PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The Strengthening Regional Peace and Stability (SRPS) in West Africa Program is a five-year, USAID-funded program implemented by DAI. The program supports the efforts of West Africans to address the risks of instability from democratic backsliding and from conflict, and prioritizes targeted governance, conflict and violence prevention, peacebuilding, and preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) interventions across the region. The program will engage with regional partners and with governments that demonstrate commitment to power-sharing and resource redistribution, both of which are crucial for reducing exclusion, violence, and conflict. Program interventions will address causes of fragility, and focus on good governance approaches, conflict prevention and response, and P/CVE interventions across select target countries in the Sahel and coastal West Africa.

SRPS is looking for candidates to fill for the GRANTS MANAGER position.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

The Grants Manager is responsible for overseeing the entire grant-making cycle – drafting and issuing the Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) – Requests for Application (RFA) and Annual Program Statements (APS), ensuring proper documentation and recording in DAI systems, preparing and submitting grant concept notes and full proposals to USAID for concurrence/approval, and issuing of the grant awards. The Grants Manager will advise and assist in the design, development, and oversight of grants management policies, procedures and practices. S/he will provide policy guidance and interpretation for staff as well as grantees, and analyze and evaluate grant applications, proposals, and awards to ensure adherence to grants management policies. S/he will also ensure proper negotiation of the terms and conditions for grants; and view and analyze budget estimates for allowability, allocability, reasonableness and consistency. The Grants Manager will supervise the Senior Grants Specialist and support the Grants Assistants in the country field offices in target geographies.

OBECTIVES AND DUTIES:

The following comprise main responsibilities of the Grants Manager:

Planning and Implementation

• Oversee grants management in coordination with the Operations and Technical teams.
• In collaboration with the Chief of Party (COP) and the Deputy Chief of Party – Operations, develop and implement the use of the SRPS grants manual.
• Participate in work planning and activity planning to align the grants program with overall project activities.
• Lead the development of timeline and details required for any activities needing grants; conduct market research and price analysis in coordination with technical staff.
• Coordinate with the Senior Management Team to prepare the Notices of Funding Opportunity – RFA and APS, to solicit applications and assess the capacity and readiness of potential grantees.
• Manage the evaluation and selection committee process for grantees.
• Prepare the required approvals to ensure compliance with internal and external contract and policy requirements.
• Prepare grant agreements and amendments, explaining terms, conditions, roles, and responsibilities. Ensure that identified weaknesses in initial grantee assessments and related requirements are incorporated into the agreements explicitly/clearly with the required monitoring and actions on the part of the grantee.
• Organize kickoff meetings and apprise grantees of the responsibilities, requirements and policies and procedures to be followed during the life of the grant.
• Ensure post award grant management in accordance with relevant regulations and generate reports of status of grant activities, such as forecasting payment, inventory, amendments, close outs, and sector specific data (i.e., monthly and quarterly reporting).
• Coordinate with Operations and Technical Teams to ensure on-time deliverables, payments, and cash flow requests by monitoring milestones and payment schedules.

Management

• Provide training, guidance, and direction to project grants staff on planning, implementation, and compliance of grant policies, procedures, and instructions.
• Directly supervise the Senior Grants Specialist.
• Support the Grants Assistants in each country field office in target geographies.
• Use the Field Operations Manual (FOM) to ensure that policies, procedures, and/or practices are being met.
• Ensure documentation requirements are met with various departments i.e., technical, grants, and finance.

Compliance

• Provide training, guidance, and direction to project staff on planning, implementation, and compliance of grants policies, procedures, and instructions, specifically their role in the process.
• Review grants for completeness and appropriateness with the work plan.
• Ensure all required documentation is uploaded in the grants database.
• Review grant milestones and requests for payments against grant agreements to ensure compliance.
• Train on and enforce policies and procedures to prevent improprieties, intentional and unintentional.
• Lead the audit of grant files at least annually.
• Other tasks as assigned by supervisor of member of the Senior Management Team.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, or related field (business, finance, etc.) required.
• At least 7 years of relevant experience and progressive responsibility in finance and accounting; experience working on USAID-funded activities preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of internal controls and audit processes (e.g., procurement, local subcontract agreements, etc.).
• Demonstrated written and oral communication in English and French required.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize tasks.
• Ability to communicate/collaborate effectively across teams, cultures, including with team members based in other countries.
• Prior supervisory experience required.

Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as interviews will be conducted soon. Please note, due to the volume of applications that we receive and the urgency to fill-up positions only shortlisted applicants will receive notifications on next steps.