COOPI is looking for a Country Administrator in Lebanon

COOPI started operating and developing humanitarian projects in South Lebanon during the years 2003-2005, then, since 2013, in Northern Lebanon, by supporting most basic and pressing needs of refugees and vulnerable host communities through a multi-sector and integrated approach. COOPI assist communities mainly by providing water, sanitation and hygiene assistance, shelter, multi-purpose cash assistance and education support.

COOPI in Lebanon is currently running projects in Livelihood and Solid Waste Managment with funds from AICS and EU. Country program implementation area is North Lebanon, Akkar and Tripoli. Mission office is in Batroun and Regional office is Beirut.

Responsibilities

General Responsibilities

The Country Administrator (CA) is responsible for supervision, management and quality implementation of all aspects of COOPI financial and administrative operations in country.

Specific Responsibilities

The CA ensures the correct administrative/financial management and the sustainability of the Country Coordination by preparing the coordination budget and by controlling the projects’ budgets preparation. Here are some of the activities the CA will be responsible of:

• Planning and Coordination budget control:
  - prepares and regularly verifies the trend of the general coordination and any area coordination’s budget;
  - monitor the sustainability of all offices in the and verifies the correct distribution/distribution of fixed costs to the projects.
• Goods management:
  - contribute to the sustainability and correct management verification of all goods owned by COOPI;
  - monitor the correct application of the organization’s procedures in relation to purchases and goods management.
• Financial management:
  - supervise and control cash management (safe and bank accounts) and cash flow;
  - prepare and submit financial statements;
  - manage and supervise all funding by donors to the projects;
  - contributes to set the priorities for the financial reports submission schedule to the Head of Mission.
• Projects’ economic-financial monitoring:
  - regularly check the economic-financial performance of projects (final balance, expenditure excess, expenditure projections, and financial forecast).
• Financial reporting and audit:
  - prepare and lead audits conducted in the country;
  - ensure transmission to the headquarters of all project documents to be audited in Italy;
  - lead the preparation for annual audits for headquarters and local authorities.
• Local staff management and local and expatriate staff administration:
  - ensures admin staff management and training for all the staff involved in the administrative process;
  - support the Head of Mission in the elaboration of local staff management standards (local staff regulation) and guarantee the correct management of all documents related to staff management;
  - coordinate and supervise overall human resources policy implementation, included Labour Law application, recruitment etc.
• Liaison with local authorities:
  - ensure that all administrative and financial procedures in relation with local authorities are timely and properly executed.
• Support to other functions:
  - provide assistance in procurement process and ensure that all procurements are compliant to COOPI and Donor Procedures;
  - support the Head of Mission and Project Managers in budget preparation as well as proposals development;
  - supervise preparation of all contracts.

Requirements

Essentials

• University degree in finance, business or related field;
• A minimum of three years of relevant working experience;
• Experience in international relief and development in Middle Eastern countries in a similar position;
• Experience in logistics, procurement and security matters is a strong advantage;
• Good knowledge of main donors’ procedures (ECHO, EU, UN , AICS);
• Experience in liaising with governmental/local authorities, IOs and NGOs;
• Demonstrated effective verbal and written communication;
• Strong negotiation, inter-personal and organizational skills to delivery in timely manner often under time constraints;
• Demonstrated ability to work in stressful environments and under pressure;
• Strong supervisory abilities, and demonstrated capacity of teamwork and of coordination with the relevant actors;
• Strong analytical and practical problem-solving skills;
• Institutional relations management and cultural context understanding;
• Proficiency in written and spoken English;
• Computer literacy, with high proficiency in the use of standard office software applications (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint).

Plus

• Experience in staff management;
• Experience in working in conflict-prone environments;
• Knowledge of Arabic and/or French;
• Previous work experience in Lebanon;
• Knowledge of COOPI’s procedures;
• Knowledge of main donors’ procedures.

Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI) is an Italian humanitarian non-governmental organization founded in Milan in 1965. For more than 50 years of long-term support and constant presence in the field, COOPI has been engaged in breaking the cycle of poverty and responding to specific emergencies in numerous sectors, including Food Security, Humanitarian Aid, Health, Socio-Economical Services, Water and Sanitation, Human Rights, Education and Training, Migrations and Sustainable Energy.