Regional Grants and Business Development Specialist

Description

Action Against Hunger-USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network, which provides humanitarian relief in over 40 countries worldwide in the sectors of nutrition, health, water/sanitation, and food security. Action Against Hunger-USA, an independent NGO, currently manages operations in 8 countries: Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Haiti and Zambia. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $100 million in programs, and approximately 2000 staff based in in the various country offices and the three Head Quarter Locations of New York City, Washington D.C, Nairobi. Additional growth is anticipated.

Summary of position

The Regional Grants and Business Development Specialist will contribute to advance the organization’s agenda through strategic leadership in business development, strategic partnerships and collaborations, programmes execution, compliance and donor reporting. He/She will also lead in developing country capacities and providing technical support in aforementioned components.

Purpose

The Grants and Business Development Specialist provides strategic guidance, oversight and technical support across the regional portfolio with emphasis on strategic partnerships, grants acquisition, execution, management, compliance and donor reporting.

Engagement

The role-holder will closely collaborate and coordinate with multiple teams at various levels in the organization. The position coordinates with senior management and leads strategic discussions in the technical area. He/she also collaborates with international network member Business Development, Grants/Awards team. Further, he/she interacts with regional and country level sector coordinators, grants managers, business development teams, finance, logistics and H.R leads at country and regional level.

Delivery

The position will be responsible for delivering an efficient and effective Business Development cycle through established policies, procedure and systems. This entails development and execution of business development plans, timely and quality development of Donor Proposals, effective monitoring of grants processes; timely and quality donors reporting, and effective coordination between Country offices, regional and headquarters. Objective 1: Business Development

• Develop and review the Country Business development plans to support the achievement of the goals set in the country strategies.

• Support effective prepositioning for significant donor opportunities including partnership engagement in collaboration with country leadership.

• Provide technical support, training and coaching for grants/awards team for assigned countries in key areas of Business development and proposal writing

• Coordinate technical review process for proposals and concept notes developed at country level.

• Ensure that Key staff (including partners’) have a clear understanding of donor compliance requirements during proposal development.

• In close collaboration with stakeholders at country and regional level, formulate concept note(s) and proposals to international and local donors.

• Ensure the coherence and technical quality of the overall proposal package prior to submission- coordinating with key departments- Programmes, Finance, logistics, H.R

Objective 2: Strategic Grants Management support

• Provide technical support, guidance and coaching to country teams on grants management policies, procedures and processes.
• Lead coordination with network members to ensure effective execution of projects in assigned countries.
• Lead grant related meetings at regional level for multi-country grants and participate in country-level program review meetings.
• Support country level Grants management teams in organizing project cycle management meetings i.e. kick-off, review, closure meetings.
• Support the Grants management teams in ensuring that final agreement packages (Narrative, Budgets, Work plans etc.) are shared with program/technical and support teams on time and highlight relevant donor compliance regulations.
• Support and participate in field level program monitoring visits in collaboration with other technical, operational and MEAL teams.
• Maintain grant-tracking systems and ensure regular updates with new grants.

Objective 3: Donor Reporting

• Provide technical support, training and coaching for grants/awards team for countries on best practices for donor reporting.
• Support regional grants and reporting officer in maintaining systems for tracking donor reports in the region, and support the Grants management team to prepare, update, and share regularly donor and internal reporting schedules.
• Support the country office teams to produce high quality program reports as per donor and AAH requirements - providing templates and guidance as required.
• Coordinate process of donor reports review by regional office technical and finance teams.
• Support regional office grants management team in the overall reporting procedures with a good deal of attention to detail like proof reading, copy editing, reports compilations, update preparations, and presentations.
• Lead coordination with network members to ensure quality reports are submitted timely to donors.

Objective 4: Donor Compliance

• Provide training and support to country teams and partners/sub-awardees on donor compliance.
• Disseminate key donor compliance and regulations requirements across the regional and country offices.
• Support that grants are implemented in compliance with AAH and relevant donors regulations.
• Support country teams in review of partnership and teaming agreements and support in coordinating their reviews with relevant focal persons.

Objective 5: Documentation and Other tasks as assigned

Support the development and maintenance of a comprehensive information management and filing system that ensures all grants documents (contractual documents, reports, key correspondences, modifications, etc.) are appropriately filed in up-to-date and consistent soft libraries available as needed.

Other tasks that may be assigned by the line manager.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Functional supervision: This position supervises Grants and Reporting Officer.

Gender Equality Commitments

• Foster an environment that supports values of women and men, and equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.

• Value and respect all cultures.

  **Fiscal Responsibility- N/A

  **Physical Demands**** - While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.

Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends if necessary.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business purposes. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases.

Benefits

Action Against Hunger-USA provides all staff with an attractive salary & benefits package. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees & qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Action Against Hunger-USA complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.

Application Process.

Interested? Then apply for this position by clicking on the apply button. All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated resume and both must be in the same language as this vacancy note. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Requirements

Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Degree in International development, Humanitarian assistance, Project Management, Social sciences, Public health or any other relevant field. Postgraduate qualification will be an added advantage.
• 10 years of demonstrable experience in-country grant portfolio management, fundraising, external engagement/networking.
• Extensive experience in fundraising and meeting revenue targets
• Experience working with diverse donors i.e., SIDA, WFP, UNICEF, OCHA, GFFO, USAID, ECHO and GAC
• Demonstrable experience of proposal development and reporting.
• Solid experience in strategic planning, program development, project management, monitoring and evaluation.
• Advanced English language proficiency

Required Skills & Competencies

• Solid experience in managing complex programs, large budgets and diverse teams
• Strong cross-cultural experience (including leading programs in fragile and stable contexts)
• Experience building partnerships with donors, government and other stakeholders including representing a country office in UN and donor coordination mechanisms
• Strong team management skills and experience collaborating with key business partners i.e., finance, HR, supply chain management and ensuring that programs receive timely project support and inputs
• Strong coordination and organization skills, planning, rigorous, analytic and detail oriented.