Programme Development and Grants Manager – Syria and Iraq

About the role:

This is a 12-month contract with a possibility of extension. It is a replacement role with unaccompanied terms and conditions based in Syria with frequent travel across all areas of Concern programme interventions, with a salary of Band 3 (€39,911 to €44.346)

You will report to the Programme Director (PD) and will work directly with the Deputy Programme Director (DPD), Programme Coordinators (PC), Programme Managers (PM), whilst also liaising with Finance and Logistics staff. You will work closely with Concern Syria & Iraq’s Dublin-based Desk Officer to coordinate the development and submission of concept notes, proposals and reports.

The Programme Development and Grants Manager will be expected to liaise closely with implementing partners to coordinate programme cycle management, including reporting, contracting and proposal development. You will line manage a Communications Officer, ensuring internal and donor visibility requirements are followed, with the support of Concern’s Dublin-based Communications Department.

We would like you to start in December 2023.

Your purpose:

The Programme Development and Grants Manager (PDGM) is the focal point for proposal development, reporting, and grants management across all of Concern Syria & Iraq awards. The PDGM is responsible for building the proposal development and reporting capacity of key programme management staff. Under the guidance of the PD, and in coordination with the PCs, the Dublin-based Desk Officer and regional technical advisers, the PDGM will facilitate the development of new concept notes and full proposals, ensuring familiarity with and adherence to organisational and donor templates and deadlines. The PDGM is also responsible for ensuring all reporting and submission deadlines are appropriately scheduled and adhered to, and that all documents are finalised to a professional standard. In line with the country communications plan, the PDGM will provide guidance and support to the Communications Officer in the creation of communications materials such as briefing papers, advocacy documents, infographics and case studies. Alongside the Deputy PD, the PDGM will continuously monitor the country fundraising strategy, ensuring follow up at programme and Grant Management Meetings. Throughout, the PDGM will support the mainstreaming of Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) as well as Protection, Gender and Equality across the Concern Country Programme.

In this role, you will:

Programme Development

• Support funding opportunities and the development of concept notes and proposals with guidance from the PD, ensuring internal and external deadlines are met.
• Support the drafting of a funding strategy for the Country Programme by identifying sector specific funding gaps.
• Establish and maintain a funding tracker to monitor the country programme’s funding pipeline, ensuring that new proposals target key gaps and funding needs to the greatest extent possible. Update and maintain a reporting tracker for the Country Programme, in coordination with the Dublin Desk Officer.
• Support the PCs and PMs in mainstreaming cross-cutting issues and quality standards across all programmes with the use of the Concern Head Office checklist, and application of learning from MEAL reports.
• Coordinate, review and compile the monthly programme reports for review by the Programme Director.
• Maintain a file of key organisational information required for proposals, and all prior proposals submitted for learning and future reference purposes on Concern’s Grant Management System (GMS).

Grants Management

• Take responsibility for oversight of all grants for the Syria & Iraq programme, highlighting and guiding the reporting and proposal commitments required for the relevant donor from a compliance perspective, setting timelines, and providing feedback on drafted sectors of the documents.
• Review the GMS records for accurate record keeping for the country programme grants, including reporting deadlines, and following up with the Desk Officer, Concern US and the PD for uploading the final versions of donor reports and other centrally maintained documentation.
• Support the Country Programme with the increased use of GMS, i.e. engaging with Dublin for trainings tailored to roles etc. To increase the capacity of the team in the use of the GMS platform to inspire a more dynamic use of the software.
• Set up, and partake in timely and efficient grant opening, and grant closure meetings.
• Support on the monthly operational call with PC and PM.

Communications

• Coordinate with in country staff and the Communications Department in Dublin to ensure the timely development of case studies and other visibility materials in line with Concern Syria and Iraq’s communication strategy, organisational guidelines, and donor requirements.
• Produce quarterly (or as agreed) programme updates, newsletters, briefing papers and information packs for internal and external distribution, in line with organisational policy.
• As and when required, develop infographics in relation to the scope and scale of Concern’s work, building of the information used within the Information Management team, for example from the Dashboard and GIS Mapping.
• Build the capacity of the Country Programme to develop relevant and engaging communications materials.

Human Resource Management

• Line manage the Communication Officer, to ensure quality content gathering and development material to reflect Country Programme work and population needs.
• Ensure the on-going development of the Communications Officer, including setting Objectives and ensuring the implementation of Performance Development Review, with technical input from Dublin Communications Department.
• Ensure all staff comply with the Programme Participants Protection Policy and Code of Conduct.

Responding to Emergencies:

• Participate in, and contribute towards Concern’s Emergency response as and when necessary through, for example, compiling information on Concern’s emergency response and absorption capacity as well as briefing papers to be shared with management in close coordination with Sector leads.

Accountability

• Comply with Concern Code of Conduct and Associated policies at all times.
• In line with Concern’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS):
• Actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle (planning, implementation, M&E);
• Work with relevant colleagues to ensure that the Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) is functional and accessible, that feedback and complaints are welcomed and addressed;
• Work with relevant colleagues to ensure that information about CRM, safeguarding and expected staff behaviour is disseminated among programme participants and communities.

Your skills and experience will include:

Essential:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management, Development, Business or relevant field. Master’s Degree in related field is an added advantage.
• At least three (3) years’ experience in a related field (at least two years overseas) with experience in developing and managing budgets, familiarity with donors (e.g. ECHO, , BHA, Irish Aid etc.) proposal development and compliance, documenting lessons learned, and developing case studies and communications materials for different audiences.
• Programmatic knowledge of (some of) the following sectors: Education, Food Security, SNFI, Protection, WASH, Livelihoods, Humanitarian Response, Resilience and Durable Solutions.
• Experience working in a high pressured, results focused and dynamic environment
• Excellent planning, organisation, analytical, problem solving, communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience producing high-level writing, including production of M&E reports, internal and donor reports, and proposal writing
• Strong computer skills particularly Microsoft Office and Excel
• Excellent spoken and written English.
• Experience working in an insecure, volatile and remote management environments.
• Very high attention to detail, with experience of refining and editing to a professional-level content
• Demonstrated experience using on-job experiences to actively learn and apply learning to new initiatives.

We would also like:

• Ability to speak, read and write Arabic is an asset.
• Previous work experience in response to the Syrian crisis.
• Affinity with organisational values, mission and vision, commitment to humanitarian principles
• Familiar with UN coordination mechanisms (cluster approach)
• Experience producing publish-ready content, including the use of Adobe InDesign, Lightroom and other design and publishing software
• Experience creating systems, processes and tools for organizational management, monitoring & evaluation and reporting systems
• Experience writing and managing the development of multi-million USD humanitarian proposals