ACT Alliance Rapid Response Fund (RRF) Manager

ACT Alliance Rapid Response Fund (RRF) Manager
Norwegian Church Aid, a member of the ACT Alliance, is recruiting a Rapid Response Manager for secondment to the ACT Secretariat.

About ACT Alliance
ACT Alliance is the world's largest coalition of Protestant and Orthodox churches, and church-related organisations engaged in humanitarian, development, and advocacy work. It consists of 152 members working together in over 120 countries, with headquarters in 73 countries, whose aim is to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race, or nationality, in keeping with the highest international codes and standards. For more details, visit www.actalliance.org.
ACT Alliance is committed to strengthening locally led response within the ACT network. The ACT Alliance Rapid Response Fund (RRF) supports high quality locally led humanitarian response programmes. Access to the fund is exclusively reserved for local/national members within the ACT network, of which there are more than 90 globally. Expansion of the RRF is a key strategic objective for the ACT Alliance Secretariat, supported by its members.

We offer an opportunity to drive the development and growth of a mechanism that gives local humanitarian actors direct access to funding, enabling locally-led responses to urgent needs even in small or neglected crises.
The Rapid Response Fund (RRF) Manager leads the day-to-day operations, strategic management, growth, and innovation of ACT Alliance’s RRF—a pooled funding mechanism supporting high-quality, locally led emergency responses. Positioned within the Humanitarian Team and Programmatic hub of the ACT Secretariat, the RRF Manager ensures effective operations, donor engagement, compliance, and continuous improvement of the RRF. The role strengthens ACT’s humanitarian ecosystem by working closely with national members, forums, funding partners, and external pooled fund networks to enable timely, accountable responses aligned with ACT’s Humanitarian Strategy and localization goals.

Duty station is flexible within a time zone compatible with working hours in CET. Geneva or Oslo preferred; other locations possible based on presence of an ACT Alliance member. (For example: Brussels, Nairobi, London, Amsterdam)

Compensation: Salary will be set based on duty station, in line with a senior level position on the ACT Secretariat salary scale. The employment contract for this position will be issued based on duty station as a national contract and subject to national/local employment regulations and benefits. This is not an expatriate position.

Start Date is as soon as possible.

Key Responsibilities
Fund Management and Strategic Oversight

• Lead the day-to-day management of the RRF in line with ACT’s humanitarian policies, strategic priorities, and team objectives.
• Oversee the growth and evolution of the RRF, ensuring relevance, sustainability, and alignment with the ACT Humanitarian Strategy.
• Develop and maintain or revise operational guidance, administrative procedures, and systems for the RRF, ensuring timely, consistent, clear and effective decision-making and execution.
• Ensure strategic alignment with ACT capacity sharing initiative at national member and forum level to strengthen locally led response capacity within the ACT network.

Resource Mobilization and Donor Engagement

• Play a leading role in internal and external fundraising efforts to achieve growth targets for the RRF.
• Maintain strong working relationships with ACT funding members and institutional donors.
• Represent the RRF in donor forums and contribute to pooled funding networks and consortia.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

• Ensure robust MEAL systems are integrated into RRF processes, from design to reporting and learning.
• Oversee performance tracking, quality assurance, and impact measurement of RRF responses.
• Identify and address risks, incidents, and areas of underperformance through proactive planning and response.

Collaboration and Innovation

• Support forums and national members in accessing and utilizing the RRF effectively, including through training and mentorship.
• Work closely with ACT Quality & Accountability Coordinator to ensure strategic alignment of capacity sharing initiative at national member and forum level to strengthen locally led response capacity within the ACT network (due diligence passporting and member investment).
• Foster innovation by exploring new partnerships, anticipatory action mechanisms, and locally led approaches.
• Strengthen external collaboration through engagement with humanitarian sector platforms, including the Pooled Fund Community of Practice (CoP).

Reporting and Accountability

• Ensure all donor reporting requirements are met with quality and timeliness.
• Maintain oversight of financial accountability, compliance, and risk management in collaboration with the Operations and Finance teams.

Key Working Relationships

• Member of the Programmatic Hub in the ACT Alliance Secretariat, contributing to emergency coordination and locally led response mechanisms.
• Collaborates with the ACT Secretariat Partnership and Fundraising Hub (for donor engagement and funding strategy).
• Engages with the Learning, Innovation, and Accountability Hub (to ensure robust MEAL and innovation processes).
• Works closely with ACT Secretariat’s humanitarian and programme teams, ACT Finance staff, regional teams, and ACT Forums.
• Actively and regularly engages with ACT Alliance members, including consultation of local/national members in matters regarding the operation of the fund.

Supervision & Accountability

• Direct Reports to the Head of Humanitarian Affairs and liaises with the Regional Representatives and Humanitarian Programme Coordinators.

Skills and experiences

• At least 8 years of relevant experience in humanitarian response including at an operational level. Previous direct experience in pooled fund management is strongly preferred.
• Proven experience in managing emergency funds, emergency grantmaking, donor relations, and development and execution of operational strategy.
• Strong knowledge of MEAL, humanitarian coordination, risk management, and pooled fund mechanisms.
• Experience in information management (IM) and IT solutions in humanitarian operations desirable.
• Bachelor’s degree (master’s preferred) in international development, humanitarian affairs, economics, or related field.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of French, Spanish, or Arabic is an asset.

Competences and behaviours

• Deeply committed to ACT Alliance’s values and humanitarian principles.
• Passionate about localization, equity, and innovation in humanitarian funding.
• Adept at designing and managing systems and processes that are both effective and accessible.
• Highly organized with a strong affinity for ensuring accuracy and consistency.
• Results-oriented with strong decision-making skills.
• Strategic thinker who builds trust-based relationships and drives high performance.
• Effective communicator, skilled at building consensus and collaboration across diverse teams.
• Innovative problem-solving and adaptability in a decentralized model.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with ability to motivate and influence diverse stakeholders.

We encourage all qualified persons to apply for a job with us, regardless of gender, age, disability or cultural background. NCA uses an electronic gateway for all recruitment where you can register and submit your CV and write an application/cover letter. Only applicants using this electronic gateway will be considered for the position.

We kindly ask you to carefully read the ACT Code of Conduct for the prevention of misconduct, including corruption, fraud, exploitation and abuse, including sexual; and to ensure child safeguarding and the Protection from Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse and Child Safeguarding policy before you submit your application. If you are the selected candidate for this position you will be asked to complete and sign our Code of Conduct and Protection from Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse, and Child Safeguarding Policy.

In accordance with core humanitarian principles, NCA implements a range of safeguards to prevent or reduce the possibility of humanitarian aid falling into the wrong hands. This includes those individuals and groups who are subject to sanctions by the United Nations Security Council. As part of this process, NCA will screen the details of the successful candidates for this post against the sanctions lists maintained by the UN and by some of NCA’s governmental donors.

How to apply

To apply for the position, click this link: [*https://apply.recman.no/job_post.php?id=433381&sub_id=534&path=other*](https://apply.recman.no/job_post.php?id=433381&sub_id=534&path=other)

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