Director, Subawards - Finance and Compliance at Mercy Corps

The Position 

• Director, Subawards will be responsible for reviewing and updating the subaward process and strategy for Mercy Corps. In this role, the Director will oversee a growing portfolio of subawards, work to streamline processes and procedures, build capacity among Mercy Corps colleagues, and ensure compliance with Mercy Corps policies and donor rules and regulations. The Director will supervise a team of Subaward Compliance Managers who advise country programs and draft subawards in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies.

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP

• As part of Grants and Contracts Unit (GCU) senior leadership team serve as a key partner and relationship builder to strengthen collaboration within GCU and with other Mercy Corps departments, including Mercy Corps Europe.
• Engage with other teams to support country-led initiatives on subawards and partnership, including represent GCU on the organization wide 10 year strategy, Pathways to Possibility.
• Evaluate training and resource needs to support country-based subaward programs.

SYSTEMS AND SUPPORT FUNCTIONS

• Lead revision of Subaward Manual to incorporate relevant other support functions, Mercy Corps Europe compliance team and expand the focus to incorporate programmatic and grant management.
• Develop and maintain subaward policies, including templates and policy guidance, that incorporate all applicable and required compliance elements.
• Manage the subaward support function, including oversee team that provides support to country teams during every stage of the subaward life cycle, drafts subaward agreements and modifications.
• Supervise support provided to International Finance, Regional Program Teams (RPT) and country offices on agreed procedures related to subaward compliance. Includes monitoring and ensuring the development of effective procedures and the training program for maintaining subawards in Mercy Corps’ accounting system.
• Develop process for ensuring required audits of subawards are completed. Define responsibilities for reviewing audit reports and drafting Notifications of Management Decision regarding audit findings, in coordination with Country Programs.
• Interpret terms and conditions as well as associated rules and regulations, as they apply to competing, negotiating and administering subawards under prime awards.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Supervises global team of Subaward Compliance Managers.

Accountability

• Reports Directly To: Senior Director, Grants and Contracts- Compliance
• Works Directly With: Mercy Corps Europe’s Compliance team, Regional Program Team, Country leadership, Corporate Finance, International Finance, Internal Audit as well as cross-operations departments including People and Strategy, Global Procurement, Monitoring and Evaluation, IT, Legal & Ethics, etc.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• Minimum 6+ years of progressive subaward management experience in a medium to large organization, including responsibility for compliance, donor regulations, financial management and grant/contract management is required.
• An expert knowledge of the rules and regulations governing the management of U.S. Government and other donor-funded grants is required.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise with USAID rules and regulations (FAR and AIDAR, particularly 2 CFR 200), USAID contract and grant types, procurement processes and thresholds, and cost allowability.
• Engage and influence senior leaders and other key stakeholders globally at all levels both internally and externally.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, in a multicultural, face-to-face and virtual environment and with all levels of the organization.
• Strong record of successfully managing complex matrixed internal relationships and partnerships across all levels of an organization
• Strong customer focus and understanding of how to deliver and communicate new ideas and change across diverse teams.
• Effective verbal and written communication, analytical, organizational and prioritization skills as well as training and leadership abilities are necessary.
• Experience working for an NGO with USAID funding as well as a broad range of other donors is essential.