The IRC restarted operations in Sudan in November 2019 after operating from 1982 until 2009, successfully obtaining re-registration in Khartoum with the transitional government, and launching initial programs to support displaced populations in urban settings around Khartoum. 

Sudan is experiencing multiple challenges generating including macroeconomic crises, armed conflicts and displacement, protracted refugee situations and natural disasters, as well as COVID-19. The result of this crisis is large-scale humanitarian needs across the country leaving an estimated 9.3 million people in need. On top of this, In November 2020, fighting in the Tigray region of Ethiopia led to the flight of around 60,000 refugees to eastern Sudan.

In response to growing needs in recent months, the IRC has scaled up capacity through the emergency response team and expanded humanitarian activities in the east of the country in response to the Tigrayan refugee crisis. The IRC currently has one field base in Gedaref in addition to the head office in Khartoum and is looking to expand in program scale, scope, and geographic support over the coming months.

As part of IRC’s programming expansion and focusing on partnerships modality. The organization will be expanding its partner-led activities in different states within Sudan. 

Scope of work:

The Partnerships Manager is a key position supporting the Sudan Country Program (CP) in the management and oversight of partnerships across the country. The Partnerships Manager will oversee and manage all steps in the partnership management lifecycle and will ensure that partnerships are appropriately coordinated into overall project cycle management through daily management of the sub-award lifecycle. The Partnerships Manager will ensure compliance with the IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS) and donors’ requirements. The Partnerships Manager will report directly to the Grants and Partnerships Coordinator and will supervise the Partnerships Senior Officer. The Partnerships Manager will coordinate regularly with partners to support and monitor their financial, operational management, and partnership management.

Strategy and Program Approach

• Support SMT, Technical Coordinators (TCs), and Grants & Partnerships Coordinator (PC) to proactively identify potential partnerships with local and national organizations, including those that are led by women and serve women and girls.

Promote Effective Partnerships

• Promote and apply the IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results system (PEERS).
• Contribute to building a strong understanding of PEERS throughout Sudan CP with ensuring that partnerships principles, skills, and approaches are applied by staff across programs and projects with partners.
• Facilitate systematic partner feedback on IRC’s management of the partnership relationship, including the documentation of, and response to partner feedback.

Partnerships Management

• Lead facilitation and coordination of partnership management processes to ensure well-planned, timely, coordinated, and coherent partnership management.
• Co-facilitate and guide competitive and non-competitive partner selection processes to identify new partners, as well as new applications from existing partners.
• Coordinate and lead Partners' due diligence processes; Identity and Background Review (Vetting), and Project Capacity Analysis (PCA) including contributing to and facilitating the collaborative risk analysis and management of each project.
• Proactively engage partners in program development efforts.
• Determine appropriate partnership agreement type and draft agreement, taking into account the due diligence outcomes and specific project and donor requirements.
• Liaise with HQ Awards Management Unit (AMU) to facilitate partnership agreement review and approval processes to ensure partnership agreement management consistent with IRC and donor policies, and Lead on any partnership agreement modification in coordination with partner, program, finance, and HQ.
• Responsible on planning and conducting Partnership Project Opening, Review, and Closing Meetings, together with the Technical Coordinator.
• Establish, maintain, and effectively lead all aspects of the life cycle for each partner’s project and update the Partnership Project Tracker and Monitoring Schedule that captures all key partnership management actions, from mapping and selection processes through the monitoring, reporting, and close-out.
• Coordinate narrative and finance reporting processes, including review and feedback.
• Work collaboratively with partners and IRC staff to constructively resolve any issues that may arise.
• Ensure that comprehensive electronic and physical files are maintained as necessary for both the Partnerships departments including filing partners’ documents on OTIS.

Capacity Sharing

• Provide humanitarian access, safety, and security training and mentoring support to partners, in accordance with partner project support plans, with a focus on supporting the partner to strengthen systems and capacities that are responsive to the needs of the partner (rather than replicating IRC’s systems and policies).
• Ensure the IRC is learning from partners, including with respect to humanitarian access and security management.
• Collaborate with technical coordinators to integrate technical capacity-sharing approaches, including how IRC can learn from local partners.

Other

• Other relevant duties as assigned by supervisor to further IRC partnerships.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to Grants and Partnerships Coordinator

Position directly supervises: Partnerships Senior Officer 

Indirect Reporting: N/A

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Senior Management Team, Technical Coordinators, M&E Team Members, Programs and Awards Management Unit Team Members, Finance Department, Supply Chain Department, Grants Department, HR Department, IRC Regional staff, and headquarters staff

External: Donors; local and international partners

• BA degree in International Development or Affairs, Finance, Business or a related field.
• Minimum of four years of experience working in the humanitarian field, including experience handling partnerships with NGOs and government entities.
• Demonstrated ability to manage humanitarian programs, including experience handling partnerships with NGOs and government entities.
• Experience implementing IRC’s PEERS approach. 
• Excellent communication and coordination skills
• Demonstrated understanding of project planning and management cycles
• Showed ability to work well in and promote teamwork, thrive in a multi-cultural environment, be flexible, and handle pressure with professional grace.
• Proficient in both Arabic and English.

Professional Standards:

All IRC staff are required to adhere to The IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

The International Rescue Committee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. International Rescue Committee considers all candidates on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. 

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional 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, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation 

Travel and other requirements: This position will be based in Wad Madani with frequent travel to Camps, and other states in Sudan Females are highly encouraged to apply.