Grants Manager

The Rene Moawad Foundation is seeking to recruit a Grants Manager for its project titled "Inspiring Girls and Grassroots Networks for Inclusive and Transformative Education IGNITE". 

IGNITE is a consortium funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) though the Support Fund for Feminist Organizations (SFFO) comprising the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Rene Moawad Foundation (RMF), the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), and Urgent Action Fund-Africa (UAF-Africa). Over a period of 19 months, IGNITE will aim at empowering adolescent girls and advance gender equality in seven target countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, namely Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Jordan, Lebanon, and Nigeria.

The overall objective of the project is to facilitate feminist Community Support Organistaion (CSOs) to advance gender-transformative education and empowerment for marginalized adolescent girls, rooted in sustainable and locally driven approaches. IGNITE will be supporting feminist and youth-led CSOs to accelerate gender equality in and through education. This will be achieved through sub-granting and collaborative organizational capacity strengthening in finance, administrative and technical areas, including research.

The Grants Manager will report directly to the Project Director (PD) and work closely with the rest of IGNITE team to ensure smooth implementation of the project activities and overcome challenges:

1. Coordinate and support the PD (from the pre-award phase, to the award phase to the end of the life of the grant) of all grant awards under IGNITE project.
2. Update the grants manual, when needed.
3. Conduct pre-award assessments, organizational capacity assessments and due diligence for grantees, as directed by PD.
4. Prepare all documents needed and organize selection meetings with partners of the consortium.
5. Develop, negotiate, prepare community grants and sub awards.
6. Draft and follow up agreements and contracts and agreements to be signed by the grantees.
7. Responsible of minutes of meetings as per the PD request.
8. Develop terms of reference to outsource consultants as per interventions requirements.

1. Maintain grant filing system, facilitate Grant Development and Review Meetings, and ensure proper documentation of action points.
2. Lead the grants development process as described in the IGNITE grant Manuel.
3. Ensure that implementation of grants and agreements is done in compliance with PSL CA provisions at all stages of the project lifecycle.
4. Monitor the performance of CSOs, grantees sub awards, and expert’s/ Consultancy agreements to meet requested milestones/deliverables. Review their progress and financial reports while ensuring their compliance with grant terms and obligations; and ensure all documentation are on file.
5. Ensure sub-award information is continuously posted/updated on specific portals and social media as per IGNITE requirements.
6. Represent the PD in Grant making working group at IGNITE
7. Update grant trackers on a monthly basis and generate reports of status of grant activities, such as forecasting payments, amendments, close outs; for the local community level grant (i.e. milestones completion, monthly, and bi-yearly reporting).
8. Ensure all required documents are included, complete, accurate and approved by the respective focal points and Managers of the granted CSOs.
9. Conduct field visits when needed and gather information and data.
10. Keeping all grants trackers up-to-date.
11. Review grants payments and assist in grants close-out.
12. Contribute to RMF monthly and yearly progress report.
13. Other tasks as assigned by PD.

Skills and Experience

• At least 8 years of relevant work experience in a similar position including increasingly responsible grants experience 
• Familiarity with AFD and IRC regulations
• Strong writing and editing skills
• Proficiency in Excel and MS Word
• Experience in proposal writing and reviewing
• Experience in budget review and monitoring with development projects
• Demonstrated capacity to work effectively with teams
• Excellent people skills at all levels, cultural sensitivity, ability to work well under pressure, negotiate diplomatically, and the ability to work well in a multicultural and multi-disciplinary work environment 
• Ability to identify alternative solutions in solving complex problems.
• Excellent oral communication skills in Arabic and oral and written communication skills in English
• Ability to prepare presentations and reports
• Willingness to work and travel in all project areas