Grants Officer - LHSS Nigeria at ABT Associates

Opportunity

• The Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) Project is a 5-year, $209 million global task order that works to strengthen health systems as a means to achieve universal health coverage and improve population health and well-being. Interventions will focus on reducing financial barriers, holding health services accountable for meeting all clients’ needs and making sure that the care patients receive meets minimum standards.
• LHSS’s Nigeria activity will support the Government of Nigeria to support targeted states to expand sustainable pro-poor health financing options to reduce health inequalities, improve access to essential health services for the most vulnerable populations, and increase government expenditure on health services for greater sustainability of health service delivery.
• The activity tentatively has five main objectives:
  • Financial risk protection
  • Increased health coverage
  • Increase number of fully functional facilities
  • Increase utilization of state health insurance schemes
  • Increase government funding for HIV/AIDs and TB services.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate closely with Home Office Grants Manager to draft Grant Strategy during project inception and start up.
• Contribute to the design of Request for Applications (RFAs), and the Grants Program Statement (GPS), that meet all program objectives and requirements.
• Manage the grants competition process: announcing the competition, holding the solicitation/orientation workshops, answering the questions posed in the workshops and sharing them with prospective applicants through the USAID Local Health System Sustainability Grants email, receiving applications, and preparing the packages to be reviewed by the Grant Evaluation Committee (GEC).
• Work with the COP and F&A Director to convene the grants evaluation committee, document the GEC comments and shortlist summary, draft rejection emails and inform the shortlisted of the next steps, and prepare the competition summary and selection document.
• Work with the short-listed grantees, to address comments and concerns raised by the Grant Evaluation Committee to finalize their proposals.
• Liaise with short-listed grantees to finalize budgets and budget narratives, ensuring that all costs are reasonable and necessary; obtain documentation to support budgeted costs for payroll, rent, utilities and other shared or unique costs.
• Conduct the pre-assessment tool with short-listed grantees, analyze the results and determine what supporting documentation is required to address any concerns.
• Prepare grant package including, the grant agreement, cost analysis, grantees security check documents, etc.
• Work with the F&A Director, COP, and Technical Leads to process the grants and subcontracts in unification with the Abt Associates, Nigeria and headquarters contracts team.
• Manage the grant agreement awarding notifications and signing process. 
• Manage the orientation & kick off workshops/meetings. Prepare the information provided to the grantees during these meetings to insure that is accurate and up-to-date and lead the orientation workshop for the grantees.
• Conduct field visits to the assigned grantees and participate and attend key events and activities.
• Provide guidance and monitoring for the F&A Director, ensuring clarity over grants plans and priorities and encouraging effective team work.
• Contribute to developing best practices and tools for grants execution and management.
• Develops and delivers team plans, documentation, trainings, presentations and budget proposals to management and staff.
• Contribute to identifying and resolving project issues and implementing improvement plans to ensure project stays on schedule and within budget.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly reports to contribute to the Management and integration team progress reports.
• Any other tasks requested by the Finance and Administration Director, COP, or Home Office Grants Manager.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree + Five years of relevant experience, or Master’s Degree + Three years of relevant experience, or PhD.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous field experience on USAID-funded projects in Nigeria. Experience managing USAID grants and/or proven expertise in USAID Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) highly desirable.
• Strong relationship management skills. Must be able to manage relationships with internal and external program stakeholders and partners.
• Good computer skills, including excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Ability and track record of working as part of a busy team and working effectively under pressure to tight deadlines.
• Excellent written and spoken English required.

Remuneration
Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits.