Contracts and Grants Manager at Health Systems Consult Limited (HSCL)

Project: Accelerating Control of the HIV Epidemic in Nigeria (ACE)

Project Background  

• In collaboration with the Government of Nigeria (GoN), PEPFAR/USAID investments have led to the achievement of significant progress in the fight against the HIV epidemic in Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara. However, the 2018 Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) showed that epidemic control targets are yet to be achieved.
• Further, this progress is threatened by development challenges: limited financial resources, insufficient use of data for decision making, weak coordination mechanism across all levels of government and insecurity.
• The Accelerating Control of HIV Epidemic (ACE) project provides USAID with the opportunity to support the GoN, civil society groups, and private sector actors in the cluster 3 focus states to close gaps in reaching control targets, address critical challenges in implementing their HIV response and accelerate progress towards sustainable epidemic control. 

Roles and Responsibilities
The position’s main tasks will include:

Sub-recipients Financial Assessment

• Lead the assessments of all sub-recipients using HSCL Finance’s guidance for stratification of the sub-recipients for the ACE grant.
• Assist the sub-recipients in preparing a Corrective Action Plan within a specified period during the assessment or monitoring visit that addresses each of the identified weaknesses in any of the assessed areas that need improvement.
• Assist Program Managers in making sure that the sub-recipients address all issues listed in the Corrective Action Plan within 120 calendar days of the assessment or monitoring visit.

Sub-recipients Financial Monitoring:

• Serve as the principal point of contact on Grant Management and compliance issues with Program Managers, HSCL/Nigeria Finance, and Compliance staff.
• Lead the training and implementation of the HSCL sub-recipient monitoring policy for the ACE project within HSCL Nigeria.
• Coordinate the development and implementation of Grant Management capacity building activities such as trainings at the sites in close collaboration with HSCL Nigeria finance and compliance staff.
• Ensure ACE project within the Country Program has in place and adheres to a schedule of planned monitoring visits of sub-recipients during each year. The basis for the selection, timing and frequency of its monitoring visits should be properly documented.
• Ensure financial and programming staffs participate in the financial monitoring, including site visits, of sub-recipient activities. The trip reports must indicate the monitoring steps performed, the processes reviewed, and the result of the testing and reviews.
• Ensure all monitors prepare and submit a written trip report for each visit to a sub-recipient.
• Review and analyse monitoring reports on a timely manner and sign off for further follow-up
• Work with sub-recipients to correct weaknesses detected by internal and external auditors, ACE project management or HSCL Nigeria finance and compliance staff.
• Ensure sub-recipients’ internal control systems are reviewed at least annually by auditors or HSCL/ACE project monitors effectively to ensure that their financial duties are adequately segregated.
• Ensure ACE project and HSCL Nigeria obtains assurances that each local and foreign sub-recipient to which it provides funding that expends $500,000 or more of USAID funds in the sub recipient’s fiscal year, complies with the requirement to undergo an independent annual audit each year it equals or exceeds that threshold.
• Ensure ACE project Sub-recipients evaluate and effectively monitor their lower tier sub-recipients.

Sub-recipient Financial Support:

• Ensure that the HSCL Nigeria finance and compliance staff provide direct technical support in all aspects of finance for sub-recipient under ACE project 
• Orient accounting and project management staff in relevant and appropriate donors’ financial management policies, procedures, and standards.
• Ensure integrity of donor grants financial reporting and the effective control of financial assets. Regularly monitor and assess sub-recipient ability to accurately record and post all financial transactions and provide feedback to CoP, DCoP and HSCL Finance Manager.
• Advice and ensures on GAAP and basic accounting records to be maintained at Sub-recipient.

Grants Management and Budgeting:

• In coordination with ACE CoP and DCoP prepares all required sub-recipient agreements and monitors grant amendments, update grant files, submit copy of amendment documents to HSCL Nigeria and monitor grant expiry period.
• Ensure that donor required reports are prepared accurately and disseminated within the due dates.
• Coordinate with finance to ensure that donor reports that are generated by HSCL office are sent out to the relevant donor.
• Coordinate grant closure activities with the CoP, DCoP and respective HSCL Nigeria staff and ensure that expired sub-grants are fully closed out within 90 days limit
• Review cash disbursement advance journals, ensuring accurate postings.
• Review and approve liquidation journals ensuring accurate postings and that proper sub-recipient accounts are charged.
• Review posted journals for errors and recommend correction when necessary
• Takes a lead on developing ACE cash projections and communicates to HSCL Nigeria and HQ finance units
• Participate in the preparation of the budget commensurate with the program implementation plan and provides technical advice to the CoP and DCoP on budget submissions from all ACE sub-recipients
• Review consortium members and or sub-recipient budgets and provide comments/recommend approval by CoP.
• Develop effective budget monitoring tools and implement them for all ACE project sub-recipients. 
• Actively engage in budget discussions and generate feedback for ACE senior management team on adverse budget variances in monthly BCR meetings and results from sub-recipient monitoring
• Actively attend ACE Management Team Meetings on weekly basis and contribute to the overall teamwork spirit of ACE project and HSCL Nigeria.
• Address the needs and the implementation of trainings on budgeting and compliance with all relevant ACE project sub-recipients. 
• Contribute to new project sub-recipient proposal budgets review and revisions when required. 

Staff Management:

• Lead, direct, mentor and coach HSCL Finance and compliance officers.
• Take lead in setting annual ACE project finance and compliance targets and ensure that specific tasks are built in every compliance staff Performance plan.
• Motivate, develop, coach, and appraise subordinate staff in accordance with HSCL Performance Management System (PMS).
• Ensure that supervisees’ job descriptions are reviewed and updated at least on annual basis to ensure adequate workload distribution and support to staff

Qualification and Skills 

• Associate Member of ICAN Nigeria.
• Master’s Degree in Administration or Finance, Organizational Development, Management or other relevant field.
• Must be a matured, motivated, problem-solving individual with high levels of initiative.
• Minimum of five (5) years relevant experience, preferably with an International Organization.
• Thorough knowledge of best practices in capacity strengthening with prior experience of integrating this with programming; Experience in curriculum design and development.
• Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through participatory adult learning, mentoring, distance education, and other formal and non-formal methods, Experience in the design of and delivery of training workshops.
• Must demonstrate a good understanding of contemporary management best practices
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Familiarity with HIV/AIDS and working in PEPFAR projects is added advantage.
• Demonstrate high level of initiative, diplomacy, and tact
• Excellent knowledge of computer software – MS Office (PowerPoint and Excel especially).
• Must be flexible and be able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to travel as needed.