Senior Grants Coordinator
Job Description
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been working in Yemen since 2012 and rapidly scaled the programming in 2015 to address greater humanitarian needs caused by the conflict, violence, food insecurity, and economic blockage through providing emergency aid, critical healthcare, economic empowerment, women’s protection, and empowerment, and education programming. The IRC currently operates in the south and north of the country through direct programming and local partnerships, with main offices in Aden and Sana’a and field offices in Abyan, Al Dhale’e, and Hodeidah governorates.
Position overview
The Senior Grants Coordinator is responsible for the timely and effective management of a large multi-donor grant portfolio. This position manages all functions of the grant’s unit at IRC Yemen, inclusive of proposal development, reporting, donor compliance, and other administration. The Senior Grants Coordinator reports to the Deputy Director of Grants and Accountability (DDGA) and manages a team of two Grants Managers and one Grants Officer. The position will work closely with Technical Program Coordinators, M&E Staff, Field Coordinators, in-country support units, Regional/HQ colleagues. The role is based in Aden with occasional travel to program sites across Yemen.
Responsibilities
Proposal Development:
• Ensure that the IRC system for handling proposal development with management, programs, finance, and operations departments is understood and respected, and results in timely and quality submissions.
• In collaboration with the DDGA and HQ colleagues, proactively identify new funding opportunities by monitoring and analyzing donor strategies and funding trends.
• Support the DDGA/DDP in the development of new program design.
• Prepare for and lead Go/No Go meetings for funding opportunities as required.
• Oversee the development of all concept notes and proposals, acting as the lead writer or editor. Develop efficient process management tools for proposal development.
• Outline and communicate clear roles and responsibilities and timelines for each department. Facilitate effective cross-departmental coordination.
• Thoroughly review all proposal documents to ensure coherence throughout narratives, log frames, and budgets. Ensure all proposal outputs are accurate, complete, of high quality, and submitted on time.
• Act as focal point with HQ/external consultants during proposal review, editing, and submission.
Grants Administration:
• Hold a broad and deep understanding of the IRC’s policies and of the terms and conditions across the grant portfolio and ensure that IRC regulations and procedures are developed and maintained by the Grants unit.
• Review donor agreements and coordinate their review and signature with relevant HQ offices. Coordinate the approval of pre-award spending as required.
• Coordinate all project/program revisions, amendments, and budget realignments.
• Ensure the timely and productive facilitation of Project Cycle Meetings (PCM), including project design, opening, implementation, closing, and learning meetings. Capture all action points and regularly follow up to completion.
• Maintain and disseminate a regularly updated grants tracker.
• Ensure all departmental communication with IRC colleagues and donors is constructive, clear, and organized.
• Work with the Grants team to ensure that the grants information management and filing system is respected and all donor contractual documents, reports, key correspondence etc. are appropriately filed in up-to-date and consistent soft libraries.
• Ensure IRC’s internal Opportunity Tracking Information System (OTIS) is updated and maintained throughout the awards lifecycle.
• Provide training and mentoring to country program staff/partners on donor compliance, program reporting, proposal development.
• Act as focal point for communications with HQ on all grants administration functions.
Donor Compliance and Relations:
• Serve as the first point of contact for Grant and Compliance related questions that arise in-country. Offer advice to staff (senior management, finance, procurement, etc.) on resolving compliance issues.
• Coordinate with HQ on specialized compliance matters as required.
• Undertake the 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.
• Develop and update compliance cheat sheets for all grants.
• In coordination with the DDP and Policy, Advocacy & Communications Coordinator, assist in ensuring appropriate and effective IRC and donor visibility in program sites and materials.
Reporting:
• Oversee the development and delivery of all internal and external reports in collaboration with the programs, finance, supply chain and MEAL departments.
• Maintain a comprehensive reports tracker and regularly communicate with all relevant team members about upcoming deadlines and specific report requirements.
• Lead the production of high-quality and well-written reports which meet donor and IRC requirements.
• Thoroughly review and confirm that all reports and supplementary documents are complete and accurate.
• Coordinate HQ and technical unit reviews and approvals prior to donor submission.
• Ensure strict compliance with internal and donor deadlines.
Departmental Leadership and Staff Management:
• Supervise the Grants team and provide on-the-job training, especially in terms of proposal development/report writing. Discuss job expectations, set objectives, and provide appropriate and timely feedback regarding performance.
• Ensure clear delineation of roles and responsibilities and logical portfolio allocation for all team members.
• Oversee recruitment of new staff as required. Ensure comprehensive onboarding and training for new hires.
Other:
• Other relevant duties as assigned by supervisor to further IRC programs.
Qualifications
• Minimum of six years of experience in humanitarian grants management in a multi-donor, multi-sector working environment.
• Demonstrated experience in an inter-departmental coordination role and the ability to communicate with and balance the priorities of a range of stakeholders.
• Extensive experience leading the development of large multi-sector funding proposals.
• Advanced skills in donor report drafting and compilation, including the coordination of inputs and development of complex documents across different departments.
• In-depth knowledge of institutional donor compliance required. Knowledge of BHA, ECHO, GFFO, SIDA, and USAID requirements a particular advantage.
• Exceptional English writing and editing skills required. Able to draft and edit detailed documents for donor submission with minimal oversight.
• Previous experience in a conflict-affected or protracted crisis setting strongly preferred. Experience in a range of operational settings is preferred.
Competencies
• Strong cross-cultural communication skills and eager to work as part of a diverse team. Sensitive to interpersonal differences and a range of viewpoints.
• Ability to manage and lead a team to achieve goals in a complex working environment.
• Exceptional advance planning and organizational skills. Able to effectively prioritize and follow multiple activities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Analytical, strategic, and able to proactively develop solutions to complex challenges.
• Reliable, patient, and able to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Highly resilient and comfortable working in an insecure environment with restricted personal freedoms.
Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the 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: 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.
Work Environment: There is active conflict in parts of the country and a possibility of the conflict expanding into other locations. The situation in Aden is currently quiet but remains unpredictable. Security will be thoroughly discussed during the interview process.
Housing: Lodging in Aden is in shared IRC guesthouse apartments. All IRC sites have electricity and internet.
The IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, colour, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.
Qualifications