Background/IRC Summary:
The IRC has operated in Syria since 2012, providing protection, health, economic recovery and early childhood development programming across multiple governorates. Building on its longstanding presence, relationships and operational experience, IRC Syria is adapting its programming and operating model to respond to evolving needs and a changing context, with increased emphasis on recovery, resilience, systems strengthening and locally led approaches.
Partnerships are central to IRC Syria’s ability to deliver relevant, sustainable and impactful programming and to contribute to stronger local systems and institutions. IRC works with local and national organizations, government and other relevant actors to strengthen locally led solutions, expand reach and access, and support quality outcomes for communities.
Job Overview
The Partnerships Coordinator will lead the strategic development, management and quality of IRC Syria’s partnership portfolio, ensuring that partnerships are purposeful, equitable, risk-informed and aligned with the Country Program Strategy and IRC’s partnership principles.
The position will support IRC Syria to move beyond a transactional approach to partnerships towards relationships that strengthen local leadership, organizational and system capacity, and contribute to sustainable outcomes for communities. The Coordinator will work closely with the Senior Management Team, Programs, Grants, MEAL, Finance, Supply Chain and other relevant functions to ensure that partnership considerations are integrated from strategy and program design through implementation, learning and close-out.
The position will provide strategic leadership to the Partnerships team, ensure effective application of IRC PEER and donor requirements, and promote a consistent organizational culture that values partners as strategic actors and co-contributors to program outcomes.
Partnership Strategy and Portfolio Development
- Lead the implementation and periodic review of IRC Syria’s partnership strategy in collaboration with the DDP, and Senior Management Team, ensuring alignment with the Country Program Strategy and evolving contextual priorities.
- Develop and maintain a strategic partnership portfolio approach, including clear criteria for identifying, selecting, developing and managing different types of partners and partnership models.
- Lead regular mapping and analysis of relevant local and national actors, including civil society, community-based organizations, government institutions, private sector and other stakeholders, identifying their roles, capacities, legitimacy, relationships and potential contribution to IRC’s strategic objectives.
- Ensure partnership considerations and relevant actor analysis inform program design, Go/No-Go decisions, proposal development and implementation planning from an early stage.
- Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships, consortia, networks and locally led initiatives that strengthen IRC’s programmatic reach, relevance, sustainability and positioning.
- Work with Programs, MEAL and Grants to ensure learning and evidence from the partnership portfolio informs program adaptation, future program design and donor engagement.
- Identify and drive, in collaboration with relevant support functions, improvements to IRC policies, systems and processes that enable efficient, consistent and equitable partnership development and management, including by identifying and addressing internal barriers that may constrain effective partnership pursuit.
- Advise senior management on partnership opportunities, risks, trends and strategic implications for IRC Syria.
2. Partnership Quality, Local Leadership and Capacity Strengthening
- Promote partnership approaches based on mutual accountability, complementarity, transparency, respect and shared ownership of results.
- Support the Country Program to strengthen partner participation and leadership throughout the project cycle, including assessment, design, implementation, monitoring, learning and close-out.
- Lead the development of approaches to organizational and technical capacity strengthening that respond to identified partner needs and contribute to sustainable local capacity.
- Promote approaches that strengthen partner systems, institutional resilience and ability to independently deliver quality programming.
- Facilitate structured reflection with partners to identify lessons, good practices and opportunities for continuous improvement.
- Work with technical and support functions to ensure partner capacity strengthening is practical, coordinated and linked to program and organizational priorities, while identifying and addressing internal policies, processes and system requirements that may create unnecessary barriers to effective partnership implementation and equitable partner engagement.
3. Partnership Lifecycle, Risk and Compliance
- Provide oversight and technical support to the Partnerships team, Programs, Grants, Finance and Operations staff on effective implementation of the PEER system across the partnership lifecycle.
- Ensure appropriate partner identification, due diligence, capacity and risk assessments, partner selection, agreement development, monitoring and close-out in line with IRC and donor requirements.
- Lead the internal partnership and sub-award review process and ensure timely, quality and well-documented decision-making.
- Ensure partnership agreements, roles, responsibilities, deliverables and compliance requirements are clearly understood by all parties.
- Oversee a risk-informed partnership monitoring approach, ensuring programmatic, financial and compliance monitoring is proportionate to partner risk and portfolio needs.
- Ensure accurate and up-to-date partnership records and documentation are maintained in OTIS and other relevant systems.
- Work closely with Grants, Finance and other relevant functions to ensure effective management of sub-awards and compliance with donor requirements.
4. Partnership Performance, Learning and Accountability
- Establish and maintain a clear approach to monitoring partnership performance, including progress against agreed results, organizational capacity, risk, compliance and quality standards.
- Ensure partner reporting and monitoring information is reviewed, followed up and used to inform management decisions and program adaptation.
- Work with MEAL and Programs to strengthen partner participation in monitoring, learning, accountability and evidence generation.
- Analyze trends across the partnership portfolio and provide regular management updates on performance, risks, capacity needs, opportunities and lessons learned.
- Ensure partner feedback and perspectives are incorporated into IRC’s partnership practices and broader program learning.
5. External Engagement and Representation
- Represent IRC Syria, as appropriate, in relevant partnership, localization, NGO, coordination and stakeholder forums.
- Build and maintain constructive relationships with current and potential partners and other relevant actors.
- Contribute partnership perspectives to donor engagement, proposal development and strategic positioning, particularly where partnership and locally led approaches are central to program design.
- Promote IRC’s partnership approach and support consistent communication of IRC’s expectations, principles and commitments to partners.
6. Team Leadership and Development
- Provide effective leadership, supervision and coaching to Partnerships Managers and Officers, fostering accountability, collaboration, professional development and a strong team culture.
- Set clear performance objectives, provide regular feedback and ensure appropriate performance and development planning for direct reports.
- Strengthen the technical and strategic capacity of the Partnerships team, including in partnership management, localization, organizational capacity strengthening, risk management and donor compliance.
- Promote a culture of learning, collaboration and continuous improvement within the Partnerships function.
- Ensure effective workload planning, staff well-being and adequate coverage of partnership responsibilities.
- Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, development studies, international relations, business administration or a relevant field. Equivalent professional experience may be considered.
Experience
- Minimum 8 years of relevant professional experience, including substantial experience managing partnerships, grants/sub-awards, localization or institutional development within the humanitarian or development sector.
- At least 3 years of experience in a management or senior coordination role with responsibility for staff supervision and/or strategic portfolio management.
- Demonstrated experience developing and managing strategic partnerships with local and national organizations, government institutions, civil society and/or other relevant actors.
- Strong understanding of the Syrian civil society, institutional and operational environment, with demonstrated ability to assess and navigate complex stakeholder relationships.
- Demonstrated experience in partner capacity strengthening, organizational development and/or locally led programming.
- Strong understanding of partnership lifecycle management, risk management, sub-awards and donor compliance requirements.
- Experience with major institutional donors and their partnership/sub-grant requirements; familiarity with IRC PEER is an advantage.
- Strong analytical, negotiation, facilitation and relationship-management skills, with the ability to balance strategic objectives, risk and partnership principles.
- Ability to translate contextual and partnership intelligence into practical recommendations for program design, strategy and decision-making.
- Strong communication, coordination and interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage effectively with senior management and external stakeholders.
- Experience working across Programs, Grants, Finance, MEAL and Operations functions.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and make sound decisions in a complex and changing environment.
Language/Travel:
Language: Fluency in Arabic and English, written and spoken, is required.
Travels: minimum 30%
Key Working Relationships:
Position Reports to: Deputy Director for Programs
Position directly supervises: Partnerships Manager and Partnerships Officers.
Key Internal Contacts: Senior Management Team, Programs, Grants, MEAL, Finance, Supply Chain, HR, Technical Units and Field Management.
Key External Contacts: Local and national partners, government institutions, civil society organizations, coordination platforms, donors and other relevant stakeholders.
Professional Standards: IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.
Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen of the Country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the Middle East Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing, and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply. IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs.
Accountability to Clients: IRC staff must adhere to the commitment of contributing to the sustainability and development of its (CR) Client Responsiveness Mechanisms, preserving the culture of prioritizing the needs of our clients and affected communities by systematically listening to their perspectives and using their feedback to make programmatic decisions and give them greater influence over program design and delivery.
Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.
Diversity and Inclusion: at IRC MENA, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Organizations that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, nationality, and perspective are validated to be better organizations. More importantly, creating a safe workspace environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best is the right thing to do. So, bring your whole self to work.
IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. In keeping with our core values of Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality, IRC strives to maintain a work environment built on mutual respect in which all individuals treat each other professionally, and free of bias, prejudice, and harassment. IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of IRC Persons in any work setting. All IRC staff, wherever they are located, are accountable for creating an environment free of discrimination, harassment, bullying, and retaliation.
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