Senior Project System and Grants Officer

Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to serious humanitarian crises around the world and helps victims to survive and rebuild their lives.

For over half a century, Tanzania has been a country of asylum, hosting one of the largest refugee populations in Africa.  Currently, the country hosts approximately 287,903 Burundian and Congolese refugees, many of whom arrived in 2015 as the crisis in Burundi increased. To date, refugees continue to co-exist with the host communities in Kigoma region expressing multiple reasons and needs. Within this context, IRC provides protection and basic assistance in the areas of Safety (comprises of Protection and Rule of Law, Women Protection and Empowerment, and Child Protection), Health (mental health and psychosocial support services and reproductive health), and Education.

Job Overview: PlayMatters is a consortium project, led by the IRC and includes Plan International, War Child Holland, Behavioral Insights Team, and Innovations for Poverty Action in partnership with the LEGO Foundation. Play Matters promotes an active teaching method that capitalizes on a child’s natural desire to engage in play, focusing on building skills so that teachers and communities to intentionally plan to deliver contextually and age-appropriate guided play experiences to achieve specific learning objectives.  Play Matters promotes LtP experiences that promotes child-centered learning, allowing peer interactions that provides children aged 3-12+ with the platform to question, experiment, practice, and discover, developing critical skills that they need to thrive today and in future. In Tanzania Play Matters are implementing 3 main objectives. 

• Outcome 1: Integrate Learning through Play into Teaching & Learning
• Outcome 2: Increase Community Engagement in Learning through Play
• Outcome 3: Strengthen & Integrate Learning through Play in Policy & Systems

The System and Grants senior Officer will contribute to overall project system and grant management at the IRC Tanzania. The position will report to the Play Matters project technical lead. This position is based in Kasulu with occasional trips to field sites, if needed. The System and Grants Senior Officer will work collaboratively with Play Matters project team, IRC Grants, the technical coordinators, operations team, and the finance team.

Major Responsibilities

1.Proposals:

• Lead coordination of workplan development, proposal development and amendments (including design meetings) working with program staff and ensuring proper review at the HQ level, gathering input from technical coordinators, technical advisors, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation staff, and the Regional Unit.
• Lead and coordinate budget development for newly assigned proposal and amendments, work with program staff, other members of the Grants and Partnerships Unit, the Finance Department and Supply chain.
• Ensure proper review of yearly budgets and realignment/modification budgets at both HQ and field levels, 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.
• Act as focal point with donor’s in-country for the proposal development process, as needed.
• Monitor and support the use of management tools such as power BI (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 Tanzania’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP) and are donor compliant.

Reporting

• 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 and OTIS reporting info is up to date.
• Lead Project Cycle Meetings, as well as monthly/regular grants management meetings (BVA meetings) which include representation from each unit (finance, programs, logistics) and ensure proper follow up of issues raised.

Donor Compliance

• Research donor compliance issues for new opportunities or existing grants, as needed, within the assigned portfolio of IRC Tanzania.
• With the support of the Snr. Grants Manager, review donor agreements and coordinate their review with the relevant IRC HQ office.
• Ensure that grants are implemented in compliance with IRC and relevant donor regulations.
• Maintain and update grant files related to proposals.

Communication and Information Management

• 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.
• Distribute to IRC staff all documentation (grant proposals, reports, budget, etc.) related to their specific programs.
• Keep an updated inventory of all communications related to programs/donors and ensure communication and visibility requirements are met.

Administrative/Other

• Ensure OTIS data is up to date for all assigned new proposals. Secure all OTIS approvals for the assigned new proposals prior to submission to the donor.
• Keep an accurate Grants Filing system on the Shared Drive (Box), OTIS and hardcopy folder.

Key Working Relationships: 

• Position Reports to: Play Matters Technical Lead with dotted line to Senior Grants Manager
• Position directly supervises: None.
• Other Internal and/or external contacts: Education Team, Play Matters regional leadership team, other consortium team ie Plan International IRC Operation and finance departments.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Advanced MS Excel and business development skills are the most important requirement for this position.
• BA degree in one of the following ie Statistics, Accounts, Business Administration, Economics, International Development, Social sciences is required; master’s degree will be an added advantage.
• At least 2years of experience in program management, grants management or proposal/business development/design.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies

• Prior knowledge of donor fund management is preferred.
• Proposal writing
• Good communicator with strong organizational, time management and analytical skills.
• Excellent inter-personal, cultural and diplomatic skills.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing requirements.
• 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/Travel – Fluency in English and Swahili, spoken and written, is the most important requirement for this job

Working Environment: Security level yellow – The situation in most of the country is calm. Some parts of Kigoma region experience insecurity-highway banditry.

Partnership: The IRC is committed to working with partners as our preferred operating model and adhering to our six partnership principles: equality, complementarity, mutuality, solidarity, results orientation, and humility.

Commitment to Client Responsiveness: By committing to Client-Centered Programming, at the IRC Tanzania, we place the people we serve – our clients – at the center of our programming and services. The IRC Tanzania Staff have an important role to play in supporting the implementation of client-responsive programming through raising awareness to the community and clients about the existing feedback mechanisms and how to use them including the response processes, access, and eligibility to services, and contribute to building an institutional culture that prompts staff to listen to clients and to communicate and respond to their requests, feedback, and complaints.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the 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, and Anti-Retaliation.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity.  We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal. 

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 or disability. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.