Grants Program Officer

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) 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, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The International Grants Officer will carry out activities of the Grants Unit (GU) within the IRC Ethiopia Programs Department. The position is based in Addis Ababa but will require frequent travel to the field. The position reports to the Grants Coordinator.

Duties and Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Research and Program Design:

• Assist IRC program technical sectors to develop holistic, long-term program plans beyond project-based planning.
• Facilitate IRC technical sectors to develop project plans, logical frameworks, and implementation timelines for current and future IRC projects.
• Upon request, assist with research on funding opportunities, and potential donors, partners, and their strategies.

• Research and collect data to inform program design and proposal development.

Proposal Development:

• Maintain an in-depth knowledge of IRC internal policies and proposal guidelines for donor organizations funding IRC Ethiopia programs/projects.
• Develop IRC Ethiopia concept papers and proposals, abiding by the guidelines set out by the donor and by IRC internal policies. This will involve developing proposal documents including budget, budget narrative, narrative, monitoring and evaluation documents, and other documents as necessary.
• Coordinate with staff from other IRC Ethiopia departments (technical sectors, finance, field staff) to compile relevant information and documents to support proposal development.

Government Agreements:

• In coordination with the field offices and program technical units, assist in the development of IRC Ethiopia government agreements when needed. This will involve working with these units to develop all agreement documents, including budget, activity plan, financial plan, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), and other documents as necessary.

Reporting:

• Coordinate timelines for and review donor and government reports as per the required format.
• Review, compile, provide feedback on, and finalize draft donor reports, editing for format, grammar, and content.
• As needed, take responsibility for initial report drafting.
• Support field and technical teams with government reports through content review.

• Build the capacity of national staff to write and incorporate feedback on donor and government reports.
• Backstop final report review as needed and requested by the Grants Coordinator.

Grants Management and Monitoring:

• Identify and communicate to program quality monitoring staff and technical teams gaps in reporting/data collection.
• Support program quality monitoring staff in conceptualizing and facilitating implementation of program quality tools developed.
• Review monthly field reports to ensure accuracy and monitor progress against targets.

• Support grant opening, review, and closing meetings, including attendance at meetings when possible.
• Travel to the field sites as needed to support program monitoring/grants management.
• Upon request, support the development of communication materials that highlight the learning and success of the IRC Ethiopia program.

Capacity Building:

• Feed into the development of relevant training modules, and facilitate capacity-building on select skills for field staff.
• Support IRC Ethiopia field teams in compiling reports and proposal/concept paper drafts, with emphasis on writing style, presentation, and critical analysis. This includes providing constructive feedback on content and form of documents drafted (e.g. reports, concepts, success stories).

Special Tasks and Liaison

• At the request of the Grants Coordinator/Senior Program Coordinator, take responsibility for miscellaneous projects not falling under responsibilities underlined in this job description.
• As needed, act as a liaison between IRC and its donors, partners, and/or headquarters.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Excellent English writing skills are mandatory and the most important qualification sought for this position. Candidates will be asked to demonstrate English writing competence during the screening process.
• Ability to use Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel mandatory.
• Bachelor degree in relevant field from a recognized university, higher degree a plus.
• One to two years experience in an international NGO in similar role.
• Experience working in report writing, project management, and proposal development preferred.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATIONS:

• Ability to work under pressure, long work hours, and high workload.
• Ability to independently organize work and prioritize tasks.
• Self-motivated, honest, highly responsible, and punctual.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.