Senior Grants Coordinator

Job Description

Purpose and background

Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a leading emergency response and development organization, supporting communication in transition in over 40 countries. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has implemented program in Afghanistan for over 20 years and has reached over 5 million beneficiaries in Afghanistan and Pakistan through education, protection, community-driven reconstruction, health, economic recovery, and emergency response programs.

Scope of work

IRC Afghanistan’s Senior Grants Coordinator is responsible for the oversight and management for the Grants Unit. The Sr. Grants Coordinator reports directly to the Director of Awards, Business Development and Partnerships. IRC Afghanistan’s Grants Unit is composed of nine team members. The position directly manages two grants managers. The role is based in Kabul with periodic travel to the field – where security permits. Key in the country and HQ relationships are with the program technical leads, Deputy Director of Finance, Award Management Unit, and donors. The Sr. Grants Coordinator provides strategic guidance and support to the country office on issues of program development, grants/sub-grants management and compliance, and donor relations. S/he leads proposal development processes and supports a variety of aspects of projects cycle management, including information management, problem analysis, evidence-based program design, negotiation with donors and partners, grant and sub- grant monitoring and modifications, reporting, and grant closure.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Design & Proposal Development (approx 40% of time)

• Support the Director of Awards, Business Development and Partnerships and technical leads in comprehensive business development and develop funding proposals, appropriate to the context and aligned with the country-level Strategic Action Plan.

• Lead proposal development initiatives, providing overall coordination function between HQ IRC’s global technical advisors, partners, finance, operations, HR, and program focal points to ensure smooth and timely proposal development processes.

• Serve as team lead for all proposals, working with and /or overseeing other key roles (e.g. regional support team, consultants) when needed and as resources are available to support them.

• Ensure proposals are tracked with standard IRC tracking tools (e.g. OTIS, Internal tracker)

• In collaboration with MEAL Coordinator, utilize needs assessments contextual analysis results to inform project design

• Monitor major donor trends (policies, strategic directions, etc.) and funding opportunities through regular research and monitoring of information on relevant websites and/or other sources.

• Support program growth aligned with strategic priorities through liaising and collaborating with respective technical units in program design, researching context, gaps, needs assessments, and viable new funding opportunities.

• Ensure the identification, appraisal, and mapping of partners is carried out in a constructively and consistently, and that strategic partners are appropriately engaged in pre-positioning and proposals development processes.

• Interpreting donor solicitations and donor-specific rules and regulations to ensure a responsive and compliant proposal design

• Support proposal budget develop and ensure responsiveness and that it matches the technical narrative.

• Consolidate written inputs into a cohesive proposal narrative; write non-technical sections such as the management and past performance sections.

• Edit full technical proposal and budget narrative for coherence, length, uniformity, and responsiveness to the solicitation.

• Submit proposals

Grants Management and Compliance (approx 40% of time)

• Review and negotiate donor contracts and agreements

• Review any request for extension and amendments in coordination with the Director of Awards, Business Development and Partnerships Review and maintain a tracker for IRC and partners payments and expenditure per each grant

• Manage and provide overall oversight of the grants portfolio and regularly update the grants tracker for dissemination internally and to Awards Management Unit

• Ensure open, timely and accurate information flow within the Grants Unit and between the Unit and relevant departments

• Ensure the submission of timely and high-quality reports (including narrative, financial and MEAL) to donors, including the development and update of regular funding and reporting trackers and schedules for dissemination to relevant staff

• Maintain strong over sign of the portfolio and pipeline, including grant opening and closing dates to ensure timely submission of all related deliverables

• Provide technical guidance on IRC and donor regulations to ensure compliance within operations, program implementation and reporting

• Raise compliance issues proactively with program staff and the Director of Awards, Business Development and Partnerships, DDP and DDO for timely action and keep senior management informed of any projected inabilities to meet contractual obligations, reports submission and of spend rates/signification budget variances. Deputise for the Director of Awards, Business Development and Partnerships in regular project progress Review Meetings where needed.

• Mange and/or support all agreements reviews, revisions, amendments, and budget realignments, and including relevant approvals

• Coordinate closely with finance teams and review project spending plans and financial health to ensure effective spending amendments, and closeout activities

• In coordination with Director of Awards, Business Development and Partnerships, conduct project lessons learned meeting during project closeout phase

• Support negotiation of partner sub award agreements in coordination with the Partnerships Coordinator, Award Management Unit and Compliance Unit

Team Management (approx. 20% of time)

• Develop a capacity building plan for the grants staff members, and conduct regular learning sessions

• Review key reports prepared by Grants staff and provide guidance and on-job capacity strengthening as needed to ensure deliverables are met in a timely and high- quality fashion

• Ensure strategic action plan commitments and milestones owned by and/ or relating to the grants team as key contributors are delivered/supported

• Supervise Grants staff, ensuring quality outputs and effective performance management

• Maintain a spirit of openness, transparency, accountability, and mutual support in the Grants Unit

Key Working Relationships

The Grants Coordinator reports to the Director of Awards, Business Development and Partnerships and directly supervises 2 staff

Qualifications

• At least five (5) years of international work experience in relief or development program, including playing significant role in, or leading, proposal and donor submissions for institutional donors

• Prior grants management experience and familiarity with USG (USAID/BHA, BPRM) European (INTPA, ECHO, German (PATRIP, GFFO, GIZ), UN (UNICEF, OCHA), and FCDO.

• Master’s degree, in international relations, international development or related failed preferred

• Familiarity with international standards for key program areas (Sphere standards health, WASH, protection, and gender-based violence)

• Familiarity with accountability mechanisms and cross-cutting themes such as gender, age and disability will be in advantage

• Familiarity with international IRC system and process is an advantage

• Excellent written English skills and budgeting using MS Excel

Personal Specifications

• Excellent organization skills and ability to determine priorities and meet multiple deadlines

• Detail-oriented with good multi-tasking abilities and communication skills, both oral and written

• Able to work well both within a team and independently, in a challenging and fast-moving multicultural environment

• Ability to work unstable security environment and abide with the security policies

• Ability to work under pressure, long work hours, and high workload

• Ability to independently organize work and prioritize tasks

• Self-motivated, honest, highly responsible, and punctual

• Ability to work both independently and as of a team

The work environment:

Based in Kabul and will travel throughout the country to field program locations (30%). The security level remains at 3 (orange phase). This is an unaccompanied position.

Housing: Lodging in Kabul and field offices is in shared IRC guesthouses. All IRC sites have electricity and internet although some interruptions can be experienced. Food and is the individual’s responsibility.

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, Equality, Service, 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.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer IRC considers all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, colour, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.

Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality

IRC acknowledges and honors the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status or disability. IRC is also 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.

This position is equally open to national and international qualified candidates.

Qualifications