Senior Grants Manager

Job Overview:

The Senior Grants Manager will contribute to overall grants management at IRC Ethiopia. This position reports to the Grants Coordinator and is based in Addis Ababa with occasional trips to field sites, if needed. The Senior Grants Manager will supervise Grants team members and oversee the overall grants management of their portfolio, including:

• Management of grants within the portfolio
• Collaboration with all Grants and Partnership Unit members
• Coordination with program teams, technical coordinators, operations, and finance teams

Major Responsibilities:

Proposals

• Oversee and lead the coordination of proposal development and amendments, working with program staff and gathering input from various stakeholders.
• Ensure proper review of new proposals or amendments prior to HQ and donor submission.
• Oversee budget development for newly assigned proposals and amendments.
• Ensure proper review of new budgets and modifications prior to donor submission.
• Coordinate and develop budget narratives, edit proposals, and ensure proper management procedures are followed.
• Monitor and support the use of management tools such as Budget vs. Actual (BVA).
• Liaise with IRC NY, UK & DG grant units to ensure proposals meet internal standards.

Reporting

• Oversee all reporting for the portfolio Grants and ensure quality control of reports.
• Coordinate HQ reviews and approvals before submission to the donor.
• Send out monthly info to team members on all reports due in the coming 60 days.
• Ensure timely submission of reports to donors, ensuring coherence and accuracy.
• Maintain the internal reporting tracker and ensure all reporting info is up to date.
• Coordinate with Grant Managers to set up Project Cycle Meetings (PCM).
• Ensure proper grants management of portfolio grants and keep systems updated.
• Monitor burn rates and implementation progress, flagging issues to relevant teams.

IRC and Donor Compliance

• Review donor agreements and coordinate their review with the relevant IRC HQ office.
• Ensure grants are implemented in compliance with IRC and relevant donor regulations.
• Obtain compliance guidance from HQ and/or Donors as needed.
• Oversee the development of compliance Grant Summary Sheets for portfolio grants.

Communications and Information Management

• Act as a focal point for all donor communications in the assigned portfolio.
• Lead and coordinate donor field visits and follow up on feedback.
• Oversee the distribution of documentation related to specific programs.
• Ensure an updated inventory of all communications related to programs/donors.
• Oversee visibility requirements for grants in the portfolio.
• Ensure timely updates to donors on new developments and changes.

Team Management and Capacity Building

• Oversee and lead the Grants Portfolio team to deliver high-quality results.
• Conduct regular 1-on-1 meetings with grants team members.
• Provide orientation and on-the-job training to Grants team members.

Administrative/Other

• Ensure OTIS and Shared Drive (Box) are up to date for all assigned proposals and grants.
• Secure all OTIS approvals for assigned proposals prior to submission.
• Complete special projects as assigned by the Grants Coordinator.
• Backstop the Grants Coordinator as needed.

Safeguarding Responsibilities:

• Promote and actively participate in initiatives to build team engagement and inclusion.
• Foster ongoing learning and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and promote IRC values.

Minimum Qualifications

Educational Requirement

• BA degree required; Master’s degree in International Affairs, Social Sciences, Accounting, Economics, or STEM (Science, Technology, and Math) strongly preferred.

Work Experience and Skills

• 4 years of experience for degree holders and/or 3 years of experience for master's holders.
• At least 1 year of managerial experience.
• Experience in program management and/or grants management and proposal/business development/design.
• Prior knowledge of donor (ECHO, EU, USAID, BHA, BPRM, DFID, SIDA, UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA, etc.) and government regulations preferred.
• Advanced MS Excel and Math skills required (skills will be tested through an exam) and are the most important requirement for this position.
• Good communication with strong organizational, time management, and analytical skills.

Additional Skills

• Excellent inter-personal, cultural, and diplomatic skills.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing requirements.
• Strong capacity to mentor and build the capacity of staff.
• Ability to juggle competing priorities, meet demanding deadlines, and work under pressure in unstable security environments.
• Strong computer skills required.
• Previous successful experience developing projects, writing winning proposals, and donor reports preferred.

Language Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as an overall ability to be clear and concise in all communications.

Skills Required:

• Accounting / Finance
• Applied / Natural / Science
• Economics / Statistics
• Political / Science / Ir
• Social / Science / Project / Management / Development