With a representation office in Kinshasa and field offices in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tanganyika, the IRC has been responding to humanitarian and developmental needs in the DRC since 1996. Today, the IRC in the DRC concentrates its efforts on providing crucial and lifesaving assistance to conflict affected populations in the eastern provinces of the country, notably North and South Kivu, Tanganyika and Haut Katanga. Through carefully designed programs, the IRC aims to save lives, to strengthen Congolese institutions and to reinforce social cohesion. Guided by core principles of capacity-building, partnership, protection and the promotion of human rights, as the IRC focuses today on the following areas of need: health (including reproductive health and nutrition), governance and conflict management, women’s empowerment and the prevention and mitigation of gender-based violence, child protection, education and emergency preparedness and response.
The current IRC DRC portfolio is composed of more than 20 grants and contracts from a variety of private, bilateral and multilateral donors. The Grants Unit is composed of three Grants Managers, one Grants Officer and one Grants Coordinator and is responsible for ensuring business development, grants and contracts management, sub-awards and partnerships management, and donor communications. The Grants Coordinator, is responsible for leading the unit and more specifically coordinating efforts for the development of new project proposals in accordance with the Country Program’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP). This includes assessing opportunities for funding (proactive and reactive), analyzing organizational capacity to take on projects, and leading the overall proposal development process. The Grants Coordinator supports, advises and backstops the Grants Managers in their grants and contracts management functions across the project lifecycle, including project start-up, monitoring and management (tracking expenditure and program progress against project documents, project review meetings, donor reporting, processing grants modifications), and close-out, to ensure that projects are implemented in compliance with IRC and donors’ rules and regulations, as well as meet internal standards. For sub-awards and partnerships management, the Grants Coordinator coordinates the sub-award partner identification, selection and vetting processes, the partner sub-award agreement development, sub-awards management, monitoring and accountability and close-out. He/she will also contribute significantly to country program’s strategic planning processes.
The Grants Coordinator will directly and/or technically supervise three Grants Managers and a Program Officer. The Grants Coordinator will work closely with Technical Program Coordinators, M&E staff, and Field Coordinators as well as with in-country support units and relevant HQ regional colleagues (including Technical Advisors, the Regional Program Support Team and the Senior Proposal Development Advisor) in the delivery of their functions This position will be based in Goma, North Kivu with travel within the east of the DRC. Limited travel to Kinshasa will be required.
Responsibilities
1. Proposal development
• Ensure that the IRC DRC system for handling proposal development with management, programs, finance and operations departments is understood and respected, and results in timely and quality submissions;
• Support the Deputy Director Programs (DDP) and Country Director (CD) in identifying new funding opportunities, maintaining good relations with current donors and partners, and updating the country’s Business Development Strategy; ensure monitor, research and analysis into donor strategies is carried out and shared with relevant country program staff.
• Lead the development of proposals for submission to donors in coordination with sector leads and the finance and operations teams; contribute to budget development/management in coordination with Finance through budget review to ensure that budget aligns to the proposed intervention and the correct costs are included.
• Assist the DDP in aligning new proposals to the country’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP)
2. Grant Management and Compliance
• Hold a broad and deep understanding of the IRC’s policies and of the terms and conditions across the grant portfolio, and ensure that IRC regulations and procedures are developed and maintained by the Grants unit’s team members;
• Provide input and updates to the SMT on all business development and grants management matters
• Review donor reports produced by Grants Managers for accuracy, quality and compliance with donor requirements. This may involve substantial editing, translation and contributing to writing (in both French and English); ensure that reports to donors are submitted on time; that reports are coherent and accurate
• Backstop Grants Managers as needed in order to ensure the timely submission of reports;
• Work with the Grants Team to ensure that project indicators, expenditure and other grant crucial information are tracked and grant review meetings are held on a regular basis. Project opening and closing meetings are also organized according to the appropriate timeline.
• Chair Project Cycle Meetings (PCMs) and support the country program in maintaining adequate standards and relevant systems for enhanced coordination between the various units and improved service delivery.
• Supervise and support the use of grants management tools such as FM01, Budget vs Actuals (BvAs), procurement planning and activity plans to ensure accurate tracking of implementation and timely alerts to potential challenges/obstacles.
• Work with the Grants team to manage realignments, amendments and extensions, as needed, and maintain relationships with donors. Ensure timely project end and appropriate spend in line with contractual requirements.
• Serve as the first point of contact for Grant and Compliance related questions that arise in-country; Offer advice to Grant Team members and other IRC DRC staff (senior management, finance, procurement, etc.) on resolving compliance issues. Flag unresolved compliance / implementation issues to senior management and to HQ for further advice and support; act as focal point in all communications with IRC’s Regional Program Support Team (RPST)
• Work with the Grants team to ensure that the IRC DRC grants information management and filing system is respected and all donor contractual documents, reports, key correspondence etc. are appropriately filed in up-to-date and consistent soft libraries.
3. Sub-award and partnerships management
• Ensure quality sub-award management in compliance with the IRC’s Sub-award Partner Management System (SPMS), including sub-award start-up, sub-award implementation monitoring, management and accountability, and appropriate sub-award close-out.
• Participate in partner scoping during pre-award stages and management of partners during proposal development (coordinating on teaming agreements, communication on requested technical and budget inputs, etc.).
• Review sub-award partner vetting reports, pre-award assessments, sub-award agreements and modifications prepared by the Grants team;
• Work with the Grants team to track sub-award partners’ deliverables and ensure that partners’ contractual reports are reviewed and feedback is provided.
• Work with the Grants team to organize sub-award opening, review and closing meetings with partners, as well as program and compliance/ finance monitoring visits to ensure that partners’ program implementation is on track and in compliance with IRC and donor rules and regulations.
• Maintain proper records of all award and sub-award documents.
4. Donor Relations and Communication
• Ensure liaison with donors as required and/or in the absence of regular IRC donor focal points and ensure donor representation at the request of the DDP
• Enhance the country office’s profile among donors / partners by maintaining country-wide and sector-specific fact sheets in both English and French
5. Develop a country program communication strategy
• Work with Program sector leads to develop and produce IRC information and communication materials such as brochures, factsheets, advocacy notes, position papers, newsletters etc.
• Assist in training program staff on communication strategies and facilitate the development of success stories, lessons learned, personal experiences (blogs) from field-based program staff
• Provide briefing papers and situational reports as well as support HQ communication departments in the development of external communication materials
6. Management and Capacity Building
• Supervise Grants Managers and provide on-the-job training, especially in terms of proposal development. Discuss job expectations, set objectives, and provide appropriate and timely feedback regarding performance
• Provide training and mentoring to country program staff on donor compliance, program reporting, proposal development, sub-awards and partnerships management and communication
Requirements
• Masters’ degree in International Development, Social Studies or equivalent is required;
• Fluency in French and English, spoken and written, is essential;
• Superior writing and editing skills. At least three years of previous experience preparing donor reports and proposals for USG and European donors with experience submitting proposals as part of a consortium (as lead agency or sub)
• Knowledge of donor regulations (in particular DFID, Sida, EU, OFDA, UN agencies, World Bank and USAID) and experience developing large proposals for these donors and/or overseeing reporting/ compliance on grants/contracts funded by these donors is required;
• Demonstrated experience in donor liaison;
• Demonstrated supervisory skills;
• Good communicator with strong organizational, time management and analytical skills; attention to detail;
• Excellent inter-personal, cultural and diplomatic skills;
• Technical expertise in one of the following areas would be advantageous: health, protection/ GBV, education, WASH, governance or emergency response.
• Prior professional experience, preferably in Africa in a post-conflict and/or conflict setting;
• Ability to meet juggle competing priorities, meet demanding deadlines and work under pressure;
• Strong digital literacy: must be competent in the use of Windows MS office programs (Word, Excel), email programs, etc.;
• Prior professional experience, preferably in Africa in a post-conflict and/or conflict setting.
Specific Security Situation/ Housing : The designated base location for this position is Goma in North Kivu Province. Crime and theft are common so there is limited freedom of movement. Civil conflict is ongoing in parts of the Eastern DRC and the area is considered unstable. Strict adherence to security guidelines is requested of all IRC staff. The Grants Coordinator will be housed in shared housing with other expatriate IRC staff. This position is unaccompanied.
Standards of Professional Conduct: All IRC workers must respect the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct and ensure their respect in their teams. They should therefore promote and ensure integrity, equality, service and accountability in their daily work. In accordance with these values, all IRC workers must align with the IRC’s policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplaces, Fraud, Human Trafficking, and Transparency. They must ensure that their staff and colleagues abide by these policies too. The Chief of Project will therefore be responsible for promoting and enforcing these standards of professional at work.
Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality: IRC recognizes and honors the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are an equal opportunity employer and consider all applicants on the basis of merit regardless of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status or disability. IRC is also committed to reducing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide a conducive environment for women to participate in our workforce, including parental leave, gender-sensitive safety protocols, and other supportive benefits.
National applicants living abroad: IRC strives to attract, empower and retain qualified national personnel in our programs. We strongly encourage national or national applicants from the diaspora to apply for this position. If you are a national of the country in which this position is based and currently reside outside your home country and have more than two years of international professional experience, the IRC has put in place a package of support for taking up service in the country and attractive remuneration.
CV to be submitted in English or French
We will ensure that people with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations to participate in the recruitment process, to perform critical job functions and to receive other employment benefits and privileges. Please contact us for any information relating to this provision.
How to apply
https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/17456?c=rescue