Deputy Director of Grants and Partnerships (DDGP)

Job Posting Organization:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global humanitarian organization that responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Established in 1933, the IRC has a mission to help people affected by conflict and disaster to recover and rebuild their lives. The organization operates in over 40 countries and has a workforce of more than 14,000 employees. The IRC is committed to providing assistance to those in need, regardless of race, religion, or nationality, and aims to restore dignity and hope to those affected by crises.

Job Overview:
The director" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Deputy Director of Grants and Partnerships (DDGP) plays a crucial role in the strategic and operational direction of the IRC's programs in Ethiopia. This position involves collaborating closely with the Director of Programs (DP) and the Country Director (CD) to lead resource mobilization efforts aimed at achieving annual growth targets. The DDGP will be responsible for diversifying funding sources from institutional donors and nontraditional avenues to meet IRC's strategic objectives. The role requires the postholder to provide direct support for strategic growth opportunities, enhance systems and processes to ensure compliance with donor requirements, and manage donor reporting and strategic partnerships. The DDGP must work effectively under tight deadlines and manage competing priorities while ensuring high-quality deliverables. This position demands collaboration with diverse teams across the country, region, and headquarters, ensuring adherence to organizational and donor compliance requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Deputy Director of Grants and Partnerships will have a wide range of responsibilities, including:

• Strategic Leadership & Business Development: Leading the rollout of the Business Development Action Plan, ensuring alignment with IRC Ethiopia’s strategic action plan (SAP). This includes translating strategy into operational priorities, measurable targets, and donor engagement plans. The DDGP will provide strategic guidance to senior leadership on funding opportunities, donor trends, and partnership models, while monitoring progress against Business Development KPIs and reporting monthly to the Senior Management Team (SMT).
• Grants Management: Overseeing the full grant lifecycle, ensuring compliance, quality reporting, and timely submissions. The DDGP will strengthen systems for grant tracking and donor reporting and build staff capacity in grants management, compliance, and donor relations.
• Partnership Development: Driving proactive identification and engagement of new partners aligned with the Business Development Action Plan. This includes strengthening collaboration with local NGOs, government agencies, and private sector actors, ensuring that partnership management follows IRC’s PEERS framework and core principles of responsibility, equality, transparency, and complementarity. The DDGP will also support the resolution of partnership challenges to safeguard IRC Ethiopia’s partnership ambitions.
• Team Leadership & Capacity Building: Leading a team of 11 staff across business development, grants, and partnerships, with three direct reports. The DDGP will provide coaching, mentoring, and professional development opportunities while fostering a culture of accountability, inclusion, and safeguarding within the unit.
• Safeguarding Responsibilities: Promoting and actively participating in initiatives to build team engagement, inclusion, and cohesion within the IRC team, fostering ongoing learning, honest dialogue, and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a Master’s degree in International Affairs, Social Sciences, or a related field of study. Candidates must have 8 to 10 years of substantial experience with a successful track record of leading proposal teams on complex subjects, including multi-year, multi-partner proposals with minimal direction. At least 6 years of senior-level management experience in an International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) is essential. Proficiency in developing and supporting humanitarian and development proposals for NGOs is required, along with familiarity with strategies and proposal processes of key government/statutory donors such as FCDO, EU institutions (ECHO, EUTF), US Government DoS, and others like GAC, Sida, World Bank, GFFO, SDC, etc. Candidates should have experience collaborating with and supporting national and community-based partners, as well as excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate across diverse relationships in a multicultural environment. Proven ability to work effectively with remote and diverse teams, including as a team leader for proposals, is necessary. Clear and compelling English writing skills, with previous experience in proposal writing, are also required. The ability to multi-task and prioritize effectively is crucial.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a Master’s degree in International Affairs, Social Sciences, or any related field of study. This educational background is essential to ensure that the candidate has the necessary theoretical knowledge and understanding of the complexities involved in international development and humanitarian assistance.

Experience:
The ideal candidate should have 8 to 10 years of substantial experience in the field, with a successful track record of leading proposal teams on complex subjects. This includes experience with multi-year, multi-partner proposals and at least 6 years of senior-level management experience in an INGO. The candidate should demonstrate proficiency in developing and supporting humanitarian and development proposals for NGOs and have familiarity with the strategies and proposal processes of key government/statutory donors.

Languages:
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English are mandatory, as the role requires clear and concise communication in all interactions. While English is the primary language required, proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset, particularly those relevant to the regions in which IRC operates.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and is likely to be a full-time role. The IRC is committed to equal employment opportunities and considers all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability. The organization strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels, offering benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in the workforce, including parental leave and gender-sensitive security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security protocols. The IRC also emphasizes professional standards and adherence to values such as integrity, service, and accountability.