Capacity Strengthening Senior Manager

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND:

The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Inside Syria, 7.6 million people are internally displaced and 12.2 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, with 4.8 million in hard-to-reach areas. There are 4 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes and infrastructure will take years to repair.

IRC is offering a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis. With an annual budget in excess of $140 million and a rapidly expanding portfolio, supported by more than 1,250 staff in the region, IRC is undertaking programs in Syria and the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan in the fields of health, child protection, education, women’s protection and empowerment, NFI and food distribution, cash assistance, water and sanitation, and livelihood programming. Our work in these challenging settings gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, security, funding and coordination.

Job Overview/Summary:

Partnerships Capacity Strengthening Senior Manager is a key position supporting the Jordan and Syria Programs to improve the overall quality of our partners’ experience. The role sits in the Partnerships Department, supporting programming both inside Syria and in Jordan. The main goal of this position is to strengthen the organizational and donor compliance capacity of our sub-award partners, supporting the refinement and implementation of IRC’s partnership approach to capacity building. The position is based in Amman and will require regular travel throughout the region, particularly to Turkey. The role will work with IRC’s international and national staff and partners to ensure roll out of learning events, coaching/mentorship, and other types of capacity support in the areas of organizational development, donor requirements, program quality and other technical areas. The Partnerships Capacity Strengthening Senior Manager will, in close collaboration with partner organizations’ staff and leaders, identify partner development needs. Partnerships Capacity Strengthening Senior Manager is responsible for providing technical expertise in organizational development (OD) and capacity strengthening with NGOs based on identified needs. Under the supervision of the Deputy Director for Partnerships, the incumbent will effectively lead and guide the design and implementation of OD activities and capacity strengthening initiatives for IRC in the Middle East region, with the ultimate goal of: 1) ensuring that partners deliver efficient and high-quality services to beneficiaries, and, 2) supporting partners’ own organizational and programmatic goals and aspirations.

Major Responsibilities:

Partner Strengthening Activities —

• Deliver all capacity development-related activities for sub-award and partner organizations in diverse areas of organizational development (leadership and management, financial management, human resources management, partner relations, outreach to beneficiaries and communications with multiple audiences, program monitoring and evaluation, technology utilization and others).
• Work closely with selected local partners to ensure adequate technical capacity is strengthened in various programmatic areas, particularly health and protection, in collaboration with IRC technical teams.
• Develop materials and processes for specific areas/topics identified as needed for capacity strengthening of partners, including designing and facilitating training events, providing mentoring and coaching to partners, facilitating peer learning, and utilizing other learning methodologies as appropriate.
• Ensure integration of organizational capacity development with other technical support activities for partners.
• Maintain up-to-date and accurate presentations for Jordan & Syria Partnership Department for internal and external meetings and presentations, as required, with support from the Deputy Director for Partnerships.
• Strengthen the capacity of sub-award partners on the overall grant lifecycle, including proposal development, reporting and grant management, and support other partner capacity strengthening initiatives within the Sub-Awards unit.
• Implement Organizational Capacity Assessments with partners in the region, supporting partners’ capacity strengthening action plans in close collaboration with the organization’s leadership. Follow-up on partners’ organizational priorities, identify trainings or other opportunities for accomplishing each organizations’ goals, monitoring achievements, and conducti follow-up assessments to track each partners’ growth in order to generate evidence and identify successful activities that can be scaled-up. Deliver and/or oversee delivery of curriculum based trainings on a regular or ad hoc basis, depending on partner needs.
• Provide customized mentoring follow ups at organizational and individual levels
• Support the development of OD technical documents, abstracts, presentations and reports documenting achievements, lessons learnt and other findings related to the project to support IRC staff capacity strengthening in sub-award management in the region.
• Provide or coordinate with other IRC strategic program guidance and technical support for the partners’ programs, through provision of support to field staff and partner organizations as required.
• Develop and/or refine existing IRC capacity strengthening curriculum to fit local context and capacity.
• Refine organizational development tools and recommend best approaches for the staff and partner capacity development, building on existing IRC knowledge and experience.
• Contribute to the development of capacity strengthening standards and best practices.
• Ensure that established good partnership and partner strengthening practices are shared with IRC staff across the region as well as in IRC global as requested.
• Develop and coordinate the implementation of Annual Partnership Workshops, tailored to the needs of current partners, encouraging partners to present topics and cross-partner learning. This includes arranging logistics, travel and budget management for the workshops.
• Provide peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and support for IRC staff in the region, particularly field trainings and events, and other forms of staff capacity-strengthening, in coordination with the program team.
• Provide input in refining IRC’s existing organizational development tools and organizational assessment monitoring and evaluation.
• Identifying international and/or national consultants or service providers, drafting their scope of work, follow up on their recruitment, monitor work progress and process payments.
• Follow up on partner’s logistics, travel and reimbursements.
• Collect all capacity strengthening interventions from different sectors and organize them in IRC filing system.

Project Support

• Maintain close communication and positive working relations at all times with relevant implementing partners.
• Contribute to proposal development to mobilize additional resources to support the growth of IRC’s capacity building activities in the region.
• Lead in program monitoring, evaluating, learning and periodic reporting related to capacity building.
• Contribute to the development of annual work plans, performance monitoring systems and tools, and writing of program reports.
• Contribute to regular donor reporting on capacity strengthening as they relate to program outcomes and activities.
• Ensuring plans are implemented and followed up technically, financially, and administratively.
• Ensuring plans, tools, and tasks are always altered according to changing circumstances and lessons learned to achieve best results.
• Coordinate between IRC colleagues and partner’s colleagues to facilitate project support interventions

and support.

Staff Management and Development

· Coach, train, and mentor staff with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing professional development guidance.

· Offer support for successful adherence by staff to IRC’s Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Deputy Director of Partnerships
Position directly supervises: none

**Indirect Reporting:
Other Internal and/or external contacts: **the position regularly corresponds and attends meetings with external and internal audiences, thus a strong ability to communicate and maintain positive working relationships is highly desirable for this positon.

Internal: Technical Coordinators, Partnerships Department Staff, Finance team, Supply Chain team.

External: Partner staff, occasional coordination meetings with other INGOs; Relevant stakeholders, both GO and INGO, Syrian, Turkish and Jordanian NGOs.

Job Requirements: The requirements should establish a baseline (minimum) for educational background, previous work experience, professional knowledge or certification, specific skills and strengths and any other skill necessary to perform the essential functions of the job.

· Minimum of 5-7 years’ work experience with an NGO in an international context.

· Fluent and excellent written and spoken Arabic AND English. Candidates will be required to take written and oral English and Arabic language tests to confirm their fluency and the quality of their language skills.

· Proven experience working in NGOs/INGO capacity building programs in the Middle East region, ideally in relief and/or post conflict settings.

· Understanding of the status and challenges facing CSOs in the Middle East, particularly those operating in Syria and Turkey

· Proven ability to provide flexible and high-quality capacity strengthening support to both IRC partners and internal IRC staff.

· Strong knowledge of, and experience with organizational development of CSOs in challenging environments, and ability to inform content, materials development, methodology of organizational development activities.

· Experience developing curricula, training materials and assessment tools for organizational development.

· Excellent communication and facilitation skills.

· Strong training, facilitation and coaching skills in international, multicultural settings.

· Proven ability to work well in and promote teamwork, thrive in a multi-cultural environment, be flexible and handle pressure with professional grace.

· Proven understanding of adult learning theory and organizational development, change management, and/or how organizations function in community or multinational settings

· Experience with e-learning tools and the using technology remotely to achieve adult learning.

· Ability to identify and mobilize resources to support IRC’s capacity strengthening work in the region.

· Experience managing staff and a commitment to team building, mentorship, and staff development.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in 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.

Working Environment: The position is based in Amman with standard office work environment. Individual housing allowance is provided in Amman, including internet connection, water and electricity. Living standards are good and the security situation is calm and stable but this could change. Medical, life, and repatriation insurance and retirement package provided. Travel to/from post and R&R.

Returning National Candidates: We strongly encouragenational or returning national candidates to apply for this position and may give preference to Jordanian candidates. If you are a national of Jordan and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over four years of international work experience, the Syria Response Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply. IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs.