Partnerships Manager

Job Description

Job Overview

The Partnerships Manager is a key position supporting the Poland Country Program. With the overall objective of achieving high-quality and compliant programming, the main goal of this position is to manage a partnership portfolio and support the Partnership Working Group to ensure effective sub-grants management and build strong, sustainable partnerships. The Partnerships Manager will coordinate the daily management of sub-awards under their management and invest in their sustainable growth and capacity for the Poland portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

Promote Effective Partnerships

· Promote and apply the IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS).

· Contribute to building a strong understanding of PEERS throughout the Poland Country Program through the provision of information to relevant departments and organization of relevant capacity-building activities, to ensure that IRC’s partnership principles, skills, and approaches are applied by staff across programs and projects with partners.

· Facilitate systematic partner feedback on IRC’s management of the partnership relationship, including the documentation of, and response to partner feedback.

Partnership Management

· Help Country Program in the assessment of the CSO landscape and mapping and engaging appropriate and diverse partners (including QNGOs, LTGs, diaspora led organizations, INGOs, etc.).

· Lead the partnership vetting and due diligence processes with relevant departments.

· Ensure that the partners project proposals are compliant with IRC and donor standards.

· Lead the overall management of all partnerships in the designated portfolio and support the Partnership Working Group with facilitation and coordination of all partnership management processes to ensure well-planned, timely, coordinated, and coherent partnership management on the CP level.

· Support the CP in the facilitation of Partnership Project Opening, review and Closing Meetings.

· Coordinate partners' narrative and finance reporting processes, ensuring that relevant departments provide timely and appropriate feedback.

· Act as the IRC Poland focal point and main contact for partnerships, communicating information with the team and escalating questions or concerns as needed.

· Maintain complete and organized partnership files according to PEERS requirements for each partner and regularly update Partnership Project Tracker / Monitoring Schedule.

· In compliance with PEERS, process sub-award agreements and agreement modifications on IRC’s Opportunity Tracking Information System (OTIS) in a timely manner, ensuring that the relevant IRC units (in-country and at the HQ) provide their inputs and approvals.

· Support the Partnership Working Group to ensure that the Monitoring Visits to the partners are planned timely and effectively.

· Ensure that the partner support plans are implemented in line with the Partnership Agreements and monitor the engagement of the partners in the implementation of PA Special Conditions.

· In collaboration with the Partnership Working Group, ensuring that the close out of partnership projects are performed in alignment with PEERS and Partnership Agreements compliance requirements.

· Perform other relevant tasks within the Grants and Partnership Department, set by the Senior Grants and Partnerships Coordinator.

Qualifications

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Mandatory:

· BA degree or equivalent in International Development or Affairs, Finance, Business or related field; Advanced degree a plus – or equivalent work experience

· Minimum of 3 years’ experience with I/NGOs

· IRC PEERs experience is preferred

· Demonstrated successful experience working with partners

· Knowledge of key donor rules and regulations (in particular U.S. Government, Sida, and ECHO)

· Highly organized, close attention to detail, and ability to effectively prioritize tasks in a fluid environment

· Ability to work well independently but also coordinate with other teams

· Willingness to travel frequently to field offices and partner locations

· Professional fluency in spoken and written English and Polish; able to communicate concisely.

· Very strong English writing and editing skills; strong computer skills.