Partnership Manager – Sesame / Baghdad

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND:

The IRC Iraq program was established in 2003 and is currently operating programs in the Kurdistan Region and South Central Iraq with an annual budget of $31 million. The IRC is currently providing humanitarian assistance in the sectors of child protection, women’s protection and empowerment, general protection (protection monitoring and legal assistance), education, cash and livelihoods across 12 of the 18 governorates of Iraq. The IRC Iraq’s main office is based in Erbil, with field offices in Duhok and Baghdad and program offices in Ninewa (Mosul), Anbar, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk and Karbala governorates.

Job Overview/Summary:

The IRC and Sesame Workshop were awarded the MacArthur Foundation 100&Change grant to bring early education to refugee and IDP children. Our early childhood development program will be the largest in the history of humanitarian response, bringing hope and opportunity to a generation of children. In support of sustainability and local capacity strengthening a focus of this grant will be working with local stakeholders to deliver this program. The Partnership Manager – Sesame will be responsible for supporting the identification and management of sub-awards under this project.

The Partnership Manager - Sesame is a key position supporting the Iraq Program. With the overall objective of achieving high quality and compliant programming, the main goal of this position is to ensure effective sub-grants management and due diligence with sub-award partners and build strong, sustainable partners in relation to the Sesame Workshop project. The Partnership Manager -Sesame will coordinate the daily management of the sub-award lifecycle and invest in their sustainable growth and capacity for partnerships within the Sesame Workshop project.

Major Responsibilities:

Pre-award phase:

• Lead the mapping process for selecting the partners, work closely with the program units to identify the selection criteria and make sure the selection is transparent and well documented.
• Verifying the partner/CBO and themanagement against ATF&AML, US&EU black list (against terrorist financing and money laundering)
• Manage and handle the administration of a pre-award due diligence process with respect to all new sub-awards, including coordinating with other units their participation in the appropriate vetting process for all potential partners. Identify specific risk factors associated with the award, and the identification and implementation of appropriate measures to manage those risks, working with other departments as appropriate.
• Developing the capacity building/development plan for the partners based on the pre-award assessment result, ensure capacity building/development plan is tailored, targeted and responsive to their organizational needs and priorities.
• Work with the Grants and Partnerships Coordinator and the Award Management Unit in headquarters to ensure that the appropriate funding mechanism is identified for each sub-award, and that appropriate special conditions are incorporated in each award.
• Liaise with IRC units to collect inputs on partners’ project proposals and work collaboratively with partners to finalize project descriptions, budgets, work plans and monitoring and evaluation plans.
• Develop partner monitoring plans, assist financial monitoring of partners.
• Draft sub-award agreements and follow IRC internal review process of all sub-award documentation and coordinate with headquarters for final approval.Obtain approval of Country Director for finalization of the award.
• Develop agenda and materials for grant opening meetings, in coordination with support functions and program, to ensure projects start with clear expectations of both parties. Brief sub-award partners on sub-grant agreements, as well as IRC’s and prime donors’ rules and regulations, in coordination with the Grants and Partnerships Coordinator.

Sub-Awards Management

• Follow global sub-award and partnership management system for IRC Iraq that sets out efficient and responsive processes, delineates clear roles and responsibilities, and articulates IRC’s strategic approach to partnerships.
• Serve as a pivot- and communication-point for coordination of the daily inputs of program, operations and finance support to the sub-awardees.
• Conduct monitoring visits and coordinate support for partners to address any concerns or issues that may arise. Ensure response and support plans are implemented.
• Ensure quality sub-award management, including sub-award start-up, sub-award implementation monitoring and management, and appropriate sub-award close-out.
• Taking the lead in organizing and conducting sub-award review meetings with sub-award partners in Iraq, ensuring inputs from program, finance and compliance staff are received and included, meeting minutes taken, filed, and disseminated to relevant stakeholders. Follow up on the implementation of action points agreed upon during these meetings.
• Ensure that all sub-award partners program deliverables are received, tracked, filed and in compliance with donor objectives and requirements, coordinating with Sector teams and other units within the IRC. Ensure that partners’ contractual reports are reviewed and internal feedback and questions are compiled and sent to partners in a timely manner.
• Track the implementation of the projects, the achievement of project indicators, expenditure, budget projections and other relevant information, notifying the Grants and Partnerships Coordinator, compliance and finance staff of any issues, and providing timely feedback to sub-award partners.
• Monitor relevant sub-awardee work plans, procurement plans, against financial reports and budget projections, notifying the Program Coordinator, compliance and finance staff of any issues, and providing timely feedback to sub-awardees.
• Chair meetings for sub-awards, coordinating the timing carefully to have efficient meetings that address specific issues as they arise and escalate issues up to the Grants and Partnerships Coordinator and the Sub-Award Working Group, Senior Management Team or the Ethics and Compliance Unit, as required.
• Review and update the reporting tools and the documentation requirements according to sub-award agreements and ensure compliance of donor reporting accordingly.
• Maintain the sub-award partners files electronically, including filing all appropriate communication and maintain the Sub-Award Tracker capturing all requirements throughout the sub-award life cycle, including scheduled payments, partner deliverables (including both programmatic and financial reports), and special requirements identified in pre-award assessment and sub-award.
• Organize sub-award implementation meetings & quarterly partnership meetings with sub-awardees, ensuring inputs from program, finance and compliance staff are received and included, meeting minutes taken, filed, and disseminated to Program Coordinator and sub-awardees.
• In close collaboration with the Grants and Partnerships Coordinator, work to ensure that projects are monitored robustly, following-up on implementation of partner-specific compliance and programmatic monitoring work plans and trackers.
• Process sub-awards modifications in a timely manner ensuring that the relevant IRC units (in-country and at the HQ) provide their inputs and approve the modification.
• Organize sub-awards close-out meetings and support the partners in the closing process, ensuring that all requirements are met. Prepare subgrant close-out letters and ensuring that all requirements of the subgrant agreement have been met and that subgrant funds have been properly settled.
• Assist the Grants and Partnerships Coordinator on preparing management response and plan of actions of Internal and/or External audit and follow up on all subgrant compliance issues and audits and document resolutions.

Project Support and Capacity Strengthening

• Strengthen the capacity of sub-award partners on the overall grant management lifecycle, including proposal development, reporting and grant management, donor rules and regulations, and support other partner capacity strengthening initiatives within the Grants and Partnerships Department.
• Responsible for financial management capacity support to partners through on-going support, coaching, and mentoring throughout sub-grant lifecycle and in line with agreed-upon capacity development plans, in coordination with other IRC staff and other INGOs.
• Work closely with partners to identify capacity development priorities in financial management, reporting, etc.
• Creatively problem solve with partners to develop protocols and procedures that are both compliant and contextually appropriate.
• Work with partners to develop procurement procedures, financial procedures and cash transfer/ movement mechanisms as needed.
• Follows up on financial capacity development plan effectiveness and participates in lessons learned sessions to create actionable items for future improvement for both the Project and its partners.

Staff Management and Development

• Coach, train, and mentor staff with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing professional development guidance.
• Maintain close communication and positive working relations at all times with relevant implementing partners.
• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Train and supervise sub-grant compliance team in their functions.
• Provide constructive feedback and counsel on appropriate career paths and professional development.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being; approve and manage all leave requests to ensure adequate coverage.
• Offer support for successful adherence by staff to IRC’s Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Grants and Partnerships Coordinator
Position directly supervises: N/A

Other Internal and/or external contacts: the position regularly corresponds and attends meetings with external and internal audiences, thus a strong ability to communicate and maintain positive working relationships is highly desirable for this position.

Internal: Technical Coordinators, Grants and Partnerships Department Staff, Finance team, Supply Chain team,

External: Partner staff, occasional coordination meetings with other INGOs; Relevant stakeholders, both GO and INGO, and IraqiNGOs. 

• BA degree or equivalent in International Development or Affairs, Finance, Business or related field; Advanced degree a plus.
• Minimum of 3 years work experience with INGOs or NGOs in the Middle East Region.
• Proven experience in sub-grants management required.
• Direct experience with USAID and/or OFDA funding plus DFID funding, UNHCR & ECHO experience desired.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. Government rules and regulations as they apply to grant management.
• Excellent communication and coordination skills.
• Proven ability to work well in and promote teamwork, thrive in a multi-cultural environment, be flexible and handle pressure with professional grace.
• Experience managing staff and a commitment to team building, mentoring and staff development.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Arabic is required.

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.

Standards of 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.

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 maternity leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances. Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Attention Returning National Candidates:

IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs. We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a national of the country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, IRC has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply.

 “ Given the nature of the contract , only Iraqi National will be considered as applicant “

IRC is an Equal 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, veteran status or disability.