Application Guide

How to Apply for Global Awards and Donor Compliance Manager

at Relief International

🏢 About Relief International

Relief International stands out for its integrated approach to humanitarian crises, combining Health and Nutrition, WASH, Education, and Livelihoods programming across 14 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Working here means contributing to long-term community resilience in conflict and disaster zones, with a focus on sustainable impact rather than short-term aid.

About This Role

This role serves as the global technical authority on donor compliance and awards management across Relief International's entire portfolio, ensuring strategic alignment and risk mitigation from award negotiation through closeout. You'll directly influence organizational decisions in Go/No-Go reviews and audit readiness while shaping compliance standards for Country Offices and partners worldwide.

💡 A Day in the Life

Your day typically involves reviewing award agreements from multiple donors, providing compliance guidance to Country Offices across different time zones, and participating in portfolio risk reviews. You might spend the morning analyzing a complex USAID regulation, join a virtual meeting with the Yemen team on sub-award compliance, and end the day preparing materials for a senior management decision on a high-risk award.

🚀 Application Tools

Generate Cover Letter

AI-powered, tailored for Relief International

Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who Relief International Is Looking For

  • Has 5+ years of progressive awards management experience at an international NGO, including direct responsibility for US government (USAID), European (ECHO, FCDO), and foundation donors
  • Demonstrates hands-on experience creating compliance frameworks and managing sub-awards due diligence in humanitarian contexts
  • Can provide specific examples of successfully navigating complex donor regulations while maintaining program delivery in conflict-affected regions
  • Has experience tracking multi-million dollar award budgets across multiple countries and surfacing compliance risks to senior leadership

📝 Tips for Applying to Relief International

1

Quantify your awards management experience: specify the total portfolio value you've managed and number of countries/offices supported

2

Highlight specific donor experience relevant to RI's portfolio: USAID, ECHO, FCDO, UN agencies, or major foundations like Gates

3

Include examples of how you've balanced compliance requirements with operational realities in fragile states (similar to RI's countries of operation)

4

Demonstrate understanding of integrated programming by mentioning experience across multiple sectors (Health, WASH, Education, Livelihoods)

5

Show remote collaboration experience since this is a remote position managing global teams across time zones

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your technical authority in interpreting and applying donor regulations for US and European government donors', 'Experience designing compliance frameworks that work in challenging operational environments (conflict, climate-affected regions)', 'Specific achievements in improving audit readiness or reducing compliance risks across multiple country offices', "Understanding of how awards management supports RI's integrated programming approach across sectors"]

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → RI's specific country portfolio and programming mix in regions like the Middle East (Jordan, Syria), Africa (South Sudan, Sudan), and Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan)
  • → Recent RI annual reports to understand their major donors and funding trends
  • → The specific challenges of integrated programming (combining Health, WASH, Education, Livelihoods) from a compliance perspective
  • → RI's partnership model and how they work with local organizations in complex environments
Visit Relief International's Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through how you would handle a compliance conflict between donor requirements and operational needs in a conflict zone like Yemen or Afghanistan
2 Describe your approach to building audit readiness across 14 country offices with varying capacity levels
3 How would you design a sub-award due diligence process for local partners in fragile states?
4 What KPIs would you establish to measure awards management performance globally?
5 How do you stay current with evolving donor regulations from multiple funding sources simultaneously?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Generic compliance experience without specific examples from humanitarian or development contexts
  • Focusing only on US donors without demonstrating knowledge of European donor requirements
  • Presenting compliance as purely restrictive rather than enabling effective program delivery
  • Lacking examples of remote management experience for global teams

📅 Application Timeline

⏰ Deadline: March 4, 2026

We recommend applying at least a few days early to avoid last-minute technical issues.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Relief International!

← Back to Job Listing Apply Now →