Job Title :                 Grant/Fund Manager (proposal)

Activity:                       Various

Duration:                  TBC, long-term, fulltime

Posting Date:           September 2022

Location :                UK (London/Hemel Hempstead)

 

About DAI

DAI works at the cutting edge of international development, combining technical excellence, professional project management, and exceptional customer service to solve our clients’ most complex problems. Since 1970, DAI has worked in 150 developing and transition countries, providing comprehensive development solutions in areas including crisis mitigation and stability operations, democratic governance, public sector management, agriculture, private sector development, economics and trade, public health, water and natural resources management, and energy and climate change. More information about or work and existing projects around the world may be found at www.dai.com.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work.  DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

DAI is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a commitment to diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

 

Job Description Requirements*

The Grants Manager will assume overall responsibility for the management of a grants portfolio in compliance with client (HMG) and DAI rules and directives. Depending on the size of grants teams, this individual may supervise other grants team members and/or short-term technical consultants performing grants, partnerships, and or/procurement tasks. This individual will also provide oversight and capacity building support to select subgrantees.

* Note: This is a bid opportunity and contingent on successful award to DAI

 

Roles and Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage the full award cycle for grants and subcontracts, including solicitation, review, execution, implementation management, monitoring, communication with recipients, and closeout. Including:
  • Assist in drafting solicitation documents, organising market engagements, and advertisement, assist in the evaluation of bids including due diligence, vetting and duty of care requirements
  • Develop grant templates and contracts templates for implementing partners
  • Implement onboarding and mobilisation processes
  • Maintain communication with grantees
• Ensure full compliance with client (HMG) and DAI policies, best practices, and procedures relating to subcontracts and grant development, awards, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and grant and contract close-out
• Manage provision of technical assistance packages (as is necessary), project management, and communications strategy, as well as pairing of technical advisors and subcontract recipients and grantees to support capacity building and provide mentorship and training
• Validate long-term sustainability of proposals and funded activities
• Collaborate with the Team Leader, finance and operations and technical leads to optimise expansion of partnerships
• Direct the development of procurement documents, grant agreements, and subcontracts, as well as the evaluation and selection process
• Oversee proper maintenance of documentation and reporting in accordance with HMG and DAI guidelines
• Prepare regular reports on grantee and subcontractor performance; identify issues and risks related to activity fund implementation
• Conduct pre-award audits of possible grantee and subcontract organisations, in addition to periodic audits during implementation and at close-out
• Ensure that all grantee/activity monitoring reports and data are correctly entered into the project’s database on a regular basis
• Contribute data required on a recurrent basis to assist in the preparation of reports, analysis, and presentations on grantee/activity performance
• Apply data and lessons learned from monitoring and evaluation to integrate learning into fund practices and to replicate innovative initiatives

 

Qualifications:

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree required in finance, business administration, public administration, economics, or other related field; Master’s degree in a related field preferred
• Minimum five-seven years of experience on international donor funded programmes required, with a preference for experience gained on HMG programmes
• Experience of working on development programmes, ideally for FCDO, BEIS or Defra
• Demonstrable grants management or project management experience
• Excellent record of successfully establishing and managing grants for HMG-funded (FCDO, BEIS, Defra) programmes of a similar scope and complexity
• Ability to work and quickly adapt in complex environments
• Exceptional communication, training, and personnel management skills
• Strong communication and report-writing skills in English required
• Excellent computing capabilities, with working knowledge of MS Excel and Word

Desirable

• Demonstrated finance administration experience – tracking expenditure against forecasts, consolidating and accounting for expenditure 
• Demonstrated experience in project mobilisation – including travel, logistics, contracting, vetting
• Demonstrated experience working with and building the capacities of local communities, NGOs, private sector, and/or international organisations