About the role
The Global Grants Officer (GGO) is a headquarters based facilitator for multiple projects and keeps a grant management overview of global projects from donors such as the EC, SIDA, DFiD. The role is based in London with travel to projects in our field locations across the world.
The GGO is responsible for grants administration; donor reports verification and submission, capacity building to partners in the domain of grant management and facilitating grants audits.
S/he is a key person to ensure that projects are implemented in compliance with THE COMPANY Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as well as donor’s rules and regulations, to ensure quality of THE COMPANY'S projects for the benefit of THE COMPANYorganisation and stakeholders. This is done through providing support, control, advice and reinforcement of all non-programme aspects related to different project cycle phases.
This position is responsible for the THE COMPANY'S Grants/Donor Management and contributes to supporting programme and operational effectiveness, efficiencies and value for money. This post will report to the Grants & Contract Manager (G&CM).
The GGO works in close collaboration with the Global Programme Accountant (GPA). Both roles play a supporting role with project teams, the Project Directors (PD), the Director of Programmes, and Operations department, based at field or headquarters levels with the goal of contributing to the delivery of high impact projects that meet their objectives on time and on budget.
S/he actively contributes to THE COMPANY'S knowledge management and improvement of THE COMPANY systems, good practices and participates to building THE COMPANY credibility towards donors.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Grant Management and Donor’s relations (35%)

Manages communications with the donors;
Engages and maintains relationships with institutional donor representatives;
Responsible for the effective grant management of institutional grants and contracts, including coordinating the development of interim and final reports (narrative and financial), to ensure their timely submission in respect of the applicable rules and regulations, as well as preparation and submission of contract amendments, derogations requests, extensions etc.;
Facilitates regular communication with programme, finance, partners and field staff about donor specific regulations and internal policies and procedures;
Works closely with the G&CM in in developing, managing, delivering the overall grant/donor compliance of THE COMPANY;
Ensures donors requirements are reflected in all project documents and contracts, including partnership agreements and MoUs, consultancy and service contracts;
Works with C&GM on drafting all official grant documents as required (e.g. sub-grant agreements);
Identifies and documents best practices from individual grants, designs project/country specific procedures, guidelines and tools fit for purpose and easily accessible and contributes to ensuring they are regularly implemented by the partners and field offices to satisfy the donors requirements;
Ensure best practice is followed in the set-up of monitoring, tracking, communications, and reporting protocols;
Leads on HQ procurement procedures and oversees field Procurement with budget holders and local staff;
Provides guidance to ensure compliance with internal processes and external requirements throughout the project cycle;
Works with G&CM, Programme and Development team on the selection of potential sub-grantees and implementing partners and suggests on the relevant risk management measures during the contracting phase;
Makes sure Small/ Sub-grants procedures are implemented and supports Programme team during the sub-grantees selection and sub-grant agreements set-up;
Works on all grant and donor requirements as delegated by the G&CM.

Project Monitoring (30%)

Ensures the team remains aware of and complies with internal standard operating procedures and practices along with donor/stakeholder requirements;
In collaboration with the Budget Holders and the GPA monitors actuals vs forecast in the donors currency, and addresses any variances;
Monitors the impact of any changes to the original project proposal that could require a contract modification, ensure issues or challenges with grants are identified early, are effectively addressed, and communicated internally and to the donor as appropriate;
Working with the C&GM, GPA and Programme Director, analyses and reviews co-funding arrangements;
Assists the G&CM to develop and maintain the system of a database of contracts, including a tracking system that provides frequent updates on fund-flows, reporting requirements, audits, contract deliverables and budget revisions;
Participates in the annual work planning and budgeting process for the THE COMPANY'S Participates in the preparation of projects implementation review meetings with Programme staff to discuss and address issues related to grants implementation at the project and programme levels.
Capacity Building and Field Support (25%)
With the C&GM and GPA prepares and conducts induction trainings on grant management for project staff members and implementing partners and ensures correct use of the above grants and project management procedures, internal and donor’s rules through ongoing capacity-building;
Participates in the recruitment of key project specific financial/grant positions in the field;
Facilitates regular communication with programme, finance, partners and field staff about donor compliance and specific donor rules and regulations;
Supports Field office setup and close out of projects and offices; conducts occasional field visits for the projects’ set up, grant management training and projects’; close-out as required;
Provides technical support to field offices, budget holders, project directors including new employee training, continued learning, and troubleshooting;
Communicates closely with field office; provides support and training as needed.
Knowledge management (10%)
Works with project management team to continuously evaluate and update project specific procedures according to de facto needs and situations;
Provides ongoing feedback to the G&CM on required improvement and updates on donor regulations and contractual obligations to ensure organisational knowledge is built and improved continuously;
With the G&CM and the GPA supports the DEV team with knowledge of donor budgets, policies and requirements at concept and initiation stages;
Ensures that all lessons learned are captured and embedded into processes and reviewed procedures within the organisation, to avoid duplication of efforts and the loss of scalable economies;
With the G&CM ensures key grant documentation is stored and updated;
Ensures the filing and archiving of each grant is kept up to date;
Ensures good knowledge management across grants, including key project documentation, to enable all teams supporting the grant to access information and provide a fully auditable trail.
Person Specification
The criteria below are the minimum necessary for effective performance in the post. The applicant must demonstrate how they meet each of them through the application form and, when necessary, through job-specific tasks and at interview.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

Relevant university degree related to international development, development studies, economics, finances, social sciences, community development, democracy and governance or equivalent experience;
Solid experience of working with international donors in particular EU, DFid, SIDA government and other European donors;
Solid experience of progressively complex financial experience within an organisation of at least similar size and complexity to Internews Europe, preferably within the not-for-profit or public sectors;
Solid experience of direct, hands-on delivery of key components of the financial and grant management;
Experience of building and monitoring of complex budgets;
Proven ability of staff capacity building in field offices on grant management policies and procedures;
Proven ability to work both independently and as an effective team member;
Ability and willingness to travel, up to 20% from base, to international locations, including challenging or remote locations;
Proven ability to set priorities, handle multiple on-going assignments and manage time effectively;
Proven analytical and problem-solving ability;
Advanced expertise in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
Desirable
Experience of managing financial and management accounts processes, including annual accounts, audits and external reporting;
Experience of working in, or dealing with, developing countries and fragile states;
Reading/writing knowledge of at least one of the following foreign languages: French, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Spanish.
Knowledge

Essential

Good understanding of donor regulations and systems;
Good understanding of project management cycle;
Professional qualifications, or qualification by experience, in finance and/or HR;
Knowledge of good human resources management practice.
Desirable
Knowledge of IT systems management.
Personal attributes

Essential

A willingness and ability to adopt a hands on approach as well as being organised, analytical, resourceful with good planning and problem-solving abilities;
Capable of working within a small team where a versatile, open, and facilitative approach will be required;
Strong communication, liaison and interpersonal skills to work effectively with people at all levels, and represent the organisation at a high level;
Ability to manage a complex, multi-disciplinary programme of work;
Commitment to the Internews Europe’s vision, missions, values and goals.