Profile

• Master in a relevant field (humanitarian, development, international studies, business administration, politics, social sciences etc.) or equivalent years of experience in the areas of women empowerment, social protection and economic development;
• At least 8 years (5 for  candidates with a Master degree) of general professional experience and 4 years in project management;
• Sound knowledge of Lebanon stakeholders and civil society and understanding of Lebanese context;
• Demonstrated experience in  project management, coordination and reporting skills (context, administration, finance);
• Knowledge of EUD and EF procedures is an asset;
• Sound knowledge of gender equality and women empowerment is an asset;
• Diplomacy, patience and rigor;
• Excellent communications, negotiation and networking skills;
• Ability to deliver quality work while meeting tight deadlines;
• Professional working knowledge of English, French and Arabic is required.