Job Vacancies @ Trócaire – 2 Positions

Trócaire works in partnership with local organisations in developing countries and with people in Ireland to tackle the root causes of poverty and injustice. Together, we create positive and lasting change. Trócaire works in up to 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Our work is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and our values of Solidarity, Courage, Participation, Perseverance and Accountability.

In Sierra Leone, Trócaire works to achieve climate and environmental justice; ensure women and girls’ protection, voice & influence; and save lives and protect human dignity. Trócaire supports work on the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, women’s political participation and leadership, sustainable livelihoods and economic empowerment, natural resource management and environmental conservation, and humanitarian preparedness and response.

Trócaire works exclusively with local partners and actively supports localised development and humanitarian aid. Supporting local civil society organisations to strengthen their organisational, institutional, financial, technical, and managerial capacities is core to Trócaire’s partnership approach in Sierra Leone. Trócaire’s Sierra Leone country program also works closely with, contributing to and drawing support from, Trócaire’s global hub on partnership and localisation based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Trócaire Sierra Leone is currently seeking to recruit a Program Officer for Climate Change & Food Security based in Freetown with frequent travel to other districts.

The Program Officer will lead on the delivery of climate change, sustainable agriculture, and economic empowerment approaches, to support women and youth’s food security, livelihoods, and resilience to reduce and adapt to the impacts of climate change and environmental degradations. The role will serve as the lead technical expert for environment, climate change, agriculture, livelihoods, and food security. To achieve this the program officer will be responsible for designing innovative and impactful solutions in the relevant thematic areas. The role will represent Trócaire Sierra Leone’s programming in this sector to major public and private donors, NGOs, universities, and other professional organizations and build and strengthen relationships with these key stakeholders. The role will have responsibility for managing a portfolio of civil society partners and providing technical assistance to ensure program quality. The role will also support the development of well-designed proposals for submission to institutional donors.

Trócaire works in partnership with local organisations in developing countries, and with people in Ireland, to tackle the root causes of poverty and injustice. Together, we create positive and lasting change.

Trócaire works in up to 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

We have 5 Goals: Defend Human Rights; Achieve Climate & Environmental Justice; Ensure Women & Girls’ Protection, Voice & Influence; and Mobilise the Public on the island of Ireland to achieve Global Justice.

Our work is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and in our values of Solidarity, Courage, Participation, Perseverance and Accountability.

In Sierra Leone, Trócaire is working with partners to bring about positive and lasting changes around women’s socio-economic and political empowerment. Currently integrated programmes that promote women’s economic, social and political empowerment are being implemented by 10 local civil society partner organisations, funded by a variety of donors including Irish Aid, European Union, and different trusts and foundations. Core to Trócaire’s partnership approach in Sierra Leone is civil society strengthening and organisational development.

The Business Development and Compliance Manager is a replacement role and is responsible for strengthening Trócaire’s institutional funding base and ensuring donor compliance with existing and future institutionally funded grants. The BCDM will lead on opportunities to increase and broaden the institutional funding base of the Sierra Leone country programme in line with the organisational institutional funding strategy. With CMT and programmes colleagues, lead in the proposal development of well-designed projects and programmes for submission to institutional donors, consistent with Trócaire’s Organisational and Country Strategic Plans. Support programme staff in the reporting of all institutional funding grants/ contracts in Sierra Leone. Build the capacity of the partners to mobilise and manage institutional funding grants/ contracts.

The position is unaccompanied.

Reporting to the Country Director, this is a Fixed Term Contract of 2 years and is based in Freetown with frequent travel to programme locations and occasional travel to Ireland or other locations.

Trócaire is committed to safeguarding people within our programmes from exploitation and abuse and has specific policies on this commitment (including a Global Code of Conduct) which outlines the expected behaviour and the responsibility of all staff, consultants and other organisational representatives.

Any candidate offered a job with Trócaire will be expected to sign Trócaire’s Safeguarding Policies and Global Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. All offers of employment will be subject to pre employment checks including satisfactory references and appropriate screening (e.g. police/garda vetting, counter terrorism and anti-trafficking). Trócaire also participates in the InterAgency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and all employees will be subject to this as part of contract of employment.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Overarching:

• Increase and broaden the institutional funding base of the Sierra Leone country programme in line with the organisational institutional funding strategy.
• Support the programme teams in the development of well-designed projects and programmes for submission to institutional donors, consistent with Trócaire’s Organisational and Country Strategic Plans.
• Oversight and support to programme staff in the management of all institutional funding grants/ contracts in Sierra Leone.
• Build the capacity of the Sierra Leone programme staff and partners to manage existing and future institutional funding grants/ contracts.

In particular, this role will involve the following components:

Programme Growth & Development (50%)

• Lead the review and implementation of Trócaire’s country institutional funding strategy, in line with country programme needs and institutional funding landscape and opportunities.
• Pro-actively identify opportunities for securing institutional funding from in-country and external donors; this will involve close liaison with Global Partnerships and Funding Unit (GPFU) staff in Trócaire’s HQ.
• Advise programme staff and partners on donor funding streams; analyse selected funding calls to assess the range and scope of the calls’ objectives, so as to provide programme staff with ideas and maximise potential.
• In response to new funding calls including commercial contracting opportunities, support the programme team in the process of planning new projects, supporting the initial design and workshop facilitation, and supporting the formulation of objectives and plans.
• Lead in the development of good quality, well designed, funding proposals and concept notes (narrative and financial) for submission to institutional donors, linking with the GPFU and other relevant teams in HQ to ensure quality assurance, ensuring value for money, cost recovery etc., and coordinating closely with in-country programme and finance teams.
• Develop and solidify key relations with existing and new donors with a portfolio for Sierra Leone, particularly those with a presence in country.
• Act as a focal person for donor communication and coordination. Attend any donor meetings.
• Develop visibility materials to showcase our work with donors, local and international partners, government and supporters in Ireland.
• Facilitate coordination between partners to establish consortiums to implement new joint programme initiatives.

Grants Management & Compliance (30%)

• Support programme staff to manage grant agreements/ contracts for all institutional grants and commercial contracts. Keep relevant HQ staff informed about the progress of grant agreements/ contracts through the programme cycle.
• Keep up to date with donor regulations, especially relating to the EU, Irish Aid, FCDO, USAID and others, and communicate relevant changes to staff and partners, ensuring links with HQ in terms of global donor strategies and updates on regulations.
• Support programme teams to ensure careful adherence across programmes to both Trócaire and donor/contract compliance requirements, including adherence to supply chain and financial management policies and procedures, fraud etc.
• Develop appropriate procedures, tools and operational systems to support partners in adherence to Trócaire and donor /contract compliance requirements, including adherence to Trócaire’s minimum requirements.
• Work with programme and finance teams to develop efficient financial tracking and reporting calendars for all institutional grants/contracts.
• Support programme staff and partners in preparing contract amendment documentation for donors, ensuring HQ involvement and oversight of any contract amendments.
• Support programme staff, and take responsibility for as the need arises, in preparing high quality reports for submission to donors in a timely manner. This will involve close liaison and joint working with institutional funding staff in HQ.
• Perform quality and administrative checks on narrative and financial reporting for institutionally funded programmes.
• Support the organisation and follow-up of grant inception meetings, grant review meetings, and grant close out meetings.
• Ensure that all information relating to proposals and donor compliance is stored on Trócaire’s information management system (Salesforce).

Capacity Building (20%)

• Provide training and tools for staff and partners entering into new institutional donor contracts, including compliance with regulations on financial management, procurement, audit, reporting, visibility and communications.
• Provide training and tools to Trócaire staff and partners on topics including proposal development, log frames/ results frameworks, budgeting, report writing, supply chain management, monitoring and evaluation, or related areas.
• Advise and support programme teams on building the capacities of partners to handle contractual compliance issues.
• Advise and support programme teams and partners on how to comply with audit and expenditure verification requirements.

Behavioural Competencies in Line with Trócaire’s Competency Framework

• Leading: Reflecting our values of Participation & Accountability, acts to inspire and lead others to achieve their potential, demonstrating Trócaire’s values with integrity in order to achieve our organisation’s objectives.
• Communicating: Reflecting our value of Participation, being one organisation, communicating clearly and transparently across, teams, units, divisions, locations and other external organisations. Getting our message across with impact.
• Collaborating: Reflecting our values of Participation & Solidarity, partnering effectively as One Trócaire organisation and, in solidarity, maintains positive relationships built on trust and respect.
• Stewardship of Resources: Reflecting our value of Accountability and decision-making around the best use of resources. Using our resources transparently, sustainably, ethically, fairly & with integrity; acknowledging Trócaire’s reputation in the use of resources.
• Delivering Results: Reflecting our values of Accountability & Perseverance, getting a quality job done through effective performance, planning and decision making.
• Continual Improvement & Learning: Reflecting our values of Participation & Courage, constantly looking to learn and develop self, employees, and partners to better fulfil Trócaire’s’ mission.
• Flexibility & Change: Reflecting our values of Participation & Courage, adapts positively to change and to different ways of doing things; manages or takes part in change processes in a way that is appropriate to role in the organisation.