Grants Coordinator

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 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver 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.

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IRC opened the national program in Mali in 2012. Our programs range from humanitarian assistance to early recovery activities, focusing on child protection, education, economic well-being, nutrition, health, water and sanitation, and governance. We work in the north, the center, and the south of Mali. Conflict and drought have caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in Mali and neighboring countries. The security situation in the north remains fragile. Nonetheless, the needs of internally displaced persons and conflict-affected host communities are still pressing, and the issue of humanitarian access remains a constant challenge.

Job Overview:

The Grants Coordinator, based in Bamako, plays a crucial role in the strategic and operational management of the organization’s grants portfolio. Working closely with the program, monitoring and evaluation, finance and operations teams, as well as the senior management team, this position is responsible for ensuring exemplary management of grants before and after they are awarded. The Grants Coordinator is responsible for ensuring compliance with donor requirements, timely reporting and efficient archiving of project documents. This role also includes promoting the internal and external visibility of the programs. In addition to these responsibilities, the Grants Coordinator supervises a team of two Grants Managers, a Partnerships Manager, a Partnerships/Grants Officer, and a Communication Manager, contributing significantly to their capacity building. This position, requiring frequent travel in the field, is not only essential for maintaining operational excellence, but also for the strategic alignment of the organization’s interventions with donor expectations and needs in the field.

Major responsibilities

Development of project proposals

• Ensure that IRC Mali’s proposal development process is well understood and applied by teams, in close collaboration with management, program, financial and operational departments, to ensure quality submissions within established deadlines.

• Support the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) and the Country Director (CD) in prospecting new funding opportunities, strengthening relations with current partners and donors, and updating the country’s business development strategy. Monitor and analyze donors’ strategic orientations and communicate this information to the relevant teams.

• Lead the development of proposals to donors in collaboration with sector managers and financial and operational teams, clarifying the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder.

• Participate in the development and management of project budgets in coordination with the finance department to align the necessary resources with the proposed actions and ensure the inclusion of adequate costs.

• Assist the DDP in integrating new proposals with the country’s strategic action plan.

Grants management and compliance

• Ensure a thorough understanding of IRC policies and grant portfolio specifications, and ensure the application of IRC standards and procedures by Grant Team members.

• Provide regular updates and information to the management team on new proposal development and grant management.

• Review donor reports for accuracy, quality and compliance with donor requirements, including substantial editing, translation and editorial input where necessary.

• Provide support to grant managers to ensure timely submission of reports.

• Collaborate with the Grants team to monitor project indicators, control expenditure and manage key portfolio information. Organize periodic grant review meetings and coordinate project start-up and close-out meetings.

• Facilitate technical support for project cycle meetings and contribute to improved coordination and efficiency of services within the national program.

• Oversee the use of grant management tools for rigorous monitoring of project implementation and proactively identify potential challenges.

• Collaborate with the grants team to manage project readjustments, modifications and extensions as necessary, while maintaining quality relationships with donors and ensuring that projects conclude on time and on budget.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for grants and compliance issues at the national level, offer advice to grants team members and other staff on compliance issues, and communicate with the IRC Regional Program and Award Support Team for any additional support needs.

• Ensure that the information management and grant filing system is rigorously applied and that all important documents are archived in an orderly and accessible manner.

Managing sub-allocations and partnerships

• Ensure quality sub-award management in line with IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS), including sub-award start-up, sub-award implementation monitoring, management and accountability, and appropriate sub-award closure.

• Participate in the definition of the scope of action of partners during the pre-funding phases and in the management of partners during proposal development, including the coordination of team agreements and the communication of requested technical and budgetary contributions.

• Review subcontracting partner approval reports, pre-award evaluations, subcontracting agreements and amendments prepared by the grants team for compliance and accuracy.

• Collaborate with grants and partnerships teams to monitor the performance of subcontracted partners, ensuring that partners’ contractual relationships are reviewed and that timely feedback is provided.

• Work with the partnership team to organize sub-allocation opening, review and closing meetings with partners, as well as program and compliance/financial monitoring visits to ensure that partner program implementation is on track and compliant with IRC and donor rules and regulations.

• Keep proper records of all award and sub-award documents to ensure transparency and accountability.

• Work closely with the partnership management team.

Donor relations and communication

• Establish and maintain regular contact with donors, as required or in the absence of regular focal points, and represent donor interests at the request of the DDP.

• Enhance the image of the national office with donors and partners by regularly updating national and sectoral fact sheets, available in English and French.

• Collaborate with the Communications Manager and Area Managers to develop and produce communications materials, including brochures, fact sheets, advocacy briefs and newsletters, to promote IRC activities.

• Ensure the effective implementation of the national program’s communication strategy, guaranteeing the dissemination of key internal and external information

• Support the communications manager in training staff in communications strategies, and help develop success stories and articles, such as blogs, to document staff experiences in the field.

Management and capacity building

• Directly supervise the grant and partnership managers and the communications manager, providing them with regular support and ongoing training, particularly in the preparation of proposals.

• Establish clear objectives, discuss expectations and provide regular feedback on performance, thus contributing to the ongoing professional development of staff.

• Coordinate the training and mentoring of national program staff, focusing on donor compliance, programmatic reporting, proposal preparation, sub-allocation management, partnerships, and the application of communication strategies.

Job Requirements

• Master’s degree in international development, social sciences or equivalent

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a grant management role, preferably with an NGO

• Writing and editing: Advanced writing and editing skills, with at least three years’ experience writing reports and proposals for donors such as the US government and European donors. Experience required in submitting proposals as part of consortia, as lead agency or partner.

• Knowledge of donor regulations: Familiarity with the rules of major international donors such as ECHO, AFD, Sida, EU, BHA, UN agencies, World Bank and USAID, as well as proven experience in developing major proposals for these entities or overseeing compliance of grant reports and contracts.

• Donor relations: Demonstrated experience in effectively liaising with donors to negotiate and influence positive outcomes.

• Supervisory skills: Proven ability to lead and supervise teams, ensuring that objectives are met efficiently.

• Organizational and analytical skills: Excellent organizational, time management and analytical skills, with particular attention to detail.

• Interpersonal skills: Excellent interpersonal, cultural and diplomatic skills, essential for working effectively in a multicultural environment.

• Technical expertise: Specialization in one of the following areas would be an asset: health, Nutrition, protection, education, WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), governance, Economic Recovery and Developpement or emergency response.

• Experience in difficult contexts: Previous rofessional experience in Africa, ideally in post-conflict or conflict contexts, would be highly appreciated.

• Priority management: Ability to effectively manage multiple competing priorities, meet strict deadlines and work under pressure.

• Technological proficiency: Proficiency in the use of office automation tools, particularly Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) and e-mail systems.

• Fluency in English, spoken and written.

Working Environment

The Grants Coordinator will be based in Bamako (security level 3: orange) and will be expected to travel regularly to IRC bases in Mali and in countries where IRC implements cross-border projects.

Accommodation: Shared house in Bamako. This position is unaccompanied.

**Standard of Professional Conduct:**The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.