Partnership Finance Manager - Beirut

Background IRC summary:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life- changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The August 4, 2020, Port of Beirut explosion compounded Lebanon’s existing economic and social challenges and disproportionally affected Beirut’s vulnerable populations. Since the explosion the efforts of civil society have been crucial for recovery and rehabilitation efforts. Several obstacles remain that challenge the effectiveness, inclusivity and sustainability of the broader recovery and rehabilitation process, which include coordination challenges between ongoing efforts and the ad hoc or temporary nature of interventions. The situation of Beirut’s population remains precarious and the need for support to recovery and reconstruction efforts urgent.

Project Description: Supporting Beirut’s Immediate Social Recovery Services

The project will focus on reducing vulnerabilities are prevalent amongst three groups affected by the blast in Beirut:

1. survivors of Gender-Based Violence (SGBV); (ii) those suffering from deteriorated psycho-social wellbeing; (iii) and/or those facing limitations related to being a person with disabilities and older persons. Supporting Beirut’s Immediate Social Recovery Services interventions will entail providing grant financing directly to a select number of NGOs, to enable them to provide social services to reduce vulnerabilities in these groups.

This will be achieved by supporting non-government stakeholders that are engaged and have a track record in delivering social recovery services and working with target groups by improving their capacity to participate in the broader social recovery and reconstruction processes.

The World Bank has selected the IRC to act as the Intermediary Implementing Agency (IIA) to implement the Supporting Beirut’s Immediate Social Recovery Services project. The IRC will take on project management, grant provision and/or procurement of services from NGOs and will be responsible for the fiduciary supervision of the selected NGO partners.

Main Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of the Request for Applications (RFA) and the scoring criteria for the selection of partners.
• Participate in the Partner's Project Capacity Review (PPCR) of potential partners as appropriate and contribute to efforts to collaboratively analyze and manage material risks identified.
• Work collaboratively and supportively with partners to develop and finalize budgets and budget amendments, and (in the case of milestone-based partnership agreements) in determining the costing of milestones.

• Review partnership agreement terms relating to advances, reporting and any special conditions relating to finance before sharing with finance and HQ for final sign off.
• For cost-reimbursable partnership agreements, agree with partners the specific documentation required to support each type of cost, adjusting standard requirements to the operating context and the partner.
• Participate in Partnership Project Opening, Review and Closure Meetings, including to review successes, challenges, and lessons learned with the partner, and capture effective finance practices for future partnerships.
• Work collaboratively with partners to ensure the timely provision of funding to partners in accordance with the partnership agreement to ensure program continuity, ensuring clear communication with the partner and efficient resolution where for whatever reason this is not possible.
• Collaborate with partners to ensure completeness, correctness, and accuracy of financial reports and cash requests before sending to the finance department for validation and payment processing.
• Review partner financial reports (and narrative reports for consistency) and supporting documents to ensure compliance with the partnership agreement, donor regulations and IRC policy, and provide feedback to the partner as appropriate.
• Monitor partner budgets and actual spending in collaboration with project lead, identifying issues and working proactively and collaboratively with partners to resolve them.
• Lead timely and effective finance review, checking and reflection with the partners (monitoring), identifying appropriate follow up actions, and providing completed reports to Project Lead.
• Assist in the close-out phase of partnership agreements,
• Participate in the review of the performance of the partner, of the IRC, and of the partnership, including successes, challenges and lessons learned.
• Lead on the management of the Partnership Finance team tasks and responsibilities while coordinating with the relevant finance staff, allocated under the World Bank.

• Provide finance and accounting training and mentoring support to partners, in accordance with partner project support plans, with a focus on supporting the partner to strengthen financial management systems and capacities that are responsive to the needs of the partner (rather than replicating IRC’s systems and policies).

Position Reports to: Project lead

Position directly supervises: NA

Technical dotted line management: Senior Finance Manager Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Partnership Unit Staff, Finance, HR and Supply chain departments, HQ and Regional grants/compliance teams, Program Coordinators, Regional partnership team, Senior Coordinator

External: Partner organizations

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline, Master’s degree a plus.
• Demonstrated successful experience working with partners and/or grants management
• Demonstrated experience in finance and accounting
• Demonstrable understanding of project planning and management cycles, and strong program design skills.
• Highly organized, diplomatic, close attention to detail, and ability to effectively prioritize tasks in a fluid environment.
• Professional fluency in spoken and written English; able to communicate concisely and with impact.
• Very strong English & Arabic writing and editing skills; strong computer skills.

Staff will be based in Beirut with possible travel to field locations, upon business needs.