Senior Officer, Multilateral and International Financial Institutions ( IFI )

Organizational Context

Job Purpose

The main purpose of the role is to provide leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation to execute IFRC’s strategy for engagement with European Union (EU) to consolidate and/or establish strategic partnerships and increase income to reach the targets set in IFRC’s Plan and Budget while being an effective voice in the complex and 
constantly evolving field of international resource mobilization. 

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Lead Partnership Development 
• Explore, develop, influence and manage harmonised partnership with EU services with the aim of increasing as much as possible partnership with DGs other than ECHO, e.g.: DG INTPA, DG NEAR.
• Lead and represent IFRC at a senior level in EU outreach, dialogue, strategic meetings, events and consultations to influence EU’s priorities and budget allocations in support of IFRC objectives and to strengthen responsiveness and effectiveness of resource mobilization.
• Stay abreast of relevant EU policies and decisions to remain aware of organizational and political shifts, identify ways IFRC can respond to such shifts as well as to ensure coherence across operations; ensure systematic analysis of funding trends, develop funding targets and forecast income projections. 
• Monitor reporting requirements and proactively address any areas of risk and potential solutions. Advise management on requirements and areas of risk as well as proactive mitigation measures.
• Follow-up closely EU trends on programmatic partnership and make sure IFRC is properly positioned to be a partner of choice.
• Provide key strategic advice and support to IFRC’s leadership accompanying senior leadership and/or attending on their behalf high level meetings and other strategic fora with EU officials; prepare briefing notes, talking points and reports for such meetings. 
• Maintain EU relationships through innovative approaches and promote organizations’ objectives and strategies while ensuring complementary of work and objectives between IFRC and EU.

Explore, Identify and Secure Investment Opportunities and Projects
• Conduct research, analysis and advise accordingly on identifying EU services that are able to engage with and define opportunities for the organization. 
• Work proactively with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and IFRC’s five regional offices to leverage and accompany the engagement with EU entities.
• Propose and structure financial instruments and navigate complex funding mechanisms.
• Diversify as much as possible partnership opportunities with EU entities by consolidating and expanding opportunities with new DGs.
• Foster and maintain strong relationships with the Red Cross EU office in Brussels and with the European National Societies (EUNSs) to develop funding synergies and complementarities.
• Contribute and lead on how to translate strategic priorities into concrete partnership opportunities.
• Involve the Programme and Operations Division, and Regional Offices in the development of partnership strategies with the EU as well as other key stakeholders.
• Coordinate with Communications Department to increase visibility of IFRC/EU partnership.
• Assist regional offices in building sustainable, long-term contacts with EU’s country/regional representation offices, facilitating exploratory meetings by accompanying regional SPRM colleagues and discussing joint investment opportunities and new opportunities. 

Guide and Support National Society Capacity Building 
• Support and accompany the exposure of NSs to EU at the field level, helping them create a strong storyline that highlights successes and other areas of opportunities. 
• Ensure that key local EU offices, receive regular visits and updates from SPRM colleagues based in regional offices and from NSs.
• Support NSs to better leverage their auxiliary status vis-à-vis their own Governments with the aim of increasing access to EU funding instruments.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

Manage SPRM Tools and Systems in line with IFRC quality standards
• Support the renewal and negotiation of partnership frameworks and of standard operational procedures with EU services.
• Provide technical support, advice and coaching to IFRC’s regional, cluster and country offices on the negotiation and management of funding agreements with DG ECHO and other EU entities.
• Ensure effective use of the different tools to manage EU partnership; monitor progress of the portfolio commitments to meet funding targets and make sure due diligence is applied including IFRC’s capacity to deliver to meet partner expectations with special emphasis to reporting, auditing and visibility. 
• Monitor progress and performance towards deliverables, identify risks and inform senior management of actions to be taken to mitigate risks. Participate and/or lead where relevant, in EU’s evaluations, assessments, reviews and/or audits to ensure IFRC systems and operations are accurately represented, and partner requirements are successfully met. 
• Ensure appropriate levels of EU visibility is reflected in IFRC publications, website, media and online presence, in collaboration with the Communications Department. 
• Liaise and coordinate the inputs of the other IFRC’s technical departments whose inputs are required to foster partnership with EU; this is including -but not limited to- the departments of finance, audit, legal, procurement, audit, communication.

Lead IFRC external and Internal engagement on special projects carried out in partnership with other aid agencies:
• Contribute to thought leadership on how to operationalize and translate strategic priorities into concrete actions.
• Manage multiple stakeholder projects and funds throughout the project life cycle; monitor implementation and deadlines and ensure activities and expenditures are aligned with the terms and conditions set out in the agreements.
• Navigate through complex and multiple funding mechanisms, propose and structure financial instruments.
• Process and analyse data from projects to support planning, policy and advocacy at regional and global levels.
• Facilitate coordination, collaboration and the sharing of knowledge, best practices and lessons learned, internally and externally – within the movement and with partners.
• Work very closely with other file holders within the Multilateral unit and provide cross-support as needed in the work with other multilateral organizations leveraging the experience with the EU.

Contribute to an effective, high quality IFRC team:
• Support the USG-GRHDD, the Director of SPRM and unit manager with regular progress reports on results against objectives and risk analysis.
• Work in close consultation and develop synergies with members of other units of the SPRM team in Geneva and in the regions. Pro-actively liaise with other relevant departments at IFRC’s Secretariat (e.g.: audit, finance, legal, procurement) to improve and innovate the tools required to engage in new partnership.

Education

Required

• Master’s degree in international development, International Relations, Law or other relevant fields.

Experience

Required

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in leading multilateral partnerships and 
  resource development functions at a global level for a national/ international 
  organisation. 
• Experience in partnering with the EU. 
• Proven track record in multilateral partnerships, and in achieving results in 
  increasing partner base and raising public sector funds at levels over CHF 10 
  million/year.
• Experience managing multilateral partner and resource development relations in 
  a context of humanitarian and/or development programmes.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Knowledge and Skills 

Required

• Advanced knowledge of multilateral and IFI landscape, priorities, policies and financing instruments designed to enhance the effectiveness of humanitarian action and attainment of the SDGs.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate funding agreements, to structure financial instruments, and to navigate complex funding mechanisms.
• Demonstrated knowledge in communicating with high level partners and 
  successfully navigating multilateral and IFI partner decision-making processes, funding instruments and requirements.
• Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills contributing to a client-focused culture. An ability to be proactive and 
  persuasive.
• Experience in identifying and articulating strategic issues, risks and priorities to be brought to the attention of senior management.
• Proven ability to translate strategy into action and to undertake analysis on 
  investment opportunities and returns on investment.
• Results oriented and demand-driven individual; strategic thinker,
  entrepreneurial and hands on.
• Track record in producing high quality work within short deadlines and ability to make effective, timely decisions.
• High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with internal and 
  external clients and stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary 
  environment.
• Fluency in Microsoft office tools.

Languages 

Required

• Fluent spoken and written English

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust