The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center is looking for a competent, self-motivated, and dynamic candidate with excellent interpersonal, organizational and problem-solving skills, to join IWMI's Head Quarters in Pelawatta, Battaramulla as Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Specialist.
The position holder will be required to support resource mobilization and partnerships at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and assist the Senior Manager - Resource Mobilization and Partnerships in all aspects of resource mobilization and partnership engagement. This will include supporting the Funding Opportunity Review Team (FORT) with resource mobilization research and analysis, proposal and budget development, partnership engagement and stewardship and administrative management tasks; and be responsible for the day-to-day management of IWMI’s pipeline of proposals under development and under submission, and for all administrative and technical aspects of the proposal development process.
In order to ensure full integration of the pipeline and proposal development process in IWMI’s overall program management cycle, the Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Manager will report directly to the Senior Manager – Resource Mobilization and Partnerships, and work in close coordination with several departments and teams at the Institute, including the Corporate Services Division, Project Management Office, Communications and Knowledge Management, Program Management Office, and the Research Division.
Duties And Responsibilities:
Manage pipeline tool and information:
Research, monitor and identify funding opportunities, and develop summaries of opportunities for internal distribution and review by FORT.
Research donor strategies and priorities, including multilateral and bilateral donors, and Trusts and Foundations.
Research country / regional level funding priorities and opportunities and support the development of Country Resource Mobilization Plans.
Provide backstopping support and advice to Country Representatives in relation to resource mobilization opportunities.
Review requirements of all opportunities being pursued, and determine eligibility, deadlines and responsibilities, as well as quality control plans, ensuring proposals are high quality and submitted on time. Manage the 'Pipeline' tracking using the IWMI Pipeline Tracking management system, where all the requirements, deadlines and assignments will be noted. Coordinate and monitor the proposal development process, as appropriate and necessary, working closely with proposal teams and external partner organizations.
Manage and monitor IWMI’s pipeline tracking systems and tools, ensuring accurate information is available to the Senior Manager – Resource Mobilization and Partnerships and IWMI Management Team whenever needed. Organize weekly proposal pipeline review meetings with stakeholders to discuss resource mobilization.
Monitor and compile information on the status of submissions until a decision is received from the client, and once approved, until an agreement is reached.
Act as IWMI’s main internal point of contact during the proposal submission process, and follow-up with internal and partner stakeholders on logistical and administrative issues.
Support proposal development:
Work with proposal leads, the budgeting officer and, where necessary, the finance department to support the development of winning proposal budgets through strategic input into the presentation of budget templates and cost narratives to ensure comprehensive and competitive submissions that meet donor specifications and ensure full cost recovery.
Support proposal teams to develop and compile non-technical proposal submission requirements, such as CVs, project experience references, and other supporting documents required for submission, contracting and due diligence checks.
Ensure all documentation related to proposal development is organized, searchable and easily accessible on the IWMI network system. Develop templates for common tasks, and store information required repetitively in an organized manner to ensure expedient and efficient proposal development. Ensure version control of all documentation.
Provide up-to-date pipeline and related information:
Generate statistics, graphs and tables from the proposal pipeline for use by the Senior Manager – Resource Mobilization and Partnerships and the Director – Business Strategy and Delivery for data analysis of relevance to IWMI staff, and the Institute’s Management Team and the Board of Governors.
Compile, organize and analyze feedback from clients on submissions, particularly where rejections are received. Support the Senior Manager – Resource Mobilization and Partnerships in developing reports on rejection issues and trends, including recommendations to improve success rates in the future.
Develop dashboards for management that provide essential information on the pipeline and funding forecasts, which can be used to understand where resource mobilization efforts should be focused. This includes statistics on resource mobilization efforts related to Strategic Programs, Research Groups, CGIAR Research Programs, regions and offices, skillsets and grades.
Compile detailed forecasts on staffing requirements and proposal outcome projections, and share this information regularly with relevant stakeholders.
Develop weekly resource mobilization updates for issuing to IWMI Researchers
Support partnership and donor engagement and management:
Analysis of potential partners at pre-proposal and proposal stage.
Undertake initial screening of potential partners
Support the preparation of due diligence responses required by lead partners or donors when IWMI is being engaged / contracted.
Support the development of the IWMI Partnerships Strategy and Action Plan
Support the process of assessing / reviewing partners at the end of projects.
Contribute to IWMI policy / procedure development in the event of new policy/ compliance requirements by a partner / donor.
Requirements
Minimum Educational Qualifications ,experience Knowledge, Skills And Abilities Required:
A university degree (master’s level preferred).
Five to eight years relevant professional experience.
Experience of working in, and with, international organizations.
Advanced knowledge of financial accounting and budgeting, as well as financial planning and analysis.
Act independently within broad program goals to prioritize tasks in the absence of specific instructions, and exercise independent judgment to identify and solve problems.
Strong project management skills.
Ability to adapt to changing priorities and new procedures quickly.
Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills.
Ability to operate spreadsheets, databases and word processing programs at a highly proficient level.
Ability to deal with sensitive and confidential information in a professional manner.
Personal attributes such as high standards of conduct, respect, flexibility and sound work ethics.
Ability to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary and multicultural setting.
Attention to detail and precision.
Excellent analytical skills.
Excellent English written and verbal communication skills.
