Operations, Partnership and Grant Manager (Re-Advertisement) at GOALPrime Organization Nigeria (GPON)

POSITION SUMMARY.

The Operations Support, Grant and Partnership Manager will provide strategic leadership and operational management for GPON Programme, helps to ensure compliance with donor requirements at all stages of the project lifecycle, with a focus on ensuring effective and efficient operations, adherence to security protocols, and Grants & Partners management. The role encompasses responsibilities related to;

• Operational planning: logistics, procurement, financial management, security management, team management, and compliance with organizational policies and procedures.
• Timely and quality reporting to donors, facilitating grant opening and closeout processes:  advising on donor rules and regulations, support coordinating proposal development processes, and capacity building of staff and implementing partners.

Key Responsibilities and Duties.

Grants Management & Compliance

•  Advise program teams, support departments, and implementing partners on donor rules and regulations as well as GPON’s internal requirements and actively promotes increased awareness of key compliance issues across the organization;
• Ensure the submission of high quality narrative reports to donors.
• Maintain up to date reporting schedule and ensure information sharing to all relevant staff so that reports are adequately anticipated;
• Organize and lead grant opening meetings with the participation of program and support departments to develop a common understanding of the programmatic, operational, and financial aspects of a new grant as well as knowledge of our contractual requirements;
• Organize and lead grant closing meetings to facilitate a timely closeout of a grant, support full expenditure of the budget, and ensure that all contractual obligations will be met (e.g. final report, asset disposal);
• Lead monthly grant review meetings with representation from all relevant departments to review progress towards programmatic and financial targets (including BvA review), facilitate collective problem-solving to avoid delays in program implementation, and allow for early identification of modification requests;
• Drive the grants modification process by supporting  the CD to coordinate the preparation of modification requests for donors, including proposal revision, budget realignment, and other changes, in compliance with donor guidelines;
• Strengthen GPON staff capacities on report writing, donor compliance, etc.
• Act as GPON Grant Focal Point (GFP)   set-up      grant agreements sign-off, drive Grants different kick-off tools,  and develop donors  waivers and derogations different requests, etc.;
• Participate in Grant Compliance Call and notate on the Compliance items for further follow up.
• Maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date filing system on all aspects of Grants management. And update the Grants Matrix on a monthly basis.

Partnership Management

• Collaborate with relevant staff to identify partnerships opportunities with local and national civil society organizations, through regular stakeholder analysis process and networking with actors in Nigeria;
• Oversee, facilitate and coordinate all aspects of partnership life cycle management, from stakeholder analysis, partner identification, due diligence, project development, agreement, start-up, implementation, monitoring through to close-out, coordinating effectively with all program, operations and finance components;
• Supervise the pre-award due diligence processes for all new partnerships, including through vetting, Monitoring the pre-award assessment with other departments, analysis of risks associated with the award and the identification and implementation of appropriate measures to manage the risks, working with other departments as appropriate;Supervise  the organizational capacity assessments process of all new partners using GPON standard tools as per the partnership management framework;Support the development of sub-grant agreements and any subsequent modifications;
• Coordinate and ensure the effective startup of partnership, including sub-grants opening meetings and close out meetings with partners, programs, MEAL, technical and other departments, as relevant.
• Support the development of a tailored capacity building plan for each partner (as needed) to address the gaps identified through due diligence and organizational capacity assessments and monitor the successful implementation of those plans;
• Conduct capacity building assessments and activities for partners, including training workshops and one-on-one mentoring of key staff on donor rules and regulations, report writing, and other areas as needed;Ensure and coordinate feedback process to partners with regards to the quality and performance of the partnership against the sub-award i.e. partnership scorecards;Maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date Partnership tracker as well a filing system on all aspects of sub-grants management;Improve partnership practices by periodically assessing GPON’s partnership management approach taking into account diverse perspectives (both GPON’s and partners’), developing case studies to capture lessons learned and best practices, and making recommendations for improvement.

Program Development

• Support the CD with the proposal development processes in country, including reviewing and improving draft proposals, concept notes and addressing feedback from the country management and regional team;Ensure that the entire proposal package adheres to donor guidelines and meets the selection criteria;Lead the development and implementation of the country fundraising strategy, including conducting donor mapping, researching donor priorities and interests.

Leadership and Implementation

• Develop operational and country strategic plan.Develop/ Adopt/ Review systems and procedures related to Operations, Finance & Grants.Ensure organizational risks are identified, mitigated, and managed adequately including fraud and corruption.
• Provide productive input in the development and/or review of Operational plans at the country level.
• Review the preparation of project-specific supply and procurement plans and annual logistic plans and reports about progress.

Operational Management 

• Ensure the department’s operations are conducted in line with GPON policies, procedures and standards, donor rules, and local regulation
• Ensure training and capacity building is provided to staff and local partners
• Ensure adequate control mechanisms for Operations are in place.
• Coordinate international procurement and NFI when necessary and manage the importation and customs clearance of goods with the support of the Operations Coordinator.Identify procurement needs and other Logistics requirements to support effective emergency response when required.Ensure audit actions for Operations are followed up and implemented in a timely manner.Perform regular needs analysis for the Programme and support services, taking appropriate actions when necessary.
• Ensure the team is effectively supported administratively with general office needs, including travel arrangements and visitor protocols for staff, lease agreements for offices, maintenance, and operation of the office are taken care of effectively, and other admin tasks.Propose fleet measures by lease/rental when necessary.

Financial Management 

• Establish and review financial management systems, procedures, and controls to ensure compliance, transparency, and effective resource utilization.Lead the annual budgeting process for GPON Programme and prepare new proposal budgets and financial reviews in coordination with Finance team.Manage program budgets, monitor financial disbursements, and ensure compliance with GPON's and donors' regulations and policies.Monitor program burn rates, and develop expense trackers, accruals, and spending projections.Manage the end-of-year closing and audits, including those commissioned by donors.Coordinate designated project audits and oversee monthly billing and reimbursements.Provide financial approval for the development of FADs (Funding Approval Documents) and agreements.Lead on developing Funding Agreement Documents in coordination with relevant GPON Offices staff and ensures appropriate follow-ups including signatures are in place.Assist in budget development, realignments, and spend-down plans with partners.
• Communication and VisibilityProvide briefing papers and support the development of external communication tools relevant for donor visits/meetings;
• Contribute to the development of a comprehensive communication strategy to promote GPON work; 
• Ensure GPON visibility materials are aligned with internal and donor guidelines.

Ensure coordination with donors’ communication focal points to coordinate visibility activities and obtain necessary approvals as needed.

Experience and skills required for the role

• Master's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience;
• At least 5 years of progressive experience in grants management, partnership  and proposal development in international relief or development programs, including field experience;
• Excellent writing and speaking skills in English and demonstrated ability to write and edit reports and proposals under tight deadlines;
• Strong knowledge of the rules and regulations of major institutional donors such as, United Nations, ECHO, European Commission, US Government donors (e.g. BPRM, USAID);
• Experience conducting capacity building activities and enthusiasm to share knowledge and information with others;
• Working knowledge of budget development and management;
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively with colleagues in a multi-cultural setting;
• Ability to work independently, set priorities, and manage time efficiently;
• Demonstrated leadership and management skills, including ability to give effective feedback and to guide and mentor direct reports;
• Proficient in Microsoft Office.