Intern, Strategy and Programme Development (SPD) Team

About Siren Associates

We drive innovation at the leading edge of public sector transformation, helping our partners reimagine the possible in the service of safe, just and free societies. Our teams combine cutting-edge research and analysis with tech-infused change management services to help organisations become more responsive and accountable to the communities they serve. Our sectoral expertise is in peacebuilding and community resilience, access to justice and the rule of law, public sector governance and oversight, and security sector transformation.

From e-governance platforms for a citizen-centred COVID response, to community policing in refugee camps, our dynamic teams mobilise a wide range of expertise in pursuit of our mission, forever pushing ourselves to do better. All our work is underpinned by client-centredness, where we use our skills to support our partners identify the root causes of challenges they face and author appropriate solutions.  

Siren is a UK-registered non-profit organisation with headquarters in Beirut and project offices in both Beirut and Amman. For more information, see: www.sirenassociates.com

About the SPD Team

Bringing together Siren’s internal expertise and on-the-ground insights with targeted research and analysis, the SPD team is responsible for developing and winning new projects, as well as supporting project teams to deliver interventions that align with Siren’s strategy and vision.

Under the guidance and management of the CEO, the SPD Team (3 staff) monitors and analyses funding across targeted regions and specific intervention sectors in order to identify suitable opportunities to contribute to Siren Associates’ sustainable growth and expansion. Strategic opportunities are then taken forward by the team and developed into concept notes and/or full proposals. The team pays close attention to knowledge management, ensuring – in close collaboration with other teams – that data and learning from past and on-going projects is used to inform the development of new projects. The SPD team also has an as-needed programme support function: assisting project teams in setting-up projects, managing donor relations and contract amendments, or acting as a draw-down resources on an ad hoc basis. In close collaboration with the Communications unit, the SPD team is also responsible for ensuring Siren’s visibility, developing high-quality communications materials as well as networking with partners and donors.

About the Role

The intern will occupy a fast-paced role and be part of a friendly and reflexive team that operates collaboratively according to agile methodologies. The intern will work closely with team members to:

• Monitor, identify and assess emerging opportunities;
• Support proposal development;
• Ensure proper knowledge management, including regular updating of dashboards and trackers;
• Conduct desk research on a range of topics and synthetise large amounts of information;
• Support proof-reading, archiving, and miscellaneous tasks as required.

The internship will allow the successful candidate to gain an understanding of working in international development across multiple sectors, including in the field of public sector transformation and reform. The intern will receive on-the-job training, coaching, and mentoring and gain hands-on experience of doing business development for a not-for-profit organisation. The intern will learn about aid funding mechanisms, understand institutional donors’ strategies and requirements, and develop their oral and written communications skills.  The intern will further improve their IT skills (in particular the MS Office pack), augment their attention to detail and elevate their interpersonal skills.

For the right candidate, there is considerable opportunity for growth. The internship offers an invaluable experience during which they will acquire transferable skills beneficial to a range of career paths they may follow. Interns will be supported to develop and explore interests within the field.

Responsibilities

• On a daily basis, monitor funding opportunities across a wide array of donors and platforms to identify potential programme development opportunities, both around existing programming and external offers from established and new donors;
• Quickly investigate and analyse promising opportunities, including using the team’s go/no-go tool, and share relevant opportunities with team members;
• Undertake multilingual desk research to develop targeted and responsive briefs that inform programmatic decisions or contribute to the drafting of project proposals;
• Assist in mapping and regular monitoring of current environment in terms of potential donors, partners, beneficiaries, thematic areas, and geographies;
• Assist in mapping and regular monitoring of conferences, workshops and other networking/visibility opportunities;
• Undertake translations from Arabic and French to English and vice versa;
• Support communications’ efforts by collecting data and learning and drafting case studies;
• Provide ad hoc support to Project Teams, including conducting project-related research, writing reports and articles, etc;
• Contribute to the PSD team general housekeeping, ensuring proper filing of all files and documents, regular updating of dashboards, etc;
• Undertake other ad hoc tasks in support of the SPD team.

Qualifications

Essential

• Demonstrable commitment and alignment with Siren values: Creativity, Commitment, Integrity & Courage, Perseverance, Taking Responsibility, and Valuing Diversity & Difference;
• Recent Bachelor or Master’s degree in international development or any related field (awarded within the last 12 months) looking to gain work experience;
• Excellent command of written and spoken English (fluent) and Arabic (native);
• High attention to detail;
• Strong research, analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Ability to receive feedback and implement recommendations;
• Solid command of MS Office software, in particular Word and Excel;
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to maintain good internal and external relationships;
• Be located in Lebanon and willing to commute daily to Siren’s HQ office in Beirut.

Desirable

• Master's Degree in relavent subject;
• Previous work experience;
• Experience with security sector reform, public sector reform, public administration and/or e-governance and technology;
• Experience in business development, donor management, grants management, programme development, marketing, or communications;
• Command of written and spoken French;
• Existing networks in the MENA region;
• An understanding of the political economy in Lebanon or regionally.