Senior Officer, Partnerships at Concern Worldwide

Main duties & Responsibilities:

Programme Implementation:

• Facilitate coordination between sector teams and local/ national partner NGOs for preparation of concept notes, project proposals and budgets according to the programme design and donors’ call for proposals.
• Lead on arranging project start up and closure meetings with the partner NGOs.
• Provide guidance to (facilitate) partner NGOs (in coordination with Concern’s relevant departments) on project start up and implementation such as; staff recruitments, developing detailed implementation plans, financial plans, procurement plans, progress and financial reporting, field data and MEAL requirements, information management etc. in compliance with applicable contractual policies and procedures.
• Act as focal point for communication between Concern sector / department teams and NGO partners for regular communication and follow up on project implementation.
• Act as the primary Concern focal point for capacity building of partner organizations according to the capacity building plans.
• Ensure local partner NGOs receive all necessary support and technical advice required from different department of Concern Kenya.
• Support local and national partners in preparing narrative and financial reports and present partners’ activities for donors and key stakeholders.
• Jointly monitor projects implemented by the local partners to track progress, identify challenges and solutions for effective implementation.

Identification, Contracting and Compliance

• Lead on partner mapping, partner identification and assessments in line with Concern partnership policies and strategies.
• Coordinate with local partner NGOs on negotiations and signing partnership agreements or MOUs in consultation with Programme Director.
• Ensure partner staff are aware of Concern/donor guidelines and policies and that these are adhered to at all times, immediately raising any suspected non-compliance with the management.
• Proactively work with local partner NGOs on compliance requirement and facilitate support from relevant departments on corrective measures, as and where needed.
• Work with partners to identify gaps in policies and procedures, technical capacity gaps, facilitate development of targeted capacity development plans and ensure timely capacity building support from relevant Concern departments.
• Act as focal person for technical or other non-contractual partners engaged through MoUs or similar instruments.
• Maintain database of all potential or current partners, actively update with new information as necessary.

Learning and Capacity Building

• Undertake joint learning sessions between Concern and local and national partner organizations.
• Tracking progress on capacity building plans with local and national partners
• Promote cross learning between partners and Concern through various interactions.
• Promote, write reports and/or case studies on lessons learned in Kenya to be shared with other Concern country offices.

Responding to Emergencies:

• Participating and contributing towards Concern’s emergency response, as and when necessary
• Complying with Concern’s health, safety and security guidelines during emergencies

Concern Code of Conduct and Associated Policies:

• Adhering to the standards of conduct outlined in the Concern Code of Conduct & Associated Policies.
• Supporting and promoting the standards outlined in the Code of Conduct & Associated Policies to the team, partner organisations and beneficiaries, and being committed to providing a safe working environment.

Accountability

• In line with Concern’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS):
• Actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle (planning, implementation, M&E).
• Work with relevant colleagues to ensure that the Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) is functional and accessible, that feedback and complaints are welcomed and addressed.
• Work with relevant colleagues to ensure that information about CRM, safeguarding and expected staff behaviour is disseminated among programme participants and communities.

Education, Qualifications & Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in development studies, sociology or relevant disciplines
• 5 years’ relevant work experience of working with partner organizations
• Good English Language skills
• Experience of donors compliance requirements (procurement, finance, HR etc.), contract management and project proposals development
• Strong inter-personal communication and facilitation skills
• Excellent report writing skills and MS Office skills
• Proven experience in project and resource planning, & budget management