Grants Manager at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Scope of work 

Based in Maiduguri, Nigeria the Grants Manager will provide grant management, business development and reporting support across the Nigeria portfolio. The Grants Manager will work closely with program, M&E finance, operations and senior management team (SMT) staff to ensure quality management of both pre and post award grants functions. The Grants Manager will support donor compliance, timely reporting, high quality proposal development, project document filing, preparing donor briefs and donor/internal visibility. The position holder will be supervised by the Senior Grants Coordinator and will work closely with other grants, partnerships, and communications managers. 

Areas of responsibility:

Information management 

• Act as custodian of documentation of institutional knowledge and program activities in coordination with relevant sector supervisors and coordinators. 
• Maintain comprehensive electronic files for programs, and ensure IRC colleagues and have access to relevant records and information.

Donor relations and communications

• Liaise with donors and potential donors, and other operational partners, including through attendance at meetings, and representing IRC and IRC’s interests by maintaining positive and constructive relations.
• In coordination with relevant colleagues, respond to requests from donors for compliance information and respond to donor compliance questions as needed.
• Ensure that relevant staff members are aware of all donor communications, changes in regulations, and meetings or events.
• Facilitate and participate in donor visits and/ or meetings.
• Develop external communication materials including factsheets and program updates
• Compliance
• Maintain up to date comprehensive knowledge of donor guidelines relevant to  the Nigeria portfolio, including but not limited to: USAID, FCDO, ECHO, UNOCHA.
• Provide training to IRC staff on compliance and donor-specific compliance requirements.
• Closely monitor grants for internal or donor compliance issues, and flag concerns in a timely manner. 

Grant management and business development 

• With the support of the Senior Grants Coordinator, coordinate the development of quality proposals and narrative reports with relevant teams, including acting as lead writer when necessary.
• Liaise with HQ units (Regional Unit, Awards Management Unit, Technical Units) to ensure proposals meet internal standards and are responsive to donor requirements.
• Support program staff to assess funding opportunities in line with IRC Nigeria’s strategic objectives and the local context, advising on these as required.
• Work with program coordinators and managers to coordinate the timely development of high quality new funding proposals and reports.
• Work closely with other members of the grants unit to proactively support grants management processes across the portfolio. 
• Monitor and support the use of grant/project management tools  to ensure accurate tracking of opportunities, reporting and programmatic adjustments through the project life cycle.
• Provide technical guidance on IRC and donor regulations to ensure compliance across IRC Nigeria, proactively raising and resolving issues.
• Manage all reporting deadlines, and coordinate and consolidate reports as necessary to ensure documents are of the highest quality and in line with donor requirements.
• Act as a focal point for HQ grants administration and compliance colleagues, including maintaining submissions on IRC’s online opportunity management tracking system (OTIS).
• Contribute proactively to Project Cycle Meetings in collaboration with relevant project leads to ensure timely, quality implementation of project.
• Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Senior Grants Coordinator.

Key working relationships:

• Position reports to:  Senior Grants Coordinator.
• Position directly supervises: N/A
• Internal contacts: Grants, Partnerships, Communications, Finance, M&E, HR, Supply Chain, Safety and Security, Field Coordinators, Base Managers, AMU, Technical Units, and others as appropriate.
• External contacts: Partners, donors, and others as appropriate. 

Person specification:

• Bachelors degree or equivalent in international affairs, development, international political economy or other relevant subject
• 2-3 years working in grants management and proposal/ business development/ design
• Knowledge of donor compliance regulations (BHA, USAID, ECHO, FCDO, GAC, etc)
• Proven previous successful experience developing projects, writing proposals and donor reports.
• Good communicator with strong organizational, time management and analytical skills
• Fluency in English, spoken and written
• Strong writing and editing skills with close attention to detail
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures but also use own initiative, meet deadlines, and work independently and cooperatively with team members
• Flexibility to adapt to changing requirements and circumstances
• Ability to juggle competing priorities, meet deadlines and work under pressure in an insecure environment
• Aptitude to adapt to a different context regarding security, culture, climate or health issues
• Willingness to travel 
• Commitment to women’s rights and IRC’s vision, mission and values, including sensitivity to cultural settings