Lebanon Country Director

Diakonia is a Swedish faith-based development organization that works to change unfair structures that generate poverty, inequality, oppression and violence. The organization was founded in 1966 and is today rooted in two Christian denominations: the Swedish Alliance Mission and the Uniting Church in Sweden. Our vision and mission are based on theological reflection & the universality of human rights. Diakonia works with around 400 partner organizations (2021) and employs approximately 300 staff in 25 country offices & four regional offices in Africa, Asia, Latin America, MENA region & Sweden.

The Diakonia Lebanon office was established in 2010 and currently oversee programs implemented directly and with 10 local partners.

Type of employment

• Permanent employment
• Working hours are not regulated
• Working hours are normally office hours, but travel does occur.

Service volume

• 100% (37, 5 hours)

Location within the organisation

• Employer: Diakonia
• The post holder will report to: the Regional Director
• Place of employment: Lebanon Country Office

Duties and responsibilities

The Regional Director delegates to the Lebanon Country Director the responsibility for, and the authority:

• To be Diakonia’s official representative in the country.
• To strategize, manage and lead development and humanitarian operations on the basis of established guidelines, policy, strategic planning, budgets, other steering documents and reporting within the country programme.
• To be overall responsible for work environment and security for the Country Office.

Clarification of duties

Strategic Management

• To be responsible for and oversee the development and implementation of the country strategy and to ensure its alignment to both the Diakonia Global Strategy and the legislative requirements of the Country of operations.
• To be responsible for identifying, managing and follow up of risks and to develop contingency plans.
• To ensure good programme coordination and cooperation within the office.
• To ensure effective implementation of ongoing Programmes as well to explore new possibilities that is in line with approved strategies.
• To be responsible for internal and external communication.
• To be regional focal point for a delegated area.
• To every second month submit management reports to the Regional Director.

Programme Management

• To be overall responsible for Programmes by providing overall leadership and oversee planning, implementation and follow up.
• To provide the Regional Office with final draft documentation for plans, applications and reports (including strategy, annual Diakonia documentation and programme documentation to back donors).
• To develop and implement the annual operating and work plans, management plans and budgets for the Country Programmes.
• To be responsible for budgets and budget follow up on country level in accordance with the Board decisions on operational and budget frameworks.
• To register and authorise allocations of funds to partners and projects in the programme budget(s) in the country.
• To sign programme related agreements and to be overall responsible for the compliance of these signed agreements. 
• To have general responsibility for follow up of the execution level of the programmes in the country.
• To be overall responsible for monitoring and external evaluation processes and activities of the Country Programmes.
• To be overall responsible for monitoring of partners’ Programme implementation activities and operations
• To facilitate and coordinate sharing and exchanges of experiences and learning initiatives
• To be (or: to delegate) responsible for archiving of documentation in the country.

Relationship Management

• To be overall responsible for the relationship with partner organisations within the country, including signing of agreements and to be overall responsible for the compliance of signed agreements in thecountry.
• To build and maintain productive relations with key stakeholders including donors, government representatives, UN, embassies and INGOS, NGOs and peer organizations in the country.
• To represent Diakonia in relevant forums and meetings. 
• To develop and implement avenues of identifying potential new partner organizations.

 Resource Mobilisation

• To develop and manage funding and resource mobilization strategies for the Country Programme including identification of funding sources and creation of linkages with like-minded funding agencies and peer organizations.
• To develop funding proposals and applications for support of the Country Programme.
• To provide Head Office with updated and relevant information about the situation in the country and among partners to be used for fundraising and communication.

Personnel

• To provide direction in human resource managemetn matters for the country Programmes and to have the direct line management responsibility for programme managers.
• To lead the Country team and develop personnel capacity.
• To be responsible for recruitment process for positions in the Country team, in consultation with the Regional Management. After approval by the Regional Director appoint personnel to the country team and sign work contracts in conjunction with the Regional Director.
• To be responsible for working environment for all employees within the country.
• To be responsible for the security of all employees in the country office, both when they are within the country or when they travel outside the country. 

Qualifications

• A minimum of five year’s relevant experience of development and humanitarian work in a managerial position in an international organisation, UN or international NGO whereof at least two years’ experiences in a line management position .
• Master’s degree in development, NGO management, Business Administration, political science, social science or related field.
• Post Graduate Diploma in PMEL, Humanitarian actions, Accountability, Conflict management, Human resources or related is preferrable.
• Strong skills and competences in:

1. Leadership Skills
2. Team building skills and strong interpersonal relations
3. Programme development and management
4. Fundraising, donor relations and relations with diplomatic actors
5. Financial management
6. Monitoring and evaluation
7. Knowledge of Diakonia’s thematic areas i.e. democracy, human rights, gender, social and economic rights, peace and conflict, climate change and humanitarian work
8. Strong verbal and written communication skills.
9. Networking, listening and conflict management skills