Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is a global communion of churches in the Lutheran tradition, founded in 1947. It has 149 member churches in 99 countries.
World Service (WS) is the development cooperation and humanitarian assistance arm of the Lutheran World Federation, which seeks to unite people of all backgrounds to achieve justice, peace and reconciliation in an increasingly complex and fragmented world. .
The Lutheran World Federation is a founding member of ACT-Alliance, a global coalition of 148 churches and related organizations around the world, whose goal is to bring about positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalized people regardless of their religion, political beliefs , gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality, in accordance with the most demanding international codes and standards.
The Central American Program of the LWF/SM began its work in the region in 1983, which is currently carried out in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala, through the Jotay Joint Program.
The Central America Program works under the global strategy “So that they have hope and a future” in three strategic areas:
· Livelihood
· Quality services
· Protection and social cohesion
We are looking for a REGIONAL GRANTS AND ASSOCIATIONS OFFICER
A) Main responsibilities
1. Subsidies and relationships
● Keep the regional management team up to date on key donor strategies and priorities, and be aware of specific calls for proposals.
● Liaise with program officers to seek new donor opportunities in the country or within the region and follow up on calls that are shared with the LWF Regional Office.
● Follow up and update the Fundraising Strategy through institutional alliances with governments, international cooperation organizations, private foundations and social responsibility programs of private companies.
● Support the development of spaces and the maintenance of relationships with donors at the country, regional and international level: traditional and new donors, existing and potential consortium partners, companies with social responsibility programs, through virtual and in-person meetings.
● Support the coordination of donor visits in the region for monitoring and evaluation, in consultation with the Country Coordinators and the Regional Management Team.
● Support proactive networking with potential partners and donors for consortia, including strategy meetings, donor workshops and kick-off meetings to begin project implementation.
● Monitor and update the project portfolio file that allows knowing the status of projects under management, approved and/or rejected. Likewise, make use of this tool to keep the management team updated on the amounts awarded.
2. Strengthening the capacities of partner organizations
● Support the implementation of the LWF partnership strategy.
● Participate in the identification and evaluation of partners’ capacity to implement donor-funded projects/programs.
● Support the design and implementation of training for the development of capacities of partner organizations in resource mobilization in coordination with the program team.
● Support, when required, in training activities related to the protection axis, including safeguarding processes, Minimum Standards for the Protection of Children and Adolescents, prevention and response to Gender-based Violence, migration, among others.
3. Formulation of proposals for national and regional subsidies
● Plan and implement with the Regional Program Coordinator and relevant team the drafting of concept notes and proposals, including budgets and any required supporting documentation, ensuring that donor guidelines are followed.
● Support the programmatic team and local and regional partners to collect the required baseline data through participatory studies on the needs of vulnerable populations, baselines, market studies, capacity and vulnerability assessments and secondary data sources.
● Coordinate the provision and sharing of information required for programmatic team meetings and to coordinate meetings and presentations to donors.
● Develop and support the formulation and review of concept notes and project proposals, so that they reflect the priorities outlined in the program and meet the quality standards of the LWF and donors.
● Closely coordinate the formulation of concept notes and project proposals with the Global Funding Team (GFT) at the LWF headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
● Support training and ongoing coaching of staff and partner organizations on contractual agreements and donor rules and regulations of signed contracts.
● Support the implementation of the communications strategy, fund mobilization, materials for donors, annual work report, life stories, networking events, etc.).
● Support and participate in in-person and virtual meetings with existing and new donors to discuss projects in the implementation and potential phases, and to increase the visibility of the LWF in the region.
● Provide adequate support to manage, plan and accompany donor visits to projects.
● Support the development of case studies and life stories of project and program participants in the intervention areas.
5. Project implementation, when required.
● Support the planning, implementation and monitoring processes of programs implemented directly by the LWF/SM or by partner organizations.
● Monitor and follow up on the programmatic and financial execution of the projects implemented by partner organizations, in accordance with the objectives of the program and the standards of relevance and quality.
● Prepare technical reports or informative materials, and contribute with inputs to the review of documents submitted by counterparts.
● Visit field activities to verify accuracy of reporting and alignment with agreements.
● Ensure the availability and appropriate use of baseline information to be used in narrative reports, reports and newsletters, and case studies.
● Maintain a standard filing system to ensure that documentation related to the lead donor and the project is maintained and accessible, using effective electronic and paper filing systems in accordance with LWF procedures. (Using Sharepoint tool).
B) Person specification
1. Qualifications
● Degree or equivalent qualification in development, humanitarian aid, social sciences, international relations or other relevant qualification.
● Desirable Master’s Degree in Social Sciences, Economics or International Development Studies
2. Experience
● At least three years of experience in local and/or international NGOs with a similar position: project management, proposal development (narrative and budgets) and reports to donors.
● Proven ability to develop winning proposals for institutional donors (including: USAID, EU, United Nations System). Work with private sector donors and private foundations is desirable.
● Experience in developing theory of change, logical framework and project cycle management.
● Excellent knowledge of the context and the problems that plague the region.
● Ability to coordinate the development of proposals in person and/or remotely in collaboration with office teams in the countries.
● Experience in developing the capacity of national and international staff in relation to report preparation and proposal writing.
● Experience in developing consortia or coordinating fund management for consortia.
3. Skills and abilities
● Languages: Spanish at a proficient level, English at an advanced level (essential), excellent verbal and written communication.
● Ability to communicate easily and understand communication from the development and humanitarian fields.
● Excellent organization and administrative capacity.
● Strong interpersonal and team coordination skills.
● Good numeracy skills and proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook.
● Ability to analyze and interpret data.
● Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to learn quickly
● Strong negotiation and representation skills.
● Budget analysis and management skills.
4. Personal qualities
● Understanding and commitment to the mission, principles and values of the LWF.
● Excellent ability to work as a team and support teams in various countries.
● Diplomacy and decision.
● Understanding and sensitivity to intercultural problems.
● Ability to work under pressure.
● Availability to travel.
How to apply
Applications will be sent to: rh.centroamerica@lutheranworld.org
- Motivation letter
- Curriculum vitae
- Salary expectation
- Indicate three people for professional references and one for personal reference
Only shortlisted candidates will be responded to.
Application deadline: March 10, 2024