Grants Officer

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R – response, resilience and respect – to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate – our raison d’être – of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability. IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi); the Americas (Panama); Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe. The IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. As part of the Asia Pacific Region, the Afghanistan country delegation supports Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) through capacity strengthening and program implementation guided by the ARCS’s established strategic plan in the areas of health, disaster risk management, food security and livelihoods, social outreach, organizational development. In line with the IFRC Strategy 2030 and the Agenda for Renewal, which emphasize influencing humanitarian action through effective partnership engagement, strengthening a united and agile Secretariat, enabling a coordinated IFRC-wide approach, and fostering IFRC as a trusted organization, there is a critical need to strengthen grants management processes within IFRC Afghanistan Country Delegation. This position will reinforce IFRC’s ability to ensure effective grants compliance, systematic tracking large grants, robust financial and programmatic reporting, and proactive risk management across the full grant’s lifecycle. By strengthening oversight, coordination, and accountability mechanisms, the role will support the transparent, compliant, and timely use of Partner/Donor funds in line with IFRC policies, partner/donor requirements, and operational priorities in Afghanistan.

Reporting to the Manager, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Strategic Partnerships and under the technical supervision of the Head of SPRM, Asia Pacific Regional Office, the Officer, Grant Management will ensure the effective coordination and compliant delivery of a portfolio of grants in the IFRC Afghanistan Country Delegation. The role leads internal grants coordination in close alignment with Programmes and Operations, Quality and Accountability, Finance, risk management teams and works closely with the relevant thematic leads and project managers to ensure donor compliance, accurate tracking of contributions, and timely, high quality financial, narrative and impact reporting.

Grant Management and Compliance

• Oversee the management of medium to large-scale grants in close collaboration with Operations and Programmes, Quality and Accountability, and Finance teams.
• Coordinate grant amendments, extensions, budget revisions, and donor approvals
• Ensure full compliance with partner and donor requirements, including contractual obligations, reporting standards, and agreed timelines.
• Coordinate and facilitate monthly and quarterly review meetings with key partners and donors to monitor progress against grant objectives and implementation timeframes.
• Act as focal point for coordinating donor reviews and compliance checks and ensure timely follow-up on the findings and donor recommendations
• Support the Quality and Accountability team in the preparation and submission of timely, accurate, and high-quality narrative and financial reports as well as other products as required.

Internal Coordination and Collaboration

• Provide technical advice to Operations and Programmes teams on donor and contractual compliance requirements throughout the grant lifecycle.
• Strengthen internal grants management systems, processes, and tools, including the development and maintenance of interactive grant tracking mechanisms and standardized templates.
• Lead grant kick-off, quarterly review, and mid-term meetings within the IFRC Afghanistan Country Delegation, and coordinate frequent cross departmental meetings to track implementation of medium to large-scale grants.
• Work closely with the relevant thematic leads and project managers to support coordinated grant implementation and compliance with the host national society.
• Monitor grant expenditure, burn rates, and forecasts in close coordination with Finance and support early identification of under or over expenditure risks.
• Contribute to financial planning aligned with donor conditions and implementation capacity.

Partnerships management and development:

• Manage day-to-day relationships with key institutional donors and partners who support medium to major grants.
• Support strategic partner mapping and engagement planning for Afghanistan and contribute to donor briefings, updates, and field visit coordination.
• Contribute to humanitarian diplomacy messaging linked to funding and partnership supporting the alignment between operational realities and donor communications.
• Support ARCS capacity strengthening in grants management and related aspects.
• Promote harmonized grant management approaches between IFRC and ARCS.
• Contribute to longer-term sustainability of ARCS partnership and resource mobilization capacity.
• Maintain centralized grants management databases and dashboards Ensure accurate contribution records and tracking in IFRC ERP systems Proposal Development.
• Lead the development of high-quality grant proposals, concept notes, and funding applications in line with IFRC priorities and donor requirements.
• Coordinate inputs from Operations and Programmes, Quality and Accountability, Finance, risk management and the IFRC Afghanistan Senior Management Team.
• Ensure proposals clearly articulate humanitarian impact, in alignment with the Fundamental Principles, Strategy 2030, and value for money.

Others

• Act as delegated focal point for grant compliance decisions within agreed thresholds. Support with any duties tasked by the line manager.
• Escalate critical risks and deviations to the Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Manager and Regional SPRM as required.
• Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
• Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

Required

• University degree or relevant qualifying experience.
• Qualification or certification in project management, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks.

Required

• 5 to 7 years of relevant professional experience in grant management and managing government and multilateral funding.
• Demonstrated experience in participatory planning processes, applying humanitarian standards and guidelines, and in setting up and managing accountability systems.
• Solid experience in networking and building relationship with internal and external stakeholders
• Experience working with sanctions constrained or access-restricted environments as well as field experience in Afghanistan

Preferred

• Demonstrated professional experience in the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, or in an international organization or INGO in a developing country.

Required

• A comprehensive understanding of major donor policies, regulations, and approaches
• Excellent collaborative and teamwork skills
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, influencing skills, networking, and representation skills
• Ability to work in a stressful and demanding environment while keeping a consistent, courteous, and positive attitude towards others
• Demonstrated integrity and accountability
• Self-supporting in computers and internet-based tools
• Ability to work and communicate efficiently in a multi-cultural, multilingual and cross-functional environment, including dispersed teams
• Demonstrated core proficiency in (a) digital communication & collaboration, (b) basic digital content creation, (c) digital safety & security, (d) data literacy, and (e) problem solving with technology (including responsible use of AI assistants.
• Understanding of and commitment to IFRC’s mission and values.

• Fluent spoken and written English

• Fluent spoken and written Dari and/or Pashto Good

Preferred

• Comprehensive understanding of IFRC policies, procedures, and IFRC-wide approaches
• Fluent spoken and written English
• Fluent spoken and written Dari and/or Pashto Good
• Command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

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