Partnerships Senior Officer

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

Background/IRC Summary: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees required to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC Yemen began its programs in October 2012. Since establishing its presence in the South of Yemen, in the Coastal city of Aden, the organization has grown from just implementing small projects to handling large-scale emergency and relief operations. Following the war which broke out in Yemen in March of 2015 and the humanitarian disaster, which was crafted by the same, IRC launched an emergency response program in the southern governorates of Aden, Lahj, Abyan, Shabwah, and Al Dhale’e. Currently IRC Yemen is operating in eight governorates in the south and north of Yemen and Sana’a and Hodeidah in the North through direct programming and with local partnerships, in Health, WASH, Nutrition, Economic Recovery Development, Education, Child Protection, Gender and Women Protection and Empowerment.

SCOPE OF WORK:

IRC is currently seeking a qualified and experienced individual for the role of Partnerships Senior Officer. The primary responsibility of this position is to provide support and guidance to the partnership processes in alignment with the Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS).

JOB SUMMARY:

Based in Aden, Yemen, with frequent travel to partner locations, the PSO will work in the Partnerships Department to handle the management and coordination of IRC's partnership-related work in accordance with the IRC PEERS. Reporting to the Partnerships Manager (PM), the PSO will play a key role in supporting partners and IRC in the development of joint projects.

The role will own the facilitation and coordination of partnership management processes, in close coordination with the line manager and, other partnership members, and other IRC departments, to ensure well-planned, timely, coordinated, and coherent partnership management. The candidate also focusses on capacity sharing with partners and program staff to build solid capacity sharing plans across organization partnerships portfolio.

WORKING RELATIONS:

- Position Reports to: Partnerships Manager - · Position directly supervises: no direct reports - · Indirect Reporting: N/A - · Other Internal and/or external representatives: - · Internal: IRC Yemen program, MEAL, and operations departments, HQ and Regional teams, Program Coordinators, Regional partnership team - · External: In-country donor counterparts, partner organizations,

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Partnership Agreement Management

- · Co-facilitate and guide partner selection processes to identify new partners, as well as new applications from existing partners. - · Review Partners’ submitted proposals and budgets - · Conduct & facilitate Partner Identity and Background Review (Vetting) processes, including completion of the report and or review of reports prepared by other team members. - · Coordinate and co-lead Partnership Capacity Analysis (PCA) processes, including chipping in and facilitating the collaborative risk management approach. - · Coordinate with the department lead to agree/review appropriate partnership agreement type and draft agreement, taking into account the due diligence outcomes and specific project and donor compliance requirements, coordinating with HQ for review and approval (and obtaining donor approvals as needed). - · Lead/Co-lead Partnership Project Opening, Review and Closing Meetings, together with the Technical leads. - · Coordinate and participate in timely and effective partner program, finance, and compliance review and reflection (monitoring), and work with the rest of the Partnership Team, Operations Leads, and Technical Leads to address any project performance issues. - · Coordinate narrative and finance reporting processes, including review and feedback. - · Liaise with finance to achieve timely funds transfers and proper financial follow up and support for partners and address any challenges in payments and raise proposed disallowed costs to SMT. - · Work collaboratively with the partnership team, partners and IRC staff to constructively resolve any issues that may arise. - · Maintain complete and organized partnership files for each partner. - · Any other relevant tasks, set by the PM.

- Strategy and Program Approach

- · Lead with the PM the stakeholder analysis process, including to identify local actors that offer capacity strengthening services. - · Lead/co-lead the mapping of local actor for all relevant sectors.

- Capacity Sharing Activities

- · Member of the Partnership Working Group (PWG), and co-responsible for delivering the functions of the PWG. - · Facilitate the development and delivery of the partner project support plan, ensuring that it appropriately addresses issues identified in the due diligence process, and coordinate with relevant departments for the timely, quality implementation of the plan. - · Coordinate with relevant departments, including MEAL, to ensure that partners receive the necessary support. - · Ensure IRC understands partners capacity strengthening priorities, and finds opportunities and plans to support partner capacity strengthening efforts. - · Support the resourcing of organizational development support where appropriate for partners with the coordination and support of the PM; - · Develop materials and processes consistent with best practice to address partner technical and organizational priorities, including: designing and facilitating learning events, providing mentoring and coaching, facilitating peer learning, developing e-learning modules and videos, and using other learning methodologies as appropriate. - · Find opportunities for IRC to facilitate and promote learning among and between local actors. - · Where appropriate, facilitate an Organizational Development process with partners through a participatory process and in close collaboration with the organization’s leadership (process includes preliminary discussions, participatory self-assessment, action planning, implementation, tracking and documenting progress). - · Collaborate with technical coordinators to integrate technical capacity sharing approaches, including how we learn from local partners. - · Lead in capacity sharing monitoring, evaluating, learning and periodic reporting, including documenting successful capacity sharing methods that can be scaled. - · Identify areas for mutual learning between IRC staff and partners, so that IRC can learn from unique partner practices and innovations. - Develop IRC Capacity - · Promote mutual learning and good partnership among IRC staff. - · Play an active role in the development of capacity sharing standards and best practices for the country and /or region.

Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS: (Qualifications, Skills and Abilities):

A. Education:

· Bachelor degree or equivalent in International Development or Affairs, Finance, Business or related field; Advanced degree a plus.

Be Experience:

· Minimum of 2 years’ work experience with International or Local NGOs

· Knowledge and good skills with computer; MS office, internet/emails, standard spreadsheet excel databases.

· Demonstrated experience in sub-award management, grants management, and/or MEAL.

· Knowledge of major donor compliance requirements, including ECHO, is a plus

C. Skills and Abilities:

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Arabic

· Understanding of humanitarian funding and donor requirements

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills

· Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

· Ability to negotiate and manage complex priorities.

· Ability to work effectively in a cross-cultural environment.

· Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

· Problem-solving skills

· Adaptability

D. Proficiencies:

· Active listening and effective communication skills

· Critical thinking and problem-solving skills

· Professionalism and strong work ethic

· Ability to receive and respond to feedback positively

· Resilience under pressure

· Positive interpersonal skills

· Proven capability to collaborate optimally within a team environment.

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

Professional Standards: 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

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, marital status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer 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.