Grants Officer

Background

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is a global, nonprofit organization that strives to share God’s love and compassion for all through relief, development and peace - www.mcc.org.

Established in 1921, MCC has almost 100 years of experience in peacebuilding, disaster response and development and has had an ongoing presence in the Middle East since the 1960s. MCC primarily works through national partnerships to improve the lives of local communities.

MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites all qualified candidates to apply.

Start Date:  As soon as possible

Benefits: Severance, medical insurance, child education benefits and vacation days

Hours: 40 hours per week (9:00 to 17:00, about 10-15% travel involved)

Contract basis: One-year contract with 3-month probation period. Possibility for renewal based on performance and organizational needs.

Synopsis:

The Grants Officer will provide support to externally funded projects in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq that MCC is undertaking as a result of the ongoing needs in the region.  

Based in Beirut, the Grants Officer is tasked with supporting the External Grants Coordinator in managing MCC projects funded by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB), the European Union and the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (UN-OCHA). Other duties include pursuing and supporting external grant proposals; supporting other MCC humanitarian assistance projects where needed; Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (PMER) capacity building of local partners; monitoring project implementation through regular visits; and coordination with MCC’s Planning, Learning and Disaster Response (PLDR) department and external stakeholders.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in humanitarian assistance, international development, social work, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred
• 1-2 years’ experience with project management, including monitoring and evaluation, reporting, and financial management; familiarity with food assistance and food security programming is an asset
• Strong written communication and organizational skills
• Self-disciplined with ability to work proactively, using own initiative
• Strong relational skills to interact with different partners
• Ability to understand and advise on the challenges that local partners (NGOs & CSOs) face
• Ability to analyze narrative and financial documents in order to monitor and evaluate project success
• Fluency in English and Arabic (written and spoken) required
• Familiarity with external grant proposals and reporting is an asset
• Ability to analyze project assessments, monitoring and evaluation information, and to assist with the design and implementation of such tools
• Ability to work as part of a team, to focus under pressure and to work on tight timelines
• Ability to expand partner understanding of planning, monitoring and reporting of projects through empowering methods
• Willingness and ability to travel to Syria and Iraq, if travel restrictions allow
• Understanding of the complexity of regional dynamics (e.g., the Syrian crisis), openness to listen to all perspectives without judgment, ability to focus on a politically neutral humanitarian response
• Capacity to show compassion in crisis situations, balanced with the ability to be objective enough to overcome distress and adhere to stated program goals

Assignment Narrative:

MCC has been working in the Middle East since 1948. It has worked in Lebanon since 1977, and Iraq and Syria since 1991. Since 2012, MCC has had a large response to the Syrian crisis in the region. It has supported local partners in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the areas of food security, WASH, shelter and non-food items, peacebuilding, protection, health, education and livelihoods. Since 2014, MCC has also been working through local partners in Iraq to respond to large displacement needs as a result of conflict. In addition to supporting ongoing humanitarian crises, MCC continue to address other local population needs, as well as those of other refugee populations, including Palestinians.

In order to sustain MCC’s response to growing needs in the region, additional support is required in PMER, along with reporting on and securing external funding opportunities.

The Grants Officer reports to the MCC External Grants Program Coordinator and the Representatives for Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. She/he will maintain regular office hours, 9:00 – 17:00, Monday-Friday. She/he is expected to occasionally work nights and/or weekends, especially during conferences or times when there are program deadlines.

The person filling this assignment will spend a significant amount of time assisting with planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting for projects funded by Canadian Foodgrains Bank implemented by partners in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. This will include field visits, support with proposals and reports, evaluation work, and communications. Additional responsibilities could include translation work, supporting program visits, logistics and administrative tasks for various capacity building trainings, coordinating with external stakeholders, and a willingness to support MCC’s mission in other tasks.

Duties (specific tasks & responsibilities):

• Assist with compiling and analyzing outcome and output data for project reports as well as writing/editing for projects in the areas of food assistance (i.e., food baskets, vouchers), non-food items and shelter
• Assist with Preparation of narrative and financial reporting for CFGB and other external grant projects (i.e., GAC, EuropeAid, OCHA, etc.)
• Field visit to partners in different locations in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq to strengthen programming and partner relationships
• An openness to conduct relevant sector and project specific trainings with partners
• Assist in preparation of new external project concept note and proposal submissions, with input from relevant MCC Lebanon, Syria and Iraq staff and implementing partners
• Assist with data entry into MCC’s internal program database, as well as other relevant external donor databases
• Attend relevant coordination and working groups meetings
• Collect stories, photos, and videos from partner projects to support MCC’s communications
• Assist MCC in translation work (written and spoken) to support programming, when relevant
• Support MCC program visits and evaluation with logistics and hosting
• Logistical and administrative support for various capacity building trainings and partner conferences
• Develop contacts and relationships with relevant external agencies (local government, national government, community based and NGO entities) to enhance program implementation and sustainability
• Be willing to help with various tasks in the MCC office
• Model non-violent peacemaking in the workplace and community through respectful interactions with others
• Attend MCC meetings and events (including partner conference and retreats), as appropriate

Challenges:

• Political instability, especially in Syria & Iraq. The worker must be willing to adhere to security guidelines and heed the advice of local partners and the MCC Representatives on security issues.
• At certain times of the year, reporting deadlines may lead to heavier than normal workloads. Meetings or activities with partners can occur in the evenings or on the weekends. Flexibility will be needed.