Position: Institutional Partnership Officer

Reports to: Senior Partnership Adviser

Supervision of: none

Duty station: Brussels, Belgium

Travel: Maximum 20 (%)

Duration and type of contract: fixed term contract (1 year) , full time

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation providing assistance, protection and long-term solutions to displaced persons worldwide. NRC is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, and has operations in over 30 countries, as well as representation offices in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Dubai, Geneva, London, Berlin and Washington.

NRC’s representation in Brussels was established in 2005 in order to strengthen the existing relationship between NRC and the European Union. NRC Europe’s main role is to support NRC’s country programmes in their collaboration with the EU institutions by improving communication with EU donors, and by providing evidenced based policy analysis on issues affecting refugees and displaced persons to decision makers in the EU.

Background

Institutional Partnership Officer will work in the Partnerships and Policy Department. The Partnerships and Policy Department is responsible for NRC’s strategic relations with institutional donors and private foundations and is the “centre of excellence” on donor/partner relations in NRC, thereby providing support to all Departments, and Regional, Country and Representation Offices in the organisation. This includes being responsible for developing relevant global strategies for resource mobilisation; developing funding prospects with existing and new donors; further streamlining NRC’s procedures, processes and tools related to resource mobilisation and grant management; developing and providing internal training and help-desk support, etc.

The Partnerships and Policy Department consists of eight units: The Institutional Partnership Section (Oslo), the Advocacy and Policy Section (Oslo), NRC Europe (Brussels), NRC Geneva (Geneva), NRC USA (Washington D.C.), NRC Gulf (Dubai),), and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre IDMC (Geneva). Five of these units (the Institutional Partnerships Section, NRC Europe, NRC Geneva, NRC USA and NRC Dubai) have responsibilities related to partnerships with institutional donors and private foundations.

Role and Responsibilities

The purpose of the Institutional Partnership Officer is to provide essential support to the IPAs on several institutional donors from the European Institutions, and EU Member states. As such, the Institutional Partnership Officer is responsible for assisting with these donors to follow up and ensure strategic relations and for building internal capacity and maintaining a help desk on donor related issues.

Generic responsibilities

Support to Senior EU Institutional Partnership Advisors

• Contributes within NRC to the analysis and information sharing on donor policies

• Ensure relevant NRC colleagues and units are provided with timely and exhaustive information on donor priorities

• Assist with setting up, preparing as well as participate in donor meetings

Liaise with other NRC units on donor related issues

• Stay updated on NRC ‘s priorities and funding needs

• Assist NRC operational representatives on communication lines with the donor and their interactions with donor staff at central level

• Assist with resource mobilisation*

• Identify, track and share information about new funding opportunities

• Undertake “donor mappings” upon request from NRC Country Offices and departments

• Launch and support prioritization processes together with the IPAs

• Develop infographic to support analysis on funding trends per region, sector, organizations

Provide helpdesk and daily support on EU and EU Member states donors

• Provide advice on donor expectations and requirements in proposal and reports

• Ensure NRC relevant colleagues stay updated on donor rules and regulations. Make sure that key information about rules and regulations are regularly updated in tools and disseminated within NRC and available to NRC staff to facilitate compliance.

• Ensure the promotion of good practices related to EU and EU Member states institutional donors. This includes the update and development of new tools such as checklists or compilation of analysis and lessons learned documents for internal dissemination.

Assist on-site and online training to NRC operational units

• Ensure the update and support the development of training and capacity building materials

• Organize, and support the IPA in the provision of training and facilitates trainings if needed

Specific responsibilities

The Institutional Partnership Officer shall have specific responsibility for the following NRC donors:

• DEVCO, DG NEAR and the EU Trust Funds as a main priority

• Support on EU Member states donors .

• Support on other EU donors matters upon request.

In addition, it is expected that the Institutional Partnership Officer support and cover for the IPAs as and when needed within her/his capacities.

Critical interfaces

By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position:

• Operational engagement with and resource mobilisation from partners: critical interface with Field Operations and support to the IPA if needed with other units.

• Help-desk support and capacity building: critical interface with the Country Offices and all other units in NRC related with donor funded projects at FO.

Competencies

Professional competencies

Generic professional competencies for this position:

• Relevant University degree or equivalent qualification combined with relevant professional experience from a humanitarian/development organisation and/or from a donor administration, either at Head Office/capital or field/embassy level

• Documented results in resource mobilization, including with developing proposals and reports to government donors, or similar

• A thorough understanding of Project Cycle Management, especially of the logical framework approach.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including negotiation skills and training facilitation basic skills.

• A conscientious and structured person with strong planning and administrative skills, including computer skills (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and preferably also Agresso)

• Fluency in English, both written and verbal and preferably knowledge of French language.

• Knowledge of EU Institutional donors including strategic priorities, organizational setup and funding mechanisms, is a clear advantage.

• Prior experience with the following donors is a must: DEVCO, NEAR or FPI

Behavioural competencies

• Handling insecure environments
• Planning and delivering results
• Working with people
• Analysing
• Communicating with impact and respect
• Coping with change

Miscellaneous info

• NRC reserves the right to use electronic screening tools for this purpose..

• Only timely CVs and applications written in English will be assessed.

• NRC may be required to verify the identity of its partners and to check that its partners have not been involved in illegal activities

• All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s values. To be dedicated, innovative, inclusive and accountable are attitudes and believes that shall guide our actions and relationships.