The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
Main Purpose of the Job
IRC Afghanistan’s Deputy Director for program quality development, Awards and Partnership is responsible for the oversight and management of the Program Department’s Grants and Partnership Units. This is a senior leadership position with significant management responsibility and serves as a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT). The Awards, Business Development and Partnership reports directly to the Country Director. IRC’s Grants Unit is growing and is currently composed of seven team members. The position directly manages two direct staff and seven indirect. This role is based in Kabul with periodic travel to the field. Key in-country and HQ relationships are with the program technical leads, Deputy Director of Finance, Awards Management Unit, and donors. The Awards, Business Development and Partnership provides strategic guidance and support to the country office on issues of program development, grants/sub-grants management and compliance, and donor relations. The position holder leads proposal development processes and supports a variety of aspects of project cycle management, including information management, problem analysis, evidence-based program design, negotiation with donors and partners, grant and sub-grant monitoring and modifications, reporting, and grant closure. The position holder is the main focal point for external engagement with key donors and in coordination with the CD.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Grants Management & Donor Compliance:
•Business development: strategic planning with PCs and grants at proposal design to ensure our programs are funded as per program strategies and that we are pursuing opportunities that complement our strategy and ambitions.
•Participate in PCMs to ensure program planning and implementation is in line with strategy and best practices and that PCs are properly budgeting, spending and meeting targets
•Identify new funding opportunities by monitoring and analyzing donor strategies and funding trends. Research and advise the DDP and CD on the benefits and risks of pursuing different funding streams in line with the country program’s Strategic Action Plan.
•Lead new program design in close coordination with the DDP and sector coordinators.
•Support the Grants Coordinator to manage the development and review of concept notes and proposals. Ensure all proposal outputs are accurate and complete prior to submission.
•Track, monitor and supervise all external reporting to ensure the timely delivery of reports which meet donor and IRC requirements.
•Facilitate open communication with headquarters-based focal points during proposal development and throughout the grant management cycle.
•Maintain a strong working relationship with donors. Participate in donor meetings together with the CD as required.
•Support the Grants Unit in the monitoring of the post-award projects
•Act as the key focal point and advice the IRC Afghanistan on donor compliance and flag risks and concerns to SMT as required
Strategic Leadership on Grants, Fundraising and Partnerships
•Lead the definition of IRC’s Strategy Action Plans as they relate to partnerships with civil society organizations, collaborating with SMTs to integrate effective partnership approaches into sectoral strategies.
•Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to drive processes that ensure IRC develops and maintains a detailed working knowledge of the civil society landscapes, and establishes, builds and maintains a network of strategic partner relationships.
•Ensure that partnership is appropriately integrated into all new business development, and support the development of new business development concepts that prioritize partnerships.
•Facilitate systematic partner feedback on IRC’s management of and performance in partnerships, as well as appropriate action in response to the feedback.
•Lead responsibility for IRC’s engagement in CSO and INGO, including contributing leadership to forums (where that aligns with IRC’s strategy), and promoting the localization of the Afghanistan response.
•Advocate with donors to promote approaches and requirements that are appropriate and responsive to the priorities and realities of local partners, and that promote the localization of the Afghanistan response.
Partnership Internal Management
•Lead responsibility for facilitating a process that defines clear roles, responsibilities and management structures in the country program to ensure efficient and responsive processes with respect to sub-award partnerships, consistent with IRC’s PEER system.
•Collaborate with SMTs to ensure that IRC includes key partnership competencies in recruitment for relevant technical and operational positions; provides staff with necessary support for skills development for core partnership skills (mentoring, negotiation, etc); and includes performance objectives for relevant positions that incentivize effective partnerships.
•Serve as a technical resource for partnership-focused staff in sector teams to promote an effective, responsive and coherent approach.
•Foster and promote a culture, attitudes and values conducive to collaborative partnerships throughout the Afghanistan teams, based on a clear and shared understanding of IRC’s strategy, role and approach, and IRC’s core partnership principles.
•Lead and facilitate the effective implementation of IRC’s PEER system, and actively contribute to the continued development and improvement of the system.
•Support the Partnership Coordinator and team to define and manage appropriate competitive and non-competitive processes for identifying and selecting partners.
•Oversee and support the Partnership Coordinator in all aspects of sub-award life cycle management – from due diligence vetting, project and agreement development, sub-award management, monitoring and accountability, through to closure – coordinating all program, operations and finance components.
•Ensure all partners have collaboratively developed project support plans in place and oversee the delivery of timely and effective support.
Human Resource Management
•Direct management oversight of the Grants and Partnership Unit, including ensuring that the unit is appropriately resourced and structured, and the recruitment, performance management, and professional development of all unit staff.
•Coach, train, mentor and supervise direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting quarterly performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews. Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth.
•Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis.
•Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing guidance on career paths.
•Promote IRC’s regional nationalization goals in the management of the unit.
•Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
•Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
•Work with regional HR staff to identify and implement recruitment and retention strategies.
Qualification and Requirements:
Education:
•Social Science or something similar
Years of Experience:
•Minimum of seven years of experience in grants management and program quality functions in a multi-donor, multi-sector working environment.
Skills:
•Demonstrated experience in an inter-departmental coordination role and the ability to communicate with and balance the priorities of a range of stakeholders.
•Extensive experience leading proposal development and report consolidation, including the coordination of inputs and drafting of complex documents across multiple departments.
•Experience advising teams and ensuring compliance with donor regulations. Knowledge of BHA, ECHO, FCDO, and USAID requirements an advantage.
•A genuine commitment to collaborating with national NGOs and government partners in humanitarian response. Experience managing partnerships with and processing sub-awards to NGOs is a distinct advantage.
•Experience strengthening systems to collect, analyze, and respond to beneficiary feedback is an advantage.
•Previous experience in a conflict-affected or protracted crisis setting strongly preferred. Experience in a range of operational settings is preferred.
Technical Competency:
•Highly developed leadership abilities, including the ability to coach, motivate, and support effective teams.
•Strong cross-cultural communication skills and eager to work as part of a diverse team. Sensitive to interpersonal differences and a range of viewpoints.
•Exceptional advance planning and organizational skills. Able to effectively prioritize and follow multiple projects simultaneously.
•Analytical, strategic, and able to proactively develop solutions to complex challenges.
•Flexible and innovative. Able to adapt plans in response to contextual changes.
•Reliable, patient, and able to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
•Communication and reporting skills
•Fluency in English
•Computer skills (including MS Word, Excel, Access, and internet) an advantage
•Ability to work closely, professionally, and constructively with all others regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, race, tribe, or cultural background
Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.
Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.
How to apply
https://careers.rescue.org/us/en/job/req51172/Deputy-Director-Program-Development-Awards-Partnerships