Closing date 8 Jul 2024
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

IRC-UK

The International Rescue Committee UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its headquarters in New York and London.

Our European headquarters, IRC-UK, were established in London in 1997 to support the organisation’s global activities and particularly to diversify its donor base and be able to better advocate with European policymakers on behalf of the people we serve. Since its establishment, IRC-UK has grown rapidly and is now acknowledged for its high-quality project management, technical expertise in governance and rights and economic recovery, and innovative thinking on early recovery and gender-based violence. The IRC also has offices in Brussels, Berlin, Bonn and Geneva. IRC-UK comprises approximately 90 staff across five departments.

WHAT WORKS TO PREVENT VIOLENCE – IMPACT AT SCALE (WHAT WORKS II / WW2)

Programme Scope:

IRC is seeking one Programme and Grants Coordinator based in TBC to support a seven-year Programme funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to improve prevention and response to violence against women and girls. Specifically, this role will be supporting grantees across Africa, Asia and Middle East and North Africa regions and will be working closely with the What Works team based in Nairobi (Programme Director, Programme Finance Coordinator, Programme and Grants Coordinator and a Finance Officer), based in London/UK (Deputy Director, Senior Operations Manager, Programme Coordinator); and based in Jordan (M&E Coordinator; Finance Officer and Programme and Grants Coordinator) and Lebanon (Senior Technical Advisor, Innovation and Mainstream Grants) and Sierra Leone (Safeguarding Advisor). The role will work closely with the Learning Partnership Team, with members based across the WW2 consortium.

The ‘What Works to Prevent Violence – Impact at Scale’ Programme will build on the success of its predecessor (‘What Works I’) to prevent and contribute to eliminating violence against women and girls (VAWG) by:

• Systematically designing, implementing and rigorously evaluating a range of approaches to scaling up violence prevention efforts, translating proof-of-concept evidence into robust, largescale Programmes and strategies.

• Designing, piloting and testing new theory-driven violence prevention approaches (innovation).

• Strengthening long-term capability and capacity to deliver cutting-edge, evidence-based violence prevention Programmes across the Programme’s grantees, the UK Government (principally FCDO), and developing country governments; and

• Using evidence to influence a more effective, scaled-up global response to end VAWG.

Job Overview

Programme and Grants Coordinator for What Works 2

The Purpose of the Role

The Programme and Grants Coordinator is responsible for managing a portfolio of grants to be allocated to awardees during the period of the fund management under the What Works 2 contract. Each Programme and Grants Coordinator will be expected to manage a portfolio of grants each in their respective regions (to be allocated). The Programme and Grants Coordinator will play a critical role in ensuring timely and accurate grant reporting, tracking grant spending, developing spending plans, and managing internal disbursement of grant funding to awardees.

The role will also provide key support to the Senior Operations Manager, Fund Management, and work closely with Programme Finance Coordinator and Finance Officers to coordinate programmatic and budgetary monitoring, compliance with donor and internal IRC rules and regulations and other key functions as required.

Scope and Authority

Authority:

• This position has no direct line management authority but has authority to advise the What Works II Finance Officers and Senior Operations Manager.

Responsibility for Resources:

• This position is not a budget holder but is required to manage and oversee grants budgets

• Responsible for monitoring portfolio of grants (progress and spending reports); and preparation of donor financial and narrative reports for a portfolio of smaller grants and contracts;

• Responsible for risk management and compliance of allocated grants in collaboration with the Awards Management Unit’s Compliance Team; and

• Supports the Senior Operations Manager, Fund Management on other Fund Management tasks as required.

Key Working Relationships

**Position reports to:**Senior Operations Manager, Fund Management

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

o Internal: What Works 2 team including Programme Finance Coordinator and Finance Officers; regular communication with other IRC departments, including Grants, Operations and Analytics Team (GOAT) for Technical Excellence, Finance, and the Awards Management Unit;

o Working closely with the What Works 2 team based in the Nairobi office (Program Director, Program Finance Coordinator, Finance Officer); based in London/UK (Deputy Director, Senior Operations Manager, Programme Coordinator); and based in Jordan (M&E Coordinator; Finance Officer and Programme and Grants Coordinator) and Lebanon (Senior Technical Advisor, Innovation and Mainstream Grants) and WW2 Learning Partnership Team.

o External: Interact with grantees with regards to technical and finance/contract management.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Programme and Grant Management and Monitoring

• Support the full life cycle of funding rounds as follows:

o Develop, co-facilitate and guide competitive partner selection processes to identify partners for this project;

o Review concept notes, proposals and budgets and support key technical staff in this task before Project Lead sign off; and

o Lead and Support Partner Identity and Background Review, conduct vetting and project partner capacity assessments (due diligence) processes and documentation, including completion of the report and/or review of submitted reports and by senior officers.

• Support in the agreement, draft review of accountable grant arrangements (AGA), taking into account the due diligence outcomes and specific project and donor requirements.

• Coordinate with the technical advisors for support required for the effective management of the grants, including around reporting cycles.

• Acting as the grantee-partner focal point, coordinate the management and monitoring of grants funded portfolio following the award, and ensure that the funded projects continue to comply with the terms and conditions set in the grant agreement.

• Develop and maintain an in-depth understanding of grants, donor compliance, and budget conditions and status.

• Contribute to the What Works 2 programme grants risk register, to identify, monitor and mitigate against any key risks to programme delivery, and update the Senior Operations Manager, Fund Management.

• Support and participate in timely and effective grants funded portfolio programme, finance, and compliance review and reflection (monitoring), and work with the fund management staff, Technical Coordinators, M&E and finance staff to address any project performance issues.

• Update the What Works 2 grants management portal as required.

• Attend and actively participate in all grants reviews related meetings, including monthly check-ins with Technical Advisors.

• Manage and coordinate the approval of agreements, amendments, cost extensions and no-cost extensions for grants/contracts.

• Utilize existing IRC standard grant management processes (OTIS, project cycle meetings, etc.) and develop new tools or reporting formats to enhance grants management.

• Manage coordination of WWII grantee-partner reporting; work closely with Finance Officers, Programme Funding Coordinator, Senior Operations Manager, technical advisory unit and headquarters-based finance staff to ensure accuracy of the WWII grants reports and promptly identify and advise the WWII Team on areas of concern.

• Undertake regional monitoring visits to grant partners and project sites (subject to travel and security approvals)

• Undertake capacity strengthening activities with grantee-partners including developing project tools and templates preparing presentations in programme management and compliance, contributing to online webinars and team meetings.

• Support WWII team with planning and logistics of Annual Programme Meetings including coordination with grantee-partners and contribution to agenda and grantee-partner specific sessions.

Financial Management and Compliance

• Work closely with What Works 2 Finance team to ensure accurate reports are produced in a timely manner, and that confirmed expenditure reports and grants forecasts are submitted to FCDO, as agreed.

• Maintain an overview of grants funded portfolio and monitoring and ensure that appropriate controls and decisions are made regarding timely release of funds to grantees.

• Support the Project Finance officer in preparing and reviewing milestones calculation ensuring grantee costs are reflective of required costs.

• Work with the project team to develop tools to implement sound financial management (e.g. cash flow management tools, invoice trackers, forecasting).

Communications

• Maintain regular communications with grantees and build relationships with strategic programme partners

• Maintain effective communication with Partnership Excellence Team to ensure effective fund management

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:

• Excellent written and oral English communication skills.

• Degree in gender, social work, public health, international development, or related field (or equivalent work experience in a relevant field)

• Between 3 to 6 years of related and demonstrable work experience, preferably for an International Non-Governmental Organization managing a considerable number of grants or contracts

• Excellent organisational skills

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to effectively liaise with a variety of people in a multi-cultural environment and work in a virtual team

• Flexible work attitude, proactive and demonstrated creativity: the ability to work productively in a team environment and the ability to problem solve creatively with minimal guidance

Experience:

• Experience managing a portfolio of grants and projects throughout implementation, including monitoring progress against milestones, budget, risk and compliance

• Knowledge of working on grant making funds and good understanding of project/grant management cycle, including assessments, selection, contract, implementation, monitoring and evaluation

• Understanding of project management methodology

• Ability to develop excellent relationships with multiple project partners and stakeholders including governments, donors, and civil society

• Experience working closely and managing relationships with grantees

• Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and project partners, in writing, face to face or on online meetings