Deputy Director for Grants & Accountability NGO Job IRC

AI summary

IRC Kenya is hiring a Deputy Director for Grants and Accountability to lead a team of 20 staff, manage donor relationships, oversee business development, and ensure effective awards management and compliance. Based in Nairobi, this full-time management role requires expertise in grants, M&E, and partnerships.

• Leads a team of ~20 staff in grants and accountability
• Manages donor relationships and business development
• Full-time senior management role in Nairobi

Description

Job Title: Deputy Director for Grants & Accountability NGO Date Posted: 10/07/2026 Job Type: Full Time Job Level: Management Employer: International Rescue Committee Industry: Project Management Salary: Open Location: Nairobi Country: Kenya Deadline: 17/07/2026 Summary: Looking for an NGO job in Kenya? IRC is recruiting a Deputy Director for Grants & Accountability position. Proficiency in grants management, business development, partnerships, and M&E is required. Scope The Deputy Director for Grants and Accountability (DDGA) is a central figure within the IRC country program management and support infrastructure and a member of the senior management team (SMT). Under the supervision of the Country Director (CD), the DDGA leads a team of approximately 20 staff with a portfolio focusing on effective awards and donor relationship management, oversight of business development processes, partnerships, monitoring, evaluation, and learning and client accountability. The DDGA is responsible for significant elements of IRC’s SAP100 strategy implementation including leading on achieving partnerships and client accountability goals, as well as management of key humanitarian donor relationships together with the CD. The DDGA collaborates closely with all SMT members, but particularly the Deputy Director for Programs (DDP) to ensure effective delivery on all awards. Key Responsibilities Awards Management and Business Development (40%) The DDGA is the lead of IRC Kenya’s Grants & Partnerships unit. This unit is responsible for ensuring effective and efficient management of all awards and sub-awards including leading award reviews, ensuring timely and accurate submission of all required technical and financial reporting, coordinating Project Cycle Meetings (PCM) and budget vs. actual (BVA) reviews, and ensuring compliance on key elements of the awards. This component of the work is led by the Grants Coordinator with direct oversight from the DDGA. This unit is also responsible for implementing IRC Kenya’s fundraising strategy including developing engagement strategies with key donors, reviewing funding calls and leading go/no go meetings, coordinating the proposal development process and ensuring submission of responsive and quality proposals. Specific tasks for the DDGA include: Provide direct oversight and mentorship to Grants Coordinator to effectively manage the Grants & Partnerships unit to complete the following tasks: Review grant agreements and contracts to identify compliance issues and contribute to the implementation of appropriate solutions as necessary. Ensure proper post-award management of grants based on both donor and IRC policies. Development, review and submission of all donor reports by Grants Managers is monitored and supported to ensure high quality, accuracy and timeliness. Donor reporting requirements are understood and met, reporting calendar is maintained and distributed, financial & management tracking occurs, and reporting tools exist and are updated regularly Develop a deep understanding of donor policies, regulations and procedures and train other country team members in these areas Ensure an information management and filing system exists and is maintained by Grants Managers; this ensures all donor contractual documents, reports, key correspondence etc. are appropriately filed in up-to-date soft and hard libraries available as meaningful in IRC Kenya offices Review all funding opportunities and schedule go-no go meetings with key stakeholders Coordinate the proposal development and submission process including developing the proposal calendar and work plan, scheduling key meetings, coordinating the review process, ensuring relevant and timely inputs, and reviewing the proposal for compliance with the call With Grants Coordinator, serve as interlocuter with Regional Awards Management Unit (AMU) and International Philanthropy and Partnerships (IPP) units and mobilize regional and HQ resources in support of Country Program priorities, particularly for proposal development support and training. Lead grant portfolio reviews and ensure SMT is informed of spending trends and any other awards management issues that could impact future funding. Ensure effective and professional communication with donors on any award or implementation issues. Develop and maintain a Kenya-focused Business Development Strategy and Pipeline for tracking business development and fundraising opportunities based on the established SAP strategy and other identified gaps. Identify new donors for engagement and fundraising opportunities. Ensure proposal development systems are in place for management, programs, finance and operations departments to produce timely and quality submissions Provide quality assurance for the proposal development process and conduct final reviews of all proposals before submission. Work with the CD, Deputy Director for Programs (DDP), technical coordinators, and grants team to lead proposal develop