Partnership Manager

Job Description

The IRC is a non-governmental organization operating in more than 40 countries in the world. IRC started operation in Ethiopia in year 2000, currently working in five regions in providing relief services to refugees, victims of drought, and war affected populations.

Scope

The Partnerships Manager is responsible for helping to identify and assess new partners, facilitating and tracking sub-projects and agreements, and highly involved on sub-grant monitoring and evaluation. A large portion of IRC Ethiopia’s partnerships/sub-grants portfolio falls within the emergency response program but includes other sectors and projects as well. The position is based in Addis Ababa but will require travel to the field in Ethiopia and occasional travel overseas for conferences and trainings. The position will report to the Sr. Partnership Manager. The Partnerships Team sits in the Grants and Partnerships Unit of IRC Ethiopia.

Essential functions

Partnership Coordination and Capacity Building:

• Build Partnership Team’s capacity to institutes the global PEERS policy. Includes establishing efficient and responsive processes, delineating roles and responsibilities, developing sound recordkeeping systems and sub-award management tools, conducting trainings, and creatively developing a context-appropriate PEERS-SOP.
• Coordinate and assist in the operational, financial, and programmatic monitoring and support of all partners. Includes leading the coordination of monitoring visits and partner meetings to ensure deliverables are well.
• Run and lead Partnerships meetings, including weekly Monday Morning Meetings (MMMs) and monthly Finance & Partnership Coordination Meetings.
• Ensure that the partnership trackers are up-to-date with data collected from program, partnership, and finance teams and disseminating information (including the tracker) on Partners to relevant departments, as needed.
• Leads communication with relevant HQ departments including finance, compliance, and regional program units.

Partnerships/Subgrant Processes:

• Lead the mapping of potential partners for emergency response, with a particular emphasis on local organizations.
• Update IRC’s database that catalogues all past and potential partners on a continual basis.
• Support the Partnerships Coordinator and operational and technical staff as needed in the organization and facilitation of capacity and risk assessments for potential partners.
• Facilitate internal sub-award proposal review and approval process as needed.
• Assures high-quality implementation by supporting sub-grant opening, review, and closing meetings.
• Support the development of partnership templates and contracts/agreements in conjunction.
• Work with Partnerships Coordinator, IRC finance, and other program staff to process partnerships effectively and ensuring donor compliance.
• Lead and facilitate capacity building of partner NGOs and local community organizations. Contribute to development of training materials.

Partner Monitoring:

• Support emergency response and o technical teams in monitoring sub-grantees/partners for donor compliance and progress against objectives, contributing to the development of monitoring tools as needed.
• Coordinate closely with sub-grantees for timely submission of accurate financial and activity reports.
• Coordinate with relevant departments to ensure that all reporting templates are updated, and share with sub-grantees on a timely basis.

Documentation and Reporting:

• Maintain comprehensive electronic partner files, ensuring they are streamlined and well organized.
• Coordinate with the relevant technical teams, review monthly internal reports, compile and submit partner reports into overall donor report, and support government reports/agreements as needed/requested.
• Support data analysis of existing sub-grant portfolio and potential future partner commitments.

Representation and Special Tasks:

• Work with Partnership Officers to ensure all deadlines are met on time and that all products are of high quality.
• Directly supervise the work of 1-2 partnership officers or interns.
• Represent IRC Ethiopia at relevant coordination meetings and feedback important information from those meetings to relevant IRC staff.
• Support the strengthening of linkages and harmonies between the Partnership Team and the Grants Team through special projects.
• Grant Management– At the request of the Partnership Coordinator, support the development on new proposals that focus heavily on sub granting; this includes support in drafting and finalizing technical narratives and budgets for new proposals, including the solicitation and incorporation of feedback from Finance, Grants and Program teams.
• Grant Management – At the request of the Partnership Coordinator, support in the management of grants that have a heavy focus on sub granting. This includes ensuring that coherent and accurate reports to donors are submitted on time, that the internal reporting tracker and OTIS reporting info is up to date, leading Project Cycle Meetings as well as monthly/regular management meetings and ensure proper follow-up of issues raised.
• At the request of the Partnerships Coordinator and/or senior management, take ownership for miscellaneous projects not falling under responsibilities underlined in this job description.

Job Requirement

• Excellent Amharic and English writing & speaking skills are required.
• Confirmed experience in coordination of multiple partners (internal and external).
• Bachelor degree in social study or relevant field from a recognized university with 4 years of confirmed experience; or master degree with 2 years of relevant experience. Strong preference will be given to candidates with previous experience in partnership management, consortium/network management or sub-grant/partner identification and management.
• At least 2 years management experience with confirmed leadership skills
• Experience facilitating sub-grants, including proposal review, agreement development, and monitoring strongly desired.
• Familiarity with USG (e.g. USAID/OFDA, PRM) and ECHO rules and regulations.
• Program development experience, including development of key project documents such as logical frameworks, monitoring tools, etc.
• Experience crafting and implementing capacity building programs is a plus.
• Computer literate (MS Word, Excel, PPT). Budgeting experience required.
• NGO experience in similar position is preferred.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Willingness to travel in Ethiopia for monitoring purposes, as requested

Personal specifications:

• Ability to work under pressure, long work hours, and high workload.
• Ability to independently coordinate work and prioritize tasks.
• Self-motivated, honest, highly responsible, and punctual.
• Willing to work both independently and as part of a team.