International Rescue Committee (IRC) is Seeking a Program Development and Awards Advisor

Location: London, UK or Nairobi, Kenya (Hybrid)
Organisation: International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Type: Full-Time

About the IRC

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world’s largest and most respected humanitarian organisations, delivering life-saving assistance and long-term support to people affected by conflict, disaster, and displacement. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC operates in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities, working to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to individuals and communities.

As a global force for humanity, the IRC promotes dignity, resilience, and recovery. Employees join a mission-driven organisation grounded in integrity, service, accountability, and equality, with a commitment to lasting impact.

About the Awards Management Unit (AMU)

The Awards Management Unit (AMU) oversees IRC’s global portfolio of statutory and government-funded grants. Established in 2016, the AMU:

• Supports country teams with award management, donor compliance, and strategic processes
• Manages risk and ensures consistent application of policies
• Facilitates programme quality across the full award lifecycle

The AMU functions as a bridge between donors and country programmes, providing technical expertise and strategic oversight across all restricted funding streams.

About the Crisis Response, Recovery and Development (CRRD) Department

CRRD oversees IRC’s humanitarian, recovery, and development programming across five regions:

• West and Central Africa
• East Africa
• Middle East and North Africa
• Asia
• Latin America

The department supports programmes that focus on:

• Safety and protection
• Health and nutrition
• Education access and quality
• Economic wellbeing
• Power and participation

CRRD teams guide country offices on strategy, business development, compliance, partnerships, and award management.

Purpose of the Role

The Program Development and Awards Advisor (PDAA) plays a pivotal role within the Regional Program and Award Support (RPAS) team for East Africa. The Advisor provides both pre-award and post-award support, ensuring high-quality proposal development, award compliance, and donor stewardship. The role also contributes to regional learning, process improvements, and systems strengthening.

This position has no line management responsibilities and involves close coordination across regional, country, and headquarters teams.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development

The PDAA supports country programmes and regional teams across the full business development cycle:

• Identifying business development priorities and supporting donor engagement
• Conducting donor research, funding analysis, and opportunity tracking
• Leading or supporting pre-positioning activities, including partner mapping and win-theme development
• Supporting the full proposal lifecycle in collaboration with the Head of Business Development
• Coordinating technical inputs, partner contributions, and review processes
• Ensuring proposals meet donor requirements and IRC internal standards
• Reviewing agreements and supporting award negotiations
• Maintaining accurate proposal records and internal trackers
• Deploying to country offices to lead proposal development when needed

Awards Management and Compliance

The Advisor manages a portfolio of country awards and ensures compliance with donor and IRC policies:

• Reviewing and supporting donor reporting, modifications, and amendments
• Advising country teams on award management processes and compliance queries
• Reviewing and negotiating award agreements and sub-grant packages
• Monitoring project progress and compliance with donor guidelines
• Coordinating with compliance, finance, technical units, and legal teams
• Managing donor communication on contractual issues
• Supporting lessons-learned processes and continuous improvement initiatives
• Providing surge support or gap-filling in country offices when required

Capacity Building

• Delivering training for country teams and RPAS staff on pre-award and post-award processes, compliance, and IRC systems
• Strengthening overall regional capacities in award and grant management

Additional Responsibilities

• Contributing to regional learning, after-action reviews, and strategic initiatives
• Supporting team coordination, assignment tracking, and record-keeping
• Performing other duties as requested by supervisors

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Fluency in English
• Strong knowledge of European and emerging donor requirements
• Understanding of humanitarian and development programming
• Strong budgeting and financial management skills
• Excellent analytical, writing, and organisational abilities
• Experience in proposal writing, narrative/financial reporting, and budget development
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in fast-paced, multicultural settings
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Proficiency in MS Word, Outlook, and Excel
• Ability to travel internationally

Desirable

• Proficiency in German
• Knowledge of U.S. Government donor regulations
• Experience working remotely with global teams
• Professional experience in the Global South

Recruitment Process

• Screening call
• First-round panel interview (with or without assessment)
• Second-round panel interview
• References and background checks prior to offer

Compensation

UK salary range: £57,444 – £67,018
Compensation is calibrated based on location, experience, internal equity, and market conditions.

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