Grants Manager at African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)

Role Overview

AFIDEP is seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Grants Manager to lead the effective management of the Institute’s grants portfolio, from pre-award due diligence through to award close-out. The Grants Manager will work closely with the Finance and Programmes teams to ensure that all grants are managed in full compliance with donor requirements and AFIDEP’s policies. He/she will play a key role in strengthening the Institute’s systems for grants and sub-grants management.

The successful candidate will be a meticulous, results-oriented professional who combines deep technical expertise in grants and contracts management with strong donor compliance knowledge.  The Grants Manager will serve as a key link between AFIDEP and its donors, ensuring that grants are managed with rigour, transparency, and accountability to donors, the Board, and stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Grants Strategy

• Grants Portfolio Planning: Contribute to institutional planning by tracking the grants pipeline, funding gaps and renewal timelines across all projects and country offices.
• Proposal Budgeting: Develop and review budgets and budget narratives for new funding proposals, in collaboration with programme teams.
• Financial Feasibility Review: Review donor solicitations and draft agreements to assess financial feasibility, flag unfavourable terms, and advise on cost structures and indirect cost recovery rates.
• Cost Recovery Planning: Support the application of AFIDEP’s cost allocation and indirect cost recovery methodology across new and existing grants.

Grants & Donor Compliance Management

• Award Set-up & Activation: Lead the review and activation of new awards, ensuring donor terms and conditions are understood and translated into internal budgets and compliance checklists.
• Donor Compliance: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the compliance requirements of bilateral, multilateral and private foundation donors, and ensure grant implementation adheres to these at all times.
• Grant Close-out: Coordinate timely and compliant close-out of completed awards, including final financial reporting, asset disposition and documentation archiving.
• Donor & Partner Relations: Serve as a key point of contact for donors on grants administration matters, managing financial queries and facilitating donor financial reviews.

Financial Monitoring & Reporting

• Budget Monitoring: Track grant expenditure against approved budgets, flag variances, and work with project teams to ensure spending remains on track and within donor rules.
• Donor Financial Reporting: Coordinate the preparation and timely submission of accurate financial reports to donors, in compliance with donor requirements and applicable accounting standards (IFRS).
• Management Reporting: Provide the Finance and Programme leadership with timely, actionable analysis of grants portfolio performance, burn rates and compliance risks.
• Audit Support: Support internal and external audits related to grants and contracts, maintaining audit-ready documentation and helping implement audit recommendations.

Sub-Grants & Partner Management

• Due Diligence: Lead financial and organisational due diligence assessments of prospective sub-grantees and implementing partners.
• Sub-Agreement Management: Draft and manage sub-grant and sub-contract agreements, ensuring donor flow-down clauses are correctly applied.
• Disbursement & Compliance Monitoring: Track sub-grantee disbursements, review partner financial reports, and monitor compliance with agreed budgets and donor rules.
• Partner Capacity Building: Build the financial management and compliance capacity of sub-grantees and partner institutions through training and ongoing support.

Risk Management & Systems Development

• Grants Risk Management: Identify, assess and escalate financial and compliance risks across the grants portfolio, and maintain an up-to-date grants risk log.
• Internal Controls: Support the design and consistent application of internal controls over grant income, expenditure and sub-grant disbursements.
• Grants Management Systems: Maintain an accurate, up-to-date grants tracking system and ensure accessible records of all active and closed awards.
• Policy Development: Contribute to the continuous review and improvement of AFIDEP’s grants and sub-grants management policies and procedures.
• Identify and escalate risks in grant implementation and contribute to the continuous improvement of AFIDEP’s grants management policies and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• A Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, International Development or a related field.
• At least [5–7] years of relevant progressive experience in grants and contracts management, preferably within the NGO sector or donor-funded environment.
• Strong working knowledge of the compliance requirements of major donors
• Demonstrated experience managing sub-grants or sub-contracts to partner organisations.
• Professional accounting or grants management qualification (e.g. CPA, ACCA, CIMA) is an added advantage.
• Excellent analytical, organisational and financial management skills, with high attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain compliance requirements clearly to non-specialists.
• Proficiency in financial and grants management software and advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• A collaborative, proactive approach and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines under minimal supervision.

Desirable

• Audit Management: Experience supporting internal and external audit processes, including donor financial reviews and statutory audits across multiple jurisdictions.
• ICT Governance: Familiarity with grants and financial data systems, with an appreciation of data security and system controls relevant to grants management.
• Staff Cost Management: Familiarity with staff costing as it relates to grant-funded staffing, including donor rules on staff costs, benefits and compliance.
• Grant Management Systems: Experience with grants management platforms
• Procurement Systems: Familiarity with procurement policies and processes as they relate to donor compliance and grant-funded purchases in an NGO context.

Competencies

The following competencies are integral to success in this role:

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to think and plan strategically across a complex, multi-donor grants portfolio; translate institutional and donor priorities into practical financial and compliance plans.
• Financial Acumen: Deep technical mastery of financial management, accounting standards, and donor compliance requirements; ability to identify financial risks and develop practical solutions.
• Communication & Influence: Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to present complex financial and compliance information clearly to diverse audiences, including donors, auditors and programme colleagues.
• Integrity & Accountability: The highest standards of personal and professional ethics; a visible champion for financial transparency and institutional accountability.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities; ability to diagnose complex compliance and financial challenges and design pragmatic, sustainable solutions.
• Relationship Management: Ability to build and maintain effective, trust-based relationships with donors, partners, auditors, and internal stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment; able to manage competing priorities and adapt approaches in response to evolving organisational needs.