Partnerships Manager – Group Cash Transfers – Cash Consortium of Sudan (CCS) at Mercy Corps

Job Description

• The purpose of the CCS Partnerships Manager – Group Cash Transfers is to lead CCS’ activities related to community level assistance through GCTs through CBOs (inclusive of both formal and informal CBOs). The Partnerships Manager – GCTs is responsible to oversee a common approach and good practices for partnership between international partners and Sudanese CBOs delivering GCTs to respond to basic needs and priorities in their communities. Beyond the CBOs, s/he will coordinate with the CCS Secretariat, representatives of international partners, and other NGOs and will attend key coordination meetings and support information sharing across partners.

Essential Job Functions
Strategy

• Develop relationships with representatives of CBOs (formal and informal), including through regular participation in the Localization Council to shape and refine the vision of the consortium’s ability to support local actors through GCTs.
• Regular liaison with INGO partners on lessons learned and good practices related to GCTs to shape and refine the vision of the consortium’s ability to support local actors through GCTs.

Program Management & Quality

• Ensure all GCT activities follow CCS GCT standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Support refinement of GCT SOPs based on learning from ongoing implementation in partnership with Secretariat and partner program & MEL teams.
• Maintain accurate records of GCT activities, prepare periodic progress reports, and contribute to donor reporting requirements as relates to the CCS GCT activities.
• Visit CBO GCT program sites, and/ or provide guidance to other team members to support visits as possible.
• Support CCS coordination as needed, ensuring appropriate linkages between CBOs, national and international partners.

Finance & Compliance Management

• Ensure the consortium GCT activities are compliant with donor and grant holder rules and regulations
• Oversee the consortium GCT budget and ensure partner expenditures are in line with agreed upon budgets
• Monitor expenditures and forecasts, ensure timely identification of under/over spends and propose and implement solutions

Documentation and Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of activities, prepare periodic progress reports, and contribute to donor reporting requirements as relates to CCS GCTs.
• Respond to information requests, draft success stories, monitor and report on the impact of the CCS GCTs.
• Engage with CCS Secretariat team (Finance, MEAL, Policy, Research & Advocacy, grant holder headquarters) and with CCS partners in the development of proposals, reports, success stories, briefs, grant/sub-grant maintenance and other tasks as assigned by the CCS Director.

Representation and Coordination

• Participate where relevant in external representation of the consortium with various groups, including donors, UN agencies, the World Bank and local authorities as feasible.
• Represent consortium progress to donors as well as within the Cash Working Group, the Emergency Livelihoods Cluster, other relevant clusters, working groups related to Social Protection, and other coordination fora as strategic.
• Share learning from the consortium with the greater humanitarian and development community within Sudan as well as regionally and globally, as relevant.
• Contribute to thought leadership on GCT-related themes including localization, compliance, conflict sensitivity, and humanitarian ethics.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve – we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

• N/A
• Accountability

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: CCS Director
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: CCS Secretariat. local and international partners, Mercy Corps Regional and HQ Technical Support Units
Knowledge and Experience

• BA/BS or equivalent in international studies, economics or other relevant field; MA/S preferred
• 5-7 years of international relief and development program management experience, in emergency and recovery program management
• Previous experience in supporting consortia, coordinating forums or managing/ facilitating/ influencing in network or partnership settings required
• Previous experience with focus on localization initiatives and/or engagement with civil society is required
• Prior experience in cash programming strongly preferred
• Combination of direct and remote management experience required
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively across multiple stakeholders
• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving
• Experience working with civil society, local authorities, national and international NGOs
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
• Fluency in English and Arabic, both written and verbal