About the Organization
For more than 25 years, Right To Play has been protecting, educating, and empowering millions of children each year to rise above adversity through the power of play. We offer programs in 13 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and North America, reaching millions of children each year in some of the most difficult places on earth, helping them to stay in school and learn, overcome prejudice, heal from trauma, and develop the skills they need to thrive. We do this by harnessing play, one of the most fundamental forces in a child’s life, to teach children the critical skills they need to dismantle barriers and embrace opportunities, in learning and in life. This work is supported by our two global offices in Toronto, Canada and London, UK; and seven National Offices in North America and Europe.
Job Summary
The Partnerships and Grants Manager (PGM) builds and sustains trusted, partnership-oriented relationships with local Civil Society Organization (CSO) sub-grantees across a multi-country portfolio, to enable delivery of No Child on the Sidelines and assist program reporting, compliance monitoring, and technical assistance offerings.
Key Responsibilities
Managing and Coordinating Relationships with CSO Subgrantees (70%)
Serve as the primary day-to-day point of contact for CSO sub-grantees across a multi-country portfolio, building trusted, responsive, partnership-oriented relationships — with sensitivity to conflict, displacement, and insecurity in which many CSOs operate
Support CSO onboarding, orientation, and implementation of programme requirements, including coordination of reporting obligations and participation in storytelling/communication initiatives
Support proactive identification and mitigation of risks, in collaboration with CSOs and SFM
Conduct regular virtual check-ins and, where security allows, periodic in-country visits
Assist review and consolidation of CSO financial and programmatic reports, and support milestone-based disbursements
Coordinating Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Activities (15%)
Help identify CSO technical assistance needs through capacity assessments and ongoing monitoring
Coordinate with RTP’s global technical staff to respond to technical assistance needs and coordinate Community of Practice (CoP) offerings. This includes supporting facilitation of virtual and/or in-person CoP sessions among CSOs.
Supporting Stakeholder Engagements (15%)
Represent the programme at regional and global forums
Maintain relationships with program partners, including local/regional civil society networks, women-led and refugee-led organisations, national and international governance bodies, and humanitarian coordination mechanisms
Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
Post-secondary degree in a relevant field, or equivalent combination of education and practical experience. PMP or other similar professional certifications are considered an asset.
7 years’ experience working with local CSOs in roles related to partnership management, capacity building, or organizational development in one or more of the following regions: MENA, South Asia, and/or Africa, with proven experience applying principles of localization and trust-based grant making experience.
Experience in conflict-affected, or fragile contexts; with sensitivity to do-no-harm principles
Experience facilitating group learning across diverse cultural/linguistic contexts
Experience with results-based reporting, and donor compliance oversight
Excellent relationship-building skills, and sensitivity to funder-grantee power differentials
Fluent in written and spoken English and French; proficiency in Arabic, and/or Urdu is an asset.
Proficiency in digital collaboration tools, including emerging AI technologies
Technical background in one or more of the following is considered an asset: education in emergencies, child protection, psychosocial support, or sport/play-based development
Required Skills and Competencies
Collaboration:
Works effectively across RTP teams, CSO partners, and technical colleagues, sharing information openly and bringing diverse stakeholders together around shared program goals.
Growth Mindset:
Seeks out feedback and lessons learned across the CSO portfolio and adapts partnership management approaches in response to evolving donor requirements or partner needs.
Resilience:
Maintains sound judgement and quality of output when managing competing partner deadlines, multi-country compliance demands, or unexpected implementation challenges.
Professionalism:
Demonstrates integrity, confidentiality, and accountability in donor compliance monitoring, financial reporting, and external representation of RTP.
Management and Interpersonal Skills:
Communicates clearly and diplomatically across funder-grantee power differentials; manages multiple partner relationships and competing priorities effectively.