Grant Management Officer, Global Climate Resilience Platform

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Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies. The overall aim of 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." IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination (NSDOC); (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization (GRHDD); and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services (MPSCS).

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

The Disasters, Climate and Crises (Prevention Response & Recovery) Department consists of four teams, of which the Climate, Migration & Resilience is one. The Climate team is part of this team, alongside the Migration and Displacement team.

The Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre (Climate Centre/RCCC) was established by the IFRC and the Netherlands Red Cross in 2002. Its mission is to help the IFRC membership and wider Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and its partners reduce the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on vulnerable people. The Centre works at the interface of climate science, policy, and practice. For further information, see www.climatecentre.org.

Climate change is a central element of IFRC's Strategy 2030 and Plan & Budget 2021-2025, which stresses the urgency to massively scale-up climate action in view of increasing disasters and climate-related impacts on vulnerable people. The IFRC's Global Climate Resilience Programme aims to foster an unprecedented scale-up of locally led climate-smart DRR and adaptation actions to prevent and reduce climate-related disaster impacts and build community-level climate resilience.

The Global Programme outlines a holistic, multi-year programmatic approach that will support communities to adapt to climate change and reduce their climate-related risks, particularly in the least supported and most vulnerable and marginalized communities.

This role is based in Geneva however, it may need to deploy to Regions, Country Offices, or Operations to provide support as necessary.

Job Purpose

The Grant Management Officer will provide leadership and coordination to support the implementation of relevant Global Climate Resilience Programme grants, including providing global project management, coordination, and reporting (financial and narrative) support. The role will collaborate closely with technical, finance, PMER, legal and National Society Services Department (NSDS), along with relevant implementing partners in IFRC regions.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Be responsible and accountable for the overall global level project management, coordination and reporting of related grants:

• Ensure effective project implementation with relevant stakeholders (internal technical departments in Geneva and the regions, and HNSs) covered by relevant grants.
• Set up and coordinate project governance mechanisms; and maintain regular contact with regional/country staff and project and other key stakeholders.
• Develop a project monitoring, evaluation, and reporting strategy for relevant projects at the global level, including an indicator tracking table, in close collaboration with relevant country/regional staff and global technical staff.
• Formulate annual work plans and budgets, in close collaboration with the relevant country/regional staff, global technical staff and finance team.
• Follow-up on, and ensure timely implementation of, work plans; provide needed technical support to regional/country offices and NSs, as needed incl. on assessments, trainings, and other key deliverables.
• Prepare for and coordinate set-up of project Steering Committee (and Advisory Committee if set) meetings.
• Lead the drafting and submission of contracts with relevant parties (National Societies, Reference Centres, consultants, service providers).
• Assist concerned technical colleagues to formulate terms of reference, scope of services and specifications for each project/sub-project.
• Guide and support responsible parties (relevant IFRC colleagues in Geneva, regions, and delegations; National Societies; consultants/service providers) for the implementation of their respective tasks.
• Monitor the delivery to time, budget and agreed quality standards of project outputs with related reporting and representation.
• Set up risk matrices for projects and oversee risk management, in close collaboration with relevant country/regional staff and global technical staff.
• Ensure the interests of the IFRC Secretariat are protected and well addressed by consultants or service providers hired under relevant grants.
• Prepare relevant grant reports (financial and narrative) by consolidating inputs from all relevant colleagues/parties and presenting the reports to the Climate Lead for endorsement and submission to the donor.
• Provide support and recommendations to the Climate Lead on strategic decisions/actions to be taken, including work plan modifications, budget modifications/reallocations and changes in target countries.
• Monitor grant budgets, submitting/reviewing contracts and requests for procurement and ensuring financial and narrative reports accurately reflect actual deliverables and milestones.
• Ensure evaluations are undertaken as relevant/necessary.
• Ensure effective coordination with the Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization and Financial and Administrative Management Departments.
• Ensure the integrity of financial and administrative procedures and the consistent application of IFRC rules and procedures related to project activities.
• Contribute to the overall planning, budgeting, and reporting of the IFRC team and the department.
• Provide coordination and technical leadership on negotiation of any modifications or re-negotiations of agreements with donors.
• Perform other grant management/coordination related tasks as assigned by the Climate Lead.

Support the management of the Global Climate Resilience Platform:

• Support the promotion of the IFRC Global Climate Resilience Programme through the organization of relevant events/briefings.
• Develop and oversee of a project management system for the IFRC climate portfolio of projects.
• Track implementation against indicators and targets of the IFRC Global Climate Resilience Programme.

Contribute to an effective, high quality IFRC team:

• Be accountable to the team leader by providing progress reports on results against objectives and risk analyses.
• Be flexible in work definition according to needs and targets and help to improve efficiencies and effectiveness within available resources.
• Foster a customer service-oriented culture that values proactivity, continuous improvement, innovation, high performance, and cost effectiveness.
• Foster a collaborative working environment with colleagues in the IFRC Secretariat, Regions, the Climate Centre, National Societies and external partners.

Duties applicable to all staff:

1. Work actively towards the achievement of the IFRC Secretariat's goals.
2. Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
3. Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

Job Requirements

Education

Required

• University degree in climate change, disaster risk reduction, international relations, or related field.

Preferred

• Master's degree in organizational development, business administration, project management or related fields.

Experience

Required

• 3-5 years of experience in grant management, programme/project management, organizational development, or related field.
• Experience working in humanitarian or development sector, with developing countries and/or with an international organisation.
• Experience managing partner and resource development relations in a context of humanitarian and/or development programmes.
• Experience working in an international or cross-cultural environment.

Preferred

• Experience working in a RC/RC National Society and/or Federation/ICRC/Climate Centre.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Fluent spoken and written English.
• Programme/project management.
• Knowledge of climate change adaptation and climate-smart disaster risk reduction and ability to support such programmes.
• Results-oriented and demand driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations.
• Demonstrated leadership and management skills, including the ability to lead within a matrix management structure and utilise talent and experience of team members in a productive way.
• Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills.
• An ability to be proactive and persuasive.
• Demonstrated track record in innovating, contributing to a learning culture, sharing knowledge and new approaches to engaging partners.
• Energetic and enthusiastic individual, engaging, brokering, and facilitating learning and dialogue among diverse groups.
• Professional credibility, able to work effectively at all levels across the organisation.
• Proven good judgment and ability to work with complete integrity and confidentiality.
• 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.

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic).

Competencies, Values and Comments

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.

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