Partnerships Officer

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 50 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

Background

The Ukraine crisis could become the worst humanitarian crisis Europe has seen in decades. More than 5.3 million people have fled across borders to seek safety in the 1st month since the escalation of conflict in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and over 6.5 million people are reported to be displaced. Reports indicate that almost all arrivals in Poland are women and children, including those who are unaccompanied and separated, as well as older persons.

Between February 7-23, 2022, an IRC team undertook a scoping mission covering Poland and Ukraine to better understand the context, humanitarian and civil society landscape, and anticipated service gaps in the event of an escalation of conflict in Ukraine and consequent displacement into neighboring Poland. As of February 24th, the IRC has pivoted to emergency response and has identified partner agencies in Ukraine and Poland to facilitate immediate assistance that can be used where it is most needed. Simultaneously, the IRC has established operations across Ukraine and Poland offering a robust humanitarian response to complement partner response services either in breadth or scale.

Poland is hosting the largest number of refugees from Ukraine; more than 1.5 mil. have registered for Temporary Protection (70% females and 40% children)1. In the second year of the crisis, more refugees are expected in Poland as the frontlines change and Russia intensifies attacks. The new arrivals are expected to be more vulnerable with increased protection concerns and basic needs. As the needs continue to evolve, the IRC proactively adapts its programming to the context to ensure efficient delivery of assistance. The IRC Poland currently provides Protection, cash, education, and livelihood support to the affected population in Poland.

Job Overview

The Partnerships Officer plays a pivotal role within the Poland Country Program, supporting the overall objective of achieving high-quality and compliant programming. Reporting to the Partnerships Manager, the Partnerships Officer will contribute to effective sub-grants management, fostering strong and sustainable partnerships. This role involves coordinating partnership activities, ensuring compliance with IRC's Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS), and facilitating engagement with diverse partners.

Key Responsibilities

Support Effective Partnerships

· Assist in promoting and applying IRC's PEERS, contributing to the understanding of PEERS across the Poland Country Program.

· Contribute to capacity-building activities, ensuring IRC's partnership principles are integrated into programs and projects with partners.

· Assist in documenting and responding to partner feedback on IRC's management of the partnership relationship.

Partnership Management

· Collaborate with the Partnerships Manager in assessing the CSO landscape, mapping, and engaging diverse partners (QNGOs, LTGs, diaspora-led organizations, INGOs, etc.).

· Support the partnership vetting and due diligence processes in coordination with relevant departments.

· Assist in the overall management of partnerships within the designated portfolio.

· Aid in the coordination of Partnership Project Opening, review, and Closing Meetings.

· Coordinate partners' narrative and finance reporting processes, ensuring timely and accurate submissions.

· Act as a liaison between partners and the IRC Poland team, escalating questions or concerns as needed.

· Maintain organized partnership files according to PEERS requirements for each partner.

· Update Partnership Project Tracker/Monitoring Schedule in collaboration with the Partnerships Manager.

· Support the processing of sub-award agreements and modifications on IRC's Opportunity Tracking Information System (OTIS) in compliance with PEERS.

· Assist in ensuring relevant IRC units provide input and approvals for sub-award agreements.

· Contribute to the planning and execution of Monitoring Visits to partners.

· Assist in implementing partner support plans in line with Partnership Agreements.

· Monitor partner engagement in the implementation of PA Special Conditions.

· Collaborate with the Partnerships Working Group for the closeout of partnership projects, ensuring compliance with PEERS and Partnership Agreements requirements.

· Perform other relevant tasks within the Grants and Partnership Department, as assigned by the Partnership Manager and/or Senior Grants and Partnerships Coordinator.

Update Partnership Project Tracker/Monitoring Schedule in collaboration with the Partnerships Manager.

· Support the processing of sub-award agreements and modifications on IRC's Opportunity Tracking Information System (OTIS) in compliance with PEERS.

· Assist in ensuring relevant IRC units provide input and approvals for sub-award agreements.

· Contribute to the planning and execution of Monitoring Visits to partners.

· Assist in implementing partner support plans in line with Partnership Agreements.

· Monitor partner engagement in the implementation of PA Special Conditions.

· Collaborate with the Partnerships Working Group for the closeout of partnership projects, ensuring compliance with PEERS and Partnership Agreements requirements.

· Perform other relevant tasks within the Grants and Partnership Department, as assigned by the Partnership Manager and/or Senior Grants and Partnerships Coordinator.

Qualifications

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Mandatory:

· BA degree or equivalent in International Development or Affairs, Humanities, Finance, Business or related field; Advanced degree a plus – or equivalent work experience

· Minimum of 2 years' experience in assisting and/or managing activities/projects within the I/NGO environment in Poland

· Highly organized, close attention to detail, and ability to effectively prioritize tasks in a fluid environment

· Ability to work well independently but also coordinate with other teams

· Willingness to travel frequently to field offices and partner locations

· Professional fluency in spoken and written English and Polish; able to communicate concisely.

· Very strong English writing and editing skills; strong computer skills

· Experience with humanitarian organizations would be an asset.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Partnerships Manager

Position directly co-supervises: N/A

Other Internal and/or external contacts: the position regularly corresponds and attends meetings with external and internal audiences, thus a strong ability to communicate and maintain positive working relationships is highly desirable for this positon.

Internal: Technical Coordinators, Grants and Partnerships Department staff, Finance team, Supply Chain team, and others.

External: Partner staff.

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

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.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.

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