Project Senior officer - Strengthening the Capacity of CSOs Project

Experience Needed :   At least 5 years of experience in implementing or coordinating development projects

Education Level:         Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, development, public administration, or a related field.

Contract LENGTH :      3 years 

Location :                     Cairo - Maadi 

About Life Makers Foundation

Life Makers Foundation (LMF) is an Egyptian youth-led, voluntary, and non-governmental umbrella organization. It was established in 2011 to foster youth engagement in addressing emerging challenges at the local and global levels. Since its establishment, LMF has worked closely with community-based organizations to build youth capacities and support their efforts to develop their societies and respond to humanitarian needs and disasters. LMF operates in 24 governorates through a nonformal network of partner youth-led organizations and registered offices across Egypt, with a broad portfolio of projects and local initiatives in the sectors of Health, Education, Livelihoods, Humanitarian Assistance, Environment, and Youth Participation.

LMF adopts the core principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence in its operations to ensure the provision of assistance with no discrimination towards differences in ethnicity, religion, race, or any other consideration. LMF provides development and humanitarian interventions for the most vulnerable while preserving their dignity and ensuring their participation.

Life Makers is a voluntary, non-governmental, non-religious, non-political, and non-partisan movement that was launched in 2003 to mobilize the best of the human spirit to alleviate human suffering and protect human life and human rights.

About the Project 

This project aims to strengthen the role of local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Beni Suef, Fayoum, Luxor, Aswan, Sohag, Qena, and North and South Sinai, enabling them to engage in sustainable development actively. The project provides sub-grants and tailored capacity-building support to at least 30 local CSOs. Through training, coaching, and institutional development, CSOs will be empowered to improve their services and community impact. The project also promotes structured coordination between CSOs and local authorities. Key thematic areas include economic empowerment, civic participation, women and youth empowerment, inclusion of persons with disabilities, digitalization, and sustainable development.

Job Purpose  

The Project Senior Officer will support the Project Manager in day-to-day project coordination, focusing on ensuring the effective delivery of key components. In particular, the Senior Officer will take a leading role in managing the sub-granting program and linking it to the project’s capacity-building and stakeholder-engagement activities. Acting as a deputy to the Project Manager, s/he will oversee the Project Officers and Field Coordinators, and ensure that project interventions are well-coordinated across the target areas in Upper Egypt and Sinai.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist the Project Manager with overall planning and coordination of project activities, ensuring that the sub-granting and capacity building components are implemented in an integrated and timely manner.
• Take lead responsibility for the Financial Support to Third Parties component, managing the CSO sub-grants program. This includes developing the calls for proposals (defining applicant eligibility, selection criteria, grant sizes, etc.) and establishing clear rules and guidelines for sub-grantees in line with EU requirements.
• Coordinate the launch and promotion of each sub-grant call (three rounds over the project lifespan), and oversee the proposal evaluation and selection process. This involves setting up a grant selection panel and inviting relevant stakeholders (including local government representatives) to participate, ensuring a transparent and impartial award process.
• Oversee the contracting of sub-grantees and the subsequent implementation of sub-grant projects. Work closely with Field Coordinators and the M&E Officer to monitor sub-grantee activities on the ground, track progress against objectives, and verify that sub-grantees are meeting reporting and compliance requirements. Provide technical support or coaching to sub-grantees as needed to enhance their performance.
• Supervise and guide the Project Officers responsible for capacity building and community engagement activities. Ensure that the training programs, mentoring initiatives, and consultative meetings with local authorities are effectively organized and aligned with the identified needs of CSO partners.
• Maintain regular communication with Field Coordinators in each target governorate to coordinate field-level operations. Consolidate field reports, address implementation challenges promptly, and ensure consistent quality and approach across all field sites.
• Serve as a key liaison for local stakeholders in the absence or on behalf of the Project Manager. This includes actively engaging with local authorities and partner organizations to facilitate collaboration, resolve issues, and uphold the project’s reputation in the community.
• Contribute to project reporting and knowledge management by compiling technical inputs, success stories, and lessons learned from the field. Assist the Project Manager in preparing donor reports and presentations, particularly by providing updates on sub-grant achievements and capacity building outcomes.

Core Competencies and Skills

Achievement focused:

• Follow Results-based management (RBM) in achieving planned goals and objectives.

Working Smart:

• Achieve more in less time.
• Balances between work life and personal life to ensure the sustainability of high-quality performance.
• Able to contribute and create a participatory, enjoyable, fulfilling, and rewarding work environment.

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable to making decisions and managing resources efficiently.
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for himself/herself (and the team), takes responsibility for self-development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their vision, engages, and motivates others to contribute to the bigger vision of LMF.
• Future orientated and thinks strategically.
• Thinks globally and acts locally.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships with project team, colleagues and external partners.
• Values diversity as a source of competitive strength.
• Approachable, good listener and easy to communicate with.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest and encourages openness and transparency

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, development, public administration, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in implementing or coordinating development projects, with progressive responsibility. Prior experience in an international donor-funded project (especially EU-funded) is highly preferred.
• Proven experience in grants management or sub-granting programs for NGOs, including skills in proposal assessment, grant oversight, and grantee capacity support. Familiarity with EU sub-grant processes and accountability standards is an advantage.
• Experience in capacity building for civil society (e.g. organizing trainings, workshops, mentorship programs) and community engagement activities.
• Strong team leadership and supervision skills – able to effectively manage junior project staff and remote field coordinators, providing guidance and ensuring teamwork.
• Excellent coordination and organizational abilities, capable of handling multiple tasks across different components and locations.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders (CSO partners, government officials, volunteers).
• Analytical mindset with problem-solving skills; able to analyze project data and field reports to inform management decisions.
• High proficiency in written and spoken English and Arabic, including the ability to draft reports and conduct meetings in both languages.