Background of IRC:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. At-work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. IRC leads the way from harm to home. Began work in Ethiopia, 1999 in response to severe drought that happened in Ethiopia’s Somali region. Currently, providing assistance in ten different regions implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response.

Job Overview/Summary: 

The Senior Grants Manager will contribute to overall grants management at IRC Ethiopia. The position reports to the Grants Coordinator. This position is based in Addis Ababa with occasional trips to field sites, if needed. The Senior Grants Manager will supervise Grants team members under his/her portfolio and will be responsible to oversee the overall grants management of that portfolio, including the management of grants within the portfolio. The Senior Grants Manager will also work collaboratively with all of the Grants and Partnership Unit members, program team including the technical coordinators, operations team, and the finance team. The IRC Ethiopia is made of grants mostly from ECHO, EU, USAID, OFDA, BPRM, DFID, SIDA, UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA and private foundations.

Major responsibilities include:
1.Proposals

·   Oversee and as needed lead the coordination of his/ her portfolio proposal development and amendments (including design meetings) working with program staff, gathering input from technical coordinators, technical advisors, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation staff, and the Regional Unit.

·   Ensure proper review of new proposals or amendments, prior to HQ and donor submission.

·   Oversee and as needed lead the coordination of his/ her portfolio of budget development for newly assigned proposal and amendments, working with program staff, other members of the Grants and Partnerships Unit, the Finance Department and Regional Program and Business Development Units.

·   Ensure proper review of new budgets and realignment/modification budgets prior to donor submission, incorporating all feedback and ensuring that budgets are error free.

·   Coordinate and develop budget narratives, edit proposals, and ensure proper proposal and grant management procedures are followed.

·   Monitor and support the use of management tools such as Budget vs. Actual (BVA) for the proper monitoring and the successful implementation of programs and early warning in case of obstacles or challenges.

·   Liaise with IRC NY, UK & DG grant units in order to ensure proposals meet internal standards, apply IRC’s Outcomes Evidence Framework (OEF), are in line with IRC Ethiopia’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP) and are donor compliant

2. Reporting

·   Oversee all reporting for his/her portfolio Grants and ensure quality control of reports, coordinating HQ reviews and approvals before submission to the donor. Send out monthly info to team members on all reports due in the coming 60 days.

·   Ensure that reports to donors are submitted on time; that reports are coherent and accurate (quarterly, interim or final reports); and that the internal reporting tracker, Box and OTIS reporting info are up to date.

·   Coordinate with Grant Managers ensuring all Project Cycle Meetings (PCM) are set up according to PCM guidelines, ensuring representation from each unit (finance, programs, logistics).

·   Coordinate proper grants management of his/her Portfolio grants. Ensure Grants Tracker. PCM Dashboard and other information management systems are up to date.

·   Monitor burn rates and implementation progress of his/her portfolio grants and flag grant underperformance and compliance issues to relevant Field Coordinators, Program Coordinators and the Senior Management Team. Support follow-up actions to resolve grant challenges.

·   Monitor and support the use of management tools such as Budget vs. Actual (BVA) for the proper monitoring and the successful implementation of programs and early warning in case of obstacles or challenges.

·   Lead capacity development of Program staff to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge on how to write donor reports.

3. IRC and Donor Compliance

·   Review donor agreements and coordinate their review with the relevant IRC HQ office. Coordinate and support the team to obtain DOAs prior to grant signatures, as needed.

·   Ensure that grants are implemented in compliance with IRC and relevant donor regulations.

·   Obtain compliance guidance from HQ and/or Donors as needed and ensure the donor compliance of the team grows.

·   Oversee the development of compliance Grant Summary Sheet for his/her Portfolio grants.

4. Communications and Information Management

·   Act as a focal point for all donor communications in his/her assigned portfolio. Communicate with donors and attend donor meetings in order to share IRC’s accomplishments as well as to stay up-to-date on the latest donor developments and requirements, with a special focus on Donor, HQ/Field communications and information exchange.

·   Lead and Coordinate donor field visits and follow up that monitoring feedback of the donor is addressed.

·   Oversee the distribution to IRC staff in Addis, HQ and field offices of all documentation (grant proposals, reports, budget, etc.) related to their specific programs.

·   Ensure an updated inventory of all communications related to programs/donors.

·   Oversee that all visibility requirements for the grants in the portfolio are met in a timely manner and properly documented and shared.

·   Ensure that the donor is timely updated for any new developments, security, and context changes, etc.

5. Team Management and Capacity Building

·   Oversee and give overall leadership for one of IRC’s Grants Portfolio team to consistently deliver high quality results.

·   Undertake regular 1 to 1 meetings with grants team members under his/her supervision and follow-up action points.

·   Provide orientation and on-the-job training to the Grants team members. Topics may include donor compliance rules and regulations, BVA, OTIS, project design, proposal development, budget development, Grant Opening, Implementation and Grant Closing meetings etc.

6. Administrative/Other

·   Ensure OTIS, Shared Drive (Box) is up to date for all assigned new proposals and grants.

·   Secure all OTIS approvals for the assigned new proposals prior to submission to the donor.

·   Complete special projects as assigned by the Grants Coordinator that may fall outside the job description and backstop the Grants Coordinator, as needed.

Job Requirements

Educational Requirements:

·    BA degree required; Master’s degree International Affairs, Social Sciences, Accounting, Economics, or STEM (Science,Technology and Math) strongly preferred.

Preferred experience & skills:

·    At least 4 years of experience in program management and or grants management and proposal/business development/design; or

·    At least 1 year of management experience

·    Prior knowledge of donor (ECHO, EU, USAID, BHA, BPRM, DFID, SIDA, UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA etc.) and government regulations preferred.

·    Advanced MS Excel and Math skills required (skills will be tested through an exam) and are the most important requirement for this position.

·    Good communication with strong organizational, time management and analytical skills.

·    Excellent inter-personal, cultural and diplomatic skills.

·    Flexibility to adapt to changing requirements.

·    Strong capacity to mentor and build capacity of staff.

·    Ability to juggle competing priorities, meet demanding deadlines and work under pressure in unstable security environments.

·    Strong computer skills required.

·    Previous successful experience developing projects, writing winning proposals and donor reports preferred.

Language Skills: 

-   Fluency in English, spoken and written, is the most important requirement for this job; Fluency in Amharic required. (The written English skills will be tested through an exam).

How to Apply

Candidates meeting the above qualifications are encouraged to apply only through the below IRC On-line recruitment website: CLICK HERE

Please include 3 references from current and former employers.

Applications will not be returned. IRC discourages phone calls or personal visits.

Only applicants meeting the minimum qualification will be short listed and contacted.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Your application letter/cover letter must include the following information.

• Name of the position you have applied for

• Date of application

• Summary of  your qualifications and experience

• Motivation/objective of why you have applied for the job

• Permanent Address and present address (if different from permanent) and telephone number if possible also email address

• Disclose any family relationships with existing IRC employees. 

IRC is an equal employment 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 or disability.

Professional Standards: 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 Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons

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 parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols, and other supportive benefits and allowances

Equal Opportunity Employer: 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, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.