Regional DFID Grants Manager – MENA Region

DRC has been operating in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for over a decade, running a combination of emergency, livelihood, protection and advocacy programmes through Country Offices (COs) in Libya/Tunisia, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and a Regional Office (RO) in Amman. DRC has 17 offices and about a thousand staff members across the MENA region.

In October 2014 the British Government, already a key humanitarian actor in the Syrian crisis, further increased its engagement through a two-year partnership with DRC in Syria and Lebanon. £21 million have been allocated to ensure vital emergency relief operations during this two-year period. The conflict in Syria has had devastating effects throughout the region, with almost ten million Syrians or nearly half of the population displaced. The partnership between the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and DRC will ensure a vital and positive difference for these conflict affected persons in both Syrian and Lebanon.  Over the next two years the partnership with DFID will benefit hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and members of host communities in both Syria and Lebanon. This will include the delivery of essential non-food items (such as cooking sets, mattresses, and blankets), the provision of vital shelter, improved access to clean water and sanitation facilities, and increased socio-economic  independence through skills development and livelihoods projects. 

DRC is currently cooperating with UK’s Department for International Development providing emergency aid for Syrian displaced in Jordan, Turkey and Iraq. As of October 2014, the DRC-DFID portfolio amounts to more than £30 million worth of programming in 2014-2016. 

About the job

The Regional Grants Manager for DFID (DFID RGM) is responsible for providing efficient grants management support to the DRC Country Offices (CO) in Syria and Lebanon on the grants management of the DFID contract in primarily Syria and Lebanon and secondarily DFID grants in Jordan, Turkey and Iraq. Furthermore, the Regional Grants Manager will be tasked with coordinating fundraising for regional grant DFID opportunities together with the Regional Grants Manager; exploring, liaising with donor, drafting concept notes and proposals.   

The DFID RGM will report to Regional Head of Programmes (RHoP), and will functionally work closely together with the Regional Grants Manager (RGM) at DRC RO, Grants Managers at CO’s in the region and the DFID focal point in DRC HQ.

The DFID RGM is DRC’s main focal point for the in-country DFID representatives in mainly Syria and Lebanon to ensure a mutually beneficial partnership with DFID through a concurrent, timely and coherent dialogue with DFID on the progress and compliance of the implementation of DFID grant mentioned above. The DFID RGM will mainly focus on supporting the Country Offices in Syria and Lebanon ensuring that the DFID the two year £21 grant is implemented in a consistent manner cross the two Country Offices, and based on this support other DFID implementing Country Offices on compliance related issues. Furthermore, the GM/Manager will explore new funding opportunities at regional level either with conventional or non-conventional donors and develop a regional fundraising strategy.   

Specific duties and responsibilities

• Liaise (as DFID focal point) with in-country DFID representatives on a regular basis on everything related to the implementation of the DFID grant in Syria and Lebanon, in coordination with DRC focal points in Syria and Lebanon.
• Liaise (as DFID focal point) with DFID regional representative on the 5 grants’ implementation and provide a regional strategic approach based on evidence-based analysis of the regional situation,
• Coordinate with DRC HQ DFID focal point on any external relations’ development at country/regional level.
• Assist the Country Directors (CDs), programme staff and HQ in providing briefings to external persons requesting information on the DRC-DFID partnership.
• Share donor’s guidelines with different country programmes and liaise directly with donor to clarify compliance related issues.
• Monitor and report on country programmes’ compliance with donor’s guidelines.
• Liaise closely with DRC HQ DFID focal point ensuring that cooperation on all levels is in sync - DRC HQ to DFID HQ, RD/DRD/RHoP to DRC Regional Office and Country offices to DFID in-country GMs.
• Ensure visibility compliance and sharing of DFID funded assessments, surveys and evaluations in coordination with programme staff at CO’s, RO and HQ.         
• Lead the DFID project kick-off, review (interim) and closing meetings (including lessons learned workshops with M&E country teams).
• Coordinate, consolidate, review and edit Country Office inputs on project revisions, project amendments, financial and narrative overviews, updates and queries from DFID in-country and/or DRC HQ.
• Set up a monthly grant follow up tool covering both implementation and financial progresses, alert country directors and regional office when/if deviance from targets and objectives, and recommend practical and simple corrective actions.
• Ensure the timely submission of proposal and project revisions to DFID,
• Ensure editing work: high-quality, well-written and timely reports meeting donor requirements, with support from programme, database and communications staff.
• Ensure that draft reports are disseminated for review and feedback by senior management team at COs, relevant technical staff at CO, RO and HQ prior to submitting reports to donor (4 DFID grants).
• Act as focal point for the DRC Grant Management System (GMS) on selected DFID grants.
• Explore new funding opportunities at regional level either with conventional or non-conventional donors through a regional fundraising strategy.
• Support and coordinate with country programmes on in-country fundraising strategies.
• Lead the drafting and submission of regional concept-notes and proposals in coordination with CO GMs
• External: Ensure that partners use the proper DFID and DRC tools for compliance and develop appropriate visibility materials, in close coordination with DRC programme staff.
• In coordination with CO M&E, compile assessments, monitoring and evaluations relevant internally and externally in a country/regional format that could be shared with DRC region/countries/HQ and the donor.
• Liaise with the DRC HQ and provide communication material (stories, pictures, internal report) on a regular basis and on important events related to the implementation of the DFID grant in Syria and Lebanon.
• Support the COs on DFID visits and briefing colleagues on programme status and progress.

About you

To be successful in the role you must have:

• Previous experience in designing and/or implementing large scale regional integrated programmes in fragile and conflict-affected countries
• Grant management experience from NGOs, donor agencies and/or government entities
• Solid experience in grant management (finance and budget monitoring, financial forecasting, and risk management)
• Proven ability to coordinate multi-country programmes
• Experience in working on DFID-funded programmes – E.g. fundamental understanding of Value for Money and DFID results agenda
• Proven track record of and use of complex monitoring and reporting systems and tools.
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Experience in representation at a strategic level and engaging/networking with key stakeholders
• Highly diplomatic with excellent interpersonal and networking abilities

 Desirable qualifications

•  Master’s degree in international development or other social sciences
• Substantial experience of working and living in complex environments - ideally professional experience from the Middle East

We offer

DRC will offer the successful applicant a 12 months contract, renewable dependent on both funding and performance. You must be available to start work as soon as possible and be willing and able to work inLebanon or Amman.

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to www.drc.dk under Vacancies. This position will be placed at level A12-14 dependent on experience.

Application process

Interested? Then apply for this position by clicking on the apply button or go to www.drc.dk and findCurrent Vacancies

All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in the same language as this vacancy note. CV only applications will not be considered.

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contactjob@drc.dk

Applications close Monday 5 January 2015 

Need further information?

For more details on this position please contact Peter Klansøe at peter.klansoe@drc.dk

Please note that applications sent directly to Peter Klansøe will not be considered.

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website www.drc.dk