Deputy Director for Grants and Accountability

About the Organization

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), established in 1933, is a global humanitarian organization dedicated to assisting people affected by conflict and disasters to rebuild their lives. IRC operates in over 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities, focusing on areas including health, safety, education, and economic empowerment to promote long-term recovery and community resilience.

Program Scope

Operating across two major refugee camps (Dadaab and Kakuma) and four counties (Garissa, Turkana, West Pokot and Nairobi), IRC implements multi-sectoral programs encompassing health, nutrition, governance and rights, women's protection and empowerment, economic recovery and development, as well as emergency response via four field offices and numerous institutional and community partners.

Role Summary

The Deputy Director for Grants and Accountability (DDGA) is a key senior management team member responsible for leading a team of approximately 20 staff. The role oversees effective management of awards and donor relationships, business development, partnerships, monitoring, evaluation, learning, and client accountability. Reporting to the Country Director, the DDGA drives the implementation of IRC's SAP100 strategy, especially regarding partnership expansion and client accountability objectives, while working closely with all SMT peers and particularly the Deputy Director for Programs to ensure successful program delivery.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead IRC Kenya's Grants & Partnerships Unit to manage all awards and sub-awards, including conducting award reviews, ensuring timely and accurate reporting, coordinating project cycle and budget reviews, and guaranteeing compliance with donor and IRC policies.
• Provide direct oversight and mentorship to the Grants Coordinator, ensuring the unit meets its deliverables effectively.
• Review grants agreements and proactively resolve compliance concerns; maintain robust filing and information management systems.
• Coordinate proposal development processes from review of funding opportunities through to submission, managing the calendar, work plans and multi-stakeholder input.
• Serve as liaison with regional and HQ units for mobilizing resources and training.
• Lead strategic donor engagement and represent IRC Kenya during donor interactions and field visits under Country Director mentorship.
• Drive and oversee the fundraising strategy, identify new donors, and maintain a business development pipeline aligned to IRC's SAP strategy.
• Serve as the focal point for achieving the SAP partnerships target of 8% budget allocation through local partners by FY2024, coordinating across relevant departments to ensure successful partner management and capacity building.
• Provide strategic leadership for partnerships by mentoring the team to onboard and manage partners, ensure compliance with partnership processes, and conduct capacity sharing initiatives.
• Oversee the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Unit, ensuring integration of client feedback into programming, overseeing data utilization for quality improvement, and leading the uptake of MEAL technologies.
• Advocate for adequate MEAL resources in budgeting and supervise design and implementation of assessments, data quality audits, and stakeholder feedback mechanisms.
• Contribute as an SMT member to strategic discussions, address management issues, and ensure alignment with IRC priorities and updates.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree or equivalent in international development or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in grants management and business development, preferably within humanitarian and development contexts.
• At least 3 years in leadership roles managing monitoring and evaluation functions for humanitarian organizations.
• Strong knowledge of donor regulations, including ECHO, US Government, UN agencies, and FCDO requirements.
• Proficient in English with excellent writing, editing, budgeting, communication, organizational, and leadership capabilities.
• Well-developed interpersonal and diplomatic skills suitable for diverse cultural settings.
• Experience working in non-governmental organizations is an advantage.

Professional Standards

All IRC employees commit to uphold the IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct, emphasizing integrity, service, equality, and accountability. The organization enforces policies on safeguarding, conflict of interest, fiscal integrity, whistleblower protection, and harassment prevention to foster a safe, equitable workplace.