Grants Coordinator

BACKGROUND

The International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies, provides relief, rehabilitation and post-conflict reconstruction support to victims of natural disaster, oppression and violent conflict in 42 countries. The IRC has worked in Sierra Leone since 1999.The IRC currently programs across three core sectors: 1) Health 2) Women and Girls’ Protection and Empowerment (WGPE), and 3) Education. The IRC is committed to supporting the Government of Sierra Leone in the strengthening of the country. We seek to build upon our programming experience and introduce new programs that are adaptive, collaborative and evidence-driven, leading to a more educated, safe, healthy and empowered Sierra Leone.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Grants Coordinator will lead on grant-related functions for IRC Sierra Leone. The position reports to the Deputy Director, Programs. This position is based in Freetown with some travel to field sites. The Grants Coordinator will work collaboratively with the IRC’s technical coordinators, partnerships, measurement, finance, programs, and operations teams, donors, and partners.

Main Responsibilities:

Proposal Development

• Leads the coordination of proposal development processes, including the development and monitoring of proposal workplans.
• Prepares non-technical sections of proposals, including budget narratives.
• Facilitates the development and review of budgets, including partner budgets.
• Supports the facilitation of proposal design meetings/workshops internally within the IRC and among partners.
• Ensures proposal development documentation is filed appropriately for internal purposes and record-keeping.

Communication and Representation

• Supports in-country engagement with donors, partner, and key stakeholders.
• Supports representation in national technical working group meetings, and donor and partner meetings, as needed.

Grant Management, Program Support, and Compliance

• Leads in the development of, and ensures compliance with, IRC internal reporting requirements within the IRC Sierra Leone Country Program, including leading donor submissions and review and revision processes.
• Acts as Country Program Focal Point for IRC’s Project Cycle Meetings and supports Project Leads in conducting project opening, implementation, closing, and learning meetings, as well as ensuring Project Dashboards are regularly and accurately updated.
• Supports the Partnerships Coordinator in facilitating meetings with implementing partners.
• Leads the implementation of Budget versus Actual meetings for the IRC Sierra Leone Country Program (monthly) and implementing partners (quarterly).
• Leads the coordination of donor visits and audits, verifications, and spot checks.
• Supports the Partnership Coordinator in pre-award assessments, pre- and post-award due diligence processes, and partner monitoring visits.
• Serves as the IRC Sierra Leone Grants Focal Point for partner financial verifications, and supports their facilitation with the finance team to ensure timely and compliant verifications are conducted by the IRC.

·Ensures compliance with internal reporting deadlines, and reviews and consolidates reports to ensure documents are of the highest quality and in line with donor requirements.

·Supports the Grants Team with the review of IRC and partners donor reports prior to onward internal HQ review and donor submission.

·Conducts routine monitoring visits to IRC implementation sites and field offices and partners as required.

·Manages grants files on Box and the IRC’s information management platform for grants, Opportunity Tracking and Information System (OTIS).

·Participates in Partnership Technical Working Group meetings.

·Leads the Grants Unit on asset management and monitors compliance with IRC and donor asset rules. Reviews asset registers to ensure internal and external compliance, and advises IRC Sierra Leone Country Program colleagues on queries relating to assets in the context of donor compliance.

·Conduct asset verification visits to partners, both in Freetown and at district level.

·Supports the Grants Team with the preparation and review of Partnership Agreements and addendums for implementing partners and ensures appropriate flow through the IRC’s online tracking system (OTIS).

·Supports the IRC Sierra Leone Country Program compliance with Government of Sierra Leone requirements, such as through the review of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and SLA reports before submission to relevant line ministries.

·Prepares relevant internal compliance documentation, such as Delegations of Authority (DOAs) and waivers, as required for IRC’s proposals and grants.

·Supports the Deputy Director, Programs with any tasks related to grants, partnership, and compliance, as required/requested.

Minimum Qualifications:

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree, or the equivalent, in international affairs, development or related subject
• At least 3-5 years of experience working in project and/or grants management
• Experience with NGOs is preferred
• Prior knowledge of donor regulations (UNICEF, USAID, EU, DFID, Irish Aid)
• Good communicator with strong organizational, and time management
• Excellent inter-personal, cultural and diplomatic skills
• Strong writing and editing skills with close attention to detail
• Flexibility to adapt to changing requirements
• Ability to juggle competing priorities, meet demanding deadlines and work under pressure in unstable security environment
• Strong skills in Microsoft Office Suite
• Fluency in English, spoken and written