Delegate, Strategic Partnerships

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services. IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

The Country Cluster Delegation (CCD) in Kinshasa supports four countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rep. of Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda National Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to implement their strategies while centering the IFRC Agenda for Renewals, Pan-African Initiative with a focus on National Society Development.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

Job Purpose

The Strategic Engagement and Partnerships (SEP) Delegate will support the Cluster office in Kinshasa on all aspects of grant acquisition and management.

The SEP Delegate will work closely with the Regional SEP Africa team. The post holder will enhance resource mobilization outcomes and financial sustainability across a portfolio of four National Societies including DRC, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi in support of the CCD’s priorities and targets.

The incumbent will foster proactive partner engagement through relationship and knowledge development as well as effective use of SEP tools and processes. The position holder will also ensure grant compliance, donor relations and accountability to partners in coordination with program managers as well as PMER and finance focal points.

As needed, the position will also support member National Societies with fundraising.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Fundraising and business development (50%)

• Ensure oversight on fundraising and resource development for IFRC’s operations and programmes in the countries covered by the CCD.
• Proactively research, analyse, and advise on potential new funding opportunities.
• Undertake effective negotiation with National Societies, multilaterals, private sector organizations and other donors to secure pledges and grants.
• Proactively coordinate specific funding proposals, including acting as close liaison with National Societies, technical teams, Cluster and Country Offices to ensure consistency of agreed approach and priorities as well as to ensure timely submission of good quality proposals to donors.
• Provide focused support and analysis, especially in terms of financial and administrative requirements in the process of developing of funding proposals.
• Write, coordinate, review and ensure quality of concept notes, grant applications and funding proposals.
• Follow up on donor/partners feedback on proposals/concept notes submitted and systematically share the information with the team as part of lesson learning.
• Organize and facilitate partner conference calls and take an active role in preparation and delivery of partnership meetings.
• Organise or support donor visits to the field if required

Partnership and Resource Development for Emergencies (10%)

• Lead on grant management and partnership development for specific emergency appeals.
• Coordinate resource development for emergency appeals, including generating and sharing relevant information from communities to key partners.
• Track and analyse emergency appeal coverage, lead and coordinate actions to be taken to increase coverage, and provide regular updates, analysis and recommendations to management.
• Coordinate with the Communications Team to ensure adequate marketing materials are produced.
• In collaboration with the Health, Disasters, Climate and Crises (HDCC)) Department, input to revisions of emergency appeal procedures, explore new mechanisms and instruments for increasing emergency income.
• If needed, provide emergency surge SEP capacity on the ground within the CCD (or elsewhere in the region, as directed by the Head of CCD and Head of SEP, including travelling to the affected countries.
• Gather income data relating to emergency appeals, analyse trends and variances in emergency appeals in the CCD and the external humanitarian funding landscape.
• Planning and Budgeting for Cluster Annual Operational Plans (10%)
• In close cooperation with Head of Delegation, develop the National Society funding plans for both emergency appeals and long-term plans.
• Provide advice to budget holders during the planning process on realistic funding plans, and support them in annual revisions.
• Provide technical review of the funding plans to ensure that they tally with the operational plans and budgets.
• Maintain an overview of the funding situation of all current annual plans and emergency appeals in the four countries, continuously identifying gaps in funding and funding priorities.
• Establish and utilise tracking tools to monitor hard and soft pledges for all incoming funding.
• Input to regional and global SEP planning process and donor engagement plans.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

Pledge and Grants Management (10%)

• Process all pledges properly and in a timely manner.
• Ensure that relevant updates in the registration system are included, and that pledges reflecting agreed criteria are shared with donors and understood by relevant budget holders.
• Ensure that budget holders and finance team are aware and receive information on grant agreements and donor requirements.
• In close cooperation with budget holders ensure that renegotiation of pledge requirements and timeframe extensions take place on time.
• Ensure timely follow up on pledge payment arrangements.
• Ensure that all prospect funding and hard pledges are duly logged and registered in IFRC systems.
• Ensure regular follow up between SEP, finance team and budget holders of pledge implementation rates and donor requirements to meet quality standards and conditions of specific grants.
• Work with the Communications teams to ensure donor visibility requirements are met.
• Review and ensure quality and compliance of grant applications, funding proposals and reports.
• Ensure consistency and compliance to grant management procedures in view of achieving quality reporting and accountability.
• Undertake occasional monitoring visits to implementation areas of grants

National Society Fundraising Capacity Building (20%)

• Provide technical advice and guidance to National Societies in the CCD on funding opportunities and proposal development.
• Support the Domestic Fundraising through planning and implementation programmes to build National Societies’ domestic resource mobilisation capacities.
• Support the organisation of fundraising skill shares, webinars, and training sessions, facilitating training sessions in the post-holder’s areas of expertise.
• Ensure National Societies in the sub-region have equitable access to resources and initiatives via the Virtual Fundraising Hub such as Peer Review, International Fundraising Skill share, investment mechanisms and digital tools implementation.

Education

Required

• First-cycle university degree in relevant discipline (ex. g. International Relations, Marketing, Humanitarian Affairs, Business Administration, Economics, Finance

Preferred

• Masters’ degree in relevant discipline (ex. g. International Relations, Marketing, Humanitarian Affairs, Business Administration, Economics, Finance).
• Relevant professional training courses (Red Cross/Red Crescent related, humanitarian and development sector, management).

Experience

Required

• At least 5 years of working experience out of which 3 years relevant experience in managing relations with donors and partners.
• Experience in managing strong relationships with multiple donors and partners.
• Experience of securing high levels of quality funding from multilaterals, financial institutions, governments, or the private sector.
• Experience of developing winning funding proposals and grant applications.
• Experience of developing and implementing funding plans.

Preferred

• Red Cross Red Crescent work experience.
• Work experience with other international organizations, large NGOs and/or governmental development agencies.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Knowledge of fundraising and marketing tools and techniques.
• Knowledge of private sector funding priorities and ways of working.
• Knowledge of private sector funding priorities and ways of working.
• Knowledge of and skills in tracking open calls for proposals from key donor institutions.
• Excellent knowledge of Excel, development and interpretation of graphs and charts for analysis and monitoring.
• Strong knowledge of information sharing tools.
• Strong knowledge of reporting systems and guidelines
• Highly organised, with ability to work a strong team player.
• Ability to coordinate with teams based in different geographic locations.
• Ability to work in a multicultural, multilingual, multi-disciplinary environment.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Excellent networking and relationship building skills.
• Strong budgeting and finance management skills.
• Demonstrated skills in analytical and strategic thinking.
• Track record in producing high quality work under short deadlines and ability to manage competing priorities under pressure.
• Fluent spoken and written English.
• Fluent spoken and written French.

Preferred

• Knowledge of IFRC systems and processes in pledge management, planning, reporting systems and financial management.
• Good command of another IFRC official language (Spanish or Arabic).

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust