Operational Funding Desk Advisor at the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA)

Starting Date: June, 2018.
Contract: Open Ended Contract, 3 months probationary period renewable once - maximum 6 months of probationary period.

Location Description

• The Operational Funding Desk Advisor as well as the rest of the Nigeria Desk team will be based in Abuja with regular visits to the field and to our operational headquarter in Dakar, Senegal.

Objectives

• The Operational Funding Desk Advisor is responsible for securing funding from donors and grant management with donors. The Senior Grants Manager is responsible for maintaining the relationship with donors and support the securing fundings for ongoing and planned projects.
• The Operational Funding Desk Advisor is the direct technical referent for the grant managers working in country with project team.

Main Activities
The Senior Grants Manager will be responsible for all grant management for the country, along with the Finance Coordinator for budget follow up.

Support the mission to secure funding for the projects:

• The Operational Funding desk advisor will actively research funding opportunities for the projects and the mission, including future projects, by maintaining a good knowledge of ALIMAs operations and the humanitarian context, by maintaining relationships with humanitarian actors on a local level and by maintaining a good relationship with donors and a good knowledge of donors strategy and process, including donors not funding ALIMA.
• He is supported on this aspect by the Donors relationship team in Dakar.

Maintain relationship with donors:

• The Desk manager is the official ALIMA representant in Abudja, however the Operational Funding desk advisor is responsible of maintaining regular relationship with donors, providing regular information on on going operation and maintaining an open dialogue throughout the year.
• During the months of contract negociation the Operational Funding desk advisor is responsible for the follow up of the negociation at every step and can take over the negociation if needed (from the project team or the desk manager). Also he will ensure relationship with donors regarding grant management, including contractual requirement, in coordination with the project team.

Support the project team and Grant Managers to deliver quality concept notes and proposal according to operational strategy and support project development:

• The Operational Funding desk advisor participe and advise the project team on project development and program strategy. He provide support to grant manager to write strong concept notes and proposal for donors.
• He proof read, comment, correct and validate Concept Notes and Proposal to make sure they include strong technical and operational analysis, demonstrate good knowledge of context and risk, present sound strategic vision and are coherent with budget and are aligned with donor guideline.
• If needed he write concept note or participate in the writing of regional project.

Advise on grant management and contractual requirement:

• The Operational Funding desk advisor provide information and advise the desk and project team regarding donors regulation and contractual requirement.
• He support grant manager to make sure that operations and engagement toward donors are aligned, or be able to propose contractual modification to donors if operational plans changes.

Support and supervise narrative reporting to donors and partner:

• The Operational Funding desk advisor support and supervise the grant managers regarding narrative report.
• The Grant Managers are responsible for the writing and elaboration of narrative reporting, according to contractual requirement and with strong operational monitoring and analysis.
• Theyl work with the operational team to write precise, detailed, and clear report, according to donors requirement and format and within deadlines.

Requested skills
Experience and knowledge:

• 3 years minimum managing grant and reporting to donors, in an humanitarian setting, at project or country level
• Knowledge of process and rules of main donors (ECHO, OFDA, UN …)
• Good understanding of health and nutrition project
• Coaching and training skills to support the grant managers.

Language:

• English as a native language
• Advanced level of written and oral expression in french

Salary

• This is an HQ position and as such is paid according to HQ compensation and benefits policies which are different from expatriate positions since the position and contract are long term.
• Total cash package: equivalent to 2150 Euros net, after tax.

Benefits:

• Travel costs between the employee’s country of origin and Abuja, Nigeria, unless recruited locally;
• Five weeks annual leave per year as well as a recovery system for days spent on work travels; + one additional month paid leave after 3 years at HQ
• One round trip per year between Abuja and the employee’s country of origin for the employee and her / his dependents + one individual round trip ;
• One-off relocation allowance at the beginning of the contract in Abuja;
• School annual enrollment fees for children from 2 to 18, according to the ALIMA HQ policy;
• Medical cover insurance including repatriation insurance for the employee and her/ his dependents, as per the definition of our insurer.