Award & Partnership Manager at Practical Action Kenya

Proposal development, Budgets management and Donor contracts.

• Support the development of concept notes and donor proposals by providing inputs to the budgetary components.
• Work with the relevant budget holders, project managers and other relevant team members to ensure an award inception phase is delivered successfully with clear reporting structures laid out once the award contracting process is completed.
• Review donor contracts, flag any issues that might need alignment regarding existing organizational procedures, and support contract negotiations.
• Work closely with Budget Holders, program teams, and finance as well as other stakeholders to compile accurate proposal budgets, budget narratives and assess whether all necessary costs have been included.
• Work with other Finance team and relevant technical staff leads to monitor rate of spending including charges such as personnel, travel, consultancy, sub-grant agreements, and troubleshoot and escalate as needed.
• Work with Project managers and Finance to monitor co-financing reporting when required by donors.
• Work with Project managers and Finance to ensure expense charges are allowable, allocable and reasonable; and follow up to ensure errors are corrected.
• Assist with budget planning and monitor monthly budget versus actual expenditures; compile and analyze budget revisions/re-allocations.
• Prepare Project budgets using the system budget upload template for posting into the system.
• Ensure all donor communications, requests, amendments, etc. are communicated effectively, responded to and quickly to the relevant team members and recorded/stored for future reference.
• Track and monitor project-specific Level of effort (LOE) reporting as needed for all awards portfolio and/or departmental sharing of LOE as required.
• Ensure award files are kept up to date in a consistent manner to support backstopping and handover process.
• Monitor award implementation, reporting and procurements to ensure donor guidelines for compliance.
• Ensure prompt donor claim preparation in reference to donor contracts, timely submission and reconciliation.
• Partnerships
• Support the development of and manage sub-award agreements for partners as needed in collaboration with project managers and other relevant team members.
• Participate in the partner/sub award due diligence process and ensure issues identified are promptly addressed.
• Ensure timely disbursement of funds to sub awardees, review partner liquidation reports and prepare partner advance reconciliations.
• Contribute to partner capacity building as required and follow up issues identified in partner assessments.
• Donor Reporting, Monitoring and Compliance
• Facilitate communication and ensure timely, accurate reporting to donors ensuring consistency between narrative and financial reports and that they meet quality standards as per donor templates.
• Highlight critical financial issues such as under/overspends to budget Holders and ensure clear and concise commentary is provided.
• Coordinate prompt response to donor queries as they arise.
• Monitor grant payment schedules and income requests for respective portfolio, working closely with other finance team to ensure this is done in a timely manner.
• Be familiar with all organizational and donor portfolio compliance requirements and ensure high quality management of awards through meeting of Key Performance Indicators and deadlines.
• Support and advise program teams with queries related to donor compliance on awards.
• Work with other departments (i.e. Programs, Finance, Admin & Procurement, M&E and Communication) to ensure all documentation required is ready and available for audits (e.g. vouchers, distribution lists)
• Assist in training and capacity building for both staff and partners in relation to the organizational awards management procedures/donor compliance as required.
• Prepare an up-to-date awards Funding Tracker to help in donor reporting, auditing and reconciliation.
• Coordinate all donor project audits in a timely manner and in line with the agreed deadlines and ensure audit findings are implemented and resolved.

Project Close-out

• Coordinate Close Out of grants in respective portfolios.
• Ensure completion of Closeout checklists and that awards in awards management system and financial system are closed/deactivated.
• Prepare up to-date award reconciliation statement to establish funding status and balances before close out.
• Sensitivity on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion:
• Should have respectful beliefs regardless of their gender, age, sex, race, ethnic background, culture, different ability, nationality, religion, and marital status. Is sensitive and adaptable to gender and social inclusion and adopts inclusive practices. Responds and behaves appropriately in different situations.

PERSON PROFILE
To be successful in the role, the ideal candidate should meet the following requirements:

• Experience & Knowledge

Essential

• Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting/Finance, BBA or any other relevant bachelor’s degree. Must be a CPA-K.
• At least 4 years of relevant experience in a related field especially practical experience in awards and partnership role.
• Experience of donor relations and grants management (e.g. with institutional humanitarian and development donors).
• Proven skills and experience in report and proposal development and working with multiple donors.
• Good personal organisational skills, including time management, and ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organisational and team working skills.
• Good cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Ability to work under pressure, independently and with limited supervision.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Knowledge of the NGO operations and the dynamics of the development sector.
• Practical experience of computer software like MS Dynamics, Microsoft excel.
• Should be self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, holding the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities.