Latinamerica Partnership Manager

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, working in more than 40 countries to provide adequate assistance with a rights-based approach for refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, returnees and migrants. Based on the findings of several emergency needs assessments, starting in 2018 DRC initiated an emergency response in the Caribbean coastal areas of Colombia such as Riohacha and Barranquilla and in the cities of Bogota and Medellin, currently incorporating activities in the municipality of Barbacoas and Tibú. DRC’s integrated humanitarian response is mainly based on protection activities, with components of shelter interventions, WASH, cash multipurpose, NFIs, and livelihoods, as well as humanitarian demining activities in Caquetá and Bolivar; DRC has also established a regional capacity in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Overall purpose of the role:

The Latinamerica Partnership Manager will be responsible for managing the partnerships, developping a strategic framework and systems to strengthen DRC Latinamerica’s partnerships with local civil society organisations (CSO) across Latin America (LA). The Latinamerica Partnership Manager will play a lead role in strengthening DRC Latinamerica’s localization approach and developping a network of CSOs focusing on the provision of integrated protection along the migration routes and other situations of violence – the Protection Network or “P-network”.

The Latinamerica Partnership Manager will support the project cycle managementt by current partners, develop the partnerships with newly identified CSO, assess partner organization capacities, facilitate relevant capacity strengthening support, and provide ongoing support to the partner organization throughout and after program implementation. Latinamerica Partnership Manager will lead a team of project advisors (one in each country) who will advise, support and accompany the partner CSO in each country. This position will be based at Country Office in Mexico and will require extensive travel within Latinamerica. Current contries of intervention include Peru, Honduras and Guatemala with mid-term potential addition of Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and El Salvador or any other Latinamerican country. In addition, in Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, where DRC has a presence, the Latinamerica Partnership Manager will play a support and advisory role to the Country offices to manage the local partners in country.

The position is currently pending funding approval.

Responsibilities:

Capacity and Needs Assessments and Partnership Management

• Coordinate the strengthening of partner CSO capacity to deliver quality humanitarian programming, supporting the Partnerships Advisors to work across relevant departments to set up systems for coaching and capacity building
• Coordinate partner organizational capacity assessments and analyse assessments to identify specific capacity building and organizational development needs, and provide training and targeted capacity strengthening support
• Promote relationships of mutual respect and mutual learning with partners, and provide guidance to relevant staff in supporting them
• Establish and maintain a partnership database that maps out partner capacity, and strategic alignment with DRC programming
• Review existing partnerships resources and identify additional needs to support capacity assessment, monitoring, compliance, project cycle management, etc.
• Support partner selection processes for local CSO
• Manage positive and productive relations with partner CSO

Partnership Development and Field Support

• Lead DRC Latin America in developing systematic approaches to selecting partners, and in identifying and pursuing strategic partnerships.
• Liaise with DRC Latinamerica partnership protection coordinator to support the design of partner programming, quality implementation, follow-up on capacity building plans.
• Work to develop systems and process that are supportive of the Localisation Strategies, and ensure periodic review and updating of policies

Strategic Leadership and Coordination

• Support sector-specific strategies development focusing on partnership and localisation element to include CSO
• Stay up to date on current trends in partnerships and localisation practices regionally and share learning with DRC Latin. America, as well as linking with the WANALA Regional Office and DRC HQ Global Civil Society Engagement Unit.
• Ensure partners involvement in strategic planning, programme design, and proposal/concept paper development.
• Engage in other regional and global tasks and collaborations to contribute to DRC’s Go Local ambitions.

Grants, Accountability and Reporting

• Guided by the DRC Programme Handbook, continuously monitor and develop relevant accountability initiatives as well as strengthening the effort to document the impact and lessons learned of activities
• Provide oversight and leadership on DRC’s sub agreements.
• Ensure compliance with internal and external reporting requirements including procurement
• Provide input for monthly, quarterly, and annual donor reports as needed
• Lead initiatives to improve partnership practices by periodically assessing DRC Latin America localization approach taking into account both DRC and partners’ perspectives, capture lessons learned and best practices, and make recommendations for improvement
• Analyse results of on-going partnerships and results on the ground to produce lessons learnt and inform strategic decision-making
• Work with Grants to ensure that partnership tools and financial standards meet donor requirements and allow for adaptation and flexibility
• Contribute to DRC proposals and reports on partnerships and localization

People Management

• Manage a team of three Partnerships advisors in Peru, Honduras and Guatemala including coaching, coordination, recruitment, and capacity development
• Provide on the job training as much as required and adapt trainings/coaching to specific staff needs within the partnerships team

Experience and technical competencies:

Required

• At least 5 years’ experience in a project management role
• Advanced degree in political science, international development, economics, or any other relevant field
• At least 2 years’ experience with partnerships and localization
• Experience in capacity building of staff and local partners
• Skills and experience in project planning, delivery, monitoring, reporting, review, and evaluation
• Full professional proficiency in Spanish and English

Preferred

• Good knowledge of relevant donor compliance regulations
• Professional background in working with internally displaced persons and/or refugees
• Significant experience in training and liaising with national NGOs
• Experience in developing new and successful proposals
• Experience working in multicultural work settings
• Willingness to embrace and further develop overall objectives such as gender equity, impact monitoring, and cross-sector cooperation

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.
• Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
• Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

Education:

Advanced degree in political science, international development, economics, or any other relevant field

Languages

Fluency in English and Spanish required

We Offer

• Contract length: 10 months with possible extension, depending on funding
• Level: F
• Duty Station: México with travels l Family duty station – Accompanied
• Start date: 1st of April 2023

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates. For questions regarding the vacancy please contact Melissa Adoum [email protected] . Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Are you interested? Then apply for this position on line: www.drc.dk/about-drc/vacancies/current-vacancies. All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in English.

DRC provides equal opportunity in employment and prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability. DRC encourages all applicants to apply and does not practice any discrimination in any recruitment process.

However, applicants must be aware that DRC cannot employ under an international contract a citizen of the country in which she/ he is going to be stationed (in such case, Colombia)

Applications close on the 20/03/2023 at 23.59 GMT-5. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.