Lebanon: ICSD Program Officer

Vacancy Notice

Ref. Nr. 042/2017 – External

Title: ICSD Program Officer

Program: Syria Program

Department: Institution and Civil Society Development (ICSD)

Location: Beirut, Lebanon

Number of vacancies: 1

Start of Contract: 01 November 2017

Duration of contract: one year

Vacancy Notice Issued: 08 September 2017

Deadline for Application: 08 October 2017

Grade of position: LES 6

Organization profile

Every year, millions of people around the world go missing as a result of conflict, human rights abuses, disasters, organized crime, irregular migration, and other causes. Be part of a growing international organization that is dedicated to tackling this global challenge.

The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) is a treaty-based international organization with headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. Its mandate is to secure the cooperation of governments and others in locating and identifying missing persons. As the only international organization tasked exclusively to work on the issue of missing persons, ICMP maintains field programs throughout the world. To learn more about ICMP click here.

Syria Program

ICMP is launching a program to establish the foundations for an effective and sustainable mechanism to address the issue of the missing in a future post-conflict Syria. The program will focus on 1) contributing to increased understanding among victims, civil society and key stakeholders regarding processes, standards and rights of victims and survivors who are involved in accounting for missing persons; 2) establishing the conditions to launch a participative process of data collection that empowers and engages families of the missing; and 3) increasing the capacity of Syrian families, legal experts and other stakeholders to foster an impartial and law-based approach to accounting for missing persons in post-conflict Syria. The primary beneficiaries of the Syria program are families, in particular women, with relatives missing from the conflict, who are currently displaced in neighboring countries and, also where possible, those who are still in Syria.

Vacancy Background

The ICSD Program Officer assists in the implementation of ICMP programs to work with families of the missing, enhancing their capacity to be engaged in addressing the issue of missing persons and promoting a process of data collection related to missing persons.

The Program Officer will help to organize meetings with families of the missing and community leaders, establish partnerships with NGOs, and develop networks around the issue of missing persons that promote the rights of family members, including the right to truth, justice and reparation.

The program seeks to benefit in particular women affected by the issue of missing persons.

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Head of the Syria Program, the duties of the ICSD Program Officer will include, but may not be limited to:

 Contributing to the identification of key stakeholders and the development of trust and working relationships with community leaders, civil society, and representatives of family associations;

 Designing and organizing capacity-building events and meetings with communities, families of missing persons and NGOs;

 Promoting, developing and implementing the effective monitoring and evaluation of ICMP’s Small Grants program;

 Representing ICMP in relevant coordination meetings across the region;

 Conducting research in order to contribute to the design and implementation of outreach and data collection efforts;

 Monitoring political and social developments to identify threats and opportunities to ICMP’s objectives;

 Contributing to the design and implementation of public information and visibility strategies in coordination with headquarters;

 Identifying and developing relationships conducive to securing cooperation with ICMP and access to affected communities;

 Designing tools for ICMP staff and relevant partners related to the collection and entry of data, including reference genetic data;

 Providing support to ensure the proper use of ICMP’s data collection applications and modules, including the Identification Database Management System (iDMS) and the Online Inquiry Center (OIC);

 Organizing, supervising, coordinating and supporting field or in-house reference data collection campaigns;

 Supervising, coordinating and undertaking data entry activities;

 Implementing measures to ensure the application and respect of ICMP’s data protection policies;

 Contributing to the preparation of relevant reports on data gathered or shared, and to any other internal or external reporting;

 Assisting in the translation of tools, materials and collected data, and providing interpretation support to ICMP's international staff during events and meetings;

 Supporting relevant administrative tasks; and

 Performing other related duties as assigned by the Head of the Program.

Qualifications/Requirements:

 Advanced University qualification in political science, sociology, law, or other relevant discipline. Four years of related professional experience may be admitted in lieu of university degree

 At least five years of experience working with civil society organizations;

 Professional proficiency in English and Arabic;

 Advanced computer skills. Knowledge of data management systems will be considered an asset;

 Proven record of experience in the field of human rights or humanitarian assistance. Experience in documentation of human rights or working directly with victims will be considered an asset;

 In-depth understanding of the Syrian conflict and the region, as well as work experience related to Syria and the region is desirable;

 Demonstrable experience organizing events and meetings and handling logistics;

 Excellent public speaking and communication skills;

 Excellent conceptual, analytical, documentation and presentation skills, including frequent report writing;

 Strong interpersonal skills;

 Excellent planning and prioritization skills, including the ability to think and operate strategically;

 Experience working with people from different backgrounds;

 Experience working in emergency situations and potentially hostile environments preferred; Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) is desirable.

Personal Qualities:

 Attention to detail;

 Political sensitivity;

 Ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders, while demonstrating sound political judgment and sensitivity;

 Ability to build effective relationships with families of missing persons and civil society organizations;

 Record of resilience in the face of hardship;

 Willingness to work additional hours at critical times;

 Ability to multitask heavy workloads and multiple projects in a challenging environment; and

 Commitment to the underlying objective of addressing the issue of missing persons in an impartial and transparent manner, through a rule of law-based process;

 Willingness to travel regularly across the region;

Send a Curriculum Vitae with cover letter and the names and contact details of three work referees by email to: application@icmp.int. Please state the vacancy number in the subject line.

You are welcome to contact the Head of Programme, Elodie Andrault, elodie.andrault@icmp.int for additional information regarding the position. This is a locally recruited position. ICMP offers a competitive remuneration package.

ICMP is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.