The Grants and Partnerships Manager will assist the Senior Coordinator in leading the grant management and program development for the IRC in Sierra Leone. The position reports to the Senior Coordinator of Grants, Partnership and Compliance with potential addition of supervises. This position is based in Freetown with frequent trips to field sites. The Grants and Partnerships Manager will act as the focal point and guru for IRC implementation and mainstreaming of the partnership principles and IRC Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS). This role will work collaboratively with the IRC’s senior management team, the technical coordinators, measurement team, finance, programs and operations teams, and partners.
Main Responsibilities:
Grant Management
Review sub-award agreements and amendments as needed, and follow the IRC internal review process of all sub-award documentation;
Review and lead on the process of coordinating the development and revision of IRC and partner’s budgets;
Facilitate grants management meetings including awards start-up and close-out meetings. In addition to regular partnership project meetings in line with the IRC PEERS, in coordination with support functions, Program teams and the Senior Coordinator of Grants, Partnership & Compliance;
Lead the planning and organization of, and participate in, partnerships/sub-awards technical and financial partnerships' monitoring visits to partner offices (including field offices) to assess Partners' performance and compliance against their Partnership agreement, donor's regulations and overall Program plans, in line with the IRC PEERS. This includes; leading on tools development, coordinating inputs ahead of review meetings/ visits to ensure that the IRC commitments to the donor are met and working closely with Program Managers and Finance teams to make sure that partnerships' monitoring schedules are rigorously followed, and supporting documentations are prepared for review;
Support the planning and organization of, and participate if/when requested in donor's monitoring visits, as per the agreed schedule;
In close collaboration with Supply Chain units, maintain accurate records of Programs assets; this includes managing the IRC and Partners assets registers, leading on assets disposal process when required, monitoring assets during regular partners' monitoring visits, in line with the IRC PEERS and donor's regulation on assets management;
Support the Senior Coordinator with any other tasks and responsibilities when and where required.
Ensure all donor and partner special conditions and any requirements are completed in a timely manner through close coordination and follow-up with various departments within IRC and the different partners.
Partnerships and Sub-Awards Management
Under the direct supervision of the Senior Coordinator, ensure that IRC Programs follow the IRC PEERS that sets out efficient and responsive processes, delineates clear roles and responsibilities, and articulates IRC's strategic approach to partnerships;
Maintain regular communication and schedule regular visits to the partner offices to ensure consistent relationships, up to date information, and ongoing two-way feedback is being provided and received;
Promote an atmosphere of mutual respect and development among partners – including facilitating information sharing between partners and establish relationships based on the IRC partnership principles;
Work effectively with the IRC various departments including Program, Supply Chain and Finance partners' teams to ensure that sub-granting mechanisms are in-line with the PEERS;
Lead on the process of due diligence process and ensure quality and timely update in line with PEERS guidelines and tools;
In the event of partner issues, work closely with the Senior Coordinator to advice on the appropriate progressive corrective action, assisting in alerting partners' Senior Management Teams/Boards and the IRC Ethics and Compliance Unit, as required; This includes promptly reporting any suspicion or ascertained case of violation of Do Not Harm and Child Safeguarding requirements that may arise from partnerships/sub-awards reviews meeting and/or monitoring visits;
Develop processes and tools to monitor partner performance against set indicators in line with IRC’s principles and way of working;
Mobilize, train and provide on-going technical support to Technical focal points in the Program Teams on working with partners.
Reporting
Ensure reporting timelines and reminders are prepared and shared across the IRC grants;
Collect and review of IRC and partners’ program narrative reports and ensure timely submission and quality assurance;
Consolidate feedback on partners’ reports and act as the focal point for partner communication;
In conjunction with Finance, ensure the timely review of partners' and IRC financial reports in accordance with the terms of their partnership/ donor agreements, coordinated with the review of financial reports with Finance and Program.
Partners Capacity Building
Review the capacity building/development plan for the partners based on the pre-award assessment result, ensure capacity building/development plan is tailored, targeted and responsive to their organizational needs and priorities;
Design tools and create systems to effectively monitor progress made against partner capacity building plans and to partners in their organizational development; particularly around safeguarding;
Review partner submission and progress reports against capacity building plans and ensure they are completed in a timely manner.
Information Management & Communication
Ensure all IRC grants files are maintained and filed on IRC Box system and in line with the set archiving system;
Ensure tools are developed and maintained to record and track essential grants information and deadlines;
Together with the Senior Coordinator work on improving policies and developing SoPs and tools to explore and pursue new and innovative ways of working;
Contribute/lead as/if required to collate lessons learned on a regular basis and disseminate these among IRC and its partners to maximize the Programs' impact and contribute to future Programs' strategy and direction;
Develop processes to produce and maintain communication materials and factsheets for IRC’s work in line with IRC internal policies and donor compliance
Qualifications
Job Requirements:
At least a bachelor's degree in Social Science, or related field.
Solid experience and skills in negotiation and relationship brokering.
At least 5 years of relevant programme management experience.
Experience in financial management and working with budgets.
Demonstrated interpersonal skills, sound judgment, planning, team working and facilitation skills.
Strong presentation and Microsoft Office Suite
Highly developed analytical and communication skills.
Team player, with good personal and management skills, with proven track record of quality performance and timely delivery.
Excellent spoken and technical writing ability in English, including proposal and report writing
Prior knowledge of donor regulations (UNICEF, USAID, EU, DFID, Irish Aid)
Ability to juggle competing priorities, meet demanding deadlines and work under pressure in unstable security environment
Flexibility to adapt to changing requirements
IRC experience is an asset
WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, 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.
This is an unaccompanied position.
This vacancy is archived.