Organizational Context
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R – response, resilience and respect – to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate – our raison d’être – of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability.
IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi); the Americas (Panama); Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe.
The IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
The MENA Regional Office in Beirut coordinates IFRC’s support to National Societies across the region, including engagement with the major humanitarian donors of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
This position is part of the Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization (SPRM) function of the MENA Regional Office. The Officer reports to the Head of SPRM, MENA, and is part of the regional SPRM team and part of the Global SPRM team. The position works in support of delivering the SPRM objectives relating to GCC engagement.
Job Purpose
Reporting to the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation (SPRM) for MENA, and as part of the regional SPRM team, the Regional Officer, SPRM is responsible for coordinating and strengthening IFRC’s external engagement with donors and partners across the MENA region.
The role focuses on government partners, with a particular emphasis on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – including Gulf government donors, humanitarian funds, and foundations – and extends also to private sector partnerships and multilaterals. The role provides end-to-end operational, logistics, and coordination support to ensure the effective delivery of donor engagement, resource mobilisation, and partnership initiatives, including bilateral and multilateral engagement around thematics or a specific operational context, in support of IFRC’s MENA Emergency Appeals and operational plans and in support of the Global SPRM strategic framework. This includes a consistent effort to build trust with partners and generate resources.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Partnerships and relations management
- Contribute to the development and regular updating of donor engagement workplans for the MENA region, aligned with SPRM’s priorities.
- Establish, maintain and advance strategic partnerships across different income streams, including government partners, private sector and foundations, and multilateral partners (Development Banks, UN Agencies), in cooperation with respective partner National Societies and relevant thematic units, while ensuring accountability to donors
- Work with the Head of SPRM on partner engagement and, in close coordination with Heads of Country Delegations and operational leads (HEOPs).
- Lead the end-to-end organization and delivery of meetings with external donors and partners (venue bookings, invitations, participant management, background notes).
- Act as partnerships focal point for IFRC MENA and lead on the coordination and channelling of support to National Societies and Country Delegations.
- Liaise with internal IFRC teams, regional offices, and delegations to ensure timely information flow and smooth preparation of meetings.
- Identify and propose opportunities to strengthen donor partnerships and enhance the effectiveness of engagement mechanisms to the line manager.
- Represent the Head of SPRM or Heads of Country Delegations, when delegated to do so, in donor meetings and other relevant meetings with partners.
Donor engagement in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries
- Coordinate with Gulf National Societies (such as the Saudi Red Crescent Authority, Emirates Red Crescent, Qatar Red Crescent and Kuwait Red Crescent Society) to advance joint resource mobilisation and partnership opportunities.
- Support the development and advancement of IFRC’s strategic partnerships with GCC government donors and entities – including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman – in close coordination with the National Societies of these countries and as part of the Global SPRM team.
- Strengthen engagement with Gulf-based humanitarian funds, foundations, and philanthropic actors, including opportunities linked to Islamic social financing (Zakat, Sadaqah, and Waqf), in coordination with relevant thematic units and IFRC network partners.
- Organize and provide end-to-end support to donor briefings, bilateral meetings, field visits, and high-level engagements with GCC partners, ensuring that appropriate diplomatic protocol is observed for all official visitors and guests.
- Analyse GCC donor priorities, funding trends, and geopolitical dynamics to inform IFRC’s global and regional engagement strategies and support the match between IFRC’s priorities and GCC donor priorities.
- Draft, maintain and coordinate GCC donor contact lists, briefing kits, talking points, and background notes; ensure diplomatic correspondence is issued and processed in a timely manner and as per protocol.
- Contribute to strengthening donor trust, visibility, and resource mobilisation outcomes through consistent, well-organized and substantive engagement with GCC partners.
Pledge, contribution and data management, including financial overview
- Ensure effective coordination between Country Delegations, regional SPRM, and technical teams to ensure compliance with donor requirements and that agreed earmarking criteria are understood and adhered to.
- Negotiate pledges and contributions with partners, ensuring that earmarking and other requirements are in line with operational priorities.
- Manage all information and data related to partnerships and funding, keeping it fully up to date in accordance with MENA practice, and ensure all prospect funding and hard pledges are duly registered in IFRC systems.
Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)
- Coordinate among stakeholders to ensure pledges are properly and timely registered and shared with partners, pledge managers, and relevant colleagues, including timely updates in the relevant IFRC and ERP systems.
- Ensure budget holders and the Finance team receive timely information on MoUs and donor requirements, and that renegotiation of pledge requirements takes place on time as and when required.
- Ensure timely follow-up on pledge payment arrangements and on any overdue pledge payments.
- Review and ensure quality check of all donor reports and facilitate a consistent income tracking and risk assessment process.
- Provide regular reporting and analysis of the partner and funding landscape, including trends, gaps, income and expenditure, and the quality and nature of contributions.
Resource mobilisation
- Propose and coordinate actions to increase funding coverage for IFRC MENA Emergency Appeals and operational plans, advising Country Delegations and operational leads on fundraising strategies and approaches to partners.
- Coordinate the proposal development and submission process in close liaison with operational and technical leads as well as relevant partners; draft concept notes to secure and cultivate opportunities with donors.
- Facilitate external relations, both within the RCRC Movement and with non-Movement partners, including proactively coordinating donor field visits and planning partnership meetings, in close coordination with SPRM counterparts in host National Societies.
- Contribute to the SPRM MENA strategy, planning, and roll-out, including identifying, researching and suggesting ways for IFRC to diversify funding streams (Gulf and other government donors, private sector, trusts, foundations, IFIs).
- Develop strategies and materials to market Emergency Appeals and country unified plans and develop Funding Plans with the teams in close coordination with Finance.
- Work closely with Finance to follow up on grant implementation, identify risks and mitigation actions, and resolve any procedural or financial issues.
Internal coordination and knowledge management
- Organize and lead internal coordination meetings related to donor engagement, ensuring effective preparation and follow-up; draft meeting notes, maintain action point trackers, and ensure follow-up on decisions.
- Maintain knowledge management systems to ensure records of donor and partner engagement are accurate and up to date, including contact lists, mailing lists, and background documentation.
- Oversee the preparation of reports, donor updates, donor profiles, and presentations for senior colleagues, and develop briefing notes by consolidating input from across the region and the Secretariat.
- Contribute to organizational learning by identifying trends, lessons learned, and best practices in donor engagement, and contribute to the drafting of guidance documents, standard operating procedures, and process improvements.
Education
Required
- University degree in a relevant field (international relations, political science, communications, humanitarian affairs, business administration, economics or finance)
Preferred
- Relevant professional training courses (Red Cross Red Crescent related, humanitarian and development sector, management)
Experience
Required
- At least 5 years of relevant experience in donor relations, international organizations, or diplomatic engagement, of which 3 years in managing relations with donors and partners.
- Experience engaging Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Governments/ Gulf donors, humanitarian funds, and/or foundations.
- Experience in managing events, meetings, or projects in an international environment.
- Experience in external representation and/or government relations.
- Experience of developing funding proposals for international donors, monitoring and reporting, and of developing and implementing funding plans.
- Experience in coordinating/supporting cross-team initiatives across departments, regions, and delegations, ensuring clear objectives, timelines, and deliverables.
Preferred
- 3 years relevant experience with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and knowledge of IFRC systems and processes in pledge management, planning, proposal development, reporting and financial management.
- Field or international humanitarian experience with the Red Cross/Red Crescent or similar organization.
- Established network among Gulf-based donors, funds, foundations, and/or National Societies.
Knowledge, Skills and Languages
Required
- Strong coordination, organizational, administrative and logistical skills, including calendar management.
- Knowledge of the GCC humanitarian donor landscape – including Gulf government donors, funds and foundations – and familiarity with Islamic social financing (Zakat, Sadaqah, Waqf).
- Knowledge of diplomatic protocol and engagement, particularly with government donors and Permanent Missions.
- Excellent written communication, with experience drafting meeting notes, reports, and briefing materials, and expertise in proposal writing.
- Knowledge of and skills in tracking open calls for proposals from key donor institutions.
- Proficiency in digital tools and relevant systems/software (e.g. MS Office Suite, SharePoint, Teams).
- Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into actionable insights and to evaluate feedback and improve engagement processes.
- Ability to build trust and maintain relationships with donors; excellent networking and relationship building skills.
- Strong cultural sensitivity and teamwork, with the ability to work and communicate efficiently in diverse, multicultural environments and cross-functional teams.
- Demonstrated core proficiency in (a) digital communication & collaboration, (b) basic digital content creation, (c) digital safety & security, (d) data literacy, and (e) problem solving with technology (including responsible use of AI assistants.
- Understanding of and commitment to IFRC’s mission and values.
- Fluent spoken and written English and Arabic
Preferred
- Strong budgeting and finance management skills.
- Good command of another IFRC official language (French or Spanish)
Competencies, Values and Comments
- Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
- Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust
The closing date and time for this vacancy are based on Geneva time. Applications must be submitted by 23:59 (11:59 PM) Geneva time on the advertised closing date.
IFRC Disclaimer
IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
If you appointed to or undertake a role within IFRC, whether as staff, staff on loan or secondees, you will be subject to the organization's Code of Conduct, which is available here and on our website.
Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which include prior professional conduct checks and review of criminal records. IFRC will request a conduct check from all prior employers for a period of 5 years, including but not limited to employers who like IFRC participate in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. For more details on the Scheme, please see ont-style: italic;">THE MISCONDUCT DISCLOSURE SCHEME — SCHR.
IFRC ensures equal employment opportunities!
