Programme Manager MENA

Do you have experience working with partner organizations across the Middle East or North Africa? Are you motivated for a role with an international NGO promoting civil society development? Do you have strong political analysis and organizational skills? If so, you might be the candidate we are looking for!

What we offer:

• An important and challenging role contributing directly to Norwegian People’s Aid’s (NPA) efforts to strengthen civil society and locally led humanitarian response specifically, and to NPA’s broader portfolio of humanitarian, development and mine action activities generally.
• Opportunity to manage a small team of thematic experts coordinating partnership relationships and promoting civil society development in a complex and challenging environment.
• The chance to contribute as a member of the NPA Lebanon Programme Senior Management Team responsible for development of programmes in Lebanon and MENA.
• A comprehensive salary package and insurance scheme.
• A one-year contract with potential for renewal.

Required Qualifications:

• Relevant university education
• Minimum 5 years of experience working on civil society development and/or with local partners from the MENA region.
• Thorough knowledge and deep understanding of the MENA region and the individual countries that comprise it.
• Understanding of regional politics including how civil society space and actions are impacted.

The successful candidate will demonstrate a well-developed capacity for political analysis, good political intuition and understanding of political processes.

• Solid experience in fundraising and donor relations.
• Written and verbal proficiency in English
• Lebanese nationality or necessary permissions to work within Lebanon
• An ability to travel without undue restriction throughout the MENA region

Desirable Qualifications:

• Written and verbal proficiency in Arabic
• Competence or experience in risk and security management
• Previous experience working with an international NGO
• Previous experience managing a team of people to achieve a common goal

Personal Characteristics:

This role is a challenging one with significant responsibility. The ideal candidate:

• has strong communication, networking and interpersonal capacities;
• demonstrates diplomacy and discretion;
• is an independent thinker strongly motivated to succeed;
• adapts quickly to changing circumstances and,
• brings an element of innovation and creative problem solving to address challenges.

Key Responsibilities:

Management

• supervisory oversight of and responsibility for NPA MENA programme staff
• leads development of regional cooperation and civil society initiatives across the MENA region
• ensures that the programme adheres to NPA policies and procedures including timely and accurate reporting of incidents or suspicion of mismanagement and corruption
• promotes a leadership culture and team spirit based upon equality and mutual respect

Policy and relevance

• ensures that MENA programmes operate in alignment with NPA principles, values and organisational strategies
• maintains good working relationships with donors, UN agencies, international and local organisations and other relevant stakeholders
• monitor the political and security situation in the MENA region and maintains an accurate analysis of the operating context

Programme and thematic

• develops concept notes and project proposals in line with NPA strategies and goals
• Identifies donors and seeks funding to enable project implementation
• ensures that project documentation is completed accurately and comprehensively and that copies of final documents (proposals, budgets, contracts, reports etc) are archived
• ensures project reporting is of high quality and submitted in a timely manner
• closely collaborates with partners to ensure congruence with NPA Partnership Policy and programme handbook
• leads the partner assessment process and facilitates partner success by overseeing and guiding the technical assistance provided to partner organisations

Financial

• assumes financial responsibility in cooperation with the Finance Manager and in compliance with NPA’s Financial Handbook and donor requirements
• responsible for oversight, development and management of project budgets
• supports the Finance Manager and CD in ensuring that findings in audit reports are followed up and lessons learned shared with the programme team and partners
• ensures needed support is provided to partners to strengthen their financial and budget management