Grants Director at ACDI/VOCA Ghana

Background

Since 1963 and in 146 countries, ACDI/VOCA has empowered people in developing and transitional nations to succeed in the global economy. Based in Washington, D.C., ACDI/VOCA is a nonprofit international development organization that delivers technical and management assistance in agribusiness, financial services, enterprise development, community development and food security in order to promote broad-based economic growth and vibrant civil society.

• Represent the organization and project with stakeholders and donors.
• Lead the development and implementation of the management system and co-creation process for the $6 million Grants Under Contract fund.
• In collaboration with HQ support staff, evaluate and revise standard operational procedures of the grants program, including manuals.
• Continually improve beneficiaries and grants identification and selection process by reviewing and adjusting concept note requirements, application format, and customizing grant agreements.
• Provide input for Ghana MSR activity reports.
• Develop compliance and capacity development training materials and conduct training programs for stakeholders.
• Conduct periodic assessments of grants administration and monitoring requirements and then present findings and recommendations for improvement to stakeholders, project leadership, and the client.
• Supervise, manage, and conduct performance evaluations of the Grants Manager and other grants staff (as needed).
• Provide leadership and guidance to staff on the implementation of grants awarded.
• Negotiate grants and modifications and lead in disputes concerning compliance issues.
• Monitor the development and management of MSR’s grants portfolio.
• Review grant solicitations, proposal and budget guidelines, and grant funding instructions and procedures.
• Supervise the grantee selection process (establishing selection committees, defining selection criteria, and developing process documentation templates).
• Provide comprehensive technical and operational specifications to establish detailed systems and procedures for management of grants activities, including the preparation and/or review and approval of grant agreement templates and other compliance documents related to the solicitation, review, and approval of grant requests, as well as the monitoring and close-out of grant awards.
• Provide highest in-country review and approval of invoices, procurements, and fund transfer requests to grant recipients.
• Provide specific guidance and in-country approval on calibrating policies and procedures to identify and resolve bottlenecks or constraints to effective and timely grants distribution.
• Approve grant budgets, cash forecasts, and grant expenditures monitoring. Resolve irregularities through alternatives/ best practice as needed.
• Review business plans, finalize grant agreements, ensure follow-up on outstanding grants and required deliverables.
• Provide compliance review of procurement, financial transactions, contracts, and grants.
• Participate in the preparation of responses to audit requests and donor specific reporting requirements for subawards and subcontracts.
• Monitor grants to ensure they support project goals, including assuring equity in access to grant applications and grant awards to women, youth and persons with disability (PWD) applicants.
• Prioritize, organize, distribute, and monitor the flow of grants work.
• Ensure adherence to Standards of Conduct, policy manual, and other corporate and applicable policies, procedures, and schedules.
• Develop and oversee the delivery of a training curriculum on all matters relating to the project’s sub-grantees.
• Provide final approval of the procurement of grants-related goods and services. Develop an internal knowledge-sharing plan to ensure effective organization, distribution, and documentation of grants. Provide guidance on industry best practices for the grants team to implement in-kind procurement of grant equipment, liaising with the Procurement Department as required.

Required Skills or Experience

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in development, business, economics or another related field.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of experience in a senior level finance and/or grants position with an international development organization. Minimum of five (5) years of experience specifically with Grants Under Contract. Minimum of five (5) years of experience managing a team.
• Demonstrated understanding of USAID compliance requirements, and evidence of experience in the design, development or enhancement of compliant policies, procedures, and training documents. Thorough knowledge and experience with USAID rules and regulations, and with current standards and guidelines regarding grants under contract.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, and attention to detail.
• Experience effectively working in a team setting and delegating tasks to others. Proven ability to successfully manage a team of diverse individuals. Strong mentoring and teambuilding skills.
• Experience in institutional strengthening and working with rural communities required.
• Demonstrated experience working in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and project implementation teams. Proven experience managing multiple grants. Experience in directly managing a portfolio of sub-awards is required.
• Demonstrated ability to manage the grants process lifecycle using current methodologies and analytical techniques. Proven ability to design and develop successful and achievable project-related grants.
• Fluent in English with strong oral and written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to write required documents in a clear, concise, and well-organized manner.
• Proven ability to effectively use Microsoft databases, spreadsheet, word processing, and position-specific software.
• Ability to travel independently.