Grants and Reporting Specialist (Consultant) at Mercy Corps

Job Description

• Mercy Corps Nigeria (MCN) has a mixed portfolio comprising of projects and programs that meet urgent humanitarian needs, strengthen governance and address root causes of conflicts and build resilience to long-term development. MCN operates in the Northeast, Northwest, Northcentral and South of Nigeria, implementing various projects focusing on peace building, livelihoods, and water and food security.
• These projects are funded by USG, EU and other private donors and foundations.

General Position Summary:
The consultant will provide strategic and technical support to Mercy Corps Nigeria across two core areas:

• Strengthening donor engagement and grants (50%)
• Supporting donor reporting, documentation, and learning outputs for active awards (50%)
• This dual focus ensures that the consultancy contributes meaningfully to ongoing program implementation while also enhancing Mercy Corps Nigeria’s long-term positioning for new funding opportunities.
• The consultancy is designed to advance Mercy Corps Nigeria’s donor engagement and resource mobilization efforts, while also supporting award-aligned program quality functions.
• The consultant will play a key role in refining donor engagement strategies, strengthening reporting and documentation processes, developing targeted funding approaches, and advancing partnership models that align with the country strategy and evolving program priorities.
• The assignment will deliver practical outputs and tools that improve Mercy Corps Nigeria’s strategic visibility, reporting quality, and preparedness for future funding.
• Work will be organized around four key milestones, each with clearly defined deliverables that contribute to building a strong funding pipeline, improving reporting and documentation, and deepening donor and partner engagement.

Responsibilities
Milestone 1: Reporting and Learning Documentation

• Review quarterly and annual reports for priority programs (to be assigned by PaQ Manager)
• Document at least two quality case studies from field programs
• Lead internal dissemination of program products or learnings

Milestone 2: Strategic Document Review and Update

• Review Mercy Corps Nigeria’s Country Strategy and Donor Engagement Strategy.
• Propose and document updates to reflect the evolving donor landscape, changing programmatic priorities, and the current operating context.
• Deliverable: Updated and validated Country Strategy and Donor Engagement Strategy documents. Timeline: Within 3 weeks of contract start date.

Milestone 3: Donor and Partner Mapping Report

• Review the existing detailed mapping of donors and partners operating in Nigeria, including: Who is funding what, where, and through which channels.
• Current donor interests, emerging funding trends, and alignment with Mercy Corps Nigeria’s priorities.
• Provide actionable recommendations on donor engagement strategies and identify key partnership opportunities (both local and international).
• Deliverable: Comprehensive Donor and Partner Mapping Report with practical recommendations. Timeline: Within 6 weeks of contract start date.

Milestone 4: Donor Briefing Materials and Pitch Packs

• Develop tailored donor engagement materials, including:
• Updated country profiles.
• Thematic capacity statements.
• Success stories and value propositions.
• Prepare at least three customized pitch packs or briefing decks targeting top-priority donors. Deliverable: Minimum of three donor briefing packs tailored to priority donors.
• Timeline: Within 2 weeks after the completion of Milestone 2.

Milestone 5 (Based on Need): Pipeline Support and Pre-positioning Briefs

• Identify 2–3 top upcoming funding opportunities that align with Mercy Corps Nigeria’s strategic priorities.
• Provide pre-positioning support, including partner recommendations and draft one-pagers or concept notes for early engagement.
• Deliverable: Pre-positioning briefs for up to three funding opportunities, as identified. Timeline: Based on emerging donor opportunities and activated on request.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree required. Master’s or equivalent in a field related to Humanitarian or
• International Development or relevant fields is preferred.
• At least 5 to 7 years’ experience in grants management and/or business development.
• Very strong writer with expert command of English grammar and Associated Press (AP) style.
• Demonstrated experience with competitive proposals in programming contexts like Mercy Corps.
• Familiarity with USG funding mechanisms and proposal requirements. Experience with non-USG public donors is highly desirable (FCDO, ECHO, EU, SDC, SIDA, etc.).
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, and information management systems.
• Experience working in the Africa region and high-risk contexts preferred.
• Proven ability to work cooperatively with internal and external stakeholders, and to play a leadership role in convening groups. Skills in relationship building and coordination.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites and field locations, including travelling to insecure environments, is required.
• Excellent listening, interpersonal, communication and networking skills; and the ability to work with diverse populations
• Skilled at delivering and facilitating training and capacity building interventions, e.g. coaching, mentorship.
• Analytical, problem solver, with strong experience and understanding of project cycle management and coordination.
• High level of self-awareness and self-development, with the maturity to deal with constructive feedback
• The willingness and ability to adapt leadership and management style as appropriate
• Fluency in English is required.
• The ideal consultant is a strategic thinker and experienced professional with a strong track record in donor engagement, fundraising strategy, and partnership development within complex program environments.
• They bring a high degree of independence, can quickly grasp program priorities, and deliver high-quality, actionable outputs within tight timelines.
• The consultant possesses excellent communication and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize information into clear strategic documents and compelling donor materials.
• They are skilled at engaging with diverse teams and external stakeholders, fostering constructive collaboration without requiring day-to-day supervision.
• Strong organizational skills, adaptability, and a results-oriented mindset are essential, along with proven experience in navigating the donor landscape in development and humanitarian contexts.