International Rescue Committee
Senior Program Officer, Pre-Award
International Rescue Committee, New York, New York, us, 10261
2 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non‑governmental organizations (INGO), working in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities to help people survive, reclaim control of their futures, and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity, and hope to millions.
The IRC is a leading provider of high‑quality programming for refugees, immigrants, and asylees. The IRC Resettlement, Asylum and Integration (RAI) network creates opportunities for refugees and other vulnerable migrants to survive and thrive in the United States and Europe. The IRC RAI network currently has 28 U.S. offices.
The IRC is committed to developing innovative, context‑specific programs in response to strategic funding opportunities with a range of local, state and federal government agencies, as well as private foundations and corporations. This work is led by the RAI Resource Acquisition and Management (RAM) team, in close collaboration with RAI Offices and Learning & Impact units as well as the IRC Finance and Budget departments.
The
Senior Program Officer, Pre‑Award
serves as a key focal point for pre‑award management and compliance oversight of federal, state, and local grants and contracts, working with donors such as the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and others. This business‑development position leads strategic bids with a specific emphasis on contracts and supports teams through identification, capture, proposal development, and donor negotiation/award. The officer ensures proposals meet the organization’s quality standards, respond to donor priorities, and facilitate color‑review meetings so senior leadership can assess risks and opportunities. This role requires close collaboration across the organization to ensure consistent, high‑standard submissions that lead to effective program implementation.
Key Responsibilities
Liaise with staff to understand technical strategy, win themes and value‑for‑money proposition.
Ensure all stakeholders (local office, HQ support, and senior leadership) understand the funding mechanism and associated risks and opportunities.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to align financial deliverables with strategic project outcomes.
Draft and present proposal risk assessment and mitigation measures throughout capture and proposal development phases; evaluate responses to solicitations for price reasonableness, competition, compliance, and fulfillment probability.
Support development of rationale for proposal consortium partners and subcontractors in alignment with IRC PEER principles.
Contribute to determining contract type and budget negotiations with subcontractors (consortium and delivery partners).
Work closely with the proposal budget lead on competitive cost and pricing development, ensuring alignment with donor regulations, internal policies, and cost‑recovery priorities.
Provide strategic analysis and recommendations to support competitive and quality proposal submissions.
Conduct pricing research across target donors to inform back‑of‑the‑envelope and full cost/technical proposal details.
Represent RAI in discussions with strategic donors and implementing partners, communicating complex financial and technical insights effectively.
Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of key donor regulations, procurement processes, and cost principles.
Direct Supervision
Provide oversight and capacity building to two direct reports (Program Officers) on business development.
Ensure balance of workload during heavy proposal periods and manage external consultant support as needed.
Offer regular coaching on budgeting, financial analysis, and reporting.
Identify skill gaps and create development opportunities through training, stretch assignments, or mentorship.
Review work products for accuracy, completeness, and alignment with organizational standards.
Manage performance through clear goal‑setting, regular check‑ins, formal evaluations, and constructive feedback.
Training & Capacity Building
Conduct training and advisory sessions for program, leadership, finance, and non‑finance stakeholders to build capacity and ensure compliance.
Provide advisory services to grant managers and project management units on complex RFP or RFA reviews, fee payment schedules, competitive range negotiations, subcontractor pricing, and nontraditional partnering strategies.
Deliver business‑development training to strengthen understanding of key donor regulations, organizational policies, and ethical standards.
Support continuous learning by creating resources, checklists, and templates that promote compliance and operational consistency across offices.
Contribute to the development and refinement of contract‑management policies, procedures, and tools to strengthen internal controls.
Identify risks in business‑development practices, propose corrective actions, and track remediation efforts.
Coordination & Reporting
Lead coordination between RAI offices and HQ teams; provide support to offices in navigating IRC systems and processes.
Collaborate with post‑award teams to share insights that inform post‑award management and donor compliance.
Serve as a liaison between program, finance, and other teams to ensure coordinated development of all types of proposals.
Provide regular updates to leadership on portfolio business development performance, risks, and compliance trends.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in public administration, business, international affairs, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
3‑6 years of progressive experience in grant and contract management, compliance, or related field within a nonprofit or public‑sector environment.
Demonstrated expertise in federal award compliance (FAR, 2 CFR 200, and agency‑specific requirements such as ORR, HHS).
Experience with risk management, internal audit, or subrecipient monitoring strongly preferred.
Prior experience supporting field‑based programs and liaising with government donors required.
Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and decision‑making abilities.
Excellent communication and facilitation skills.
Proven ability to interpret complex regulations and translate them into practical guidance.
High attention to detail and organizational skills; ability to manage multiple priorities.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with award‑management systems.
Working Environment
Standard office environment, with flexibility for hybrid or remote work arrangements.
Occasional domestic travel may be required to support field offices, audits, or training events.
May require flexible hours to accommodate donor or cross‑regional coordination.
Compensation: $76,000 – $102,600 (US‑based candidates). Exact offers calibrated by location, experience, and skills relative to job requirements.
Professional Standards All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct: Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on safeguarding, conflicts of interest, fiscal integrity, and reporting wrongdoing and protection from retaliation.
IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The organization considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
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The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non‑governmental organizations (INGO), working in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities to help people survive, reclaim control of their futures, and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity, and hope to millions.
The IRC is a leading provider of high‑quality programming for refugees, immigrants, and asylees. The IRC Resettlement, Asylum and Integration (RAI) network creates opportunities for refugees and other vulnerable migrants to survive and thrive in the United States and Europe. The IRC RAI network currently has 28 U.S. offices.
The IRC is committed to developing innovative, context‑specific programs in response to strategic funding opportunities with a range of local, state and federal government agencies, as well as private foundations and corporations. This work is led by the RAI Resource Acquisition and Management (RAM) team, in close collaboration with RAI Offices and Learning & Impact units as well as the IRC Finance and Budget departments.
The
Senior Program Officer, Pre‑Award
serves as a key focal point for pre‑award management and compliance oversight of federal, state, and local grants and contracts, working with donors such as the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and others. This business‑development position leads strategic bids with a specific emphasis on contracts and supports teams through identification, capture, proposal development, and donor negotiation/award. The officer ensures proposals meet the organization’s quality standards, respond to donor priorities, and facilitate color‑review meetings so senior leadership can assess risks and opportunities. This role requires close collaboration across the organization to ensure consistent, high‑standard submissions that lead to effective program implementation.
Key Responsibilities
Liaise with staff to understand technical strategy, win themes and value‑for‑money proposition.
Ensure all stakeholders (local office, HQ support, and senior leadership) understand the funding mechanism and associated risks and opportunities.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to align financial deliverables with strategic project outcomes.
Draft and present proposal risk assessment and mitigation measures throughout capture and proposal development phases; evaluate responses to solicitations for price reasonableness, competition, compliance, and fulfillment probability.
Support development of rationale for proposal consortium partners and subcontractors in alignment with IRC PEER principles.
Contribute to determining contract type and budget negotiations with subcontractors (consortium and delivery partners).
Work closely with the proposal budget lead on competitive cost and pricing development, ensuring alignment with donor regulations, internal policies, and cost‑recovery priorities.
Provide strategic analysis and recommendations to support competitive and quality proposal submissions.
Conduct pricing research across target donors to inform back‑of‑the‑envelope and full cost/technical proposal details.
Represent RAI in discussions with strategic donors and implementing partners, communicating complex financial and technical insights effectively.
Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of key donor regulations, procurement processes, and cost principles.
Direct Supervision
Provide oversight and capacity building to two direct reports (Program Officers) on business development.
Ensure balance of workload during heavy proposal periods and manage external consultant support as needed.
Offer regular coaching on budgeting, financial analysis, and reporting.
Identify skill gaps and create development opportunities through training, stretch assignments, or mentorship.
Review work products for accuracy, completeness, and alignment with organizational standards.
Manage performance through clear goal‑setting, regular check‑ins, formal evaluations, and constructive feedback.
Training & Capacity Building
Conduct training and advisory sessions for program, leadership, finance, and non‑finance stakeholders to build capacity and ensure compliance.
Provide advisory services to grant managers and project management units on complex RFP or RFA reviews, fee payment schedules, competitive range negotiations, subcontractor pricing, and nontraditional partnering strategies.
Deliver business‑development training to strengthen understanding of key donor regulations, organizational policies, and ethical standards.
Support continuous learning by creating resources, checklists, and templates that promote compliance and operational consistency across offices.
Contribute to the development and refinement of contract‑management policies, procedures, and tools to strengthen internal controls.
Identify risks in business‑development practices, propose corrective actions, and track remediation efforts.
Coordination & Reporting
Lead coordination between RAI offices and HQ teams; provide support to offices in navigating IRC systems and processes.
Collaborate with post‑award teams to share insights that inform post‑award management and donor compliance.
Serve as a liaison between program, finance, and other teams to ensure coordinated development of all types of proposals.
Provide regular updates to leadership on portfolio business development performance, risks, and compliance trends.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in public administration, business, international affairs, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
3‑6 years of progressive experience in grant and contract management, compliance, or related field within a nonprofit or public‑sector environment.
Demonstrated expertise in federal award compliance (FAR, 2 CFR 200, and agency‑specific requirements such as ORR, HHS).
Experience with risk management, internal audit, or subrecipient monitoring strongly preferred.
Prior experience supporting field‑based programs and liaising with government donors required.
Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and decision‑making abilities.
Excellent communication and facilitation skills.
Proven ability to interpret complex regulations and translate them into practical guidance.
High attention to detail and organizational skills; ability to manage multiple priorities.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with award‑management systems.
Working Environment
Standard office environment, with flexibility for hybrid or remote work arrangements.
Occasional domestic travel may be required to support field offices, audits, or training events.
May require flexible hours to accommodate donor or cross‑regional coordination.
Compensation: $76,000 – $102,600 (US‑based candidates). Exact offers calibrated by location, experience, and skills relative to job requirements.
Professional Standards All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct: Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on safeguarding, conflicts of interest, fiscal integrity, and reporting wrongdoing and protection from retaliation.
IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The organization considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
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