Country: Switzerland
Closing date: 04 Aug 2017
Background
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, with 190 member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.
Organizational Context
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC or “the Federation”) is the world’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian network. The Federation is a membership organisation established by, and comprised of its 190 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (the “National Societies” – NSs). Along with National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Federation is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (“the Movement”). The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” It works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before/during/after disasters, health emergencies, and other crises. The Federation is served by a Secretariat based in Geneva, with regional and country offices throughout the world. The Secretariat is led by the IFRC Secretary General, and provides the central capacity of the Federation to serve, connect, and represent National Societies. The IFRC Secretariat also provides support to the IFRC governance mechanisms by: setting norms and standards; providing guidance; ensuring consistency & coordination, accountability for performance, knowledge sharing; promoting collaboration within -and respect for- the RCRC Movement; and expanding engagement with partners.
The IFRC Secretariat’s headquarters is organized around three main business groups:
(i) Partnerships;
(ii) Programmes & Operations; and
(iii) Management Services.
The Partnership Division is in turn organised around three Departments, each of them led by a Director of which the Partnerships and Resource Development Department (PRD) is one. The Senior Officer is a member of the Global PRD Team.
Job Purpose
Provide leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation in support of IFRC’s strategy of engagement with multilateral organisations, and International Financial Institutions (IFI) to increase income, as well as to reach the targets set in the IFRC 2016-2020 Plan and Budget.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Lead Partnership Development
Explore/develop/manage relationships with multilateral and IFI partners, in particular with:
- development banks (World Bank and regional ones),
- specialised funds (e.g.: Global Fund, GAVI, GCF),
- UN agencies, and
- EC.
Represent IFRC in dialogue, strategic meetings, events, and consultations with multilateral and IFI partners.
Stay abreast of relevant multilateral and IFI policies and decisions; ensure systematic analysis of funding trends, develop funding targets, and forecast income projections.
Provide key strategic advice and support to IFRC senior management attending high level meetings, and other strategic fora; prepare briefing notes, talking points and reports for such meetings.
Provide Investment Opportunities and Projects
- Develop and manage a system to regularly track down new funding opportunities from multilateral and IFI partners, and widely share them within the relevant services of IFRC’s Secretariat and with regional offices.
- Prepare tailored partnership prospects to target multilateral and IFI partners. Initiate and negotiate global MOUs, accreditations, multi-year grants, partnership agreements, and renewals.
Anticipate the evolving funding landscape. Prepare and/or coordinate reports, analysis and updates on the results of partners’ engagement strategies.
Involve the Programme and Operations Division, and Regional Offices in the development of strategies.
Support the creation of global standard operating procedures with new partners, by negotiating a common ground between IFRC’s internal rules/regulations, and the ones of new partners.
Assist regional offices in the establishment of contacts with partners’ country/regional representation offices, including by travelling to relevant capitals and facilitate exploratory meetings by accompanying regional PRD colleagues.
Guide and support National Societies Capacity Building
- Support and accompany the exposure of National Societies to key local multilateral and IFI partners at the field level.
- Ensure that key local multilateral and IFI partners at field level, receive regular visits and updates from PRD colleagues based in regional offices and from National Societies.
- Initiate and negotiate local partnership agreements, by facilitating the adaptation of global MOUs/agreements at the local level.
- Support National Societies to better leverage their auxiliary status vis-à-vis their own Governments with the aim of increasing access to multilateral and IFI funding instruments.
Manage PRD Tools and Systems according to IFRC quality standards
Supervise the effective stewardship of funds received from multilateral and IFI partners, by closely monitoring the progress and the performance towards deliverables in line with partner’s requirements; identify risks, and inform/alert senior management of the actions to be taken to mitigate risks.
In particular:
- In collaboration with regional offices, closely monitor the process of timely/quality submission of concept notes, applications, and reports to multilateral and IFI partners.
- Closely follow-up the burn rate of projects funded by multilateral and IFI partners.
- In collaboration with the Communications Department, ensure that appropriate levels of partners’ visibility is reflected in IFRC publications, website, media, and online.
Participate and/or lead partners’ evaluations, assessments, reviews and/or audits to ensure IFRC is adequately represented, and partners’ requirements are successfully met.
Monitor progress of the portfolio commitments to meet 2016-2020 Plan and Budget targets.
Register into, and manage the variety of web-based systems used by multilateral and IFI for communicating with the wider community of partners.
Contribute to an effective, high quality IFRC team:
- Support the team manager with regular progress reports on results against objectives and risk analysis.
- Work in close consultation, and develop synergies with members of other units of the PRD team in Geneva and in the regions.
- Pro-actively liaise with other relevant departments at IFRC’s Secretariat (e.g.: audit, finance, procurement) to improve and innovate the tools required to engage in new partnership.
Education
Degree in International Development, International Relations, Law or other relevant fields.
Experience
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in leading multilateral partnerships and resource development functions at a global level for a national/international organisation.
- Experience in partnering with development banks (World Bank and regional ones), specialised funds (e.g.: Global Fund, GAVI, GCF), UN agencies, and EC.
- Proven track record in multilateral partnerships, and in achieving results by raising public sector funds at levels over CHF 10 million/year.
- Experience managing partner and resource development relations in a context of humanitarian and/or development programmes.
Knowledge, skills and languages
- Advanced knowledge of multilateral and IFI landscapes, priorities, policies, and financing instruments supporting humanitarian action and the attainment of the SDGs.
- Demonstrated ability to negotiate funding agreements, to structure financial instruments, and to navigate complex funding mechanisms.
- Experience in communicating with high level partners and successfully navigating multilateral and IFI partner decision-making processes, funding instruments and requirements.
- Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills contributing to a client-focused culture. Ability to be proactive and persuasive.
- Experience in identifying and articulating strategic issues, risks and priorities that need to be brought to the attention of senior management.
- Proven ability to translate strategy into action.
- Results-oriented and demand-driven individual; strategic thinker; entrepreneurial and hands on.
- Track record in producing high quality work within short deadlines and ability to make effective, timely decisions.
- High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients and stakeholders at all levels.
- Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary environment.
- Fluency in Microsoft office tools.
- Fluently spoken and written English
- Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic) Competencies and values
Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust
Comments
The Federation is an equal opportunity employer.
How to apply:
Please submit your application to IFRCjobs