Chemonics seeks a Grants Manager for USAID’s ongoing Cross-Border Community Resilience (CBCR) Activity. This project is in year two of its five-year term and is designed to enhance resilience and thus reduce the need for humanitarian assistance among communities in the cross-border clusters of Karamoja, Moyale, and Mandera. Focusing on communities that live across the borders of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and Somalia, the Activity aims to empower local entities, including communities, civil society, private sector, and governments to chart their own pathways for addressing conflict, improving livelihoods, and/or reducing the risks of shocks and stresses. The CBCR Activity works to foster local ownership of development investments by supporting local leadership in work planning, implementation, and monitoring.
The Grants Manager is responsible for implementing and monitoring grants processes in support of technical activities to achieve results. The grants manager will ensure compliance with US Government rules and regulations, Chemonics policies, and Kenyan law. They will work with the Director of Operations and Grants on the day-to-day grant management and will work closely with the Finance Manager, Procurement Manager, and Grants Coordinator to ensure that grant expenses are incurred and properly justified according to corporate field accounting policies and US government regulations. In addition, the Grants Manager will manage the Results Management System (RMS).
Specific duties include, but are not limited to:
-Assist in the design, development, and implementation of CBCR’s grant-making and grants management policies, procedures, and practices, in coordination with the director of operations and grants and other technical and support staff in concert with the RISE IDIQ grants manual and CBCR approved grants procedures.
-Lead in organizing the evaluation of grant concepts, proposals, and grant agreement/award documents to ensure adherence to established grants management policies and best practices.
-Support in conducting the pre-award assessment for the prospective grantees.
-Manage grant partnership, solicitation, award, and implementation information in the RMS in coordination with program teams and the MEL manager.
-Provide support to grantees and project staff, as needed, for RMS use
-Ensure proper negotiation of the terms and conditions for grants and review and analyze budget estimates for allocability, reasonableness, and consistency. Provide guidance to potential grantees through formal training, coaching, and other support in line with our ethnical practices. Review draft budgets before they are approved and further flesh out budget notes to ensure clarity and auditable records.
-Ensure full compliance with all applicable USAID and Chemonics policies, practices, and procedures in place for the CBCR activity, including grant solicitation and selection procedures, grant awards, grant implementation, grant monitoring and evaluation and grant close-outs.
-Ensure the proper preparation and execution of grant documents and grant disbursements consistent and compliant with USAID and Chemonics requirements, procedures, and best practices. Documentation required includes negotiation memos, grant activity forms, required certifications and assurances, branding and marking plans, and others.
-Lead getting to grants meetings in coordination with other colleagues to raise the skillset of grantee partners to better assist them in successfully positioning to receive direct grants.
-In coordination with technical staff, assess grantee capabilities related to activity implementation and advise them on how to enhance them. Work with other staff as appropriate to develop and provide additional training for grantees if and as needed (e.g. related to grants administration, including financial documentation and management, procurement requirements and implementation planning).
-Analyze and assess budgetary and financial aspects of grant proposals, recipient financial management capacities and planning for implementation/procurement and cash disbursement needs for grants implementation throughout the life of the program. Clearly define any special conditions for grantee compliance and follow up on that compliance throughout each grant.
-Assemble and manage grantee tracker to include all grants, budgets, special conditions, deliverables, and timelines.
-Serve as an effective liaison between CBCR staff and grantees
-Provide training to project staff on grants policies and procedures
-Review and submit completed grants packages for payment to finance team
-Ensure grants compliance issues are elevated to the COP immediately and serve as a resource for staff with grants questions.
-Upload all grants and administrative documentation to SharePoint/the Results Management System (RMS).
-Taking a team approach, cooperate and coordinate with Activity staff to ensure integration of efforts to ensure achievement of Activity results. Support team-building and morale efforts by maintaining a solution-oriented and professional demeanor.
-Perform other duties as required or assigned.
This position will report to the Director of Operations and grants and will supervise the position of Grants Coordinator.
Qualifications:
-University degree in business administration, finance, or related field required; advanced degree preferred.
-Minimum of 6 years of experience in USAID- funded programs in grants.
-Minimum of 6 years of relevant, grants management, bookkeeping, financial management, and/or accounting experience required, with preference for USAID funded administrative experience.
-Demonstrated knowledge of all aspects of grants administration and knowledge of basic accounting and accounting practices is required, as well as general best practices in Kenya.
-Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, to prioritize multiple assignments in an extremely fast-paced environment, to meet deadlines, and to exercise good judgment that reflects positively on the CBCR activity.
-Demonstrated high proficiency with Excel spreadsheet applications is required.
-Professional level in English and local language.
This role will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, with frequent travel to Mandera, Moyale, and Karamoja cross-border cluster areas as required.
How to apply
To apply, please complete an application and upload your CV at the following link by April 21, 2023: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/5c2509e2d0f04571bf6f2350b326b259
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