BACKGROUND

Over the past 80 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster.

The International Rescue Committee is a global network with its headquarters in New York. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster.

The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.

IRC UK

IRC UK was established in 1997 to support the organisation’s global activities and particularly to diversify its donor base and be able to better advocate with policymakers on behalf of the people we serve. Since its establishment IRC UK has grown rapidly and now comprises approximately 170 staff. In Europe, the IRC also has offices in Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Geneva and Stockholm.

The Awards Management Unit (AMU)

Established in January 2016, the Awards Management Unit (AMU) is a global department with the responsibility for identifying, securing, and managing all funding from statutory/government donors. The department is includes the following teams: Program and Award Support, Strategic Partnerships, Compliance and Policy, Business Development, and Training.

The AMU is a bridge between donors and country programs: providing expert technical advice to the country teams, while maintaining portfolio-level visibility to ensure consistency and compliance, and manage risk. This unit ensures that donor compliance policies and procedures are implemented consistently, and supports all staff working across the award management cycle for all restricted funding from global government sources.

The Purpose of the Role

Portfolio Advisor sits in AMU in the Program and Award Support Pillar, within the Frameworks & Global Awards Team. The team is responsible for the oversight, coordination and management of a portfolio of multi-country, multi-component awards. The role provides support on the overall implementation and management of assigned awards including the Irish Aid Strategic Partnership and IRC’s Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) programmes, in addition to other awards in the portfolio as required.

Scope and Authority

Portfolio Advisor has the authority to make decisions within the parameters of donor policy and procedures, referring any non-routine and complex matters to the Portfolio Manager.

Responsibility for Resources:

Responsible for keeping track of and reporting on progress against programme and contractual milestones, and notifying the Portfolio Manager of any issues or opportunities which have arisen.
Write communications, reports, and amendments and funding applications to the donor.
This position does not have budgetary or line management responsibilities.

Key Working Relationships

The position reports to the Portfolio Manager and works closely with the Deputy Director, Frameworks and Global Awards, and other Frameworks & Global Awards Team members. In addition:

Works as part of the wider AMU team, especially Regional and Global Program and Award Support team members, Senior Program Development Advisors (SPDAs), and the Compliance and Policy team.
Works in close co-ordination with UK Finance, Violence, Prevention and Response Unit (VPRU), Emergencies & Humanitarian Action Unit, Measurement Unit.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Awards Management and Compliance

Act as an internal focal point for any issues related to the implementation and management of assigned awards including but not limited to the Irish Aid Strategic Partnership and DEC programmes, under the guidance / supervision of the Portfolio Manager.
Represent IRC externally, handling and cultivating professional relationships with donor focal points and relevant staff from donor agencies; facilitate meetings and engagement as needed; provide updates on implementation and grants management issues and support preparing materials for briefing events and meetings.
Support development of guidance materials for compliant and effective award management, providing orientation, training and support to colleagues on their use as necessary.
Address queries in relation to implementation issues and standard compliance questions (e.g. visibility, budget variance, reporting deadlines, and procurement) in coordination with AMU Compliance and Policy pillar.
Review and submit correspondence and amendments to the donor in a timely manner, including narrative and financial reports; Cost Extension, No Cost Extension, budget realignments, project changes and critical updates, ensuring that all documents and information submitted are high quality and compliant.
Take part in regular meetings and calls with AMU and relevant colleagues to provide regular support and updates and collaborate closely on specific issues related to donor compliance, submissions and/or monitoring/award management.
Review, provide substantive feedback, and support the submission of narrative, financial and audit reports; produce templates, guidance and timelines; involve relevant internal and external (audit firms) stakeholders and ensure that donor requirements and quality standards are met and reports are submitted on time.
Collate inputs for proposals, write proposal sections, consolidate and edit inputs from colleagues, including on emergency proposals, as required.
Prepare and consolidate budgets, and coordinate internal reviews and approvals before submission.
Respond to data requests from other departments and accountability for portfolio-wide data needs.
Support analysis of interim reports and financial tracking of grants.
Update and maintain internal systems for data management.
Contribute to AMU/Unit work plan and delivery of specific projects.
In collaboration with Finance and the Portfolio Manager, review Budget versus Actuals; ensuring the use of correct coding on expenditure and regularly update spending plans.
Participate in country and project visits to monitor progress and provide support to implementation teams, and support relevant donor visits to IRC programmes.
Administrative and coordination support for the IRC’s participation in meetings and learning events, online and in-person.
Support the development and management of other awards in the portfolio, as required.
Support in the understanding of policies, guidance, and tools designed to guide collaboration and work with local and international partners, outlined by IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS).
Support in the review and processing of subgrants or partnership agreements, including due diligence processes, to ensure compliance with IRC internal and external donor requirements.
Other duties as required.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience, Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:

Essential:

Grants management experience, preferably with frameworks or large awards funded by institutional donors.
Experience coordinating and drafting reports, preferably for complex and multi-country programmes in development and/or humanitarian contexts.
Experience with donor liaising and developing and contributing to successful funding proposals.
Strong understanding of how learning contributes to effective programming and better outcomes for clients/beneficiaries.
Experience of reviewing, writing and producing timely and high quality documents to donors (including correspondence, reports and briefings).
Strong organizational skills, detail orientated, ability to multi task, prioritise and learn quickly.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; the ability to successfully and effectively liaise with people within and across departments in a multi-cultural environment, and build and maintain good working relationships.
Good analytical skills and excellent attention to detail.
Experience of working independently and productively in a fast-paced environment – proactive and initiative to problem solve within the parameters of the role is essential
Experience of budget monitoring and financial management.
Excellent IT skills (i.e. Word, Outlook, Excel).

Desirable:

Proficiency in written and spoken French.
Experience of working with Irish Aid, DEC and/or Sida.
Interest and understanding of advocacy work.

IRC UK strives to be an equal opportunities employer. IRC UK is committed to equality of opportunity and to non-discrimination for all job applicants and employees, and we seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

IRC UK welcomes applications from all candidates, including underrepresented groups and refugees who have the right to work in the UK.

IRC UK will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application and/or interview process, and for essential job functions if appointed to a role. Please contact us if you may need such adjustments.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the online recruitment process, please contact the IRC UK HR team at applications@rescue-uk.org

Compensation:

Posted pay ranges apply to UK-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity:

IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Gender Equality:

IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Professional Standards:

The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.