Partnership Manager (National Position)

Requisition ID: req6525

Job Title: Partnership Manager (National Position)

Sector: Awards Management

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Mae Sot, Thailand

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. The IRC has been operating in Thailand since 1975 and currently provides assistance to displaced persons in Tak, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi and Mae Hong Son provinces.

Job Overview/Summary
Within the Program and Awards Management Unit, the partnership management team is in charge of managing the contractual and process elements of partnerships, coordination and key risk control elements of IRC Thailand’s entire partnership processes including capacity building of partners, underpinned by the global Sub-award Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS) to ensure full compliance with IRC and donor policies, both financially and programmatically. The partnership management team oversees the management, coordination and key risk control elements of all IRC’s partnerships, ensuring that compliance and risk mitigation mechanisms are in place and that high quality partnerships are delivered timely and effectively. The partnership management team oversees and manages processes within the partnership management lifecycle and contributes to the overall program cycle management.

The Partnership Manager reports to the Partnership Coordinator and assist in managing the IRC Thailand country program partners and the partnership management process. The Partnership Manager coordinates with technical program staff, operations staff, and other staff members of the Program and Award Management Unit to ensure efficient and effective partnership management processes from solicitation and proposal development to program implementation, monitoring and closure, in compliance with SPMS, IRC policies and standard operating procedures and donor regulations. The Partnership Manager coordinates regularly with partners to support and monitor their financial and operational management, and work with program staff in the field and in Bangkok to support and monitor partners’ program implementation and incorporation of IRC’s recommendations for improvement.


 Major Responsibilities

PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION:
-Conduct Pre-Award Assessments of new partners and coordinate with other staff member in the Programs and Award Management Unit, operations staff and program staff in the field to evaluate risks and recommend mitigation plans.

-Coordinate with program coordinators and program managers in the field, including with operations and finance staff to ensure that pre-award onsite reviews are conducted for each partner in accordance with their project proposals. Prepare and review partnership agreements and modifications to agreements using established formats and processes.

-Participate in partners’ project proposal reviews and provide recommendations and support to enhance their capacities for effective project implementation.

-Coordinate with program staff in the field, operations staff and other staff members in the Programs and Award Management Unit to ensure the completeness and effective implementation of partners’ projects.

-Initiate partnership opening and closing meetings by working closely with program teams in the field, other staff in the Programs and Award Management Unit and operations staff in compliance with SPMS.

-During post-award, conduct thorough reviews and ensure timely and accurate submission of all partners’ financial reports and reconciliations in accordance with partnership agreements. Financial reports should be reviewed in conjunction with programmatic reports, and signed off by the senior management team to ensure consistency in programmatic objectives and financial spending.

-Flag any partner compliance issues, major budget fluctuations, significant overspending or underspending with the Partnership

-Coordinator and senior management team as quickly as possible to ensure timely mitigation.
Coordinate with program staff in the field operations staff and other staff in the Programs and Award Management including the M&E Coordinator and the M&E Managers to conduct post-award monitoring and prepare compliance monitoring reports and recommendations in a timely manner.

-Work with the other staff in the Programs and Awards Management Unit, the finance staff and program staff in the field to address any identified issues through robust corrective action plans, with regards to both programmatic implementation and financial spending.

-Ensure that all program, financial and compliance monitoring visits and reports are completed in a timely manner and to a high standard, and shared with partners for feedback.

-Maintain a tracking sheet and filing system (soft copy) of all partner proposals, due diligence checks, agreements, modifications, program and financial reports, monitoring reports, and relevant correspondence.

-Serve as the focal point for partners and IRC staff to provide information, raise concerns, and support and communicate their correspondences and feedback.

-Conduct/facilitate trainings/refresher trainings for partners on donor rules and regulations, and other topics as identified from partners’ assessment reports and regularly communication with program teams – following up on post-training to ensure that capacities and processes are improved.

-Liaise with the IRC Financial Controller and IRC Headquarters in regards to any partner reconciliation or payment request as necessary.

-Assist the Partnership Coordinator in ensuring IRC Thailand county program’s robust partner relationship management characterized by the core partnership principles of equality, complementarity, transparency, results-oriented approaches and responsibility.

GRANTS ADMINISTRATION

-Assist the Programs and Award Management Unit to provide grants support/administration and backstopping to IRC Thailand’s technical coordinators, managers and staff based in the field, and ensure smooth coordination between teams in each field site across all program objectives.

-Assist in reviewing donor and quarterly reports as needed.


PARTNER SUPPORT/CAPACITY BUILDING AND NETWORKING:

-Assist the Partnership Coordinator in identifying capacity building needs (both new and existing skills) of partners on an ongoing basis, and work with the appropriate IRC teams to address them.

-Conduct operational training to partners as needed.

-Actively engage in and help drive IRC regional partnership initiatives, including participating in working groups and thematic meetings on partnership approaches and practices. Facilitate relevant trainings and workshops as required.

-Actively participate in, and contribute to, IRC Thailand country program meetings and trainings as relevant.

-Provide assistance based on requests from IRC Headquarters as assigned by the Partnership Coordinator.

-Any other duties as assigned by the Partnership Coordinator.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to:  Partnership Coordinator
Position directly supervises: N/A
Indirect Reporting: N/A
Other Internal and/or external contacts:
Internal: Internal: senior management team, technical coordinators and field-based technical teams; M&E Coordinator; M&E Managers; Programs and Awards Management Unit team members; Finance Unit; Supply Chain Unit; HR Unit
External:  IRC local and international partners

Qualifications

Job Requirements
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration or equivalent
Work Experience: Minimum five years of work experience with partners in an NGO environment
Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

-Previous work experience in managing partners and knowledge of donor rules and regulations as they apply to partnership management

-Good interpersonal and communication skills

-Ability to prioritize tasks and work under pressure

-Responsive to urgent requests on a timely basis

-Willingness to travel frequently to the field and meet with partners

-Good problem solving skills

-Ability to be flexible and work in a fast-paced environment under competing deadlines

-Understanding of working in a multicultural environment

-Good command of written and spoken English. Burmese or Karen is preferred

-Computer proficient, with experience using Microsoft Word and Excel

Certificates or Licenses: N/A

Working Environment:The position will be based in the IRC office either in Mae Sot or Mae Hong Son with extensive travel to field sites and refugee camps along the Thailand-Myanmar border.