Awards, Partnerships & Project Management Lead

Role Overview

• Reporting to the Regional Project Director, responsible for the operational backbone of the regional ECD portfolio
• Oversee the full lifecycle management of regional awards, development and management of strategic partnerships, financial oversight, and project management
• Ensure smooth coordination and communication across IRC teams, partners, and donors at country, regional, and global levels
• Directly manage an Awards & Project Manager and a Finance Coordinator, and may manage additional staff as the portfolio grows
• Contribute to business development efforts to sustain and expand the portfolio by maintaining an active understanding of the public and private ECD funding landscape
• Lead the pre-award development process including proposal design, coordination, and budget development in collaboration with the Finance Coordinator
• Oversee all award management aspects across the portfolio, including project set-up, facilitating regular PCM meetings, and maintaining award tracking systems
• Own the portfolio's donor compliance environment and ensure compliance requirements are consistently understood and applied by team members and partners
• Oversee all financial management functions across the portfolio, ensure budgets and financial reports are accurate and timely
• Coordinate the full partnership cycle from identification to close-out, serving as the primary operational point of contact for regional partners
• Maintain systems for tracking deliverables, milestones, and risks and establish clear escalation processes
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and inclusive team culture that models IRC values

Requirements

• At least 7 years of experience in program administration, business development, awards, partnerships and financial management, and project management at an NGO
• Knowledge and expertise in the use of project management methodologies and tools, resource management practices and change management techniques
• Self-directed, able to independently set priorities and solve problems with minimal guidance
• Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to successfully work in a fast-paced environment, within and across departments/functions and develop positive relationships with locally and remote based staff
• Experience working in conflict and crisis settings and knowledge of humanitarian programming
• Ability to prioritize trade-offs between on-time, on-scope or on-budget project delivery
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex project budgeting, monitoring and mitigation planning
• Knowledge of early childhood development or education is a plus
• Knowledge of the Middle East regional context, with experience working in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria or Palestine strongly preferred
• Fluent in written and oral English and Arabic.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Flexible working hours
• Professional development opportunities
• Travel opportunities