Contracts & Grant Officer at Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme Ltd/Gte (ECEWS)

Job Description

• Will work with the Grant Manager, Director of Finance & Operation, Procurement, Contracts and Grants to provide support to the administration for the management of awards and sub-awards to include contracts, grants and cooperative agreements, monitor workflows and help develop and implement systems to provide sound management control over ECEWS compliance with award terms and conditions and ECEWS policies.
• Responsible for the review of sub-agreement and subcontracting implementation activities and contractual arrangements to ensure they meet with donor and organizational regulations, review monthly Sub-Recipients Financial Reports and Advance Request of Implementing Agents.

• Support in routine monitoring and evaluation of grantee activities, validating and documenting activities, providing clear feedback in areas which may require improvement to achieve ACE program goals, and safeguarding against any potential or perceived misuse of funds.
• Support the organization and maintenance of meticulous records for each grantee, tracking and ensuring all necessary documentation (including individual grant agreements, milestones certifications, and payment requests/vouchers) are on file and are implemented on schedule.
• Act as primary contact point for all ACE grantees regarding technical inputs, progress on implementation, grant award inquiries, deliverables and milestones, budgets, payments, documentation, and compliant grant close-out.
• Serve as liaison between grantees, ACE technical/financial staff, and the ECEWS HQ to clearly document and address any necessary issues or challenges encountered during grant implementation.
• Work closely with individual grantees to identify and rectify any delays or problems encountered in the implementation of the grants, ensuring issues are reported immediately to the Finance and Administrative Manager and appropriate technical managers.
• Participate in the design and solicitation process for future awards as well as the selection of additional grantees; assume a lead role to ensure the process is well-managed and conducted in a timely manner so as to eliminate administrative funding gaps between each new set of grant awards.
• Ensure grantee adherence to ECEWS and donor funding requirements and act as a mentor as needed on USAID/ECEWS regulations.
• Assist ECEWS staff (back-stop and Contracting Officer) with accurate tracking and reporting for federally mandated reports as they relate to recipients of US Government funding.
• Manage the compliant close-out of grants awarded by the ACE Project.
• Oversee the coordination of timely payment based on approved milestones; work closely with grantees to enable CBOs to complete any delayed or incomplete milestones.
• Assist with the financial oversight and review/processing of payment documentation (receipts) for any cost reimbursable ACE grants (standard grants) as necessary.
• Collaborate with program staff to establish the program’s annual objectives and outline how to allocate the budget.
• Design and deliver assistance and training as appropriate for future grants programs to educate grantees on grant mechanism-specific (ie, FOG or standard grant) US Government regulations and requirements and provide mentorship in writing grant proposals, budgets, and obtaining donor funding.
• Draft regular reports on the grantees’ progress and activities for senior and technical management
• Contribute to project work plans, budgets, and annual/quarterly reporting.
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Finance & Operations.

Minimum Recruitment Standard

• B.Sc. / B.A Degree in Accounting, Finance and Business Administration or its recognized equivalent 
• Master’s Degree in Finance and Business Administration or its recognized equivalent
• 3 - 7 years relevant experience with donor contract, cooperative agreements, and grant regulations
• Demonstrate experience and familiarity with grant-making mechanisms and grantee management; experience administering FOGs is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of and prior experience with US Government rules, requirements, and regulations (such as familiarity with ADS 303) on solicitations and second-tier funding by prime recipients. 
• Ability to effectively work independently and under a guidance of a supervisor.
• High-level organization and documentation skills, including the ability to track and manage the activities of others (grantees).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications such as MS Word, Excel, and Power Point.   
• Excellent diplomatic and communication skills, including strong written and oral abilities in English

Note

This vacancy will close on the 10th of April 2023