Awards Officer at Save The Children

Ref Id: 190001LT
Location: Bauchi and Kano
Reports to: Awards  Coordinator
Staff directly reporting to this post: 0
 
Role Purpose

• To assist the maintenance and administration of a robust and effective awards management system that is compliant to SCI awards systems and guidelines, and meet donor requirements.

Key Areas of Accountability
Awards Management and Administration:

• Assist in ensuring that grant management is compliant with all donor/SCI policies and regulations
• Assist in the maintenance of an effective  and efficient central awards filing system in accordance with SC awards checklist
• Assist in following up to ensure that the an effective  awards control/reporting schedule
• Assist in Coordinating financial and narrative reports and sending to Head of Awards & Compliance  before submission to donors/Member/ or as assigned
• Dissemination of information/correspondence regarding awards as instructed by the Awards Manager
• Monitor action points and  reports submission dates  - setting up reminder system (wall chart / outlook diary)
• Assist with the Review of transactions and records to ensure compliance with donor requirements via Agresso
• Work with the Awards Manager in assisting Budget Holders  in the preparation of budgets in SC format including phasing and re-phasing of budgets and ensure comprehensive budget notes for the donor and for internal use are prepared and filed
• Liaise with budget holders to ensure that time sheets are completed for all staff funded under the relevant grants and or where personnel are allocated across more than one financial source code.
• Liaising with budget holders and programme managers during preparation  of  financial reports, asset registers, and other documents, as required by donors, and ensure they are produced in donor specific formats and that they and detailed background information is filed electronically and in hard copy
• Support in the Review of financial report with Budget Holders to ensure reports are compatible with the narrative reports, assets register, and other returns to Donors/Member,
• Coordinate with Finance and Programmes in ensuring that all requisite Donor reports are submitted on time and in compliance with prescribed Donor formats
• Support in ensuring Kick Off Meetings occur for all new projects

Awards Management Information:

• View relevant awards in AMS with a view to identify awards requiring update of information through daily review and monitoring of the dashboard.
• Regularly view all new opportunities; proposals and contracts in AMS and inform the Awards Manager of all outstanding approvals
• Support the Awards Manager in the process of Finalizing all donor reports in accordance with donor requirements and SC reporting schedule
• Support in the Closeout processes of all awards as appropriate
• Ensure that good documentation, hard and soft copies, (up to audit standards) for all awards is maintained

Budget Monitoring:

• Participate in the annual budget development, where required
• Support budget holders in the proposal budget costings, creating Reporting Templates and DEAs, where required
• Assist in the review of monthly transactions with Budget Holders and provide comments to fAwards Manager for submission to Finance

Audit & Evaluation:

• Assist with the Internal and External audit preparations including putting together relevant documentation and ToR for the Audit
• Assist in the coordination of all SC awards audits and assist the Award Manager in ensuring complete implementation of recommendations
• Assist in the follow up on audit issues and provide appropriate response with support from Award Manager

Field Office and Partner Support Function:

• Capacity Building of partners in understanding finance and awards management
• Assist in the Capacity Building of Budget Holders & Field staff  in Awards Management
• Assist in conducting Pre awards assessment and due diligence check for new partners
• Assist in Organizing  audit of Implementing Partners

Other Support:

• Work closely with  Awards Team on finance /awards related issues
• Participate in monthly awards meetings and provide update, where necessary
• Participate in Year End & on-going processes relating to awards status including final reconciliation of donor disbursements & awards expenditure, confirmation of debt and income carry forward positions, awards closures
• Other – Any other ad hoc tasks as requested by Line Manager.

Supporting the Dual Mandate

• Support the development of an organizational culture that reflects our values, our dual mandate and promotes accountability and high performance

Global Policies:

• Comply with all relevant Save the Children policies and procedures with respect to child safeguarding, health and safety, code of conduct,  Fraud and Dishonesty,  equal opportunities and other relevant policies

Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Accuracy and timeliness in all areas of responsibility
• High level of accuracy in work, and ability to analyse complex sets of relationships and situations
• Holds self and others accountable

Ambition:

• Creating best-in-class EA function
• Future-orientated, thinks pro-actively

Collaboration:

• Working effectively with stakeholders to achieve common goals
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Designing more effective admin systems
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency, demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Skills & Experience
Essential:

• A Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration or other relevant discipline
• 2-4 years working experience in relevant field, at least 2 of which should be in grant management with non-profit sector
• Experience of working with institutional donor contracts such as DFID, EC, ECHO, USAID in an I/NGO environment
• Experience in financial management and producing appropriate management information
• Minimal Facilitation Skills
• Analytical skills and ability to translate analysis into appropriate, feasible and practical implementation plans and goals.
• An understanding of development work in order to communicate effectively with Members/Donors and programme staff on funding sources and programme issues
• Ability to use developed guidelines and formats to support staff in donor applications and reporting
• Knowledge of major donor funding sources
• Experience of supporting programmes in each stage of the project cycle, including budgeting, technical and financial monitoring in the context of grants/restricted funding sources.
• Understanding of interdepartmental relationships, dynamics and functioning in an overseas programme setting
• Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children
• Ability to understand technical and financial issues into a language understandable by non-finance staff
• Computer literate (including working knowledge of MS Word, Excel, Access) and competency in development of spread-sheets and databases
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to communicate clearly with thoughtful and accurate information
• Willingness to travel to field offices and work in difficult environment from time to time
• Ability to work within a multicultural and multi-religious settings

Desirable:

• Experience of Save the Children financial accounting packages (eg Agresso), policies, systems and procedures.