Programme Manager- Early Recovery and Livelihoods

Organizational Context

UNRWA is the largest United Nations operation in the Middle East, employing over 30,000 staff across five operational areas. It seeks committed personnel to make a tangible difference for vulnerable communities. This role, reporting to the Senior Technical Specialist- Recovery Programme, is based in Syria.

Job Purpose

The Programme Manager leads the day-to-day planning, coordination, and implementation of the Early Recovery and Livelihoods portfolio. This includes managing workplans, schedules, field rollouts, and beneficiary pipelines to ensure delivery within targets, timelines, and budgets. The role ensures livelihood activities are integrated, linking various stages from outreach and screening to post-distribution monitoring. It also manages the operational cycle of small business grants, ensuring fairness, transparency, and proper documentation. Coordination with field and area offices is crucial for effective linkages between training, support, and financial products, while maintaining clear separation between grants and loans. The incumbent is responsible for monitoring progress, maintaining project documentation, preparing reports, and ensuring alignment with accountability, protection, inclusion, and risk management standards.

Responsibilities

Leads the planning, coordination, and implementation of the Early Recovery and Livelihoods portfolio, managing workplans, schedules, and beneficiary pipelines to meet targets, timelines, and budgets. Ensures integrated livelihood activities, encompassing outreach, screening, vulnerability assessment, business feasibility, TVET linkages, grant support, coaching, and post-distribution monitoring. Manages the small business grant operational cycle, ensuring fair, transparent, and documented processes. Coordinates with Field and Area offices, including TVET, RSSP, and Microfinance, to link training, support, and financial products, separating grants and loans. Oversees beneficiary outreach, verification, scoring, and committee reviews, preparing necessary documentation and ensuring segregation of duties. Monitors implementation progress, maintains accurate project documentation, and prepares regular and ad hoc reports. Ensures project alignment with accountability, protection, inclusion, and risk management standards, including data protection and feedback mechanisms. Escalates risks related to fraud, safeguarding, and conflicts of interest. Maintains relationships with various internal departments and supports senior management in consolidating updates and lessons learned.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of progressive professional experience in humanitarian or development programme management is required, with at least three years focused on livelihoods, early recovery, economic recovery, cash-based assistance, small business support, vocational training, entrepreneurship, or grants management. Demonstrated experience in market-based livelihoods, entrepreneurship development, and local economic recovery, including donor-funded programming involving grants and post-support monitoring, is essential. Experience with beneficiary selection, vulnerability assessment, field verification, grant agreements, and working in conflict-affected settings is required. Familiarity with the Middle East context and refugee programming is an advantage.

Skills

Formulating Strategies and Concepts, Applying Technical Expertise, Relating and Networking, Deciding and Initiating Action, Planning and Organizing, Delivering Results, Managing Complexity and Change, Creating and Maintaining Impact and Partnership. Proficiency in English is required; Arabic is desirable. Strong skills in data tracking, reporting tools, and Microsoft Office (Excel) are desirable.

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