Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future. The IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster, and with the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain in their homes and communities.

The IRC has a focus on narrowing the gender gap in humanitarian aid and on ensuring that we contribute to gender equality, diversity and inclusion in both our programmes and our operations. The IRC also has a strong commitment to an equitable and inclusive culture in which safeguarding is upheld in our workplace and our programmes. We protect our clients and staff from safeguarding violations through prevention and, where misconduct is alleged, address it without fear or favour.

IRC South Sudan is one of the largest providers of aid in the country, with a workforce of more than 2,000 national, international and incentive staff, delivering emergency relief and post-conflict assistance across health, nutrition, economic recovery, education, child protection, women’s protection and empowerment, and protection and rule of law. South Sudan faces a protracted and volatile crisis: political tensions remain high, localised conflict persists, repeated flooding has devastated livelihoods, and the spillover of the conflict in Sudan has driven large-scale refugee and returnee movements into the country.

Local and national organizations are critical partners in the response, providing essential services in hard-to-reach and conflict-affected areas. IRC South Sudan’s partnerships portfolio includes government institutions, nation IRC South Sudan Partnerships Coordinator

NGOs, civil society organisations and community-based organisations across Central Equatoria, Unity, Ruweng Administrative Area, Upper Nile, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Jonglei. IRC is committed to deepening existing partnerships and building new ones, and to capacity sharing that contributes to policy and systems change and sustained impact.

IRC South Sudan’s Strategic Action Plan (Strategy100 Phase 2, FY25–FY28, updated for FY26–28) sets the partnership goals this post delivers: 15% of the country programme budget going to partners, and ten strategic partnerships, five of them with women-led or women-focused organisations, by 2028. The plan moves the portfolio toward fewer, deeper strategic partnerships and larger, consolidated partner agreements, with partnerships and localisation reviewed as a standing item in senior management meetings.

Scope and job overview:

The Partnerships Coordinator leads IRC South Sudan’s partnership management with local and national organisations. Working under the supervision of the Senior Grants and Partnerships Coordinator in Juba, the post is accountable for the quality, compliance and consistency of partnerships across the country programme, applying IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS) through every step of the partnership lifecycle: identification, due diligence, agreement, monitoring, capacity sharing and close-out.

The post exists so that IRC South Sudan works with partners in ways that are principled, compliant and capacity-building, and so that partnerships are built into project cycle management and business development rather than added afterwards. It leads and develops the partnerships team, works closely with the grants and compliance functions, Programmes, Finance, Supply Chain and Operations, and supports the Senior Grants and Partnerships Coordinator and the Deputy Director, Programmes in advancing the localisation of the South Sudan response.

Key responsibilities

A. Strategy and localization (15%)

• Builds IRC’s understanding of grassroots and community-led emergency response in conflict-affected areas, including local and national NGOs, community-based organizations and community-led initiatives. Evidenced by a current, maintained map of local responders and engagement priorities.
• Introduces IRC’s mission, principles and response strategy to local responders and cultivates relationships with organizations that share similar objectives.
• Establishes and runs, under the oversight of the Senior Grants and Partnerships Coordinator and the Deputy Director, Programmes, an inter-sectoral steering committee for grassroots and local initiatives that sets the parameters of IRC engagement with them.
• Works with the Senior Grants and Partnerships Coordinator and the Deputy Director, Programmes to embed partnerships in the Strategic Action Plan and sector strategies, and engages local responders in programme development and strategy validation.
• Leads delivery of the SAP partnership targets: local partner share of the country programme budget (from a 9% baseline to 15%), and the number of strategic partnerships (from 3 to 10, including five women-led or women-focused). Evidenced by regular reporting to senior management, where partnerships and localisation are a standing agenda item.

B. Partnership management and PEERS (30%)

• Leads the management of all partnerships in the country programme and all PEERS processes and documentation. Evidenced by a complete PEERS record for every active partnership.
• Coordinates programme, grants, operations and finance inputs across the partnership lifecycle, with the Partnership Working Group, so that management is planned, timely and coherent.
• Ensures IRC’s approach to sub-award management prioritises positive client outcomes while managing risk, and that sub-award opening, modification and close-out are completed on time with all in-country and headquarters inputs and approvals. Evidenced by sub-award modifications processed within agreed timelines.
• Ensures partnership processes, partner reports, project trackers and schedules are documented, working with Grants. Ensures timely and accurate partnership reporting to country, regional and headquarters teams, escalating challenges early.
• Facilitates the development of principled, strategic partnerships that share power, resources and learning, and promotes the application of PEERS modalities suited to local and national organisations.
• Moves the portfolio toward fewer, deeper strategic partnerships, including consolidating smaller partner agreements where this reduces delivery and access risk, and works with Programmes so that new proposals and renewals carry a clear local partnership and sub-granting approach.

C. Partner support and capacity sharing (15%)

• Facilitates the partner project support plan so that it addresses the issues found in due diligence, and coordinates the departments responsible for delivering it. Evidenced by movement in partner assessment scores over the award period.
• Establishes partners’ capacity strengthening priorities, plans where IRC can support them, and coordinates organisational development support, including resourcing.
• Works with technical coordinators to integrate capacity sharing into programmes, and promotes continual learning between IRC staff and partners, including what IRC can learn from partners.

D. Partnership risk, compliance and safeguarding (15%)

• Ensures partnerships meet IRC and donor requirements, including key donor rules (in particular U.S. Government, Sida and ECHO where they apply), and consistency with the partnership management system. Evidenced by the number and severity of donor and audit findings on partnerships.
• Ensures due diligence covers partners’ safeguarding, safety and security and fiscal capacity before any partner implementation begins.
• Helps the country programme identify and correct institutional bias against organisations that do not aim to institutionalise, while holding the minimum requirements for safety and security, safeguarding and fiduciary control in acute humanitarian response.
• Records and escalates partner risk through the country risk register. Reports any safeguarding concern or allegation immediately through the mandatory reporting channels, without investigating at post level.

E. Team leadership and capacity development (15%

• Supervises the partnerships team: sets objectives, gives timely performance feedback, manages development and leads recruitment for the team. Evidenced by completed performance cycles.
• Provides leadership and support at field level in collaboration with Field Coordinators, and coordinates partnership workloads of staff outside the line of management.
• Trains internal and partner staff on PEERS and partnership principles, so programme and operations staff apply them without routing every question through the partnerships team.
• Builds a culture, with the support of the Senior Grants and Partnerships Coordinator, of respectful, collaborative partnership based on a shared understanding of IRC’s role, and adherence to The IRC Way — Standards for Professional Conduct.

F. Representation and coordination (10%)

• Leads IRC’s engagement in partnership networks and forums, and promotes the localisation of the IRC South Sudan response.
• Collaborates with the grants and compliance team to gather systematic partner feedback on IRC’s management of the partnership and to document and respond to it.
• Identifies potential partnerships with civil society organisations and ensures partnership considerations are built into new business development.

Decision-making authority

Decides

• The structure and timetable of the partnership management cycle and PEERS processes in the country programme.
• Whether partner due diligence is sufficient for an agreement to proceed to signature recommendation.
• The content of partner support plans, and the priorities for partner capacity sharing within approved resources.
• Objectives, performance ratings and development plans for direct reports, and selection recommendations for team vacancies.

Refers upward

• Acceptance of any sub-award, modification or partner agreement, and any commitment of IRC resources — per the Delegation of Authority matrix, to the Senior Grants and Partnerships Coordinator, then the Deputy Director, Programmes and the Country Director as applicable.
• Suspension or termination of a partner agreement, and donor-facing escalation of partner compliance breaches or disallowed costs.
• The parameters of engagement with grassroots initiatives where they carry reputational, security or safeguarding risk.
• Safeguarding concerns and allegations — immediately, through the mandatory reporting channels, without investigation at post level.

Job qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in international development or affairs, finance, business or a related field. An advanced degree is an advantage. Equivalent professional experience will be considered.

Work experience.

• Minimum six years’ experience with international or national NGOs, including at least three years managing partnerships with local or national organisations, and at least two years supervising staff.
• Experience of partnership management in South Sudan or a comparable conflict-affected, access-constrained context.
• Demonstrated experience of the full partnership lifecycle, including due diligence, agreements, monitoring and close-out.
• Working knowledge of project planning and management cycles and programme design.
• Knowledge of donor rules and regulations (in particular U.S. Government, Sida and ECHO) is desirable.
• Experience with IRC’s PEERS system is desirable.
• Experience training internal and partner staff.

Demonstrated skills and competencies

• Able to supervise a team and also coordinate partnership workloads of staff outside direct line management.
• Highly organised, attentive to detail, and able to prioritise in a fluid environment; able to work independently.
• Diplomatic and credible with partners, donors and government; able to give unwelcome compliance messages without damaging relationships.
• Very strong English writing and editing skills; strong computer skills.
• Commitment to gender equality, diversity and inclusion, to locally led response, and to safeguarding in programmes and in the workplace.

Language skills

• Required: professional fluency in spoken and written English.
• Desirable: Arabic, Juba Arabic or a South Sudanese local language.

Working environment

Duty station: Juba, South Sudan, with willingness to travel frequently to field offices and partner locations — approximately 30% of working time, including to partner locations in the states listed above. South Sudan remains a volatile operating context. Security conditions vary significantly by location and can change rapidly; several field sites are classified at higher security risk levels due to intercommunal conflict, banditry or active insecurity. Access to some sites may be constrained by insecurity, seasonal flooding or bureaucratic impediments. Movement, communication and travel are governed by IRC South Sudan security protocols.

Safeguarding requirement

Level 3 — the post supervises staff and is accountable for partner due diligence, which includes partners’ safeguarding capacity. The post does not work directly with clients. This level drives vetting, reference checking and training. It does not affect the grade.

The IRC Core Values and Commitments:

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Safeguarding and PSEA policy: The IRC has a zero-tolerance policy for safeguarding/PSEA violations by staff, incentive workers, visitors, sub-grantees, suppliers/sub-contractors, and implementing partners. Safeguarding/PSEA at the IRC is an integral to organizational values and ethics, and staff and associates are expected to take all reasonable steps to prevent the sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment of any person linked to the program by both its employees and any downstream partner. The successful candidate will be subject to a thorough background check and satisfactory references.

Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC. Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies. IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients

Narrowing the Gender Gap: The International Rescue Committee is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including a flexible hour (when possible), maternity leave, transportation support, and gender-sensitive security protocols.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants because of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

This position is strictly for South Sudanese National with all the national documents:

WOMEN, MINORTITIES AND PEOPLE LIVINING WITH DISABILITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY”.

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

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