Deputy Director – Education Research in Conflict and Protracted Crisis (ERICC)

Job Description

PROGRAMME SCOPE

The IRC is looking for a Deputy Director for a pivotal management role on a research consortium. The Education Research in Conflict and Protracted Crisis (ERICC) is the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) three-year contract, £15.8 million programme to lead research on the most effective approaches to education. We include New York University Global TIES, Centre for Lebanese Studies, Common Heritage Foundation, Forcier Consulting, ODI, Osman Consulting, and Queen Rania Foundation. We work in seven countries (Jordan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Syria, Lebanon, South Sudan, and Myanmar).

This role is for an expert manager of contracts and finance on FCDO commercial contracts. The ERICC Deputy Director will 1) lead a competitive grant fund; and 2) supervise overall contractual, financial and operational management for ERICC. You will be a core Programme Management Team member and interact frequently with the Consortium.

Key Working Relationships

Reports to the ERICC Programme Director

Leads work of finance and grants staff

Specific Responsibilities

1) Grant fund. We will allocate funds (approx. £2.4M in total) to partners in ERICC focal countries to support the cost of piloting, scaling up and adapting education programmes.

1.1 Pre-Award:

· Develop standard operating procedures for the fund, including eligibility criteria, appropriate vetting, due diligence, compliance procedures, procedures for avoiding real or perceived conflict of interest, and financial management.

· Assess the number, size, and length of grants to be funded and number of funding windows.

· Set up appropriate arrangements with FCDO for IRC to act as an agent to grant funds.

· Work with web developers to build a portal for proposal submission and review, including ensuring accessibility and equity for all marginalized groups

· Develop information strategy for potential applicants and build Frequently Asked Questions

· Coordinate calls for proposals, initial screening & vetting, and crafting the scoring criteria.

· Establish and convene the proposal Review Panel.

1.2 Post-Award:

· Onboard Grantees and provide technical assistance, and ensure regular reporting.

· Support grantees, particularly smaller organizations, on financial systems, monitoring, and evaluation (M&E), safeguarding, risk management and governance.

· Develop procedures for disbursement of, and invoicing for, grant funds

· Coordinate with grantees to receive and review timely narrative and financial grant reports

· Build systems to identify problems at the grantee level and to put in place remedial actions.

· Supervise projects against objectives and in compliance with donor and IRC guidelines.

· Draft responses to FCDO enquiries or Parliamentary Questions.

· Share progress reports with the ERICC Research Directorate and FCDO.

1.2 Closeout:

· Lead Grantees Closeout Process including issuing closure letters, feedback form, closeout meeting, closeout audit, asset disposal processes, and documentation filling.

2) Provide operational, financial and contractual oversight of the programme, including:

· Serve as the primary liaison for FCDO contractual compliance and contract management.

· Ensure sound financial management (forecasting, monitor budget vs actuals, cash flow, etc)

· Conduct financial analysis to ensure value for money and adequate funding to achieve results

· Contracting with partners, including vetting, pre-award assessment, and agreeing on budgets and special conditions.

· Support workplanning based on priorities identified by programme leadership.

· Support the preparation and submission of donor reports.

· Ensure strong risk management and mitigation.

· Ensure institutional capacity strengthening for project sub-contractors on key issues such as governance, key policies, human resources, transparency, safeguarding, and finance.

· Lead process for consultancies and commissioned work.

· To deputize the Programme Director when required.

EXPERIENCE

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:

- Significant experience in leading FCDO contracts, particularly operational, contracts, and financial leadership and management - Experience in running funds or other large granting mechanisms - Budget development and spending plans, and supervise the financial health of projects - Risk assessment and mitigation, due diligence assessments and/or audits - Excellent written and oral English - Excellent IT skills (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel) - Track record of working on own initiative as well as on diverse teams. - Maintaining positive relationships with collaborators, and having excellent communication skills - Ability to lead varied workload and work under pressure

Preferred Experience and Skills:

- Experience of working in international organisation or on a consortia - Research project experience - Having worked in one or more of: Jordan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, South Sudan, Bangladesh and Myanmar

All IRC staff are required to adhere to The IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

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