About SCM:

The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) is an independent, non-governmental, and non-profit organisation registered in France in 2004, governed by a non-remunerated board. It has held a special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) since 2011.

SCM’s vision is for a world based on freedom, justice, and equality that respects personal dignity, human rights, and fundamental freedoms.

Vacancy details:

Job title: Grants & Partnerships Officer – Erbil

Program/ Project/ Department: Programs Development & Fundraising Department

Positions available: 1 vacancy.

Duration of the contract: 12 months (including 2 months of probation period).

Application deadline: 10 March 2023.

Work Station: Erbil – Iraq.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Overview:

The Grants and Partnerships Officer (GPO) is mainly responsible for two portfolios: managing subgrants provided by SCM to its subgrantees and lead on the assigned proposal development processes. The GPO directly reports to the Programs Development and Fundraising Manager (solid line), and indirectly to the Project Manager(s) that manage projects including subgrants (dotted line). This two-way grant development (and partnerships) role is expected to lead the accountable application of result-oriented and transparent grants utilisation as well as the contribution to the development of SCM grants and partnerships. With a close dedicated support to SCM partners and subgrantees.

Subgranting & Grant Utilisation Monitoring and Support:

• Initiating. Early coordination discussions with SCM subgrantee partners, organising partners’ grant-related feedback, and incorporating this feedback into master programmatic environments as and when approved and applicable; with close coordination with SCM project team members.
• Leading. On preparing the manual required for SCM subgrantees, which will be including: technical and financial evaluation guidelines, financial guidelines, and reporting guidelines. This manual should be presented in user-friendly format and language and be translated into SCM official languages (Arabic, English, Kurdish; and possibly French).
• Leading. On the development of the organisational partner capacity assessments (OCA) processes and the relevant terms of reference (ToRs) required for outsourcing.
• Developing. The call for proposals for solicited subgrants based on the pre-identified criteria, with close coordination with the team members.  
• Leading. On reviewing partners’ proposals and developing the executive evaluation reports and matrices.  
• Creating. Monitoring and planning trackers related to the ongoing and potential subgrants, these might include: Partner Reporting Agenda, Partner Grant Utilisation Trackers, Grant Results Frameworks, Subgrants tracker and archive, and others.
• Acting. As the focal point for partners’ grant- related modifications and address partners’ inquiries based on and in compliance with: partners’ recommendations, SCM policies, donor requirements and standards, and relevant lessons learned and best practices.  
• Monitoring. the partners’ project outputs in correlation with the preset indication mechanisms set by SCM MEAL Unit and reporting the monitored findings to the relevant team members.  
• Supporting. Partners with their technical requests while the development and/or revisions of their grant proposals and the relevant annexes.  
• Supporting. The project team in extracting subgrantee partners’ achievements and progress from their regular performance reports and compiling them in the master program performance reports.  
• Leading. On partner-oriented learning processes related to subgranting schemes and grant impact on partner organisations.  
• Updating. Team members (and partners) on the relevant contextual abstracts and developments, in addition to designing and suggesting suitable recommendations where and when applicable.  
• Detail-orientation. To pay attention to details in terms of internal policies and external guidelines, as well as report any potential deviation in the interpretation of the shared information. This involves ensuring that all relevant team members and partner focal points have an appropriate understanding of the project components, tasks, and relevant responsibilities with close coordination with the relevant Project Manager.  
• Ensuring. That all subgrantee partners are aware of and have solid access to SCM feedback and complaints mechanisms.

Grants Development and Partnerships:

• Leading. The development of the assigned proposal development processes, by the Fundraising focal point, in close coordination with relevant interdepartmental peers (such as: technical experts, finance, project team, MEAL team members, etc.); with a special focus on funding opportunities where partner capacity development is reflected.  
• Supporting. Other proposal development processes when and where needed.  
• Maintaining. Updated grants and partnerships trackers, such as: SCM Grant Tracker, SCM Partner Database, SCM Reporting Tracker, SCM Grants Development Tracker, etc.  
• Developing. Opportunity executive summaries, and coordinating and leading Go-or-no-goand as well as early design meetings.  Acting. As a focal point for the assigned active grants (ongoing & in-the-pipeline), and leading the relevant collaborative tasks and meetings.  
• Leading. On preparing the Due Diligence information and representing SCM in the relevant meetings and interviews.  
• Supporting. The development of SCM Potential Donor Tracker and providing the recommended donor cultivation action points in synergy with SCM strategy and strategic plans.

Requirement, Skills, and Experience:

• Bachelor degree in Business Administration, International Development, Social Studies, program/project management, or any relevant area of study to support knowledge in program/project management.
• Desirable / Priority will be given to candidates with proven experience in managing civil society development, transitional justice with focus on victims’-led grassroots and organisations;  
• Strong analytical and strategic planning skills, creative approach to problem solving;  
• Experience of liaising with donors, partners and international bodies such as the EU and the UN;  
• Desirable / Priority will be given to candidates with proven experience managing and/or implementing EU-funded grants; 
• Problem-solving-oriented.  
• Flexibility to adapt to changing requirements;
• Commitment to beneficiary accountability and humanitarian/human rights ethics.  
• Proven experience in supporting CSOs/CBOs/Associations, monitoring subgrantee utilisation of the grants, developing project proposals and managing subgrants.
• Proven awareness of NGO ecosystem and fundraising mechanisms, with a special focus on human rights and organisational capacity development areas.  
• Fluent Arabic and English speaker, sufficient command in Kurdish and/or any other European language is a plus.

How to apply:

• The CV must include contact information (telephone number, Mail address), previous experiences with professional references, academic qualifications
• The CV must be in PDF format with the full name of the applicant in the title.
• Applications should be sent via email to: [email protected] with the name of the vacancy in the email subject.
• Any applications received after the deadline will be rejected.
• CVs will be reviewed after the deadline of submission, and only shortlisted will be called for interviews. We apologize for not sending replies to all.