Grants Coordinator

Chemonics seeks a Grant Coordinator for the Cross-Border Community Resilience (CBCR) Activity. The Cross-Border Community Resilience (CBCR) Activity is funded by USAID and implemented by Chemonics International and ACDI VOCA in the cross-border clusters of Karamoja, Mandera and Moyale. CBCR Activity is designed to enhance resilience and thus reduce the need for humanitarian assistance among communities that live across the borders of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and Somalia. The activity aims to empower local entities, including communities, civil society, private sector, and governments, to chart their own pathways for addressing conflict, improving livelihoods and/or reducing the risks of shocks and stresses. The Cross-Border Community Resilience Activity will work to foster local ownership of development investments by supporting local leadership in work planning, implementation, and monitoring.

The Grants Coordinator will be responsible for supporting the efficient coordination, management, and operations of grants functions of the Activity. He/She will be well versed with USAID grants regulations and possess strong organizational skills. S/He will ensure close collaboration with the program and finance staff to ensure effective oversight of grants in compliance with USAID and Chemonics regulations and procedures. In addition to maintaining communication with grantees to respond to their questions and requests, he/she will ensure all grants documentation is properly filed, recorded, scanned, and saved in appropriate repositories. This is a full-time position based in Nairobi and reports to the Grants Manager.

Responsibilities:

• Actively participate in prequalification of grantees including conducting the pre-award responsibility determination, drafting agreements, monitoring adherence to special conditions, negotiating budgets and maintaining an updated list of standardized costs. Maintain tracker of special conditions, grants award details, and deliverable due dates.
• Support functions related to grants compliance including following up on grantees required certifications and procurement under grants.
• Ensure that the grants program procedures follow the Grants Manual and comply with USAID regulations.
• Monitor implementation and progress of grantees, together with technical teams, via frequent collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA).
• Review all grant applications, deliverables (in collaboration with the cluster Program Manager), and financial reports for quality, contractual consistency, accuracy, and compliance with USAID regulations.
• Ensure adequate planning and preparation for grant implementation requirements including pre-award risk assessment.
• Coordinate with technical team to ensure deliverables stay on track.
• Facilitate staff requests for procurements, disbursements of funds, and logistic and planning elements of In-Kind grant activities.
• Establish and maintain a tracking system in preparation of the Annual Program Statement (APS), Requests for Applications (RFAs), review of grant proposals, grantee selection, monitoring performance, and payment.
• Ensure proper preparation and execution of APS and RFAs, documents, and disbursements under the project are in line with USAID and Chemonics procedures.
• Support the implementation of capacity building plans for the grantees.
• Draft appropriate documentation and/or provide information for procurement waivers/approvals for review by the Grants/Procurement Manager.
• Work with grantees to ensure they are provided with suitable technical advice and assistance to properly utilize grant funds, build successful partnerships, and ensure successful adherence to reporting requirements.
• Conduct periodic financial reviews for grantees as required.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field required.
• Demonstrated experience in grants, compliance, and procurement management focused on ensuring that activities are being implemented on-time, in accordance with the specifications of the approved activity, and in compliance with USAID policies.
• Four (4) years minimum working experience in equivalent capacity.
• Prior experience in managing donor-funded activities and grants oversight with international non-governmental organizations.
• Familiarity with USAID rules and regulations including ADS, AIDAR, and FAR.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to exercise confidentiality and high level of professionalism.
• Strong communications skills, with prior experience providing grants training to staff and local partners preferred.
• Ability to work effectively, responsively, and collaboratively with local development organizations, government counterparts, development and private sector partners and civil society organizations.
• Able to work without supervision and take initiatives while maintaining a collaborative approach.
• Self-starter with strong organizational skills and ability to work in a team environment.
• Ability to exercise confidentiality and high levels of professionalism.
• Fluency in written and oral English is required.