Position: Project Officer (2 Position) Amman & Beirut (National Post)
Location: Based in either Amman or Beirut (2 Position)
Application Deadline: 10 May, 2024
Duration: 12 Months with possible extension
Start Date: ASAP
Salary: TBD
SPARK is launching a new EU-funded programme to strengthen the green business ecosystem by leveraging network effects and peer learning for sustainable green growth in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. The position will be under the dual supervision of the Regional Programme Directors for the Middle East and Africa. The project officer/s will work as Programme Manager and in close coordination with regional teams in both regions as well as country teams.
SPARKโs ambition with its 2030 strategy is to become a market leader in creating impactful jobs for youth in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS), creating 20,000 impactful jobs annually. Considering the green economyโs high potential for job creation in the future in the Southern Neighbourhood, especially in the food sector, water and renewable energy, SPARK intends to become a leader in greening of business processes, business support to growing (M)SME with a growth-oriented green product, as well as green jobs.
The purpose of the action is to strengthen business support organisationsโ capacity in networking and regional cooperation, and to provide them with the most innovative practices and knowledge on green business support and circular economy, with a focus on sustainable consumption and production, towards a greener and more inclusive economy. The programme will cover Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. The Project Officer/s will be based in either Amman, Tunis, Cairo or Istanbul.
About you
The Project Officer will be a flexible multi-tasker with a broad range in charge of country-level activities; participate in project planning and implementation; responsible for country-level activities, delivery of results and smooth running of operations; communicate with local target groups and stakeholders, contribute to communication and visibility actions and execute monitoring and evaluation plans.
About the role
This position, supervised by the Programme Manager, will work closely with all of the country teams and partner institutions to lead SPARKโs EU-funded programme supporting capacity building to existing green business support organisations (BSOs) across the MENA region (specifically Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian territories).
The Project Officer will coordinate with programme stakeholders in terms of technical initiatives in conjunction with a diverse spectrum of partners, including chambers of commerce, business support organisations, incubators, governmental bodies, and NGOs.
Main Tasks and Responsibilities
The responsibilities and tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Ensure that partners deliver the capacity building program and deploy the funds to the beneficiaries on time and according to the budget as per the project plan.
- Gather technical and financial reports submitted by partners and present them to the programme manager;
- Coordinate support efforts for the ecosystem-building partners and start-ups and act as the focal point for project/programme-related activities;
- Work closely with the M&E officer to gather valuable data, making sure that the KPI targets are achieved;
- Promote and build effective collaborations between local partners, collaborative spaces, local private sector and other related organisations
- Identify and develop synergies with other related projects in the MENA region.
- Other duties as assigned.
Requirements and Skills
- Bachelor or Masterโs degree, preferably in English, at least in a relevant field (e.g.: Development, International Relations, Economics, and Entrepreneurship). or a field relevant to SPARKโs work;
- Relevant and demonstrable work experience: 4+ years in project management in the field of entrepreneurship/SMEs/Start-up/Skills-up or green business development.
- Work experience in some/all of the programme countries will be considered an asset;
- Affinity with international cooperation and knowledge of societal and economic developments in the MENA region;
- Work experience in an international environment (prior experience in a non-governmental organization is a plus).
- Proficient in Arabic and English languages;
- Superior time management skills and the ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously;
- Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft Office, Programme Management Tools, and SharePoint;
- Proven experience in organising events/workshops;
- Proven experience in partnership management and working with multiple stakeholders;
- Good communication and social skills and the ability to work in a multicultural setting;
- Excellent organisational skills and ability to prioritise;
- Ability to work independently. well-organised, flexible, decisive and energetic, with good management skills, and in possession of an entrepreneurial spirit and positive working attitude;
- You can travel to project sites as requested.
SPARK Offers
- International and dynamic working experience;
- Opportunity to take initiative and realise your ideas;
- Full-time employment contract;
- Remuneration will depend on profile.
About SPARK
SPARK develops higher education and entrepreneurship to empower young, ambitious people to lead their fragile and conflict-affected societies into prosperity. SPARK is a dynamic and growing, international not-for-profit development organisation with 80+ staff members, in more than 14 offices around the world. SPARK supports refugees in the Middle-East by providing them with scholarships in universities and higher education institutions in the region. SPARK also supports young entrepreneurs in fragile states, to start or grow their businesses.