Delegate, Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation

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; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. 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.

The position is a regional role, reporting to the IFRC Africa regional office in Nairobi and located in Dakar, Senegal.

The Country Cluster Delegation (CCD) in Dakar (Senegal) supports four countries: Cape Verde, the Gambia, Mauritania and Senegal National Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to implement their strategies while centering the IFRC Agenda for Renewal and Pan-African Initiative with a focus on National Society Development. Furthermore, Dakar is a strategic hub for regional and sub-regional donors and partners, many of which focus on West and Central Africa. Dakar currently hosts 83 embassies and more than 100 International Organizations and multilateral financing entities including all main partners government for the IFRC. 9 Partner National Societies (PNS) are based in Dakar, covering West and Central Africa.

Job Purpose

The Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation (SPRM) Delegate will be part of the IFRC Africa regional SPRM team, outposted to the IFRC CCD Team in Dakar. The postholder will provide support to all delegations within Africa – on partnerships, resource mobilization and grant management, with a particular focus on Francophone part of the region. The SPRM Delegate will be pivotal to the strategic coordination component with Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and external partners to elevate the collective positioning and to strategically engage with existing and potential partners.

The position is critical to building trust with partners, generating resources, coordinating, managing grants, compliance and accountability and supporting Red Cross/Red Crescent-National Societies in the CCD.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Fundraising and business development

• Lead on building and fostering partnerships with key donors based in Dakar, for the benefit of the Africa region.
• Lead on fundraising and resource development for IFRC’s programmes in West Africa. A special focus will be expected on the Pan African initiatives and active networks (“Sahel +” e.g.)
• Research, analyse and advise on potential new funding opportunities.
• Track and analyse income and coverage against plans, lead and coordinate actions to be taken to increase coverage, and provide regular updates, analysis, and recommendations to management.
• Undertake effective negotiation with multilaterals, development banks, private sector organizations, National Societies, and other donors to secure pledges and grants.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with partner National Societies and external actors (governments, UN agencies, multilaterals, private sector, Development Banks etc) and identify funding and resourcing opportunities for IFRC and African National Societies
• Take the lead in coordination of specific funding proposals, including acting as close liaison with National Societies, technical teams, delegation offices to ensure consistency of agreed approach and priorities as well as to ensure timely submission of good quality proposals to donors.
• Write, coordinate, review and ensure quality of concept notes, grant applications and funding proposals (with support when needed)
• Provide focused support and analysis, especially in terms of financial and administrative requirements in the process of developing of funding proposals.
• Follow up on donor/partners feedback on proposals/concept notes submitted and systematically share the information with the regional team as part of lesson learning.
• Organize and facilitate partner conference calls and take an active role in preparation and delivery of partnership meetings.
• Develop strategies and adapted tools tailored to assist National Societies within the Sahel Sub region to start or improve their in-country resource mobilization or local partnership efforts (private institutions).
• Organise or support donor visits to the field.
• Support humanitarian diplomacy initiatives and contribute towards positioning the IFRC and African National Societies leadership among key institutions and forums to achieve maximum influence.
• Coordinate with and support from IFRC regional Humanitarian Diplomacy lead to ensure alignment of messaging and approaches.

Partnership and Resource Development for Emergencies

• Lead on grant management and partnership development for specific emergency appeals (with support from regional technical teams).
• Lead and coordinate resource development for emergency appeals, including generating and sharing relevant information from communities to key partners.
• Track and analyse emergency appeal coverage, lead and coordinate actions to be taken to increase coverage, and provide regular updates, analysis and recommendations to management.
• Coordinate with Communications team to ensure adequate marketing materials are produced.
• In collaboration with the Health and Disaster, Climate, Crisis Department (HDCC), input to revisions of emergency appeal procedures, explore new mechanisms and instruments for increasing emergency income.
• If needed, provide emergency surge SEP capacity on the ground within the region, as directed by the Head of CCD and Regional Head, SEP, including travelling to the affected countries.

Planning and Budgeting

• Provide advice to budget holders during the planning process on realistic funding plans and support them in annual revisions.
• Provide technical review of funding plans to ensure that they tally with the operational plans and budgets.
• Maintain an overview of the funding situation of annual plans and emergency appeals, continuously identifying gaps in funding and funding priorities.
• Establish and utilise tracking tools to monitor incoming funding and trends.
• Input to regional and global SPRM planning process and donor engagement plans.

National Society Fundraising Capacity Building

• Provide technical advice and guidance to National Societies on funding opportunities and proposal development.
• Support Domestic Fundraising through planning and implementation programmes to build National Societies’ domestic resource mobilisation capacities.
• Support the organisation of fundraising skill sharing, webinars, and training sessions, facilitating training sessions in the post holder’s areas of expertise.
• Ensure National Societies have equitable access to resources and initiatives via the Virtual Fundraising Hub such as Peer Review, International Fundraising Skill share, investment mechanisms and digital tools implementation.

Education

• University degree in relevant discipline (ex. g. International Relations, Marketing, Humanitarian Affairs, Business Administration, Economics, Finance). (Required)
• Masters’ degree in relevant discipline (ex. g. International Relations, Marketing, Humanitarian Affairs, Business Administration, Economics, Finance). (Preferred)
• Relevant professional training courses (Red Cross/Red Crescent related, humanitarian and development sector, management) (Preferred)

Experience

• At least 7 years of work experience, out if which 5 years relevant experience in managing relations with donors and partners. (Required)
• Red Cross Red Crescent work experience. (Preferred)
• Experience in managing strong relationships with multiple donors and partners. (Required)
• Work experience with other international organizations, large NGOs and/or governmental development agencies. (Preferred)
• Demonstrated experience of securing high levels of quality funding from multilaterals, financial institutions, governments, or the private sector. (Required)
• Experience of developing winning funding proposals and grant applications. (Required)
• Experience of developing and implementing funding plans. (Required)
• Knowledge, Skills and Languages
• Knowledge of fundraising and marketing tools and techniques. (Required)
• Knowledge of grant management cycles, donor rules and preferences. (Required)
• Knowledge of private sector funding priorities and ways of working. (Required)
• Knowledge of multilateral and institutional donor requirements and ways of working. (Required)
• Knowledge of and skills in tracking open calls for proposals from key donor institutions. (Required)
• Excellent knowledge of Excel, development and interpretation of graphs and charts for analysis and monitoring. (Required)
• Strong knowledge of information sharing tools. (Required)
• Strong knowledge of reporting systems and guidelines. (Required)
• Highly organised, with ability to work a strong team player. (Required)
• Ability to coordinate with teams based in different geographic locations. (Required)
• Ability to work in a multicultural, multilingual, multi-disciplinary environment. (Required)
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills. (Required)
• Excellent networking and relationship building skills. (Required)
• Strong budgeting and finance management skills. (Required)
• Demonstrated skills in analytical and strategic thinking. (Required)
• Track record in producing high quality work under short deadlines and ability to manage competing priorities under pressure. (Required)
• Excellent writing and editing skills. (Required)
• Fluent spoken and written English. (Required)
• Fluent spoken and written French. (Required)
• Good command of another IFRC official language (Spanish or Arabic). (Required)
• Competencies, Values and Comments
• Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability Professionalism
• Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust

Application Deadline: 26-Sep-2023.