Institutional Funding/ UE Partnership at Handicap International – Humanity & Inclusion

In order to implement its development and humanitarian activities in its countries of interventions, Humanity & Inclusion / Handicap International (HI) mobilizes funding from a large range of institutional partners. The Institutional Funding Division (DFI) is responsible to identify and share funding opportunities for the operations and to strengthen the relations with the institutional donors in order to influence the donors’ strategies and regulations and anticipate the way their policies, calls for proposals and regulations are likely to develop. It sets the framework for compliance and respect for the donors’ rules, informs the programs about donors’ conditions and requirements and controls that HI actions and management methods conform to these conditions and requirements.

The DFI is composed of staffs based at the HI Federation headquarters (Lyon, Brussels) as well as in National Associations (NAs). It includes a dedicated Institutional Funding North Europe (IFNE) team of 8 staffs based in Brussels and Luxemburg, specifically in charge of relations with institutional partners from Benelux, Nordic countries and European Union, under the management of the Head of Institutional Partnerships North Europe (IPNE).

OBJECTIVES:

The position, based in Brussels, is to act as EU Partnership Advisor starting from June 2021. The portfolio includes DG INTPA, DG NEAR, EU Trust Funds, the FPI and others (not ECHO). This scope may however evolve and include other countries and responsibilities, whether linked to FINE or extended to DFI files.

Missions and level of responsibility

The mission of the EU Partnership Advisor with the support of the Institutional Partnership Officer (IPO) officer, is to lead the mobilization of funding, donor relations, compliance frameworks and support to contract implementation from the European Union: DG INTPA, DG NEAR, FPI and others (not DG ECHO).

Main responsibilities

A. Donor relations and external representation

The EU Partnership Advisor will fully lead the development of an institutional partnership strategy & multi-year action plan for his/her donors’ portfolio (EU) and monitor its implementation. He/she is responsible for the management of relations and/or to support those relations with the donors of his/her portfolio internally in order to develop business. For this, he/she:

· Develops adequate understanding & anticipation of donors’ expectations & strategies, and ensures proper dissemination of knowledge on donors and analyses.

· Negotiates with institutional partners & defends HI interests. For this, he/she :

o Participates and represents HI at NGOs platforms on matters concerning his/her donors portfolio on (CONCORD and others) on relevant topics (regulations in PRAG and Model Grant Agreements, OPSYS, EU restrictive measures, others);

o Participates and represents HI at meetings & events related to institutional funding and partnership by EU donors;

o Contributes to advocacy and influencing efforts toward donors;

o Ensures proper contracting and contract amendments with donors and partners.

· Supports business development. For this, he/she:

o Ensures correct identification, qualification and dissemination of funding opportunities in his/her portfolio;

o Provides proper support in arbitration, project framing, proposal writing & submission of projects proposals;

o Coordinates with and support operations staff, technical and advocacy (HQ / Field) in their business development efforts, including meetings with donors.

· Ensures successful support to teams internally on reporting, audits through advice and clarification of the rules and regulations, according to the internally agreed standards. For this, he/she:

o Defines the expected standards and carries out quality controls on the reports submitted to the donor;

o Applies problem-solving with HQ / field project staff if necessary (temporary need for substitution, modification of standard, training, etc.);

o Ensures the role of “helpdesk” for internal stakeholders.

· Manages information on EU donors. For this she/he

o Contributes to proper updates of contracts database (Navision)

o Updates internal communication platform (intranet).

B. Compliance framework

The EU Partnership Advisor defines, disseminates and controls of the application of standards as per donors’ requirements. For this, he/she:

· Adequately disseminates the donor’s rules and regulations to the programs (using on-line tools and training sessions) on major existing and upcoming regulations (PRAG, INTPA Companion, Model Grant Agreements, OPSYS);

· Identifies and coordinates on points of attention presenting operational, technical, ethical and others and for that purpose liaises with the HI Institute on Ethics where appropriate, for instance impact and lobbying on EU restrictive measures, migration, etc.;

· Monitors and leads internally the transition to the OPSYS/Funding & Tenders Platform;

· Applies problem-solving if standards not applied (adapting standard, trainings, etc.).

C. Support to contract implementation

The EU Partnership Advisor supports operations, technical and advocacy staffs in their funding strategy (operational and technical strategies) & in the implementation of their contracts. For this she/he:

· Supports project staffs in interpreting & applying EU regulations, and for this provides advice and organizes trainings;

· Supports project staffs liaising with the donors or acts as in-between when required;**

· He/she contributes to guaranteeing the respect of the terms of the contracts;

· He/she contributes, with the support of the financial managers and controllers, to the financial monitoring of contracts (monitoring of fund payments by the donor, budgetary monitoring of projects and action programs).**

Profile Description

Education/qualifications:

• 4 years of higher education in a field relevant to the job, or equivalent experience
• Languages: mandatory fluent French and English. Spanish and Portuguese are an asset
• In depth knowledge of project cycle management and MEAL tools
• Basic knowledge in financial management
• Knowledge of thematics linked to disability

Professional experience and skills:

• At least 10 years’ experience of managing funding and/or development/emergency aid projects abroad or at NGO headquarters
• Proven experience in external representation: capacity for networking and lobbying
• Experience working in matrix organization
• Knowledge of funding instruments, mechanisms and priorities of EU institutions required
• Experience in strategy design and implementation
• Experience in dealing with topics related to ethics
• Ability to prioritize and manage complex files

Interpersonal skills:

• Strong ethical standards
• Autonomous, adaptable, and flexible
• Teamwork, coordination and excellent interpersonal skills, both internally and externally, knowing how to adapt to different levels of intervention and multicultural environment
• Rigorous and organized
• Strong ability to perform multiple tasks under short notices
• Resistant to stress and pressure
• Entrepreneurial spirit, business developer
• Ability to measure and take risks

CONDITIONS OF THE POSITION:

· Type of contract : CDI

· Basic Compensation, end of year bonus

· Lunch vaouchers

· Group Insurance, hospitalization insurance

· 100 % refund of your transport subscription

· APPLY: