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Senior Manager - Partnerships, Research and Analysis

Background
Over the past 80 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster.
The International Rescue Committee UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its headquarters in New York and London. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. Through 22 regional offices in cities across the United States, the IRC also helps refugees resettle in the US and become self-sufficient.
The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.
IRC-UK
Our European headquarters, IRC-UK, were established in London in 1997 to support the organisation’s global activities and particularly to diversify its donor base and be able to better advocate with European policy-makers on behalf of the people we serve. IRC-UK comprises approximately 50 staff across five departments.
The International Programme Team
The International Programmes Team (IPT) leads the International Rescue Committee’s engagement with European donors. By closely working with the regional and country offices, it acts as the intermediary between major European statutory donors, field offices and the New York headquarters. IPT coordinates the reporting and accounting of grants and offers it’s financial and management expertise to field offices. IPT team members are also contributing to project design, negotiating with partners and are responsible for proposal development and compliance issues. With a deep understanding of the programmatic requirements of the various regions the IRC works in, and shifting donor strategies, the IPT is well placed to advocate on key issues on behalf of the IRC and was responsible for raising over $200 million in the 2012/2013 financial year. The IPT has forged good working relationships across the sector and is regularly called on by the IRC to offer advice and to assist with strategic planning.
Purpose of the post
The International Programmes Team within IRC holds the responsibility for identification and analysis of long term trends and opportunities from European Institutional Donors, and subsequently is directed to develop strategies and tactics to ensure IRC is well equipped to manage and thrive despite changes in the external donor environment. Substantial growth in portfolio with current donors now requires an increase in capacity and skills sets for identification and approach on donor diversification strategies. Based at IRC office in London, the Senior Partnerships Manager will lead the agency’s effort to strengthen its capacity to effectively secure humanitarian assistance and post-conflict development framework agreements from European donors. The Senior Partnerships Manager will report to the Director of the International Programs Team (IPT).
This is a new role to ensure IPT is able to identify and cultivates opportunities with donors on an institutional level, as distinct from responding to specific opportunities identified at a country or technical unit level. IRC-UK currently holds several framework partnership agreements, and seeks to increase their scope for framework model agreements.
Donor strategy and development is a core function of IPT; The Senior Partnership Manager’s role is to ensure that there are joined-up approaches taken across the IPT team, and that actions are taken forward. Thus the Senior Manager’s remit is one of coordination with all IPT’s functions to ensure support of donor strategies and specific engagement opportunities with Institutional Donors at a regional or global level.
The candidate must be a self starter, with the drive to develop a team and ensure their integration into an established team and process, while also identifying and negotiating the areas which need to be changed or developed to ensure future opportunities can be capitalized on.
The Senior Partnerships Manager works with Head of Grants Management (implementation and compliance), Head of Business Development and the Head of Commercial Team. Identification and recruitment of further skill sets to build up a core team is anticipated, and so the candidate must bring line management experience.
Working relationships
• Reports to Director of International Programme Team;
• Close coordination with other senior management in IPT;
• Close coordination with IRC’s International Programmes Department including Regional Programme Management and Technical Units, as well as Country Offices;
• Close coordination with Business Development Unit based in New York responsible for Non –European Institutional grants and contracts;
• Coordinates with: Finance Departments in IRC’s HQ offices in London and New York, IRC’s Global Supply Chain Procurement and New York-based Grants Unit on delivery of support to business development;
• Liaison with Directors of other IRC European Offices as required;
• Liaison and representation with external agencies as required.
Tasks and responsibilities
Essential Job Functions
Partnerships:
• Support the growth of strategic partnerships with institutional donors through effective management of existing frameworks and establishment of new partnerships;
• Identify points of common approach within donor strategic, build connections and leverage IRC strategic objectives within multiple donor strategies;
• Undertake direct representation with donor contacts, support and facilitate other staffs’ donor relationships;
• With IPT Senior Management, develop and implement strategies, tactics and tools to position IRC as the premier, effective and innovative post conflict agency in the view of European Institutional partners;
• Oversee the management of frameworks agreements, including the mechanics and logistics of effective account management with the business development and grants management teams in IPT, ensuring effective and efficient record keeping and the framework reporting is delivered on time and to quality.
Research & Analysis
• Build and develop the IRC-UK skills and capacities for business analysis:
o Future trends of donors – priorities and areas for collaboration across donor portfolio;
o Current trends in IRC financing and collating information and evidence to support strategic decision making process on donor development.
• Coordinate the identification, mapping and analysis of European Institutional opportunities including donor strategies and engagement priorities through identifying key stakeholders and new approach opportunities – managed through the cross function donor focal groups established in IRC-UK;
• Coordinate with Business Development teams and Grant Management teams to ensure closed loop learning from countries and regions implementing European Donor programmes into the analysis of donor trends and approach for new donor strategies;
• Routine data reporting to senior staff in IRC-UK and IRC Inc, and assist IPT management in compilation of relevant and comparable data across all portfolios;
• Facilitate IRC-UK to increase capacity in learning around sector development and how to transfer this knowledge to IRC’s implementing units;
• Manage data needs and analysis for position paper development on financial architecture.
• Advise senior management on current and anticipated changes of European donors to ensure that IRC are well positioned;
Line Management duties
• With the Director of IPT and other senior managers, identify team needs, and develop recruitment plan for core team members.
Once in place, the Senior Manager will be responsible for:
• Oversee and manage workload amongst team, ensuring that all tasks and responsibilities are dealt with;
• Lead and motivate staff to ensure high performance.
Department and Quality management
• Facilitate and oversee the IPTs advance planning and business case analysis in respect to strategic opportunities;
• Liaise with HoBD to develop internal process for identification of IRC priorities that match donor funding criteria for framework management;
• With IPT Director, ensure that new donors and framework opportunities are appropriately vetted and formal approval and engagement criteria are identified, agreed and communicated;
• With Head of Business Development and Head of Grants Management and their teams, ensure compliance of the proposal review and approval process, including eligibility requirements, budget review and quality control for projects that are identified under frameworks;
• Manage teams budget and forecasts as well as other resources;
• Work with the Director of IPT in developing the whole team’s contribution through collaborative leadership and coordination.
External Communications
• Represent IRC at relevant senior meetings and conferences and present the work of the organization where necessary.
Internal Communications
• Play an active leadership role in the global IRC network, with a particular emphasis on maintaining effective partnerships between IRC-UK, IRC. Inc and all regional offices;
• Promote and facilitate internal cross department collaboration, ensuring regular liaison between IRC-UK Finance Department, External Relations, Advocacy and IPT.
Essential qualifications
• Extensive knowledge of European institutional donors and their requirements. Substantial proposal writing experience
• Masters university degree, preferably in a subject related to IRC’s work (e.g. International Relations, Refugee or Migration Studies, Development Studies, Public Health, Public Policy), or equivalent
• Excellent understanding of humanitarian aid and development programming
• Excellent computer skills (Word, Outlook, Excel)
Essential Experience
• Significant experience in developing funding framework proposals or multi-regions/ consortia proposals for development and humanitarian donors
• Experience of undertaking donor research –ability to find relevant, reliable and up to date information quickly
• Experience of building data sets for analysis of donor trends as well as NGO organisational metrics essential • Experience in building consortium for development and humanitarian, funding as well as negotiation of programmatic and financial contractual arrangements with donors and partners
• Ability to lead, motivate and develop teams, with the ability to lead teams through change
• Significant experience in building and managing institutional/public donor relations and representation of the organisation to diverse audiences, including at a senior level
• Significant experience in developing countries, preferably in the context of an NGO or International Organisation (UN or major donor or similar)
• Proven ability to work supportively and successfully with virtual teams
• Demonstrated ability to plan and manage expectations of remote field staff colleagues while delivering to deadlines
Essential Skills/Abilities
• Highly organised, able to manage competing priorities and identify strategic and critical issues
• Entrepreneurial thinking: ability to identify opportunities to develop prospects and execute them, using new approaches or techniques as fits your view of the opportunity and prospects identified
• Skilled in data collection with the analytical skills to identify key points from complex materials and produce succinct summaries and analysis of trends or significant items
• Ability to present data to senior management and stakeholders in a clear and concise way
• Self-driven; able to be proactive and work on own initiative; problem solving skills and creative thinking
• Strategic relationship development skills, in relations to positioning with donors and in prioritising engagement focus
• Strong understanding of project design, quality programming and effective delivery in humanitarian and development settings
• Manage and support a team to work effectively and under pressure
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills
Personal Qualities
• Inspire and coach the team to deliver
• Highly motivated self starter
• Acts with integrity and honesty
Desirable qualifications, skills and experience
• Interest and understanding of advocacy work
• Knowledge of European Union institutions
• Working with refugees and/or in overseas development
• Experience of working in a global organisation, with complex reporting relationship
• Ability to assert leadership while maintaining collegiality
• Fluency in French or German is highly desirable
• Previous experience working at senior management level with international NGOs or donor agencies
How to apply:
To apply, please send your CV (two page max) and cover letter (two page max.) outlining the reasons for your interest in the post and why you believe yourself to be suitable.
Please include:
• Where you saw the job advertised
• Current salary
• Your full contact details, including daytime and evening telephone numbers
Please send to: applications@rescue-uk.org
The closing date is: 10am Friday 10th January 2014 (GMT)
Interviews will be held the week of 20th January 2014, please confirm your availability for this date.
Please note that:
• Applications without a cover letter will be rejected automatically
• Unfortunately, a relocation package is not included for this post
• Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Unfortunately we cannot give any feed-back to those who are not shortlisted
IRC-UK strives to be an equal opportunities employer. IRC-UK is committed to equality of opportunity and to non-discrimination for all job applicants and employees, and we seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.