Senior Partnerships Manager

The Senior Partnerships Manager is responsible for managing IRC’s relationship with partner organizations in North West Syria to support engagement, monitoring/support to partners and ensuring effective capacity development towards long – term objectives. The Senior Partnerships Manager will work closely with partners and will also be responsible to ensure that there is an efficient partnership framework and communication mechanisms across different functions in IRC. By advancing learning from the Syria context, the role is key to contributing to IRC strategy S100, ensuring proper mapping/selection, and building strong strategic partnerships centered in equality while supporting the development and implementation of the Partnership Strategy. Under the leadership of the Partnerships Coordinator, the Senior Partnerships Manager will work closely with other functions such as the programs team, supply chain, and human resources team including with partner organizations to ensure quality partnership work

Responsibilities:

Partnership Strategy

• Contribute to the review and development of the Partnership strategy and workplan in line with the Country program Strategic Action Plan commitments
• Lead the mapping and identification process of potential partners including stakeholder analysis
• Monitor the implementation of the partnership strategy in collaboration with relevant departments in line with IRC’s strategy 100 especially with programs and other related functions i.e. supply chain teams, human resources etc
• Report and provide regular progress updates on the implementation of the partnership strategy
• Ensure Partner Engagement and establish strong relationship with partners including advancing learning from partner feedback obtained on periodic basis

Partnership Management:

• Facilitate/lead the support to partner organizations in collaboration with programs, grants and finance team in the preparation of concept notes, project proposals and budgets according to the programme design and donors’ call for proposals
• Support partnership arrangements and management, including contracting, identification of issues and bottlenecks, and facilitating reporting, ensuring both agreements and payments are processed on time.
• Act as the primary focal point for coordination and communication for all technical related issues
• Ensure that Partnership Managers are coordinating well with program managers on project start up activities including, but not limited to, staff recruitments, developing detailed implementation plans, financial plans, procurement plans, reporting templates, field data requirements, information management etc.
• Work/support both programs and finance team to review progress made on work plans/program implementation and budgets by ensuring that progress review meetings are conducted frequently.
• Build and enhance quality relationships with partners to ensure that IRC is a preferred partner and a partner of choice.
• Collaborate with programs team and ensure that program reports are accurate and are submitted on time, providing the necessary feedback and building capacity of partners on reporting overall.
• Proactively work on compliance requirements and provide support on corrective measures in line with the PEERS policy guidelines.
• Lead on donor due diligence and compliance assessments and ensure that partner organizations are always compliant to both IRC and donor requirements/guidelines.
• Support early identification of risks, and recommend risk mitigation measures to senior management

Capacity Development and culture

• Ensure that PPCR Capacity Assessment process for all partners, coordinating programmes, supply chain, security, finance and systems inputs to the process are conducted on time.
• Through the PPCR assessment, establish capacity development plans for partners by identifying gaps in policies and procedures, technical capacity as well as wider organizations functions such as systems, finance & procurement and ensure that timely capacity development support is provided to partners.
• Based on the established capacity development plans, ensure that each partner is supported in detail on each specific item laid out in the capacity development plan collaborating with the relevant functions where necessary to ensure that the partner is well supported.
• Document learning from our engagement and collaboration with partners and share within IRC where appropriate.
• Design and coordinate partnership platform meetings when appropriate, where partners have an opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other.

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development

• Provide leadership to Partnership Managers and Officers and including partnership Finance team
• Develop and implement management capacity building approaches to build the strengths of teams in Syria.
• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Approve and manage time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage; ensure monthly, accurate timesheet submission and carry out probationary reviews.
• Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, minimally on a monthly basis.
• Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing guidance on career paths.
• As required, identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
• Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate. As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by the end of assignment.