JOB DESCRIPTION
Title
Awards, Partnership and Grants Writing Manager
Location
Ramallah/Gaza
Travel
Depending on duty station
Job Family and Grade
Technical Family , T5
Pre hire checks
This role is classified as requiring standard Enhanced Due Diligence
ScopeDepartment:
Programs
Reporting to:
Country Director
Direct reports:
NA
Budget responsibility:
NA
Relationship management
Country Program, Regional Team, Global Team
ContextAbout Relief International
Relief International (RI) partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change, and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and wellbeing.
Currently, RI is active in 15 countries around the world, including some of the most fragile: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar, occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), Pakistan, Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen.
RI includes the four corporate members of the RI Alliance: RI Inc., RI-UK, RI-France, and RI-Europe. Under our alliance agreement, we operate with a single, shared management structure.
About our Country Program
Relief International was operational in OPT starting in 2007, and after entering hibernation period in 2017, has recently reactivated its operations at the end of 2023. Relief International is actively working to respond to the current and evolving situation in both Gaza and the West Bank through both a direct implementation and partnership approach. Relief Internationalโs programming in OPT follows Relief Internationalโs global strategy with Health as a central focus with components linked to our work in Health through the sectors of WASH, Protection, Education and Livelihoods. The context in OPT is extremely dynamic and requires focus on nexus programming that brings together both humanitarian service delivery combined with systems strengthening and longer-term programming. Growing Relief Internationalโs portfolio in oPT is paramount to respond to the immediate needs of vulnerable populations as well as establishing nexus programming. The Program Development Manager will play a key role, in coordination with key in-country and regional senior leadership, to ensure the successful development and implementation of Relief International strategy in country.
Middle East Region
RI operates in seven countries in the Middle East region: Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), Syria, Turkey and Yemen, with a focus on the four RI sector pillars: Health, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Education, and Economic Opportunity. We employ more than 4,000 staff (direct and indirect) in the Middle East region and implement a range of humanitarian and development programs valued at approximately $70 million USD on an annual basis.
Job ProfileRI seeks for an Awards, Partnership and Grants Writing Manager to support its program development efforts in oPt and to ensure proper awards management cycle. This position will be responsible for identifying new funding opportunities, develop partnerships with peer organizations (INGOs/local NGOs), write concept notes and proposals, and provide support to the Country Director in maintaining donor liaison to secure funding for new programs. Moreover, the Awards, Partnership and Grants Writing Manager will assist in all aspects of grant management, ensuring adherence to donor requirements and internal policies. S/he will collaborate with program teams and partners, providing support on grant compliance and contributing to the successful implementation of funded projects.
This position demands a dynamic, proactive, and flexible individual with program design and development skills who is ready to provide substantive contributions and explore advancing their capacities to achieving results in a demanding and fast-paced environment.
Key ResponsibilitiesAccountability and Complexity
- Work closely with Country Office Teams to ensure highest quality of program development in coordination with relevant departments.
- Coordination with internal (country, regional, global) and external stakeholders (Donors, local NGOs, INGOs, etc.).
- Supports programmatic and budgetary monitoring, compliance with donors, and internal RI rules and regulations. Address unique compliance challenges, adapt to changing donor regulations, and develop innovative solutions to ensure successful grant implementation.
- Coordinate with various departments (Programs, Technical Units, Finance, Operations) to ensure seamless grant management processes and effective communication.
- Drive key Awards Management processes within the country program by working closely with the program/technical teams, Train and mentor staff on donor compliance, Awards management best practices, and partnership Due-diligence and management processes.
Program Development and reporting
- Search for new funding opportunities through a consultative approach to support decision-making on application process.
- Use local information to regularly prepare, update and maintain an in-country donor engagement tracker and donor map
- Support/lead partnership and consortium development with different organizations, agencies, and coordinate/lead the internal and external (donor) compliance requirements in relation to particular funding opportunities and ensure new programs are designed based on evidence and theories of change. Guide the grants team to conduct downstream due diligence as required
- Lead in-country design workshops for funding opportunities
- Write concept notes/proposals following donor guidelines for different programs in consultation with country office team, technical assistance department (TAD), and other units. Lead the development of all required annexes (budget, workplan, and all necessary donor requirements)
- Provide administrative support (Go/no go memos, cost share memos, updating the country pipeline, etc.), record keeping and data management
- Lead the timely submission of accurate and well-written donor reports, ensuring adherence to requirements and guidelines.
Awards Management & Compliance
- Provide expert guidance to program teams, support departments, and partners on donor and RI regulations, fostering a culture of compliance.
- Assist the Management Team in fulfilling ad hoc requests from authorities, ensuring alignment with donor requirements and proposals.
- Lead monthly GRM and BvA meetings to review progress, address challenges, and identify potential modifications.
- Draft the preparation of modification requests for donors, ensuring compliance with guidelines and procedures.
- Liaise with Regional Team: Coordinate with the Middle East regional team on all grant management matters, including submissions, agreements, and waivers.
- Assist in preparing monthly management reports, portfolio reviews, and facilitate project implementation and lessons learned events.
- Provide oversight, training, and guidance on RI's partnership framework, due diligence, and sub-awarding practices.
- Support in facilitating donors different spot-check and verification missions, review management response and advise on donor special languages and precautions to mitigate potential risks .
Partnership Management
- Ensure partners are trained and follow RIโs policies and procedures for the project duration, upholding RIโs key policies and principles as a humanitarian organization.
- Ensure that RI Due-Diligence SOP, Tools and best practices are embedded and applied through the partnership cycle.
- Support development of partner organizational capacity assessments (OCA) by a multi-disciplinary team and follow up its implementation.
- Draft New partnership/sub-award agreements using RIโs standard templates and advise country office team on proper contracting modality for the different type of partnership engagements.
- Play a key role in term of being a prime point of contact for Gaza/ WBโs partner operation by addressing ad-hoc inquires, communication and conduct regular spot-checks, capacity building and verification visits if possible
Other Tasks
- Support ad hoc tasks assigned by the supervisor
Behavior and Conduct
- Ensure that behavior inside and outside of work promotes the values in RIโs code of conduct and safeguarding policies.
- Acts with integrity and holds themselves accountable for being respectful, inclusive and professional.
- Reports any concerns.
Safeguarding
- Uphold and promote RIโs commitment to ensuring the safeguarding and safety of the vulnerable communities we serve
- Ensure all people who come into contact with Relief International are as safe as possible, consistent with RIโs safeguarding and protection policies
- Support and develop systems that create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and abuse and promotes the implementation of the Code of Conduct and safeguarding policies.
- Work collaboratively with relevant functions to advocate for the inclusion of safeguarding activities and resources within program
Person SpecificationEssential Criteria
- Masterโs degree โ International development or related field preferred but not required
- At least five yearsโ experience of working with an international NGO
- At least three yearsโ experience of working directly on program/proposal/business development in an international/local NGO
- Experience with EU (EC, ECHO, etc.), US Government (BHA, BPRM, other USAid entities) and UN Agencies funding.
- Comfort with multi-tasking, and willingness to work a flexible schedule to accommodate high-intensity, competing deadlines.
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex activities, meet deadlines, and exercise sound judgment and discipline
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and meet deadlines
- Independent but able to work with multiple teams in a coordinated one-team approach.
- Strong computer skills and experience with Microsoft Office applications, especially Word, Excel and Outlook, Box, Sharepoint, One Drive
- Demonstrated ability to follow instructions and carefully review work for accuracy
Desirable Criteria
- Understanding/experience in at least one of the key sectors of RI (Health, Nutrition, WASH, Education, and Economic Opportunity
- Experience with other donors and foundations
RI ValuesGuided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as โDo No Harm,โ Relief International Values:
- Integrity
- Adaptability
- Collaboration
- Inclusivity
- Sustainability
- Support ad hoc tasks assigned by the supervisor