Grants and Partnerships Lead

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking a Grants and Partnerships Lead based in Islamabad to provide strategic leadership in business development, grants management, and partnerships within Pakistan. This senior role involves overseeing program design, donor relations, compliance, and partner capacity building. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with internal teams to align strategies with funding opportunities and foster strong partnerships. Reporting to the Deputy Director Programs, the position requires extensive experience managing donor-funded programs and leading teams to support IRC’s mission of delivering high-quality humanitarian assistance.

Key Responsibilities

- Lead the development and regular updating of IRC Pakistan’s Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Strategy, ensuring alignment with program priorities and funding opportunities.
- Collaborate with provincial and technical teams to integrate business development and partnership goals into country-level strategic planning.
- Manage the proposal development process, ensuring funding diversification and alignment with IRC’s strategic objectives.
- Lead the design and review of concept notes and proposals, working closely with technical staff to incorporate programmatic inputs.
- Identify and develop joint initiatives with humanitarian and development actors, including private sector engagement.
- Serve as the primary liaison with IRC regional and headquarters offices on funding opportunities and strategic positioning.
- Maintain strong relationships with institutional donors, foundations, private sector partners, and consortium leads.
- Oversee post-award management including contract reviews, amendments, donor negotiations, and compliance monitoring.
- Ensure timely and high-quality narrative and financial reporting in coordination with finance, programs, and operations teams.
- Lead partner selection, due diligence, and capacity-building initiatives, ensuring compliance with IRC and donor standards.
- Represent IRC in donor meetings, coordination platforms, and external engagements to promote the organization’s reputation.
- Manage and mentor the Grants and Partnerships team, fostering professional development and cross-departmental collaboration.
- Ensure safeguarding, gender equality, and protection standards are integrated into proposals, partner agreements, and monitoring processes.

Required Qualifications

- Master’s degree in Business Administration, Development Studies, International Relations, Economics, Finance, or a related field; equivalent professional experience may be considered.
- Minimum of eight years of progressive experience in business development, awards management, or partnerships, including at least three years in a managerial role.
- Proven track record leading business development units within international NGOs.
- Strong knowledge of Pakistan’s regulatory environment for NGOs and INGOs.
- Experience working with major institutional donors such as USAID, FCDO, ECHO, UN agencies, DFAT, EU, and BHA.
- Deep understanding of donor compliance, contract governance, and the full contract lifecycle.
- Excellent writing, communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
- Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
- Fluency in English, both written and spoken; knowledge of local languages is an asset.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits

- Experience in designing and managing complex donor-funded programs.
- Demonstrated ability to foster strategic partnerships with local and international NGOs, government bodies, and private sector actors.
- Commitment to IRC’s core values of integrity, service, accountability, and gender equality.
- Familiarity with safeguarding policies, including child protection and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.
- IRC is an equal opportunity employer encouraging applications from women and persons with disabilities. The organization promotes a safe, inclusive, and respectful work environment aligned with its professional standards.

This role offers an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to IRC’s humanitarian mission in Pakistan by leading critical grants and partnership functions that enable effective program delivery and sustainable impact.