Grants Manager

What works to prevent violence – impact at scale (what works ii / ww2)

Programme Scope

IRC is seeking three Grants Managers to support a seven-year Programme funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to improve prevention and response to violence against women and girls. The ‘What Works to Prevent Violence – Impact at Scale’ Programme will build on the success of its predecessor (‘What Works I’) to prevent and contribute to eliminating violence against women and girls (VAWG) by:

• Systematically designing, implementing and rigorously evaluating a range of approaches to scaling up violence prevention efforts, translating proof-of-concept evidence into robust, largescale Programmes and strategies.

• Designing, piloting and testing new theory-driven violence prevention approaches (innovation).

• Strengthening long-term capability and capacity to deliver cutting-edge, evidence-based violence prevention Programmes across the Programme’s grantees, the UK Government (principally FCDO), and developing country governments; and

• Using evidence to influence a more effective, scaled-up global response to end VAWG.

The Purpose of the Role

The Grants Manager is responsible for managing a portfolio of grants to be allocated to awardees during the period of the fund management under the What Works 2 contract. Each Grant Manager will be expected to manage up to eight grants each. The Grants Manager will play a critical role in ensuring timely and accurate grant reporting, tracking grant spending, developing spending plans, and managing internal disbursement of grant funding to awardees.

The role will also provide key support to the Senior Operations Manager, Fund Management, and work closely with Programme Finance Coordinator and Finance Officers to coordinate programmatic and budgetary monitoring, compliance with donor and internal IRC rules and regulations and other key functions as required.

Scope and Authority

Authority:

• This position has no direct line management authority but has authority to advise the What Works II Finance Officers and Senior Operations Manager.

Responsibility for Resources:

• This position is not a budget holder but is required to manage and oversee grants budgets

• Responsible for monitoring portfolio of grants (progress and spending reports); and preparation of donor financial and narrative reports for a portfolio of smaller grants and contracts;

• Responsible for risk management and compliance of allocated grants in collaboration with the Awards Management Unit’s Compliance Team; and

• Supports the Senior Operations Manager, Fund Management on other Fund Management tasks as required.

Key Working Relationships

Position reports to: Senior Operations Manager, Fund Management

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

o Internal: What Works 2 team including Programme Finance Coordinator and Finance Officers; regular communication with other IRC departments, including Grants, Operations and Analytics Team (GOAT) for Technical Excellence, Finance, and the Awards Management Unit

o External: Interact with grantees with regards to technical and finance/contract management.

Key responsibilities

Grant Management and Monitoring

• Support the full life cycle of funding rounds as follows:

•Develop, co-facilitate and guide competitive partner selection processes to identify partners for this project;

• Review proposals and budgets and support key technical staff in this task before Project Lead sign off; and

• Support Partner Identity and Background Review (vetting/due diligence) processes and documentation, including completion of the report and/or review of submitted reports and by senior officers.

• Support in the agreement and review appropriate partnership agreement type and draft agreement, taking into account the due diligence outcomes and specific project and donor requirements.

• Coordinate technical support required for the effective management of the grants.

• Coordinate the management and monitoring of grants funded portfolio following the award, and ensure that the funded projects continue to comply with the terms and conditions set in the grant agreement.

• Develop and maintain an in-depth understanding of grants, donor compliance, and budget conditions and status.

• Contribute to the What Works 2 programme grants risk register, to identify, monitor and mitigate against any key risks to programme delivery, and update the Senior Operations Manager, Fund Management.

• Support and participate in timely and effective grants funded portfolio program, finance, and compliance review and reflection (monitoring), and work with the fund management staff, Technical Coordinators, M&E and finance staff to address any project performance issues.

• Update the What Works 2 grants management portal as required.

• Attend and actively participate in all grant/contract related meetings.

• Manage and coordinate the approval of agreements, amendments, cost extensions and no-cost extensions for grants/contracts.

• Utilize existing IRC standard grant management processes (OTIS, project cycle meetings, etc.) and develop new tools or reporting formats to enhance grants management.

• Work closely with Finance Officers, Programme Funding Coordinator, Senior Operations Manager, technical unit and headquarters-based finance staff to ensure accuracy of the WWII grants reports and promptly identify and advise the WWII Team on areas of concern.

• Undertake regional monitoring visits to grant partners and project sites (subject to travel and security approvals)

Financial Management and Compliance

• Work closely with What Works 2 Finance team to ensure accurate reports are produced in a timely manner, and that confirmed expenditure reports and forecasts are submitted to FCDO, as agreed.

• Maintain an overview of grants funded portfolio and monitoring and ensure that appropriate controls and decisions are made regarding timely release of funds to grantees.

• Support the Project Finance officer in preparing and reviewing milestones calculation ensuring grantee costs are reflective of required costs.

• Work with the project team to develop tools to implement sound financial management (e.g. cash flow management tools, invoice trackers, forecasting).

Communications

• Maintain regular communications with grantees and build relationships with strategic programme partners

• Maintain effective communication with Partnership Excellence Team to ensure effective fund management

Job Requirements

Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:

• Degree in gender, social work, public health, international development, or related field (or equivalent work experience in a relevant field)

• Between 5 to 7 years of related and demonstrable work experience, preferably for an International Non-Governmental Organization managing a considerable number of grants or contracts

• Excellent organizational skills

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to effectively liaise with a variety of people in a multi-cultural environment and work in a virtual team

• Flexible work attitude, proactive and demonstrated creativity: the ability to work productively in a team environment and the ability to problem solve creatively with minimal guidance

Experience:

• Experience managing a portfolio of grants and projects throughout implementation, including monitoring progress against milestones, budget, risk and compliance

• Knowledge of working on grant making funds and good understanding of project/grant management cycle, including assessments, selection, contract, implementation, monitoring and evaluation

• Understanding of project management methodology

• Ability to develop excellent relationships with multiple project partners and stakeholders including governments, donors, and civil society

• Experience working closely and managing relationships with grantees

• Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and project partners, in writing, face to face or on the telephone

• Ability to define and communicate (written / verbal) grant management processes tailored to specific requirements

• Proven ability to operate in a complex organisation, across functions and work on own initiative as well as collaboratively as part of diverse teams

• Ability to meet deadlines, and to work in a pressurized environment

• Ability to manage a complex and varied workload, work under pressure, and travel regularly to insecure environment

• Excellent written and oral English communication skills. Other language skills are an asset

• Excellent IT skills (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel).

Desirable

• Experience with commercial contracts, including FCDO

• Knowledge of FCDO’s rules and regulations

• Prior experience working in countries where IRC operates

• Project Management Skills

• Other language skills

• Experience in feminist grant making

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.