BACKGROUND

Over the past 80 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. 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.

The International Rescue Committee UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its headquarters in New York and London. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. Through over 20 regional offices in cities across the United States, the IRC also helps refugees resettle in the US and become self-sufficient.

The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.

IRC-UK

Our European headquarters, IRC-UK, were established in London in 1997 to support the organisation’s global activities and particularly to diversify its donor base and be able to better advocate with European policy-makers on behalf of the people we serve. Since its establishment IRC-UK has grown rapidly and is now acknowledged for its high quality project management, technical expertise in governance and rights and economic recovery, and innovative thinking on early recovery and gender based violence. IRC-UK comprises approximately 120 staff. The IRC also has offices in Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Stockholm and Geneva.

The Awards Management Unit (AMU)

Established in January 2016, the Awards Management Unit (AMU) is a global unit with the responsibility for identifying, securing, and managing all funding from statutory/government donors. The unit is organized into five pillars: Strategic Partnerships, Programme and Grant Support, Compliance and Policy, Programme Development, and Training.

The AMU is a bridge between donors and the field: providing expert technical advice to the field, while maintaining portfolio-level visibility to ensure consistency and compliance, and manage risk. This unit ensures that donor compliance policies and procedures are implemented consistently, and supports all staff working across the grants management cycle for all restricted funding from global government sources.

Key Working Relationships

Reports to the Regional Grants Director for East Africa. Works closely with all East Africa Regional Program Support Team (RPST) members as well as with the Program Development Team, and across all pillars within AMU; the Crisis Response, Recovery and Development Department (CRRD); and Global Partnerships and Philanthropy (GPP). This position manages an Assistant also based in London.

The Purpose of the Role

The Regional Grants Advisor (RGA) plays a vital role within a regional team that supports a specific region. The RGA focuses primarily on the successful implementation of donor award requirements and reporting, ensuring basic compliance, accurate financial information and good quality narratives on programme outputs. The RGA must also build and ensure good and professional working relationships with donors. 

RGAs will work closely with the Regional Grants Directors to strengthen the capacity of field offices to manage, implement and report on awards. RGAs will also represent IRC to policy makers, donors and other audiences.

Based in London, the Regional Grants Advisor works under the supervision of a Regional Grants Director. The RGA may oversee a Regional Grants Assistant.

Travel to country offices is a critical aspect to the job function. The Regional Grants Adviser must be willing to travel to East Africa country offices for up to a maximum of 35% of time as budget and needs allow.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Key Responsibilities

Awards Management (50%)

• Manage the designated European awards portfolio for East Africa
• Review and provide substantive feedback on reports; consulting with and ensuring input from relevant technical and financial staff
• Support budget realignments and grant/contract amendments/modifications
• Maintain day-to-day communication with donors
• Monitor projects to ensure progress against objectives and compliance with donor guidelines
• In coordination with the compliance team, guide country offices in managing partnerships with local or international partners, ensuring that IRC’s sub-award management policies are being followed
• Assist country offices with ad-hoc queries on donor compliance issues. Refer non-routine and high level compliance matters to the RGDs and Compliance team
• Assist the compliance team in advocating with European donors for manageable and reasonable rules and regulations
• Ensure lessons learned from finalised projects are fed into the programme development team
• Stay informed about programmatic issues and security & political developments in the region and how they might affect program implementation
• Ensure country programmes follow internal IRC policies and procedures (e.g. OTIS, PEERS)
• Travel to provide additional support to or cover short-term gaps for grants teams in the field. Short-term cover deployments will cover the full range of tasks in country grants staff support, this include proposal development and support on donors not specifically assigned to RGA in HQ function. Travel decisions will be taken after consultation with line manager with due consideration given to regional priorities and workload management

Capacity Building and Training (15%)

• Provide best practice advice related togrant and contract management
• Develop training materials and carry out training of IRC field staff on  donor rules, as required and in coordination with RGD and AMU Staff
• In coordination with the RGD, develop and maintain work-processes and checklists for grant implementation and report review, as well as record lessons learned

Coordination and Supervision (15%)

• Maintain a strong relationship with the Regional Vice President and Deputy Regional Director and other regional staff
• Maintain a strong relationship with the AMU Deputy VP and all AMU pillars to ensure the use of all templates, guidance, policies and procedures established by AMU
• Maintain a strong relationship with field grants teams offering regular support
• Liaise with support departments and other teams outside of AMU as needed in order to provide the best support to country offices
• Supervise where relevant a Grants Assistant in carrying out necessary functions as they relate to country program support and donor liaison
• Coordinate with the Program Officers in NY and RGAs for information sharing and to establish a coherent program support and backstopping function between headquarters and the field.

Other (20%)

• Support on other regional team assigned tasks as needed, such as support on other awards or phases of an award depending on the needs of the regional team and country offices
• Assist in roll-out of AMU and CRRD-wide initiatives, as requested
• Represent IRC externally at country specific meetings, and stakeholder networks
• Contribute to IRC Europe strategy
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor

Qualifications

Essential

Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:

• Good understanding of humanitarian aid and development programming
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a diverse team and manage a varied workload
• Ability to analyse and synthesise information
• Solid organizational skills; detail-oriented; ability to multi-task and prioritize tasks, and to learn quickly
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills: the ability to successfully and effectively liaise with people within and across departments in a multi-cultural environment
• Ability to analyse and synthesise information
• Both a team player and an independent performer in a very fast paced environment
• A flexible work attitude and a calm manner
• Ability to work on own initiative
• Good IT skills (Word, Outlook, Excel)

Experience:

• Experience with and a good understanding of European institutional donors and their requirements. Understanding of UN or U.S. donors a plus
• Experience in working at a distance and supporting field-based staff
• Experience writing, reviewing and editing narrative and financial reports and excellent attention to detail

Desirable:

• Degree, preferably in a subject related to IRC’s work (International Relations, Refugee or Migration Studies, Development Studies, Public Policy)
• International work experience in a developing country a plus

The deadline for applications is midnight between Tuesday 24th March / Wednesday 25th March 2020

Interviews will take place 13th-16th April 2020 

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

IRC-UK is committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination for all applicants and employees. IRC-UK seeks to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious belief, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability. IRC-UK welcomes applications from all candidates, including refugees who have the right to work in the UK.

Location: Geneva, Switzerland or London, UK.

Reporting to: Head of the Climate Change Sub-Programme

Type of contract: Full time permanent position

Starting date: ASAP

About Oak Foundation:

Oak Foundation commits its resources to address issues of global, social and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged. With offices in Europe, Africa and North America, Oak Foundation makes grants to organisations located in approximately 40 countries worldwide.

About the Environment Programme:

The Environment Programme at Oak Foundation has three sub-programmes: Climate Change; Marine Conservation; and Wildlife Conservation and Trade. In the Climate Change sub-Programme, we aim to contribute to reducing climate pollution and keeping global average temperatures well below 2 degrees Celsius. Our strategy includes decarbonising the power sector, accelerating the shift to clean transportation and creating an enabling environment for political action to tackle climate change. In the Marine sub-Programme, we seek to increase the sustainability of industrial fisheries, improve the management of small-scale subsistence fisheries, and drastically reduce the leakage of plastic debris into the oceans. Finally, in the Wildlife Conservation and Trade sub-programme, our objective is to help disrupt the illegal trafficking of wildlife and implement innovative people-centred wildlife conservation models.

Purpose of the role

This is a great opportunity to join a diverse, international team within Oak Foundation’s climate sub-programme. This is a solutions-focused role to help tackle our greatest challenge: that of cleaning up the global economy and empowering communities to transition to a fairer, healthier and safer future.

The ideal candidate is someone with a strong entrepreneurial and creative spirit, keen to innovate and enable some of the world’s most effective civil society groups and movement builders.

Main responsibilities include:

• Contribute to the strategic direction of the Environment programme by helping to shape the climate components of the programme’s high-level goals, including through the co-drafting of various submissions and reports to the Board;
• Maintain primary responsibility for the management of Oak’s climate and energy grant portfolio from point of initial enquiry to assessment and final recommendation to the President/Trustees/Board; This role will also have an oversight of the grant-making portfolio in Brazil;
• Identify high-impact, innovative and entrepreneurial grant-making opportunities to further strengthen Oak’s leadership role across climate philanthropy and in line with the climate programme’s strategic directions;
• Review budgets submitted by applicant organisations as part of the due diligence process;
• Conducts the monitoring and evaluation of grants including through the conduct of site visits;
• Work with Oak Foundation administrative and programme management staff to ensure efficient progress in grant-making, monitoring and reporting, as well as other administrative activities related to the programme;
• Represent Oak Foundation at external climate change meetings and contribute to internal and key constituent communications on climate change;
• Maintain a strong network of relationships with key players in the climate arena (NGOs, scientific, philanthropic, government, private sector) internationally;
• Stay up to date on key scientific, legislative and regulatory developments internationally.

Position requirements

• University degree ideally in political, social, environmental or, natural sciences (an advanced degree may substitute for 1-2 years of experience);
• At least 7 years’ relevant professional experience, and a track record of significant achievement in a discipline related to climate change;
• Strong personal and professional networks in the climate change and social movement arena;
• Understanding of non-profit and/or governmental financial reporting and budgeting;
• Proven research and analytical skills; outstanding organisational abilities and a commitment to efficiency and meeting tight deadlines;
• Excellent interpersonal skills: desire and ability to work in a collaborative team environment;
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills; comfort expressing opinions in a setting that encourages a vibrant exchange of ideas;
• A strongly developed sense of integrity, humility and discretion, poise maturity and a good sense of humour;
• Available for international travel, up to 40 days a year, sometimes for extended periods;
• Excellent written and spoken English required, Spanish or Portuguese is desired;
• This post can be based in Switzerland or UK, to be based in these locations it is required:
  • Switzerland: Swiss/EU citizen or valid work permit for Switzerland.
  • UK: Must have the right to live and work in the UK.
• A commitment to Oak’s organisational values

FINANCE AND COMPLIANCE OFFICER (DIGITAL RIGHTS ADVOCATES PROJECT)

Responsible to: Finance and Operations Director

Salary range: Up to £28,000

Key relationships: Finance and Operations Director, Finance and Administration Officer, Project Coordinator

Location:  MLDI, the Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR

Duration: Fixed term contract until September 2021, subject to project funding

Hours: 37.5 hours (flexible), occasional evening and weekend work

The Media Legal Defence Initiative is a charity that provides legal defence to journalists, citizen journalists and independent media worldwide who are under threat for their reporting. MLDI runs a training programme to defend, promote and strengthen freedom of expression online in East, West and Southern Africa, by supporting legal communities with technical legal expertise to litigate digital rights cases. MLDI is looking for a highly motivated and energetic individual with a commitment to excellence and professionalism to join the team as Finance and Compliance Officer (Digital Rights Advocates Project).

Role Summary

Under this project, MLDI:

1. conducts litigation surgeries for lawyers in sub-Saharan Africa on litigating digital rights cases and accessing regional and international human rights mechanisms;
2. fosters active and collaborative networks of lawyers, including through facilitating their engagement with sub-regional and international digital rights events and peer learning networks; and
3. provides grants to national media defence centres and lawyers to ensure that online media, bloggers and journalists have access to skilled lawyers and receive legal representation free of charge.

In this role, you will be a part of the Finance and Operations team with particular responsibility for the financial administration of MLDI’s Digital rights project and partnership grants, including ensuring compliance with funder requirements and supporting with budgeting for new funding opportunities for the project.

Main Responsibilities

1. Maintain day-to-day financial operations of the digital rights project, including accounts payable, accounts receivable/grants claims and general accounting functions (expense claims and staff advances); update MLDI’s financial systems in a timely and accurate fashion using Sage 50 Accounts and other software as required.
2. Work with the Project Coordinator on the grant awards process, including assessment of concept notes and financial evaluation of full grant applications, conducting due diligence checks and assessing the need for additional substantive support to the grantee.
3. Financial administration of grants (both sub-awards and fixed amount awards), including gathering and reviewing interim and final reports from grantees, ensuring documents and records are complete and acting as the first point of contact for compliance related queries from grantees.
4. Support the Project Coordinator with due diligence and compliance issues relating to logistics of litigation surgeries and conferences.
5. Assist MLDI’s Director of Finance & Operations with ensuring compliance with the financial, administrative and reporting requirements of the digital rights advocates project, including communicating requirements and deadlines to the relevant members of the team. 
6. Assist MLDI’s Director of Finance & Operations with project budget management, including amending of the budget as required, preparing budgets for new funding opportunities and preparing quarterly donor reports.
7. Carry out any other duties commensurate with the post.

Person Specification

Essential

• Educated to at least degree level and at least two years’ experience working in a similar role within the charity sector.
• Proven financial accounting (including foreign currency transactions) experience with the ability to demonstrate excellent numerical and financial awareness.
• Previous experience working on USSG (United State State Government) funded projects and complying with 2CFR200.
• Experience of working on projects with partner organisations outside of the UK.
• Well-developed analytical skills (financial and operational) that demonstrate a meticulous approach to the review of data.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, excellent written and spoken English.
• Experience working independently and flexibly as part of a small team.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a pleasant, diplomatic manner in interacting with colleagues at all levels and MLDI stakeholders.
• Passion and commitment to the mission and vision of MLDI.
• Right to work in the UK.

Desirable

• Knowledge of data protection regulations and experience of handling personal data.
• Experience of, and an interest in, international human rights, law, journalism and/or digital rights.

MLDI is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender identity or age.

*(Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.)

Reports to:  Project Director, ACCESS/PROTECT

Location:  London, United Kingdom 

Salary Banding:£33,257 - £38,799

LOE:Full Time

Type of contract:Permanent

ABOUT INTERNEWS :  

Internews works to ensure access to trusted, quality news and information that empowers people to have a voice in their future and to live healthy, secure, and rewarding lives. We envision a world where everyone can communicate freely with anyone, anywhere, and exchange the news and information they need to shape their communities and the world. 

For 35 years and in more than 100 countries, we have worked with our local partners to build hundreds of sustainable organizations, strengthened the capacity of thousands of media professionals, human rights activists, and information entrepreneurs, and reached millions of people with quality, local information, improving lives and building lasting change. Onissues ranging from health and the environment to conflict and governance , Internews has developed approaches that harness the power of media and information to create positive change. 

Internews is a charity operating internationally, with administrative centres in California, Washington DC, London, and Paris as well as regional hubs in Bangkok and Nairobi. Formed in 1982, Internews currently has offices in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and North America. 

GENERAL FUNCTION:

The Programme Officer (PO )will provide the highest standards of programme and operational support to Internews’ various multi-country consortium programmes and other projects managed by the HQ. Two current consortia projects are ACCESS and PROTECT.

Approaches in Complex and Challenging Environments for Sustainable Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ACCESS) is a DFID funded UK Aid Connect project. The project works on the production of a set of scalable, evidence-based, participatory approaches that support and engage marginalised and under-served populations in complex and challenging environments to claim and access comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services. Internews’ role focuses on understanding how SRH information and rumours move in the targeted communities and establishing what the information needs and gaps are.

The Protecting Rights, Openness and Transparency Enhancing Civic Transformation (PROTECT) is a DFID funded UK Aid Connect project which seeks to foster open societies based on expanded and protected civic space. The impact is focused on shifting the paradigm from unequal and closed societies, where shrinking space, threats to media freedom and challenges to access and use of data fail to deliver tangible change for people’s lives, towards free and open societies with civil society, including media organisations, able to help people to hold governments to account, make information meaningful and drive social and political change for the better, leaving no one behind.

You will represent Internews at partner and donor meetings, mentor and support project staff, and assure the quality of Internews’ deliverables. You will support the grant management of your portfolio of projects, administer donor awards, submit donor reports, build the grant-management capacity of project staff and partners, and facilitate project audits.You will ensure that Internews implements projects in compliance with its own and donor’s policies, rules and regulations. You will provide consistent support and advice to project teams and partners and ensure control and reinforcement of all aspects of the project management cycle as related to effective grant management and contractual compliance. 

You will manage the development of new project proposals and budgets and ensure donor and statutory compliance for all submissions under your assigned portfolio.

You will contribute to Internews knowledge management and improvement of Internews systems. The role will actively participate in representing and building Internews’ credibility with institutional donors. This role may involve travel to project sites. 

Roles and Responsibilities

Representation 10%

• Shares responsibility with project leads and business development colleagues for representing thematic approaches and programme activities to donors and partner networks
• Attends relevant partner network meetings, provides update briefings on Internews’ programmes and maintains correspondence with partner networks

Development 10%

• Works closely with development colleagues in London, DC and in the regions to support the design of innovative, cost-effective and practical programmes
• Advises development colleagues on key considerations relating to donor and statutory compliance
• Liaises with Regional staff in London, DC and regional hubs to ensure cross-regional projects are integrated into regional strategies and plans (with Project Director), and that IEU systems are fit for purpose in supporting this.

Programme Support and Donor Interface 40%

• Works closely with consortium partners to support / lead collaborative outputs and outcomes, as assigned by Project Director(s);
• Serve as Internews Europe’s official points of contact for donors for contractual compliance and financial management of donor awards;
• Works with the Programme Finance Analyst to prepare accurate financial reports for donors;
• Provides grants and contracts management support for projects in their portfolio;
• Provides support to country teams, consortium partners and other relevant local partners in the planning, design, troubleshooting and re-design of project activities;
• Support the Project Director in facilitating collaboration across consortium partners, including by acting as the lead for working / reference groups where appropriate

• Supports project start‐up phases by coordinating project stakeholders and ensuring that all relevant processes and procedures are put in place
• Participates in the recruitment of project staff
• Prepares and conducts inductions and trainings for staff and partners on grant management and compliance
• Leads on process of due‐diligence in preparation for sub‐granting to local partners. Prepares partnership, sub-granting agreements and services contracts with external vendors, making sure that they comply with Internews’ and donors’ requirements
• Supports project directors to set up grant management schedules for donor reporting coordinates quality‐assurance of donor reports and submits them to donors
• Monitors projects' implementation and trouble-shoots as necessary
• Identifies and documents best grant management practices from individual grants, works with M&E colleagues to coordinate project debriefings with stakeholders
• Leads on the preparation of HQ project audits

Compliance Monitoring 30%

• Provides training to project teams on organisational and donor compliance
• Provides briefings to project stakeholders on contractual donor requirements during kick‐off meetings and calls; advices project stakeholders on compliance questions throughout the project cycle as required
• In collaboration with project director(s) conducts monthly budget vs. actual analysis. Makes recommendations for spending and resource adjustments

• Regularly reviews grant management schedules and works with Project Director, country teams, thematic leads, Finance staff to ensure timely submission of donor deliverables and reports

Knowledge management 10%

• Provides ongoing feedback to the project director(s) and other colleagues at the HQ on required improvement and updates on donor regulations and contractual obligations to ensure organisational knowledge is built and improved continuously;
• Ensures good knowledge management across projects, including key project documentation, to enable all project teams to access information and provide a fully auditable trail.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Qualifications and Experience 

Solid experience of grant management and donor financial reporting for large projects with major institutional donors, including DFID. Proven experience of grant management support in humanitarian programming is desirable 

Essential 

Experience in preparing budget proposals for institutional donors. Experience working with private donors would be an asset.

Essential 

Professional qualifications or equivalent work experience, in international development and/or project management 

Essential 

Excellent communication skills both oral and written; ability to produce high quality reports and presentations 

Essential 

Proven experience of managing relationships in complex organisations with numerous stakeholders. Good people management skills 

Essential 

Ability to matrix manage a group of staff in different teams to take forward common and effective ways of working 

A high level of numeracy skills, and ability to carry out complex budget analysis 

Essential 

Solid experience of direct, hands-on delivery of key components of financial and grant management

Essential 

Proven track record of building capacity of project staff and partners in grant management, donor compliance, and project management 

Essential 

Experience of travelling to challenging and remote locations. Willingness and ability to travel with an understanding and appreciation of culture and diversity 

Essential 

Exceptional organisational and administration skills, with the ability to plan and prioritise work for self and others 

Essential 

Advanced expertise in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel 

Essential 

Proven ability to manage complex, multi-disciplinary programme of work 

Essential 

Experience in managing financial and management accounting processes, including annual accounts, audits and external reporting 

Desirable 

Experience of working in, or support field office in developing countries and humanitarian scenarios 

Desirable 

Knowledge 

Good knowledge of donor regulations and systems, especially those of DFID

Essential 

Experience working in/on consortia programmes

Essential 

Good understanding of the project management cycle 

Essential 

Personal attributes 

Creative problem solver: uses creativity to develop new ideas and solutions to problems 

Essential 

Self-starter and dynamic with strong level of self-awareness. Assertive, with the ability to work on own initiative with little supervision 

Essential 

Ability to work both independently and as an effective team member

Essential 

A willingness and ability to adopt a hands-on approach as well as to provide strategic direction 

Essential 

Strong communication, liaison and interpersonal skills to work effectively with people at all levels, and represent the organisation externally 

Essential 

Strong analytical, problem solving and creative thinking skills 

Essential 

Languages 

Fluent English 

Essential 

Arabic/French/Spanish 

Desirable

Work hours are moderately flexible, but generally Monday through Friday from 9 am to 6 pm.

• Closing date for applications:Sunday 29 March 2020

Candidates must submit a succinct covering letter of no more than 2-pages explaining how they satisfy the requirements of the person speciation in addition to a CV highlighting relevant experience. The successful candidate will also be asked to provide three professional referees, one of whom must be from their most recent employer.

Bring your passion and experience for community development to work alongside residents in one of the most dynamic, diverse, and exciting parts of London. Somers Town has a heritage of radical social and community development, and the residents of Somers Town Big Local are looking for someone to support them to continue and expand that heritage.  This is particularly pressing in the current lockdown, as we seek to make connections using virtual and online tools that will create a legacy of closer relationships between neighbours across this community.