About the role:

This is a 12-month replacement role with unaccompanied terms based in Goma, DRC. The position is a Grade 3 role with a pro rata salary of €39,911 to €44,346 plus benefits.

You will report to the Programme Quality and Development Coordinator (PQDC) and will directly supervise the Communication and Advocacy Officer. In addition, you will work closely with the Programme Director (PD), Area Coordinators, Sectoral Advisors, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Coordinator, the Country Finance Controller (CFC), the Compliance and Internal Auditor, HQ Desk Officer and Programme Managers. The role will include frequent (30%) travel to programme areas.

We would like you to start mid-May 2023.

Concern in DRC: Concern Worldwide started working in DRC in 1994. Since that time, we have grown into one of the leading humanitarian organisations operating in DRC with programmes ranging from emergency interventions to longer-term development programming. This role presents an exciting opportunity to support the development of Concern’s existing and new programmes for DRC by ensuring that they are implemented to the highest quality.

In DRC, Concern implements programmes in two provinces: North Kivu and Tanganyika. With funding from BHA, FCDO, Irish Aid and BMZ, programmes cover a broad range of sectors including Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Livelihoods, Cash, Shelter, Gender and Protection.

Your purpose:

• Working in close collaboration with Concern DRC Programme Managers and Area Coordinators you will oversee the country team’s grant management processes, ensuring strict compliance with donor requirements.
• You will build the capacity of the programme team in proposal writing and reporting, producing high quality donor reports and supporting the development of funding proposals in line with donor and call guidelines.
• Alongside the Communications & Advocacy Officer, the PQDC and the PD you will support the development of strong relationships with communities, donors and other stakeholders, developing and overseeing high quality visibility, communications and external advocacy initiatives.
• Together with the PQDC and the PD, you will ensure that the goals of the Country Strategic Plan, and crosscutting issues are taken into account in proposals and during programme implementation.

Under the Grant management and compliance stream you will be responsible for:

• Ensuring grant compliance for all of DRC programmes in close coordination with, and providing direct support to the PMs, ACs, PQDC, and PD.
• Supporting the PQDC in organising and facilitating Grant Management meetings at various stages throughout the grant process (Kick-off, Interim and Close-out), ensuring the correct recording and archiving of grant documentation.
• Supporting the PD and PQDC in the organisation of Programme Review meetings (monthly and semi-annual), and monitoring actual plans in line with grant requirements.
• Ensuring teams are aware of key donor compliance rules through the organisation and facilitation of workshops and trainings on donor procedures and requirements.
• Developing and maintaining grant management tools, including funding and grant trackers, reporting templates and calendars and ensuring that the team is aware of key timelines.
• Managing the reporting schedule, ensuring timely and accurate reporting. This will include being responsible for the editing of reports, ensuring they are of the highest quality.
• Liaising between finance and programme staff to ensure that all deliverables are completed within the grant period and that all budget revisions are carried out in line with donor regulations.
• Coordinating donor reports with programme teams and/or consortium partners; ensuring reports are of high quality, meeting standards, and that they are reviewed and submitted in a timely fashion.
• Ensuring proactive and responsive communication with donors, partners and Concern programme teams in relation to anticipated or unanticipated changes during the lifetime of a project as well as associated reporting requests.
• Coordinating the drafting and compilation of monthly and annual programme reports including updates to government as per the dates agreed with PQDC/Programme Director/Dublin.
• Conducting capacity development initiatives on reporting quality and donor requirements, capturing relevant qualitative data for the purposes of quality control, lesson learning, communications and advocacy.

Under the Programme Development stream you will be responsible for:

• Supporting the PQDC and PD by carrying out research on potential donors in order to understand their missions, policies, strategies, procedures and priorities.
• Ensuring donor research is included and taken into account in the funding strategy.
• Monitoring the country programme’s funding pipeline, ensuring that new proposals target key gaps and funding needs to the greatest extent possible.
• Providing recommendations, in collaboration with the PQDC and M&E Coordinator, on surveys and assessments required to support the development of beneficiary-centered, relevant, high quality proposals.
• Supporting the PD and PQDC in the development of concept notes and proposals, by working closely with the programme team, coordinating and reviewing inputs and proposal writing.
• Ensuring robust, compliant project proposals and concept notes are submitted by required deadlines.
• Preparing the programme portion of donor budgets in collaboration with PMs, ACs, Advisors, and the CFC.

Under knowledge, communication, advocacy and information management you will be responsible for:

• Ensuring both Concern’s Grants Management System and Sharepoint are kept up to date for DRC.
• Collecting and reporting data to clusters and other coordination bodies as required.
• Ensuring version control of documents and the correct filing of final reports and proposals, learning documents, survey reports and data.
• Leading the improvement of Concern DRC's communication through the production and dissemination of high quality communication products (including case studies, fact sheets, and newsletters) all in line with Concern requirements on consent.
• Supporting the development of content and position papers related to advocacy priorities.
• Promoting a culture of shared learning across all programme locations and with colleagues in the region.
• Overseeing all tasks of the Communications and Advocacy Officer.

You will contribute to the implementation of the country fundraising strategy by:

• Developing and regularly updating an analysis of the current donor and stakeholder profile in country.
• Coordinating with the Desk Officer on tracking funding opportunities in line with the Country’s Strategic Priorities and Funding Strategy.
• Communicating with the Desk Officer and fundraising teams in Dublin, London and New York to identify opportunities for funding and external communications.
• Assisting with donor liaison through the oversight of the production of documentation and success stories of current programmes.
• Maintaining an awareness of, and engagement in networking opportunities in order to learn about/engage with new opportunities/priorities for the country.

Other

• In line with Concern’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) you will actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle (planning, implementation, M&E);
• You will be expected to actively comply with and promote Concern’s policies and procedures (P4, Safe Guarding, finance, logistics, HR, security management etc.).
• You will be expected to undertake other related duties as may reasonably be assigned by your line manager.

Your skills and experience will include:

Essential:

• At least two years of overseas experience with an NGO, UN agency or donor
• At least two year of experience in grants management, reporting and compliance and grant proposal development
• Experience of working in a high pressured, results focused and dynamic environment
• Demonstrated success in proposal development for a range of institutional donors.
• Good organizational, prioritization and planning skills/experience
• Good understanding of budget development and financial reporting
• Good understanding of donors and donor requirements and good networking skills
• Experience with facilitation, capacity strengthening and partnership building through formal and informal training
  • Good understanding of M&E tools, logframes, and M&E plans. A very high attention to detail is essential
• Experience with external communications (factsheets, success stories, news articles, blog posts etc.)
  • Confident strong communicator and networker
• Good team player and able to adapt to different cultures
• Fluency in both French and English, both oral and written
• Willingness to travel frequently

Desirable:

• A master’s degree in a social science/human rights/humanitarian/development studies or other relevant academic field
  • Specific experience with US Government funding, UN donors, the EU/ECHO
  • Experience of working in consortia
  • Knowledge of quality standards such as SPHERE, HAP, Red Cross, CHS etc.
  • Experience in providing trainings on donor regulations and quality Code of Conduct standards
  • Experience working in an insecure and volatile environment
  • Cultural and political sensitivity
  • Able to take initiative and work independently
  • Excellent writing skills