Grants Manager at Creative Associates International

Job ID: 2020-1206
Category: Grants Management

Overview

• Creative Associates seeks a Grants Manager for the anticipated Reacting to Early Warning and Response Data in West Africa II (REWARD II) project
• The Grants Manager will provide administrative and technical guidance and support to the Project Director and remotely oversee local grants staff to administer small fixed amount awards to local civil society organizations in Guinea, Benin, Togo and two additional West African countries around electoral violence prevention.

Project Summary
Creative Associates International (Creative) will be implementing an anticipated regional project - Reacting to Early Warning and Response Data in West Africa II (REWARD II) - to:

• Provide capacity building to the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) National Centers for the Coordination of Response Mechanisms (NCCRMs) to enhance conflict early warning and response systems; and
• Support national and local stakeholders in five countries to mitigate electoral conflict triggers before they escalate into violence.

Reporting and Supervision:

• The Grants Manager will report to the Chief of Party, located in Abuja, Nigeria.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical support to the USAID REWARD team in conducting an initial screening of applications to sift out ineligible applicants;
• In coordination with the USAID REWARD team, coordinate the process of preparing grant agreements for successful applicants;
• Provide advisory assistance to NGO grant applicants and assist in the review of grant submissions;
• Facilitate the evaluation of grant submissions for technical and budget soundness and compliance with donor regulations, recommending award actions to the project team;
• Oversee and support grant programming implementation by USAID REWARD’s sub-grantees in target countries – ensuring timely and compliant implementation of grant activities, milestones, and deliverables;
• Coordinate the issuance of awards and maintain grant documentation through the development and upkeep of a grants database;
• Assist with the preparation of scheduled and special reports, studies and analyses regarding the small grants program implemented in the target countries;
• Manage project grants using Creative’s online grants management system, the System for Managing Activities, Reporting and Tracking (SMART);
• Support grantees and colleagues in the use of SMART through training and mentoring, as needed;
• Prepare scheduled and special reports, studies and analyses regarding the grants program, as needed;
• Develop grant guidelines, processes, and procedures, training staff members on these procedures, and addressing all grant-related questions; and
• Work closely with Creative Associates’ headquarters grants department, as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Management, Financial Analysis or Accounting desirable; Master's Degree preferred;
• At least six (6) years of experience with sub-grants management, preferably in West Africa; eight (8) years of working in international development;
• Strong understanding of USAID regulations and procedures pertaining to grants management, and ability to interpret and explain USAID regulations;
• Demonstrated ability to perform complex tasks and to prioritize multiple projects;
• Ability to analyze technical and cost proposals and prepare reports and recommendations on whether applicants should be funded or not;
• Ability to analyze budget line items for compliance with budget guidelines;
• Proven records maintenance and database management skills; and
• Fluency in English is required; fluency in French is desired.