Lebanon continues to face a serious and increasingly challenging employment and labour market situation, exacerbated by the financial and economic crisis starting in 2019 and the COVID -19 pandemic that hit the country in 2020, bringing the economic activity to a halt. The multiple crisis endured by Lebanon have worsened already fragile socio-economic conditions, resulting in heightened levels of vulnerability, poverty and informality and social tensions. This disproportionately affects marginalized groups including refugees but also increasingly the host communities.

The country has weak labour market institutions, coupled with a deficient demand for labour and low levels of job creation, particularly in high productivity/ high value‐added sectors. This has long contributed to weak employment outcomes in Lebanon, including high rates of unemployment, especially among youth and women, low employment‐to‐population ratios and high levels of informality. Other structural challenges, such as skills mismatch, and a highly deficient social protection system that does not facilitate the transition from social assistance to decent employment opportunities have also hindered progress towards full and productive employment in the country, with the skills provided by training and education institutions not adequately and fully responding to the labour market needs.

Refugees and host communities have become increasingly subject to poor living and working conditions, requiring further support through urgent and well‐targeted measures.

Introduction (continued)

To address these challenges, the European Commission supported ENABLE project centre on employment activation and socioeconomic inclusion. ENABLE project started in March 2023 and will continue till 31st December,2025. The project aims at providing alternative livelihoods to selected Syrian refugees and host communities, particularly women. This will be done through employment-related services, support of new modalities for inclusive entrepreneurship and skills training for enhanced employability, as well as through short-term employment in local employment intensive infrastructure programmes. A further track will be through entrepreneurship development for self-employment and Entrepreneurship.

Reporting lines:

The incumbent will report to the Project Manager, Employment and Resilience and will seek technical guidance from concerned DWT specialists.

This position is for a short period of time, 5 months, non-renewable for parental leave coverage.

Description of Duties

The National Project Coordinator – Financial inclusion and Enterprise will undertake the following tasks:

1. Implement activities linked to enterprise development, market assessment studies, profiling of social protection beneficiaries to enable them to join labour market, identifying consultants and implementing partners, technical guidance on implementation of training to beneficiaries, training of trainers, tracer studies etc.

2. Monitor the progress of relevant activities by reviewing, verifying and analysing workplans, progress reports, final reports and other data for clarity, consistency and completeness.

3. Follow-up with relevant line ministries at national level, partner and executing agencies, government offices, constituents and other organizations to expedite implementation and meet targets.

4. Regularly communicate on results for external audiences through news articles, press releases, videos, human impact stories etc

Description of Duties (continued)

5. Participate in the preparation of conferences, seminars, workshops, training sessions, and consultative meetings with different stakeholders. Undertake missions to project sites independently or accompanying others.

6. Provide inputs and support for the preparation of briefs, background information, technical reports and periodic progress reports and statistical data on status of the overall activities of the project. Draft, edit, or translate into local language official correspondence, statements and speeches and other public information materials.

7. Work closely with the other Enable’s thematic national project coordinators under the supervision of the Project Manager to ensure the integration of the project interventions. Coordinate with the enterprise development specialist and national officers from ILO projects in the regional office to deliver on, coordinate and check for coherence with other ILO activities in these areas.

8. Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Project Manager.

Required qualifications

Education

University degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in a field relevant to the job.

Experience

Two years of project implementation experience and in working effectively with governing bodies and development partners. Proven experience in working on skills and enterprise development.

Languages

Excellent knowledge of English and good knowledge of Arabic.

Competencies

In addition to the ILO core competencies (Integrity and transparency, Sensitivity to diversity, Orientation to learning and knowledge sharing, Client orientation, Communication, Orientation to change, Takes responsibility for performance, Quality orientation, Collaboration), this position requires:

• Good knowledge of financial inclusion and entrepreneurship development and in particular of ILO tools (financial education Manuals, SIYB…) used in Lebanon.
• Proven experience in social entrepreneurship sector and/or social and solidarity economy.
• Good knowledge of project management cycle.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to justify requirements and approaches to problem resolution and good drafting skills.
• Good ability to interpret project information and to identify and analyse problems with implementation.

Competencies (continued)

• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Ability to clarify information.
• Demonstrate collaborative and team work experience and ability to work effectively with a multicultural and interdisciplinary team as well as work on his/her own initiative.
• Ability to manage competing priorities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Words, Power Point, Excel, web-browsers and database applications
• Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy.

optional section (if needed)

Candidates assessed by the Panel and considered to be eligible for appointment but who are not selected for this vacant post may be offered an assignment to another position at the same or lower grade provided that they meet the minimum qualifications required.