Deputy Project Director (M/W)

Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities :

democratic, economic, and financial governance ;
peace, stability, and security ;
climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;
health and human development ;

In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results.

The “Empowering Palestinian and Israeli Civil Societies Along with Local Media for Community Resilience and Dialogue” project, implemented by Expertise France over an initial period of 18 months, aims to support local actors in addressing community-specific challenges. The project focuses on strengthening the capacities of civil society organizations and media to foster resilience and encourage dialogue, while amplifying the voices of peacebuilders, particularly within communities in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and the diaspora.

Expertise France recruits for this project, a Deputy Project Director, who will support the Project Director in leading and managing the grants-based project aimed at fostering community resilience and dialogue between Palestinian and Israeli civil societies. This role will focus on the operational and technical management of the project, ensuring seamless execution of activities, adherence to compliance standards, and coordination among stakeholders.

Working closely with the Project Director, the Deputy Project Director will act as a key point of contact for field-level operations, ensuring the integration of conflict-sensitive approaches and alignment with the project's overall strategy. This position will also include direct supervision of field teams, partner coordination, and monitoring the day-to-day implementation of project activities.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Operational Support and Management

· Assist the Project Director in developing and refining project strategies and work plans in alignment with the project's logical framework.

· Oversee the daily implementation of project activities, ensuring operational alignment with objectives and timelines.

· Provide guidance and technical support to project teams, ensuring consistency in project delivery across different regions.

2. Grants and Partnership Coordination

· Oversee the grant management as direct supervisor of the Grant Manager.

· Serve as the secretariat for the project Technical Committee. This role will be crucial in ensuring the smooth functioning of the selection process: support the initial pre-selection of project proposals by developing/applying established criteria and conducting the first round of screenings. In addition, she/he will be responsible for preparing comprehensive dossiers of shortlisted proposals to be submitted to the Committee for final review.

· Manage the operational aspects of the grant lifecycle, including partner coordination, proposal reviews, and implementation monitoring.

· Ensure partners comply with grant agreements, budgets, and timelines while providing ongoing technical and operational support.

· Collaborate with partners to identify and address challenges in project execution.

3. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

· Support the development and implementation of a robust monitoring and evaluation framework in collaboration with the MEAL officer.

· Monitor the progress of activities, conduct field visits, and report findings to the Project Director.

· Assist in the preparation of regular progress reports and impact assessments, ensuring accuracy and transparency.

4. Stakeholder Relations and Partnership Building

o Act as a liaison between local partners, field teams, and the Project Director to ensure effective communication and collaboration.

· Represent the project in local stakeholder meetings, workshops, and discussions when required.

· Build and maintain relationships with community leaders, local NGOs, and other stakeholders to support project objectives.

5. Team Leadership and Capacity Building

· Supervise and support project field team (technical experts and local staff), ensuring efficient implementation of project activities.

· Facilitate training and capacity-building initiatives for project teams and partners.

· Foster a collaborative and inclusive working environment.

6. Compliance and Risk Management

· Ensure adherence to Expertise France's policies and donor regulations in all project activities.

· Identify and report potential risks or challenges to the Project Director, contributing to risk mitigation strategies.

1. Education
Master’s degree in international relations, peace and conflict studies, political science, social sciences, project management, or a related field.

· Certification in project management (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2) is an asset.

· Training in conflict-sensitive approaches or media development is desirable.

2. Professional Experience

· At least 7 years of experience in project management, with 3+ years in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, or international development.

· Experience working in fragile or conflict-affected settings is essential.

· Demonstrated ability to manage multi-stakeholder projects, including grants and partner relations.

· Proven experience in supervising field teams and coordinating with international and local stakeholders.

· Demonstrated experience in international projects implementation, with preference given to EU-funded projects.

3. Technical Knowledge and Skills

· Familiarity with peacebuilding frameworks, conflict analysis, and media pluralism.

· Strong understanding of grants management and monitoring frameworks.

· Ability to conduct field-based assessments and adapt strategies to dynamic environments.

4. Leadership and People Management

· Strong team management and capacity-building skills.

· Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to foster relationships in multicultural settings.

· Demonstrated ability to apply a conflict-sensitive approach in project management.

5. Stakeholders Engagement and Negotiation
Experience in liaising with governments, UE/UN agencies, and other international and local stakeholders.
Skilled in negotiation and diplomacy, with the ability to manage complex relationships and conflicting priorities effectively.

6. Language Skills

· Proficiency in English is mandatory. Knowledge of Arabic or French is an advantage.

7. Personal Attributes
High level of emotional intelligence, patience, and resilience.
Strong ethical commitment and dedication to peacebuilding principles.
Adaptability to navigate volatile environments and respond to community needs.

8. Additional Requirements
Willingness and ability to work in high-risk locations and remotely if necessary.

· Position based in Jerusalem, full-time. Jerusalem is a non-family duty station.

The Deputy Project Director will work closely with the Project Director and supervise technical experts, field teams and local coordinators.