IT Specialist - ARE Activity

BACKGROUND

The Lebanon Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) program is a multi-year project funded by USAID to develop rural economics in Lebanon through support to the agro-food sector and other industries to unlock local and export sales potential while also creating jobs and increasing farmers’ and worker’s incomes. 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 farm production through improved practices, technology, increased volume, and/or decreased cost.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The IT Specialist is a support position on the Lebanon ARE project. The main responsibilities of this position include supporting the project’s IT systems and infrastructure and providing support to project staff and stakeholders. As a member of the Operations team, the IT Specialist will report to the Administration and HR Manager who shall be responsible for coordinating his/her assignments and supervising his/her work.

DETAILED RESPONSIBILITIES

• Troubleshoot project IT systems, Endpoint and network problems, diagnose, and resolve hardware, software, or network issues.
• Set up, install, configure, and maintain computer hardware, system software (operating systems) and applications.
• Provide timely technical support and training to project personnel.
• Provide preventive maintenance and control of software and hardware related to central phone system, access systems, servers, firewalls, switches, computers, laptops, printers, scanners, etc.
• Manage the Meraki Firewall and systems;
• Manage CCTV Cameras Security and installation, Phone and Printers installation and usage,
• Liaise with Chemonics’ home office IT teams to ensure project compliance with enterprise IT-related policies and procedures.
• Ensure that the project IT systems are compliant with Chemonics’ IT Security Standards.
• Add or remove devices from Azure Active Directory/Microsoft Endpoint Manager.
• Reset users’ passwords and MFA settings when needed.
• Address unauthorized software use
• Provide training sessions to staff members on office 365 and other technologies as needed
• Test and suggest new technologies
• Administer and maintain the local area network (LAN), including switches, access points and firewalls.
• Administer and manage IT equipment, including inventory management, software versions, updates, licenses, etc.
• Research new IT applications with the objective of optimizing office functions.
• Facilitate GTI-directed security remediation actions on devices, networks, and applications
• Communicate corporate IT policies to local staff
• Issue Procurement Action Request and Payment Request Forms for IT related items and services
• Monitor the performance of any IT and ISP service providers
• Support with Data management collection and systems for the MEL team as needed
• Support with PASS book with the SSFP as needed
• Performs other tasks as assigned by the Administration & HR Manager, or Finance, Operations and Grants Director.

MINIMUM 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 general public
• Experience working with international organizations or donor-funded projects preferred
• Proficiency in English required, Arabic fluency required

LOCATION OF ASSIGNMENT

The IT Specialist will be based in the project’s main office in Beirut, Lebanon, and travel throughout the country as required.

REPORTING

The IT Specialist will report directly to the Administration and HR Manager, or his/her equivalent or their deputy.