Partnerships Senior Manager

The Partnerships Senior Manager is responsible for the management and implementation of IRC’s approach to partnering with local and national civil society organizations in Iraq, establishing IRC as a leader in its engagement with Iraqi civil society to produce better outcomes for the people we serve.

Under the guidance of the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) Iraq, and in close collaboration with the extended senior management team (ESMT), the Partnerships Senior Manager will lead the Iraq Partnership Team to ensure strong, collaborative partnerships that deliver effective and efficient program outcomes in accordance with IRC Iraq’s Strategy. The Partnerships Senior Manager will oversee the implementation of IRC’s partnership excellence for equality and results system (PEERS) ensuring that IRC identifies, appropriately allocates and effectively mitigates programmatic, operational, financial, and reputational risk, establishing a strong foundation for strategic partnerships that extend beyond program implementation to incorporate mutual capacity strengthening and broader collaboration.  The Partnerships Senior Manager is key in fostering and promoting the culture, attitudes, values, and skills conducive to collaborative partnerships throughout the Iraq teams, based on a clear and shared understanding of IRC’s strategy, role and approach, and core partnership principles.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Oversight of the IRC Iraq Partnerships Strategy

• Collaborate with the DDP and Programs Coordinators to drive processes that ensure IRC develops and maintains a detailed working knowledge of the civil society landscape in Iraq and establishes, builds, and maintains a network of strategic partner relationships, including with women-led organizations.
• Work with the DDP, Program Coordinators, and the Grants Coordinator to ensure that partnership is appropriately integrated into all new business development and support the development of new business development concepts that prioritize partnerships.
• Define and contribute to learning opportunities with respect to local partnerships.
• Support the DDP to advocate with donors to promote approaches and requirements that are responsive to the priorities and realities of local partners, and that promote localization.
• Actively engage in and help drive IRC regional partnership initiatives, including participating in working groups and thematic meetings on partnership approaches and practices, identifying opportunities for systems improvements, and coordinating to ensure a coherent, efficient, and effective joint approach to partnerships.

Implementation of the Partnership Management System

• Oversee all aspects of partnership management – from due diligence vetting, project and agreement development, sub-award management, monitoring and accountability, through to closure – coordinating all program, operations and finance components. Support effective sub-award close out processes, incorporating reflection and lessons learned.
• Facilitate and lead the development of the structure and approach to individual partner relationships – including the selection of the appropriate funding mechanism and the development of appropriate reporting, monitoring and advance terms – based on the findings of the pre-award due diligence and in line with IRC policy, appropriately analyzing and mitigating risks, in collaboration with ESMT.
• Lead the maintenance and coordination of partner program, finance and compliance monitoring schedules as well as facilitating review and reflections meetings. Ensure response and support plans are implemented.
• Coordinate with the Finance Department and work closely with the Partnership Finance Officers to ensure appropriate financial documentation in compliance with IRC and donor regulations, and to facilitate timely processing of all partnership payments according to schedule.
• Serve as a technical resource for partnership-focused staff in sector teams to promote an effective, responsive and coherent approach.
• Lead and coordinate the IRC’s Partnerships Working Group, ensuring it serves as a platform for addressing key issues related to partner engagement, compliance, capacity sharing, and operational challenges.
• Lead and coordinate with technical coordinators to the development of engagement strategies with strategic partners and manage stakeholder relationships. Ensuring that these partnerships align with IRC’s localization commitments and programmatic objectives.

Partnership Agreement Management:

• Facilitate and coordinate various aspects of project and sub-award lifecycle management, including due diligence, development of agreements and amendments, and coordination across partnership processes from opening and monitoring through to close-out.
• Maintain and coordinate partner program, finance and compliance monitoring schedules and coordinate support for partners to address any concerns or issues that may arise.
• Ensure all relevant partnership and program documents are consistently uploaded and accurately maintained in OTIS.
• Ensure that monitoring plans, visits and tools are in place for donor compliance and progress against objectives, and that key monitoring information and reflection session and learning are documented.

Developing Strategies and Mechanisms for Capacity Sharing

• Ensure IRC understands the capacity strengthening priorities of its partners, including through Organizational Capacity Assessment processes where appropriate, and identify opportunities for IRC to support partner capacity strengthening efforts aligned with prime award objectives.
• Lead the development and execution of strategic partnership models, ensuring alignment with IRC’s goals and priorities. This includes identifying potential partners, fostering relationships, and negotiating agreements that promote mutual capacity sharing and resource mobilization.

Promoting a Culture of Effective and Respectful Partnerships

• Ensure and champion robust partner relationship management grounded in collaborative, humble and principled approaches
• Implement standard best approaches for systematic feedback on IRC’s management of the relationship (as well as appropriate action in response to the feedback), as well as on partner engagement in program development
• Collaborate with Iraq SMT to ensure that IRC includes key partnership competencies in recruitment for relevant technical and operational positions; provide staff with necessary support for skills development for core partnership skills (mentoring, negotiation, etc.); and include performance objectives for relevant positions that incentivize effective partnerships.

Staff Management and Development

• Direct oversight of the Iraq Partnerships Team, ensuring that the team is appropriately resourced and structured. Work with HR staff to identify and implement recruitment and retention strategies.
• Coach, train, mentor and supervise direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations and objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented annual performance reviews. Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth. Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing guidance on career paths.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promote a strong team spirit and provide oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Position reports to: Deputy Directors of Program (DDP)

Position directly supervises: Partnership Senior Officer

Other internal: Partnership Finance Officers, Technical/Program Coordinators, Deputy Director of Finance, Grants Coordinator, MEAL Coordinator, Supply Chain Senior Manager.

Other external: Iraqi local NGOs, local and national government stakeholders as well as donors.

Instructions to apply:

1- Copy the link below:  https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/58031?c=rescue&sq=req58031

3- Fill out the information needed by the IRC website.

4- Complete the application.

5- Apply Application.