Head of Grants Unit

JRS-IO Vacancy Announcement

Head of Grants Unit

Department:     Programmes & Innovation (P&I)

Location:            Rome, International Office (IO)

Reports to:         Director of Programmes & Innovation Department

Organisational Context

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is ministry of the Society of Jesus, acting as an international non-governmental organisation with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people. The organisation was founded in 1980 and has a presence in 58 countries. JRS undertakes services at national and regional levels with the support and guidance of an international office (IO) in Rome. The style of JRS service is human and spiritual, working in situations of greatest need, seeking the long-term well-being of refugees and displaced people while not neglecting their immediate or urgent needs. The main services provided are in the field of reconciliation, mental health and psychosocial support, education and livelihoods, and advocacy. Currently, more than 1,000,000 individuals are direct beneficiaries of JRS projects.

Operational Context

The position is part of the IO Programmes and Innovation (P&I) Department whichprovides programmatic support to JRS globally, and manages programmatic knowledge and learning, thereby enabling JRS to have a meaningful and effective impact on those we serve.

The Department consists of a General Programmes Unit, a MEAL Unit, a Grants Unit, a Reconciliation Unit, and an Education & Livelihoods Unit. The Grants Unit team consists of a a Grants Officer, a Foundations Officer, an Institutional Donors Officer, and a part-time EU Liaison Officer.

Resource mobilisation at the International Office is carried out by the Grants Unit (raising funding from grant makers) and the Communications & Fundraising Department (raising donations from individuals, religious congregations, and small family foundations).

The Head of the Grants Unit will lead the Grants Unit and report to the Director of P&I. He/she will also work in close relationship with the Director of Communications and Fundraising to ensure an aligned resource mobilisation strategy and major gifts approach.

Purpose of the Position

This role includes the coordination of the grant winning and grants-related stewardship efforts of the International Office, and coordination of the IO’s resource mobilisation together with the Director of the Communications and Fundraising Department.

Main responsibilities of the position

JRS Grants Strategy

·       Design and drive JRS’s international grants funding strategy, within the context of the overall resource mobilisation strategy.

·       Work together with the Communications & Fundraising Department to establish and reach joint resource mobilisation objectives and targets.

·       In collaboration with Finance, Programmes and Fundraising colleagues, create, maintain and share an overview of funding needs and priorities at country and international levels.

·       Design standards for grant winning success, developing and monitoring metrics to measure and identify areas of success and opportunity.

Grants Unit Management

·       Lead and manage the Grants Unit at JRS International Office.

·       Manage the team expenditure budget and produce financial reports as required.

·       Ensure excellent account management for secured grant makers.

·       Track grant maker data, create income projections and set goals.

Donor Relations and Stewardship

·       Ensure the growth of the portfolio of institutional donors and foundations

·       Ensure rigorous prospect identification, research, and network planning, and develop clear stewardship and solicitation plans for key funding prospects.

·       Produce and oversee the creation of compelling proposals contributing to global and local programmes and to the sustainability of the International Office.

·       Oversee submission of grant proposals and reports

Capacity Building and Grants Community Of Practice

·       Establish strong collaborative relationships across JRS to support grant winning, stewardship with grant makers, and reporting.

·       Create and coordinate a JRS-wide Grants Community of Practice in collaboration with Regional and Country offices relevant staff.

·       Identify capacity building needs related to grants winning, proposal writing and grants compliance within the wider organisation.

·       Ensure sharing of best practices in grants fundraising, lessons learned across countries and regions.

·       Advise JRS staff on grant winning best practices for maximum impact.

·       Develop and implement strategies to strengthen regional and country competences and skills related to grants winning and compliance including donor policies, project administration and reporting requirements.

System and Tool Management

·       Oversee and support the implementation of the Grants Module.

·       Oversee and coordinate the management of external tools and platform used by the Grants Unit (EU Tender Portal, UN Portal, ECHO Portal).

·       Oversee and support the management of the CRM Salesforce NPSP used by the GU

Qualifications and Competencies

·       Master level degree or specialization in Management, Political Science, Law, International Development or other relevant areas

·       A minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience, with a demonstrable record of securing multi-year 7 figure grants from international institutional donors and foundations, including 1-3 years in a supervisory role

·       Relevant field experience

·       International network and consensus building skills within the grants sector, preferably related to humanitarian work in line with JRS’s priorities

·       Experience with Programme development, proposal writing, Project and budget management

·       Excellent writing, editing, verbal communications skills and presentation capacities, able to persuasively articulate JRS’s message and impact to external audiences

·       Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of a team in a multi-cultural, international, professional environment

·       Strong ability to innovate in a changing environment and promote creativity within the organisation

·       Strong analytical, strategic-thinking, and planning skills

·       Working knowledge of Microsoft Office package, Microsoft 365 desired

·       Ability to work with CRM, grants and programmes systems

Desirable

·       Previous working experience with faith-based organisations

·       Demonstrated experience and commitment to working with displaced communities

Languages

·       Proficiency in both written and spoken English and French is mandatory

·       Working knowledge of Spanish or Arabic is highly desirable

Required Core Values

·       Commitment to JRS’s mission, vision and values; ability to convey with enthusiasm JRS’s role in accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and to advocate for their right to protection and a life in dignity.

·       High integrity, honesty, and confidentiality; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with people, situations and information.

·       Acceptance of diversity and inclusion as a core value.

Travel

·       The position requires frequent travel to JRS locations (up to 25%).

Terms and Conditions

Please note that this position is only open to candidates who possess EU citizenship or other legal authorization to work in the European Union.

Successful candidates will be offered a regular contract under Italian law.

How to apply

All applicants are requested to submit the following documents by 7 July 2023:

·       A cover letter describing the candidate’s desire and motivation to work for JRS and how her/his qualifications and experience are a good fit for this position

·       Curriculum Vitae (CV) in English, including three (3) professional references with contact information, phone and email address.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Thank you for your interest in joining JRS