Project Communication Manager

Position Title: Project Communication Manager

Duty Station(s): Beirut (Lebanon) - with regular field missions to the project locations, in Jordan, Spain and Italy, based on needs

Duration: 12 months renewable

Starting from: October 2026

Monthly Gross Range salary: 1600-1800 USD

Contract: Part-time (80%)

Closing date of the vacancy: 20/09/2026

Line Manager: Project Coordinator

Coordination: HQ Communication Manager (Italy); UPP Head of Mission – Lebanon

Context Presentation: Un Ponte Per ETS (UPP) is an international humanitarian organization, founded in 1991, with Headquarters in Italy. UPP is currently active in Iraq, Lebanon (since 1998), Jordan (since 2005), Syria (since 2015), Palestine, Serbia, Kosovo, Tunisia, and Ukraine alongside civil society organizations, with a strong localization approach. UPP is committed to humanitarian action, early recovery in conflict- and crisis-affected contexts. It exerts relentless efforts with the ultimate objective of preventing armed conflicts and developing more equal and peaceful coexistence. The NGO acts through awareness campaigns, cultural exchanges, humanitarian and development projects, peacebuilding programs, and the creation of social justice networks. In Italy and in Europe, UPP works to promote peace and disarmament, human rights, refugees and migrants’ inclusion, and ecological transition. It has extensive expertise in managing consortium and complex high-budget projects including EU-funded ones, and experience in projects promoting decentralised cooperation, circular economy and sustainable solid waste management.

In Lebanon, UPP projects focus on Education, Livelihood, Psycho-social support (PSS), promotion of sustainable tourism and environmental protection, and since 2024, on the emergency response to support the most vulnerable population and the IDPs affected by the war. In Jordan, UPP projects have a strong focus on the protection of women and girls including Gender Based Violence (GBV), Child Protection (CP), PSS, promotion and valorisation of cultural heritage and sustainable tourism, targeting the most vulnerable refugees, host community members and persons with disabilities (PWDs). In Syria, UPP projects mainly focus on health, environmental health and solid waste management, water access, protection, education and social cohesion. For further information, please refer to our website: www.unponteper.it/en/.

Project brief: the project PLAYERS (Participatory Local Actions Yielding Engaging Recycling Systems) addresses the shared urgency of solid waste mismanagement across the Mediterranean, where growing populations, limited infrastructure and fragmented governance hinder circular economy development. By localizing and operationalizing MED4WASTE policy recommendations, the project empowers and connects governing actors, waste service providers and communities in Jordan, Lebanon, Spain, Italy to [1] reduce illegal dumping and mixed waste production in target areas (+85%), [2] to save landfilled resources (over 24 streams of recyclables) not fuelling circular value chains, [3] to erase the industrial gap of countries incapable of recovering complex materials as Layered Paper Packaging (LPP) — abundant in Mediterranean Partner Countries and increasingly needed in European Mediterranean Countries since the EU Green Deal — and finally [4] to prevent mixed waste generation and unsustainable consumption habits.

The project PLAYERS builds citizen-driven systems that prioritize source-sorting, resource recovery and circular value chains through the engagement methodology of the Social Contract. Behavior change is built through participatory governance mechanisms [Work-Package 3 - WP3]. The project will upgrade and expand waste recovery infrastructures, making them more efficient and capable of self-sustaining by trading recyclables locally [WP4]. The innovative activation of international markets will unlock cross-Mediterranean trading of LPP (beverages cartons made of layered plastic, paper, aluminum). PLAYERS will produce scientific evidence in a pilot shipment of 100,000 kg of sorted packaging waste [WP5]. Local Circular SMEs will be connected to consumers through the EcoSouk Catalogue; market activation campaigns will strengthen both circular business models and green procurement [WP6]. PLAYERS will impact waste workers, municipal institutions, circular businesses and local communities, especially youth and underserved groups, who will gain from improved services, inclusive decision-making and green transition opportunities, under Interreg Next Med Programme’s priority 2.6 (Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy).

Organization setting: the Communication Manager is responsible for coordinating the communication and dissemination activities of the PLAYERS project, in close collaboration with UPP project staff, the HQ Communication Manager, the Project Coordinator, the consortium 7 project partners (based in Lebanon, Spain, Jordan, Italy) and their communication offices or Communication Focal Points.

Ensure the development and implementation of the project communication plan, in line with the approved communication strategy, donor requirements, Interreg NEXT MED visibility rules and UPP communication standards. The role will support project visibility, stakeholder mobilisation, dissemination of results, knowledge sharing and behavioural change objectives.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

·         Coordinate and supervise the implementation of project communication activities, such as event organization, material design, website and social media management, video production, media relations, and stakeholder engagement, according to the communication strategy, schedule, and available resources

·         Support the design and implementation of communication activities by project partners, providing expert guidance and ensuring compliance with EU and Interreg NEXT MED Programme visibility rules

·         Coordinate information flows related to communication among partner organisations

·         Manage and update the project webpage hosted on the Interreg NEXT MED Programme website, ensuring regular publication of content aligned with programme targets

·         Run and maintain the project’s social media channels, regularly posting engaging and relevant content

·         Collect project output and result indicators related to communication

·         Monitor the effectiveness of communication activities and suggest improvements

·         Identify high-quality content from the project to contribute to Interreg NEXT MED programme-level communication efforts

·         Provide the requested communication materials and outputs to support Interreg NEXT MED programme visibility and outreach

·         Liaise with the Interreg NEXT MED managing authority to contribute to programme events, publications, campaigns, and other communication activities

·         Ensure smooth collaboration and consistent messaging within the partnership, by establishing clear internal communication mechanisms among PLAYERS project partners. These may include shared editorial calendars, dedicated communication focal points, collaborative platforms and regular coordination calls

• Contribute, in coordination with the Campaign Communication and Media Relation Manager, to broader institutional communication activities related to UPP’s work, priorities and public positioning

REQUIREMENTS

·         University degree in Communication, Journalism, International Relations, Humanitarian affairs, International Cooperation, Political Sciences, Marketing, Media Studies or other relevant fields

·         At least 3 years of relevant professional experience in communication, journalism, advocacy, media or public relations or similar roles

·         Previous working experience in producing communications content production

·         Experience in the communication and visibility management of projects funded by institutional donors, EU programmes, international organisations or NGOs.

·         Proven ability in coordinating communication activities and to develop and implement communication plans, including target audiences, key messages, channels, editorial planning, KPIs and monitoring tools

·         Good knowledge of social media management, digital communication, storytelling, media outreach and content production

·         Knowledge of donor visibility and branding requirements, preferably in the framework of EU-funded programmes

·         Excellent writing, editing and message-adaptation skills for different target groups

·         Ability to work in multicultural environments, flexibility, autonomy and problem-solving

·         Good networking and media relations skills

·         Excellent written and spoken English

·         Excellent command of Microsoft Office tools and digital communication platforms

·         Commitment to UPP values, policies and ethical standards, including safeguarding, data protection, informed consent and non-discriminatory communication

·         Desirable training in communication for development, digital communication, advocacy, public campaigns, journlism, or EU project communication.

·         Desirable experience with Interreg, ENI CBC MED, Interreg NEXT MED or other European territorial cooperation programmes

·         Desirable experience in projects related to the environment, circular economy, waste management, climate change, local development or community participation.

·         Desirable knowledge of the Mediterranean cooperation context and/or previous experience working with partners in Italy, Spain, Lebanon, Jordan or the WANA region

·         Desirable experience in coordinating external providers such as graphic designers, video makers, photographers, translators, editors or media consultants

·         Desirable familiarity with MEAL systems and the collection of communication evidence for donor reporting

·         Desirable knowledge of Italian, Arabic, Spanish and/or Catalan

Un Ponte Per ETS is an International NGO committed to diversity and inclusion within its teams, in line with the principle of non-discrimination. UPP encourages all candidates irrespective of gender, religion and ethnicity including persons with disabilities to apply and become part of the organization.

UPP upholds all the minimum standards in terms of Ethical Conduct and strives to increase its standards over the minimum. Zero tolerance is reserved to Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and to Child Abuse, Violence, Harm, Injury and Negligence. By applying, any candidate assures that s/he has never breached any standard in terms of SEA and Child Safeguarding and that s/he will not in the future. For the protection of beneficiaries, communities and partners, UPP will conduct extensive reference check and vetting on shortlisted candidates, also over the contacts indicated by the candidate. Candidates are alerted that the required background check might compromise their privacy. Shortlisted candidates shall promptly provide an up-to-date criminal background check.

_______________________________________________________________________________________All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Un Ponte Per also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.