IT Support Consultant - ARE Activity

Project Name: Lebanon Agricultural Rural Empowerment Activity

Consultancy Title: IT Support Consultant

Reporting to: Senior Admin and HR Manager, DCOP, or COP

Ceiling LOE: up to 156 days

Period of performance: 12 months from contract start date

Project Background

The Lebanon Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) activity, funded by USAID and implemented by Chemonics International, supports Lebanese rural and peri-urban communities to obtain technical and financial resources in order to facilitate increased productivity, sales, and exports, improved business income, while also ensuring livelihood sustainability. To support this purpose, ARE will increase jobs; improve incomes; improve female participation and employment opportunities; increase domestic and export sales; increase private sector investment; improve access to finance; link value chain actors to domestic and international markets; and improve production through improved practices, technology, increased volume, and/or decreased cost. ARE supports two key expected results:

1. Increased domestic and export sales at both firm and farm levels.

2. Livelihoods improved, especially in rural areas and for women.

Summary of Position

The Lebanon Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) activity is looking to hire an IT support consultant. The main responsibilities of this consultant include supporting the project’s IT systems and infrastructure and providing support to project staff and stakeholders. The IT support consultant will be the focal point with the Chemonics HO IT team.

Deliverables and Timeline

1. System Management & Support:

• Troubleshoot project IT systems, endpoint and network problems.
• Set up, install, configure, and maintain computer hardware, software, and applications.
• Provide preventive maintenance and control of IT equipment (servers, firewalls, switches, etc.).
• Manage the Meraki Firewall and CCTV camera systems.
• Manage phone and printer installation and usage.
• Administer and maintain the local area network (LAN).
• Administer and manage IT equipment inventory, equipment receipt forms, equipment return forms, annual inventory physical audits, equipment donation process, software versions, updates, and licenses.
• Monitor the performance of IT and ISP service providers.
• Support data management collection and systems for specific teams (MEL, SSFP such as PASS book) as needed.

2. User Support & Training:

• Provide timely technical support and training to project personnel.
• Offer training sessions on Office 365 and other relevant technologies.
• Communicate corporate IT policies to local staff.
• Develop and implement user support procedures (troubleshooting guides, escalation protocols).

3. Security & Compliance:

• Ensure project IT systems comply with Chemonics' IT security standards.
• Liaise with Chemonics' home office IT teams for policy and procedure compliance.
• Facilitate GTI-directed security remediation actions on devices, networks, and applications.
• Address unauthorized software use.
• Add or remove devices from Azure Active Directory/Microsoft Endpoint Manager.
• Reset users’ passwords and MFA settings when needed.

4. Optimization & Innovation:

• Research new IT applications to optimize project efficiency.
• Test and suggest new technologies for integration.
• Evaluate IT infrastructure and software applications for optimization.

5. Procurement & Vendor Management:

• Support in drafting the technical information for Procurement Action Request and Payment Request Forms for IT-related items and services.
• Support in the technical review of bids.

6. Other administrative and logistics support and deliverables as assigned by the Senior Admin and HR Manager, Deputy Chief of Party, or Chief of Part.

Place of Assignment

The IT Support Consultant can work remotely, however is welcome to work from ARE’s program office space in Beirut and will be expected to travel to areas of operation throughout the country as needed.

Reporting

The IT Support Consultant will report directly to the ARE Senior Admin and HR Manager.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in Computer Science, Computing, Engineering, or similar relevant fields.
• Minimum four years of relevant experience working in in information technology and Meraki.
• Experience with Office 365 services
• Experience with Identity Providers (IdP) like Microsoft Active Directory/Azure Active Directory
• Experience with configuration management systems like Group Policy, SCCM, Microsoft Endpoint Manager
• Experience in networking fundamentals (LAN/WAN), preferably on Meraki products.
• Ability to work in a team and independently with minimal supervision.
• Excellent organizational and communications skills
• Demonstrated ability to work in a professional manner with fellow staff members, visitors, partner organizations including international and local NGO’s, government authorities, and the public.
• Experience working with international organizations or donor-funded projects preferred.
• Proficiency in English required, Arabic fluency required.

Ineligible Consultants:

Government employees: any person paid by the Lebanese Government, occupying an established position, either temporary or permanent, part-time or full-time, within a Lebanese Government institution.

Individual consultants or firms that appear on the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-Procurement Programs. The list can be found at http://epls.gov.