Oxfam International (Oi) Funding Coordinator (Developmental)

OXFAM PURPOSE: To work with others to find lasting solutions to poverty and suffering   TEAM PURPOSE: To act with poor people a force for change in addressing the causes of poverty, suffering and injustice and alleviating their symptoms.     If you would like a career with a leading International NGO then please read on. The successful candidate will be an essential part of Oxfam’s long term fundraising efforts for Syria and Lebanon.  In working closely with Oxfam’s current Funding Coordinator to secure new funding for Oxfam’s programmes, the successful candidate must be proactive; committed to humanitarian principles and relief for Syrian refugees in Lebanon and those displaced inside Syria; possess the acumen to represent the best interests of Oxfam whilst delivering on commitments to Oxfam’s donors.  If you feel you meet these criteria, (expanded upon in the accompanying job profile), then please apply.  In return, you will have the personal and professional experience of working in an exciting and challenging context and programme, at the vanguard of Oxfam’s humanitarian work globally.  Priority will be given to applicants who are Lebanese nationals for this position.  KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:   The aim over the next 16 month period is that the Oxfam International Funding Coordinator (Developmental) will be given training, coaching and support to develop the skills needed to be able to take up higher level funding responsibilities, in the future, if expertise is demonstrated.  Attaining a higher role in Oxfam is not guaranteed, and depends on the aptitude shown and also passing an open recruitment for higher roles for equity reasons, as per Oxfam’s policy   Fundraising and Proposal Development Conduct in-country intelligence gathering, and keep programme staff informed about upcoming funding opportunities so as to build sustainable funding base for Oxfam’s programme going forward. Proactive relationship building with donors in coordination with Programme Manager/s, OI Funding Coordinator and other programme colleagues, including involvement / engagement in donor fora. Coordinate development and submission of donor proposals, providing support as required. This entails working closely with programme staff in order to advise and support them to understand and meet donor funding requirements. It also involves close coordination with colleagues in Jordan and the UK when multi-country / regional proposals are being developed. Make regular country programme visits, to be knowledgeable about the programme as the basis for the informed development of proposals and discussions / contact with donors. Conduct donor research / mapping to identify donors and create new and innovative funding opportunities in line with country strategies. Feed into regional planning, including regional strategy development, regularly informing / communicating with teams on new fundraising opportunities and expected calls. Ensure that the need for gender equality is fully reflected in programme design and in proposals. Liaise with the Gender Advisor to ensure that the specific needs of women and girls are accounted for in other aspects of the programme. Management of Restricted Funds Assume responsibility for managing the CRIMSON system as the main tool for donor contract management, maintaining up to date proposal, allocations, income, reporting and other contract records. Support programme, other support staff and partners in ensuring compliance with internal and external requirements on the use of restricted funds, building understanding, visibility and clarity around donor contractual requirements, including facilitating donor budget monitoring and timely interventions to avoid problems. Write / edit, review and submit donor financial and narrative reports, ensuring consistency, accuracy, clarity and timely submission in compliance with Oxfam policies and procedures as well as donor contractual requirements. Work with programme and finance staff to continuously improve the quality of donor reports. Support finance and project managers to monitor restricted funding expenditure, including the timely identification of problems e.g. ineligible expenditure, miscoding etc, enabling timely corrective action, such as amendments and extension requests, to be taken. Coordinate communications with current donors including responding to information requests, income tracking, contract amendments etc from donors or other Oxfam departments. Information and systems management Maintain restricted funding information systems and records on donor contracts and income data on shared drive, OPAL, CRIMSON and hard files. Full training will be given on all new systems. Manage and maintain OGB Funding Grid and donor log, liaising with Oxfam NOVIB and Oxfam Italy as required, and Oxfam based funding staff. Support the programme team to develop and maintain a comprehensive, up to date and user friendly filing and contract management system for contracts and other documents, maintaining a complete and clear audit trail of proposals, contracts, donor reports, donor visits and feedback, etc. Collaborate with finance staff and OPAL Focal Point in country to align CRIMSON allocations, OPAL budgets and Peoplesoft expenditure, ensuring that all variances are rectified in a timely manner. Provide training and support to programme and other staff on the effective management of donor funds to ensure compliance. Contribute to quarterly regional funding reports particularly on compliance and system maintenance issues. Capacity Building Provide training and induction to programme staff and partners on the essential core skills around contract management, proposal / report development, donor requirements, Oxfam’s internal procedures as per capacity building plan. This includes, for example, facilitating ‘grant start-up meetings’ for new contracts and following up on action plans derived from these.         SKILLS AND COMPETENCE:     Essential Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, with experience in external organisational representation. Good relationship management skills, with ability to represent Oxfam with external organisations and individuals. Strategic minded person with good analytical skills and ability to bring different strands of information together and to determine their relevance for the organisation and the piece of work in question. Fluency in English including excellent written English skills with proven ability to develop and present written materials, for both internal and external audiences. Strong numeracy and general financial aptitude. Strong research skills Ability to manage his / her own time effectively. Willing and able to adapt priorities in order to respond to changing demands. Good administrative skills and ability to effectively use technology Attention to detail. Critical and inquisitive approach to work. Ability to work effectively with others in a team situation to achieve fundraising targets. Commitment to Oxfam’s vision and humanitarian principles, with understanding of the Syria crisis and strong commitment to make positive change in the lives of people affected by the conflict, in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan Desirable Knowledge of NGO programming in emergencies and / or development environments, and particularly the context as affected by the Syrian crisis.   Knowledge or experience of Oxfam's programme work. Sympathy for those affected by the Syria crisis, including refugees in Lebanon and Internally Displaced People in Syria. Some experience in managing donor contracts and fundraising activities, in particular from major humanitarian donors like DFID, ECHO, DEC, UN, WFP etc. Knowledge of funding cycle and experience in developing proposals and reports.