Senior Grants Manager

The Senior Grants Manager role is to lead the grants team in managing the end-to-end grants process for the programme. The grants will be for matching grants and business development services (BDS) to eligible, qualified and selected SMEs. The SMEs will be identified through the programme's financial institutional partners. The Senior Grants Manager will be expected to take the initiative to drive the delivery of the grants process from SME Application and Assessment to STEP Enrolment and Intervention. The Senior Grants Manager will manage and oversee a Grants Officer and the field team, the SME Relationship Officers, to complete the full grants process. The Senior Grants Manager will also be supported half-time with the Grants/Administrative Officer. The Senior Grants Manager will be expected to be pro-active and heavily involved in the entire grant process flow from documentation, compliance, tracking, policies and procedures and management of the field team. The senior Grants Manager will coordinate efforts with the technical team - SME Head, BDS Head and Social Inclusion and Policy Lead, the finance team - Head of Finance and Operations and the operational teams of the financial institutional partners.
This position requires an experienced, highly organised candidate with strong grants experience, business development experience and hands-on approach in working with an intense international development programme with embedded sensitivities due to the emphasis on Syrian refugees. The Senior Grants Manager will report to the Head of Finance and Operations.

Responsibilities

Overall Porfolio Management

• Manage the overall grant portfolio and ensure activities are on-track to meet targets and impact metrics
• Prepare the grant allocation, disbursements, and forecast schedules, as required
• Track all financial disbursements to grantees
• Review of applications for grants, coordination and following up on action points to track, monitor and report progress with SME Lead, SME Relationship Officers, SME Lead, BDS Lead and MEL Manager
• On-going identification and management of relevant operational risks pertaining to the grants process; engaging key stakeholders and ensuring solutions are implemented in a timely manner
• Provide monthly input on the risk register with regards to risks involving the programmes' grant process

Implementation of grant management processes

• Training and capacity building of programme team and partners to support grant processes and procedures
• Review of grantee applications and supporting compliance documentation to ensure completeness, consistency and adherence to the grant terms
• Issue grant agreements - ensuring the grant agreements are kept up to date and are translated clearly in Arabic
• Project Monitoring: Review, analyse and assess grantees performance against KPIs as per grant agreement; ensure milestones are met in order to release grants
• Review grantees' budget against the receipts and request any additional supporting documentation for release of grant funds
• Review grants budgets against actual grant disbursements and update/advise the Team Leader accordingly
• Focus on continual improvement in the grant management processes ensuring at all times that the grant management function is operating efficiently and effectively
• Maintain and update the grants processes in the STEP Handbook
• Updating of key grant documents and templates for applications, selection, reporting
• Coordinate project expenditure verification and audit
• Maintain a comprehensive information management and filing system that ensures all client contractual documents, reports, key correspondences, etc. are appropriately filed in up-to-date and consistent soft and hard libraries available as needed
• In concert with the finance team, assist program technical leads and operations staff with understanding the reporting and other compliance requirements of the grants
• Ensure timely and accurate payments are made to Grantees throughout the life of the Grants Program
• Inputs to regular reporting to DFID and internally within Palladium

Training, Supervision and Leadership

• Training, supervision and coaching of the team and partners with regards to grants management issues
• Oversight and coordination of SME Relationship Officers in making sure that there is coverage to the SMEs, their portfolios are well managed and up to date
• Ensuring there is an efficient grant process which can select and process SME applications within 2 working days
• Providing information to grantees on reporting to programme standards
• Provide input for the enrolment pack for the SMEs to explain in common, practical terminology the grant requirements of the SME

Requirements

• Required qualifications and professional experience
• University qualification in Business Administration, Economics, Finance or similar fields
• Minimum 7 years' relevant experience working in international development, preferably in private sector development or related fields;
• Experience working with managing a grants programme;
• Experience managing a team of professionals;
• Experience with multi-lateral development projects, preferably with UKAid;
• Outstanding performer who takes a practical approach to solve challenges;
• Team player and willingness to learn and support learning of others;
• Fluency in written and oral communication skills in English and Arabic.