Senior Coordinator-Grants Partnership & Accountability At International Rescue Committee

The IRC has been present in Bangladesh since 2017 and obtained registration with the NGOAB in March 2018. Since the IRC obtained registration in March 2018, it has moved quickly to expand its integrated emergency health and protection response through both direct and partner-based programming focused on primary healthcare, women’s protection and empowerment, sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence and child protection. Recently IRC has also introduced two new programs: Protection Rule of Law (PROL) and Education. IRC will continue working in both the camps and host community, while meeting the significant needs in both refugee and host populations, as already existing vulnerabilities are compounded with cyclical monsoon and cyclone seasons that impose additional threats to the lives and protection of those refugees as well as vulnerable host populations. IRC will grow over time its geographic coverage within Cox bazar and to other parts of the country, thus expand its’ networks and partnerships around emergency preparedness and response work, reach beyond the Rohingya refugees, also targeting the vulnerable host groups in Cox Bazar and other parts of Bangladesh.

Purpose of the Role

The Sr. Grants, Accountability and Partnership Coordinator is a central figure within the IRC Bangladesh program and a member of the country Senior Management Team (SMT). The Sr. Grants, Accountability and Partnership Coordinator will focus on effective business development, grants and partnership management and accountability, including oversight of monitoring and evaluation and supporting the inclusion of partner and client voices in program design, implementation and close out.

Reporting to the Deputy Director Program (DDP), the Senior. Grants, Accountability and Partnership Coordinator will directly line manage the MEAL Coordinator; Grants Coordinator; Sr. Business Development Specialist; and Partnership Coordinator. He/she will be responsible for significant elements of IRC Bangladesh’s Strategy Action Plan (SAP) implementation and management of key humanitarian relationships together with the DDP and Country Director (CD).

Highlights of Key Responsibilities

Business Development and Fundraising:

• Lead and manage IRC Bangladesh’s business development strategy; support CD, DDP and Technical Coordinators in proactive engagement with potential and existing donors for fundraising to implement its Strategic Action Plan (SAP) and maintaining good relationship

• Oversee coordination across departments and with relevant HQ units in relation to proposal development.

• Support the Grants Coordinator and other relevant colleagues in coordinating and maintaining an efficient system for proposal/concept note development and revisions as relevant. Maintain clear responsibilities outlined for management, programs, finance and operations departments – that yields timely, high quality submissions. Ensure proposals are timely tracked with standard IRC tracking tools (e.g. FM01, OTIS).

• Be the primary interlocutor for the HQ-based (NYC, London, Germany) Bangladesh focal points with regards to Business Development initiatives

• Represent IRC with relevant partners/consortia, donors, and coordination bodies (working groups, clusters) as appropriate

• Build capacity of Grant’s team members on donor policies, regulations and procedures and train other country team members in these areas

Grants Management:

• Collaborate with Finance, Compliance, Operations, Grants and Program teams in reviewing donor contracts and outline major concerns to relevant country and HQ based colleagues.

• Support the Grants Coordinator and other relevant colleagues in organizing Project Opening; Regular/Monthly review and Closure Meetings in timely and effective manner

• Accountable for the finalization of timely donor reports ensuring consistency between narrative and financial reports and that they meet quality standards

• Undertake proactive assessment of potential risks in managing donor contracts throughout the project cycle management, anticipate risks, inform and support all concerned including SMT to take timely risk mitigation measures

• Support Grants and Partnership team to ensure relevant regional and HQ staff are kept informed of important issues affecting the country program’s portfolio.

• Support roll out of Integra in IRC Bangladesh Country Program

Partnership:

• In collaboration with the CD and DDP, advance the partnership agenda, in line with IRC’s global and Bangladesh’s country program strategies.

• Oversee and support the facilitation and coordination of all aspects of partnership management, from stakeholder analysis, partner identification, due diligence, project development, agreement, start-up, implementation, monitoring through to close-out, coordinating effectively with all program, operations and finance components, including the region and HQ.

• Oversee the management, coordination and key risk control elements of IRC Bangladesh’s partnership portfolio to ensure a high level of risk management and compliance in strong, high-quality partnerships that deliver timely and effective assistance in line with IRC’s partnership management system (PEERS).

• Champion robust partner relationship management characterized by the core partnership principles of responsibility, results-oriented approach, equality, transparency and complementarity.

Accountability:

• Support the M&E Coordinator in formulation and execution of country MEAL strategies including accountability and client responsiveness protocols.

• Support the M&E Coordinator and relevant program teams in establishing a coherent MEAL system (approaches, procedures, structures), encompassing both programs implemented by IRC as well as by partners.

• Ensure the country program meets IRC’s global monitoring standards (“Monitoring for Action”) for improved monitoring practices, data quality and use of data within the organization;

• Support the greater sharing and use of research and learning within IRC’s program sectors, including by contributing to program development and design; ensure interventions are responsive to needs and informed by a sound understanding of the humanitarian context in Bangladesh.

• Program leadership in developing systems and procedures that measure country program-wide performance and achievements towards outcomes (using the Outcomes & Evidence Framework of IRC’s core indicators and other methods as appropriate) and strategic and organizational commitments.

• Lead the review of internal strategies (Country Strategy Action Plan- SAP) and standard (Good and Great standard) as per IRC’s global guideline and timeline.

• Ensure continued functioning of, and improvements to, the country beneficiary feedback and response mechanism, and adherence to global standards and expectations.

Staff Performance Management, Learning and Development

• Hire, supervise and build the capacity of team members to excel in their role.

• Coach, train, supervise and mentor team members, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.

Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform their positions.

Experience

• Minimum 7 years of work experience in humanitarian and/or development programs/industry in Business Development, Grants Management, Program Quality and Accountability and Partnership

• Experience of managing partnership with local and international NGOs

• Minimum 3 years of work experience in similar role/capacity

Competencies: Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Extensive experience in managing donor contracts and fundraising activities, in particular from UN and other institutional donors, such as ECHO, UN, FCDO, USG, GAC, GFFO, SIDA etc.

• Understanding of basic partnership due diligence and management practices;

• Understanding and hands on experience of leading Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Accountability strategies and practices across project cycle management;

• Excellent communication skills in English; high quality copywriting and editing skills

• Excellent numeracy and financial skills, particularly in developing budgets, financial management/monitoring and reporting

• Sound understanding of Program Cycle Management in emergencies and development environments, program quality and partnership management.

• High level of analytical skills, negotiation skills and critical thinking

• Ability to manage and lead a team to achieve goals in a complex working environment including strong capacity to mentor and build staff capacity

• Highly developed interpersonal and communication and relationship skills with ability to influence external organizations and individuals

Language Preference

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English

Standard of Professional Conduct: IRC and IRC employees are required to abide by the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct which are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Gender Equality & Equal Opportunity: We are committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer generous 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. We welcome and strongly encourage qualified female professionals to apply.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Are you ready to join the most dynamic team?