Grants Assistant - ARE Activity

BACKGROUND

The Lebanon Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) activity, funded by USAID and implemented by Chemonics International, supports Lebanese rural and peri-urban communities to obtain technical and financial resources in order to facilitate increased productivity, sales, and exports, improved business income, while also ensuring livelihood sustainability. To support this purpose, ARE will increase jobs; improve incomes; improve female participation and employment opportunities; increase domestic and export sales; increase private sector investment; improve access to finance; link value chain actors to domestic and international markets; and improve production through improved practices, technology, increased volume, and/or decreased cost. ARE supports two key expected results:

1. Increased domestic and export sales at both firm and farm levels.

2. Livelihoods improved, especially in rural areas and for women. 

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Grants Assistant will serve as a member of the Operations, Finance and Grants component. The Grants Assistant will work closely with, and assist, two Grants Managers in performing evaluations and assessments of potential grantees, monitoring financial and operational implementation, and ensuring that close-out is done in accordance with all applicable Chemonics and USAID rules and regulations.

DETAILED RESPONSIBILITIES

Specific Duties and Responsibilities _Grants

• Ensure proper screening for applications received under Annual Program Statements (APS) or Requests for Applications (RFAs).
• Note-taking and drafting meeting minutes.
• Arrange Grants meetings as needed.
• Assist in the evaluation and selection committee process for potential grantees.
• Assist in the pre-award assessment including reviewing applicant’s legal document, financial statements, relevant certifications…and ensure all pre-award documents are complete.
• Assist in reviewing grant payments
• Assist in documentation related to closeout of grant. 
• Assist in creating financial and administrative procedures for monitoring grant expenditures, including appropriate reporting and financial projections on monthly/quarterly bases.  

• Assist in updating the Grants Database Tracker
• Maintain efficient vetting tracking system, collect PIF information from partners and ensure proper vetting process.
• Keep complete files of all documentation generated with each grantee, including applications, contracts and deliverables, communications (posters, press releases, printed documents, media documents), documentation of emails and letters, brief records of all phone conversations. 

• Promote the highest levels of honesty, integrity, openness and transparency in administering grants and subcontract award processes and procedures.  

• Travel to field locations, as needed, to support grants managers in negotiations, implementation, and close-out.  
• Perform any other relevant duties as assigned by the Senior Grants and Procurement Manager and/or the Operations, Finance, and Grants Director.  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or relevant field
• Minimum of two years of experience preferably working on donor-funded projects in a related role and with demonstrated financial skills experience; Applied financial/business skills in agricultural programs are a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in assisting technical teams in day-to-day program operations, basic financial modeling and analysis, and report writing.
• Knowledge of USAID, or other donors preferred.
• Excellent/fluent written and spoken English and Arabic.
• Excellent knowledge in Microsoft Office specifically Excel.

LOCATION OF ASSIGNMENT

The Grants Assistant will be based in the project’s main office in Beirut, with travel throughout the country as needed.

REPORTING

The Grants assistant  will report to the Senior Grants & Procurement Manager.