Grants Manager at Protection without Borders (POWIB)

Position Summary

• The Grants Manager will oversee the full grants management cycle, from proposal development and donor compliance to reporting and close-out. This role requires a strong understanding of donor regulations, financial management, and compliance systems to ensure effective grant implementation in line with organizational and donor standards.

Key Responsibilities

Grants Planning and Proposal Development

• Lead the coordination and preparation of high-quality concept notes and proposals, ensuring alignment with POWIB’s strategic objectives and donor priorities.
• Facilitate proposal development processes, including budgeting, logical framework design, and coordination with program, finance, and MEAL teams.
• Review all proposals and grant documents for accuracy, completeness, and compliance before submission to donors.
• Support the development of cost proposals and ensure all financial aspects are in line with donor guidelines and internal controls.

Grants Compliance and Donor Relations

• Serve as the focal point for all donor compliance matters, ensuring adherence to each donor’s financial and contractual requirements.
• Review sub-award agreements, partnership MOUs, and donor contracts to identify key compliance obligations.
• Communicate donor rules and regulations to relevant teams and ensure that all staff understand their responsibilities under each grant.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with donors, ensuring timely communication, updates, and issue resolution.

Financial Management and Reporting

• Collaborate with the Finance and Program teams to track expenditures against approved budgets and work plans.
• Monitor burn rates, identify potential under/overspending, and recommend corrective actions as needed.
• Ensure timely preparation and submission of accurate financial and narrative reports to donors, in compliance with required formats and deadlines.
• Review financial reports from sub-grantees and partners to ensure consistency, accuracy, and compliance with donor standards.
• Support internal and external audits by preparing necessary grant documentation and responding to audit findings.

Grant Implementation and Monitoring

• Oversee the implementation of all active grants to ensure objectives, deliverables, and outcomes are achieved within the approved timeframe and budget.

• Conduct regular grant monitoring visits to field offices or project sites to assess performance, verify reported results, and provide technical guidance.
• Work with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team to ensure that grant results frameworks are accurately tracked and reported.
• Identify and mitigate risks related to grant implementation, reporting, and compliance early.

Capacity Building and Systems Strengthening

• Build the capacity of program, finance, and partner staff on grant management, compliance, and reporting requirements.
• Develop and update internal grant management tools, templates, and checklists to improve efficiency and consistency.
• Support the institutionalization of best practices in donor compliance, financial integrity, and partnership management.
• Facilitate regular grants review meetings to share progress, identify challenges, and propose corrective actions.

Documentation, Learning, and Information Management

• Maintain a centralized and well-organized grants management filing system (both hard and soft copies) to ensure easy retrieval and audit readiness.
• Document lessons learned, best practices, and success stories from grant implementation for donor visibility and organizational learning.
• Ensure timely dissemination of grant-related information across departments to promote collaboration and alignment.

Coordination and Representation

• Represent POWIB in donor meetings, coordination forums, and partner workshops where relevant.
• Support strategic networking to identify new funding opportunities and strengthen relationships with funding partners.
• Collaborate closely with management to align grant strategies with overall organizational objectives.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Master’s degree is an added advantage.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in grants management or donor-funded project administration, preferably in an NGO or humanitarian setting.
• Proven experience working with major donors such as NHF, USAID or similar.
• Strong understanding of donor regulations, compliance requirements, and financial reporting standards.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and grants management systems.

Core Skills

• Strong attention to detail and analytical skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Excellent coordination, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ethical conduct, integrity, and confidentiality in handling sensitive grant information.
• Team-oriented, proactive, and adaptable in a dynamic work environment.