Senior Grants Coordinator at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Requisition ID: req3274
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Sector: Grants
Employment Category: Regular
Employment Type: Full-Time

Background

• The IRC entered Nigeria in October 2012 in response to a widespread flood disaster. Since then, the IRC has expanded its scope and size of the programs as new areas became accessible after prolonged conflict and insecurity in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States
• The IRC’s response to the humanitarian situation includes integrated Health and Nutrition services, Reproductive Health care and Women Protection services, Environmental Health, Child Protection, Economic Recovery and Development, Education and General Protection
• In 2015, IRC Nigeria developed a five-year long term Strategy Action Plan: The plan has Health, Education and Economic Wellbeing as high priority program areas.

Scope of Work

• The Senior Grants Coordinator (SGC) will be directly supervised by the Deputy Director for Programs (DDP)
• The position is based in Maiduguri, Borno State with occasional travel to other IRC field sites in the North East
• S/he will be central to ensuring coordination and quality of all grants matters for the country program, working together with the DDP to drive the country programs business development strategy, and directly supervising the Grants Managers and Partnerships Manager
• S/he will work to increase visibility of both the humanitarian context in the NE as well as IRC Nigeria profiling
• The SGC will work collaboratively with the IRC’s senior management team, Senior Program Coordinator, the technical coordinators, operations team, and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team.

Key Responsibilities
Business Development:

• Together with the DDP, lead the development process of a comprehensive and coherent business development strategy and help prioritize approaches to donors for the Country Program.
• Research and analyze the changing donor environment and strategies and advise on effective influencing of donors, linking in with affiliate HQ (donor leads) as appropriate.
• Oversee the delivery of the grants and partnerships commitments in the implementation of the IRC Nigeria 2020 Strategic Action Plan (SAP).
• In coordination with the DDP, oversee the grants unit development of concept notes and proposals (including program design meetings) to ensure quality and alignment with both internal and donor standards and compliance.
• Oversee coordination across departments and with relevant HQ units in relation to proposal development and project revisions and donor reporting.
• Conduct final quality control reviews of all proposal packages assembled by the Grants Managers.
• Lead on proposal development as needed.

Grants and Partnerships Management:

• Ensure that grants are implemented in compliance with IRC and relevant donor regulations.
• Ensure uniform and effective systems are in place and utilized for proposal development, information management, and grant management (including reporting, implementation monitoring and tracking, and filing) across the Grants Unit.
• Monitor and support the use of grant management tools such as FM01, Budget vs. Actual (BvA), and OTIS for the proper monitoring and the successful, compliant implementation of programs and early warning in case of obstacles or challenges.
• Play a key role in Grant Opening and Closing Meetings, as well as monthly/regular grants management meetings, which include representation from each unit (finance, programs, and logistics) and ensure proper follow up of issues raised.
• Monitor and supervise all external reporting to ensure timely delivery of high-quality reports which meet donor and IRC requirements.
• Lead on report drafting as needed.
• Review donor agreements and coordinate their review with the relevant IRC HQ office.
• Support IRC Nigeria’s strategic approach to partnerships and ensure that partnership and sub-grant related administrative processes and procedures are consistently implemented throughout the program, including pre-award compliance checks, agreements, and disbursements and reporting.
• Support Grants Managers and Partnership Manager to ensure ensuring HQ staff are kept informed of important issues affecting the country program’s portfolio and ensure that IRC business practices are rolled out to Nigeria staff.

Communication:

• Work with program sector leads to develop and produce IRC information materials such factsheets, program updates, emergency situation reports, newsletters, contributions to global IRC news bulletin, and annual and sector reviews.
• Facilitate development of success stories for reporting and  lessons learned to inform project design
• Oversee knowledge management of all communications related to programs/donors and ensure communication and visibility requirements are met.
• Work with the DDP to coordinate any donor visits and facilitate any reasonable requests from funding affiliates and governing bodies.

Staff Management and Capacity Building:

• Supervise Grants Managers and Partnership Manager and provide on-the-job training. Discuss job expectations, set objectives, and provide appropriate and timely feedback regarding performance.
• Develop a deep understanding of relevant donor policies, regulations and procedures and train other country team members in these areas.
• Ensure staff from Grants, Programs and Operations departments, as well as staff from any sub-partners, receive trainings and capacity building to enable them fulfill their responsibilities with regard to proposal development, grant management, and donor reporting and compliance.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree or equivalent in International Affairs, Communications, Development or related subject
• At least four years of experience working in project and/or grants management and proposal/business development/design
• Excellent oral and written reporting skills and demonstrated ability to write and edit reports and proposals and to meet required deadlines
• Working knowledge of budget development and management
• Experience conducting assessments, preferably using participatory approaches
• Excellent inter-personal, cultural, and diplomatic skills
• Ability to work in unstable security environments
• Prior knowledge of donor regulations (UN, SIDA, USAID/OFDA, Europe Aid, USIAD/FFP, DFID, SV, SDC and ECHO)
• Fluent written and spoken English required
• International experience with preference in Africa
• Previous successful experience developing projects and writing proposals and reports for public donors
• Good communicator with strong organizational, time management, and analytical skills
• 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
• IRC experience is an asset.

Specific Security Situation/Housing

• The Senior Grants Coordinator will be based in Maiduguri, Nigeria with travel throughout the country. The security situation in Nigeria continues to be volatile in the NE with the security level at 4 (red)
• The candidate should be prepared to work in insecure environments
• This is a non-accompanied position. The Senior Grants Coordinator will live in shared housing.  

Standards For Professional Conduct

• 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.