Senior Grants Manager

Background of IRC:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. 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. IRC leads the way from harm to home. Began work in Ethiopia, 1999 in response to severe drought that happened in Ethiopia’s Somali region. Currently, providing assistance in ten different regions implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response. 

Job Overview: 

The Senior Grants Manager contributes to overall grants management at IRC Ethiopia. The position reports into the Grants Coordinator. This position is based in Addis Ababa with occasional trips to field sites are required. The Senior Grants Manager will supervise grants managers under his/her portfolio and will be responsible to oversee the overall grants management of that specific grants’ portfolio, including the management of the more strategic grants within that portfolio. Additionally, she/he assists in or leads the development of proposals and budget realignment and project revisions. The Senior Grants Manager works collaboratively with the Grants and Partnership Unit members, program team including the technical coordinators, operations team, and the finance team. The IRC Ethiopia is made of grants mostly from BHA, BPRM, EU, GAVI, OCHA, SIDA, UNHCR, WFP and private foundations.

Major Responsibilities: 

Grants Management

• Lead/oversee all reporting within the designated grants’ portfolio, ensuring quality control of reports, coordinating HQ reviews and approvals before timely submission to the donor. This includes sending out the donor reporting templates a month before submission to relevant staff including setting clear timelines to ensure proper quality controls.
• Ensure project start up is done according to the Start Projects On Time (SPOT) SOP. Share appropriate documents for MoU/LoU focal point ensuring MoU/LoU processes are initiated timely.
• Facilitate or oversee all Project Cycle Meetings (PCM) are set up using the latest PCM guidance for the grants within his/her portfolio, where possible in the field and ensure representation of all relevant units and the Dashboard are updated before the meeting. Where needed coordinate with the Field Coordinator to ensure monthly BvA meetings are held and support follow-up actions to resolve grant challenges.
• Ensure that grants within his/her portfolio are implemented in compliance with IRC and relevant donor regulations.
• Ensure the Active Grants and Reporting Tracker and other information management systems and the grants filing on Box and OTIS are up to date.
• Monitor burn rates and implementation progress monthly and flag grant underperformance and compliance issues to relevant Field Coordinators, Program Coordinators and the Senior Management Team. 
• Lead and timely submit any grants amendments, including technical and budget narrative revision, budget realignments (in close collaboration with the Budgeting and Compliance Coordinator). 

Business Development/ Proposal Development

• Coordinate and oversee new proposal development (including budget development) for the recurrent grant proposals (mainly foundations and UN grants), following the donor compliance guidelines, working with and gathering input from technical coordinators, technical advisors, the Finance Department, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation staff, and the Regional Unit. 
• Ensure accurate review of new proposals (including budget) prior to timely ET Finance, HQ and donor submission. 
• Collaborate closely with IRC NY, UK, Sweden and Germany to ensure proposals meet internal standards, apply IRC’s Outcomes Evidence Framework (OEF), are in line with IRC Ethiopia’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP) and are donor compliant.

Capacity building

• Lead capacity development of relevant grants staff to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge on how to write donor reports and donor compliance
• Provide orientation and on-the-job training to the Grants Managers. 

Liaison and Special Tasks

• Act as a focal point for all donor communications in his/her assigned portfolio. Communicate with donors and attend donor meetings in order to share IRC’s accomplishments as well as to stay up-to-date on the latest donor developments and requirements, with a special focus on Donor, HQ/Field communications and information exchange.

• Lead and Coordinate donor field visits and follow up that monitoring feedback of the donor is addressed.

• Oversee the distribution to IRC staff in Addis, HQ and field offices of all documentation (grant proposals, reports, budget, etc.) related to their specific programs.

• Ensure an updated inventory of all communications related to programs/donors.

• Oversee that all visibility requirements for the grants in the portfolio are met in a timely manner and properly documented and shared.

• Ensure that the donor is timely updated for any new developments, security, and context changes, etc.

• Complete special projects as assigned by the Grants Coordinator that may fall outside the job description and backstop the Grants Coordinator, as needed.

Team Management and Capacity Building

• Undertake regular 1 to 1 meeting with grants team members under his/her supervision and follow-up action points.

• Provide orientation and on-the-job training to the grants managers which may cover donor compliance rules and regulations, Power Bi, OTIS, budget development etc).

Safeguarding Responsibilities: 

• Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC [team/office]
• Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies

Educational Requirements:

• BA degree required; Master’s degree International Affairs, Social Sciences, Accounting, Economics, or STEM (Science, Technology and Math) strongly preferred.

Preferred experience & skills: 

• At least 5 years of experience in program management and or grants management and proposal/business development/design; or

• At least 1 year of management experience

• Prior knowledge of donor (ECHO, EU, USAID, BHA, BPRM, DFID, SIDA, UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA etc.) and government regulations preferred.

• Advanced MS Excel and Math skills required (skills will be tested through an exam) and are the most important requirement for this position.

• Good communication with strong organizational, time management and analytical skills.

• Excellent inter-personal, cultural and diplomatic skills.

• Flexibility to adapt to changing requirements.

• Strong capacity to mentor and build capacity of staff.

• Ability to juggle competing priorities, meet demanding deadlines and work under pressure in unstable security environments.

• Strong computer skills required.

• Previous successful experience developing projects, writing winning proposals and donor reports preferred.

Language Skills:   

• Fluency in English, spoken and written, is the most important requirement for this job; 
• Fluency in Amharic is advantageous. (The written English skills will be tested through an exam).

How To Apply

Candidates meeting the above qualifications are encouraged to apply only through the below IRC On-line recruitment website: 

IRC Career Site: - https://careers.rescue.org/us/en/job/req53120/Senior-Grants-Manager

Please include 3 references from current and former employers.

Applications will not be returned. IRC discourages phone calls or personal visits.

Only applicants meeting the minimum qualification will be short listed and contacted.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Your application letter/cover letter must include the following information. 

• Name of the position you have applied for 

• Date of application 

• Summary of  your qualifications and experience 

• Motivation/objective of why you have applied for the job

• Permanent Address and present address (if different from permanent) and telephone number if possible also email address 

• Disclose any family relationships with existing IRC employees. 

IRC is an equal employment opportunity employer.  IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability. 

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. 

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 Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons. 

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.