Sub-Awardee Specialist at TechnoServe

ob Summary:

Reporting to the Senior Finance Specialist with a dotted reporting line to the Grants and Contracts Manager, the Sub Awards Specialist is responsible for working with a portfolio of TechnoServe Nigeria's project sub-recipients to ensure that TechnoServe’s implementation strategy and Donor funds are deployed and utilized according to the intended purpose; providing thorough and diligent oversight. A critical aspect of this position involves working closely with the project team and project manager to ensure accurate activities, financial, and impact reporting, and procedural compliance on awards and sub-awards.Particularly the position works with partners to ensure they meet the accountability requirements of their contracts and generally manage their finances effectively, which involves appropriate partner staff capacity development. This position forms the link between the project and finance team. The position holder will also actively support project procurement and administration activities for the FuFaN project as well.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Project Inception Phase

• With the support of the Program Managers, take the lead on developing a subawardee’s activities and report tracker.
• Support the MEL officer in ensuring Sub awardees follow the project work plan, MEL package, and tools.
• Support SMEs/Aggregators recruitment, develop and maintain an up-to-date tracker of EAs in the assigned communities, and track their performance and activeness.
• Facilitate the process for awarding sub-awards including working with budget holders and the program development team to, ensure that Technoserve’s policies and procedures are applied effectively from selection and partner funding process, completing the approval checklist, obtaining approvals as per threshold, drafting and finalizing the partner funding agreement, providing copies to all relevant stakeholders and filing copies as per the procedure.

Project Implementation Phase

• Take ownership of keeping sub-awardees updated and integrated.
• work with sub-awardees to implement/ administer signed agreements and ensure that the terms, conditions, and requirements are fully understood
• Ensure all project reporting requirements, plans, and timelines are followed by the sub-awardees.
• Provide start-up and periodic training to sub-awardees on financial reporting and templates.
• Prompt review and submission of sub-awards reports and providing feedback on any observed errors or incomplete documentation.
• Prepare and process cash disbursement to sub-awardees.
• Assist sub-awardees in their expense projections according to signed agreements.
• Ensure sub-awardees comply with all statutory requirements.
• Interface with sub-awardees on finance and procurement-related issues.
• Act as a liaison between the Sub Awardees, TechnoServe & stakeholders; ensuring that all Sub-Awards procedures are followed promptly and stakeholders are informed of any requirements for action on their part.
• Support the project manager in a project administration capacity.
• Ensure all procurement concerns are timely and quickly handled for the core project team and sub-awardees.
• Take ownership of the learning centers and track farmer's engagement activities.
• Understand, respect, and promote TechnoServe’s values, vision, and strategy in the implementation of assigned duties.
• Supervise sub-awardee operational expenses accounts.
• Perform other duties in line with the evolving needs of the program.

Basic Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Agricultural Economics, and Agribusiness with a minimum of 3 years’ experience working with and supporting SMEs, with procurement, accounting, capacity building, and operations. Alternatively, a Master’s degree with a minimum of 1 year.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Must have strong interpersonal skills.
• Proven skills with Microsoft Office software (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Knowledge of the use of Comcare, KoBoCollect, and accounting software like Sylogist, etc will be an advantage.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Demonstrated understanding of accounting, procurement budget management, and contracting
• Ability to engage and advise a broad range of stakeholders, especially community leaders,
• Demonstrated experience in data collection and analyses.
• Demonstrated experience with digital and in-person training delivery mechanisms.
• Demonstrated experience in report writing.