Application Guide

How to Apply for Grants & Partnerships Coordinator

at International Rescue Committee

🏢 About International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a leading humanitarian organization responding to the world's worst crises, with over 20,000 staff across 40+ countries. What makes IRC unique is their commitment to delivering innovative solutions that help people survive, recover, and rebuild their lives, guided by core values of integrity, service, accountability, and equality. Working here means joining a purpose-driven global team where every role contributes directly to meaningful impact in vulnerable communities worldwide.

About This Role

As a Grants & Partnerships Coordinator at IRC, you'll be responsible for managing grant proposals, donor reporting, and partnership development to secure funding for humanitarian programs. This role is impactful because you'll directly enable life-saving services by ensuring sustainable funding streams and building strategic relationships with donors and partners. You'll work remotely as part of a global team, coordinating across time zones to support IRC's mission in crisis-affected regions.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve coordinating with program teams in different time zones to gather data for donor reports, drafting sections of a proposal for emergency response funding, reviewing partnership agreements with local organizations, and participating in virtual meetings with donors or internal stakeholders. You'll balance multiple deadlines while ensuring all grant activities align with IRC's compliance requirements and humanitarian principles.

🚀 Application Tools

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who International Rescue Committee Is Looking For

  • Has 3-5 years of experience in grant management, proposal writing, and donor reporting within the humanitarian or international development sector
  • Demonstrates strong cross-cultural communication skills and experience working with diverse global teams remotely
  • Possesses expertise in donor compliance requirements (particularly for institutional donors like USAID, ECHO, UN agencies)
  • Shows proven ability to manage multiple deadlines and complex grant portfolios while maintaining attention to detail

📝 Tips for Applying to International Rescue Committee

1

Highlight specific experience with institutional donors common in humanitarian work (e.g., mention specific grants you've managed from USAID, DFID, ECHO, or UN agencies)

2

Demonstrate your understanding of remote collaboration by describing experience working across time zones or with distributed teams

3

Quantify your impact in previous roles (e.g., 'managed $X million in grants' or 'secured X% increase in funding')

4

Show alignment with IRC's values by providing examples of how you've embodied integrity, service, accountability, or equality in your work

5

Tailor your resume to emphasize humanitarian sector experience and use IRC's language (e.g., 'clients' instead of 'beneficiaries')

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your specific experience with grant management in humanitarian contexts and how it prepares you for IRC's crisis-response work", 'Examples of successful partnership development or donor relationship management that led to increased funding', "How you've navigated complex compliance requirements while maintaining program quality and accountability", "Your motivation to contribute to IRC's mission of helping people survive, recover, and rebuild from humanitarian crises"]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Review IRC's current country programs and emergency responses to understand their geographic and thematic priorities
  • → Study IRC's annual reports and financial statements to understand their funding sources and partnership models
  • → Research the specific challenges in humanitarian funding (e.g., restricted vs. flexible funding, emergency vs. development grants)
  • → Familiarize yourself with IRC's organizational structure and how the grants department interacts with program teams
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe your experience managing the full grant cycle for a humanitarian program, from proposal to close-out
2 How would you coordinate with program teams in different time zones to ensure timely and accurate donor reporting?
3 What strategies would you use to identify and cultivate new funding partnerships for IRC's work?
4 How have you handled a situation where donor requirements conflicted with program implementation needs?
5 Can you provide an example of how you've ensured accountability and transparency in grant management?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Using generic development sector language without demonstrating specific humanitarian crisis experience
  • Failing to show understanding of the pressures and complexities of working in emergency response contexts
  • Not being able to articulate how remote work requires different communication and coordination strategies

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

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 International Rescue Committee!

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