Consortium Manager

Job description

Title Consortium Manager Location Northern state Sudan Travel 50% to Khartoum (head office) and Tawila (North Darfur) Reporting to Deputy Country Director Direct reports State project Coordinators (2) Context Relief International (RI) is an international non-profit organization that partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and wellbeing. Our team of more than 4,000 staff and local volunteers work in 14 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, providing Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education and Livelihoods programming that creates the foundation for community resilience. We do this by working with local actors to develop safe and inclusive local programming that is evidence based, conflict sensitive, climate smart, and reaches those in need. Job Profile Relief International operates in Sudan in a complex and rapidly changing humanitarian context, working with communities and partners to deliver lifesaving assistance, strengthen resilience and support longer-term recovery. The Consortium Manager provides overall leadership to the multi-State and multi-sector program to ensure the quality and timely implementation of the project in full compliance with Relief International and Donor rules and regulations. As lead of the Consortium Management Unit (CMU), the Consortium Manager is responsible for ensuring effective governance and management of RI and partner implementation; and representing the consortium with external stakeholders. The Consortium Manager ensures that strategy, technical quality, program delivery, financial management, risk, compliance, monitoring, learning and reporting are integrated across all consortium members. The role resolves complex cross-organizational issues, drives corrective actions and ensures that decisions protect program quality, accountability to communities, and RI’s reputation. Key Responsibilities Consortium strategy, governance and leadership · Provide strategic leadership and overall accountability for consortium delivery, ensuring program objectives are achieved through effective planning, adaptation, and performance management in line with donor requirements and contextual changes. Lead consortium governance and coordination mechanisms, fostering effective decision-making, partner collaboration, accountability, and alignment across consortium members to achieve shared results. Manage consortium-wide risks, challenges, and stakeholder relationships, resolving complex operational issues, driving corrective actions, and ensuring timely communication, compliance, and implementation of agreed decisions. Program delivery, technical quality and results · Hold overall accountability for delivery of consortium results, workplans, milestones, indicators and contractual commitments across RI and all implementing partners. · Ensure integrated planning and coordination across program, technical, MEAL, finance, awards, operations, supply chain, human resources, security, safeguarding and other enabling functions. · Lead project start‑up/close‑out; identify and lead modifications (realignments, NCEs) in coordination with relevant internal departments and partners. Oversee consortium monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning systems, including data quality, verification, baseline and evaluation approaches, learning reviews and the use of evidence for decisions. · Ensure timely procurement planning and coordination with Supply Chain during project start-up and implementation · Ensure timely, accurate and coherent donor reporting and that narrative, indicator and financial information is reconciled across partners before submission. · Lead development of high-quality donor reports and consortium modification requests in coordination with relevant functions and partner teams. · Ensure visibility and communication requirements are implemented consistently across RI and partners’ implementation sites in line with donor and RI branding guidelines. · Ensure harmonization of implementation approaches, technical standards, tools, and reporting systems across consortium partners to maintain program quality and consistency. Financial stewardship, compliance and risk management · Provide overall stewardship of the consortium budget, including forecasting, expenditure monitoring, burn-rate analysis, cost allocation, partner spending and timely action on financial variances. · Ensure implementation complies with donor requirements, RI policies, consortium and partner agreements, approved budgets. · Maintain an integrated consortium risk register and ensure programmatic, financial, compliance, safeguarding, security, operational and reputational risks are actively managed and escalated. · Promote audit readiness by ensuring complete, reliable and accessible program and partner documentation and timely closure of audit, monitoring and compliance findings. Partner, donor and stakeholder management · Serve as the principal consortium focal point for donors, maintaining clear, timely and solutions-focused communication and coordinating formal approvals, notifications and escalation of significant issues along with key functions at Country Office level . · In coordination with the Awards and Partnership team, oversee the development, amendment and management of partner agreements and sub-awards, and ensure partner due diligence, monitoring, reporting, spot checks, verifications and corrective action plans are completed to the required standard. · Manage partner performance through clear expectations, regular review meetings, evidence-based feedback, agreed action plans and proportionate escalation where performance or compliance remains below standard. · Promote equitable partnership, mutual accountability, shared learning and capacity strengthening, including harmonization of tools and systems where this improves quality and efficiency. · Represent RI and the consortium in relevant coordination, donor, government, research, advocacy and stakeholder forums at country, regional or international level, as delegated. · Support the identification and development of funding opportunities and contribute consortium evidence, learning and analysis to program development, strategic positioning and advocacy. Lead and support structured partner capacity strengthening initiatives, including mentorship, technical coaching, compliance support, and systems strengthening, to improve implementation quality, donor compliance, and long-term institutional capacity of consortium partners. Accountability & Learning (MEAL) In coordination and collaboration with the RI and Partners Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Teams · Implement fit‑for‑purpose monitoring systems ensuring data quality for decision‑making and adaptation. · Ensure timely external reporting to relevant stakeholders (e.g., clusters, MoH) and support learning reviews to iterate program design. · Maintain effective accountability mechanisms, including community feedback and complaint response systems for RI and partners. · Implement data review to evaluate trends to drive adaptive management for the consortium. · Conduct routine field supervision to assess progress, compliance, and quality of programs, along with technical teams as well. Ensure all consortium partners submit complete, accurate, and timely monthly program data to the MEAL team in line with agreed reporting timelines to support quality monitoring, analysis, donor reporting, and evidence-based decision-making. People Management & Capacity Strengthening Ensure adequate staffing and clear roles; manage day‑to‑day performance and foster a collaborative, accountable team culture. Coach and mentor staff; integrate staff care and well‑being; support recruitment and onboarding of personnel. Safeguarding, Gender & Inclusion Embed safeguarding in all activities; promote gender ‑ sensitive and inclusive programming that meets the needs of marginalized groups (e.g., women, children, persons with disabilities). Train staff and partners on safeguarding; maintain clear, confidential reporting pathways and act on concerns. Behavior and Conduct Will ensure the highest standards of behavior inside and outside of work promotes the values in RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies Will be a model for ethical conduct standards for other team members Will ensure own actions and the actions of the teams’ members they manage do not impact on the safety of the RI team and the vulnerable communities we serve Will ensure external stakeholders are aware of RI conduct and reporting mechanisms Report any concerns Person Specification Skills, knowledge and expertise required for the role. Essential criteria Strategic program and consortium leadership experience, with the ability to translate complex award requirements into clear plans, decisions and accountability. Master’s degree in International Development, Humanitarian Assistance, Public Health, Social Sciences, Project Management, Business Administration, or another relevant field. A Bachelor’s degree combined with significant relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree. Strong financial, sub-award, compliance and risk-management skills for a large, multi-partner award. Minimum of 3 years of senior management experience overseeing multi-sector humanitarian programs, partner management, donor compliance, and cross-functional teams. Excellent negotiation, diplomacy, representation and written and verbal communication skills, including with donors and senior stakeholders. High-level analytical judgment and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make timely decisions in ambiguous and high-risk situations. Effective people leadership and performance management across direct, matrixed and partner teams working remotely Degree-level education or equivalent professional knowledge in public health, social sciences, international development, management, business administration or another relevant field. Strong knowledge of humanitarian program-cycle management, institutional donor compliance, partner and sub-award management, and monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning. Demonstrated experience integrating protection mainstreaming, safeguarding, gender equality, disability inclusion, and accountability to affected populations (AAP) into humanitarian programs. Knowledge of multi-sector humanitarian programming in fragile or conflict-affected settings, safeguarding, accountability to affected populations and humanitarian principles. Professional fluency in written and spoken English. Desirable criteria Arabic Language Previous experience in Sudan or similar complex context RI Values Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values: Integrity Adaptability Collaboration Inclusivity Sustainability