Grants Manager at Palladium International

Project Overview and Role:

The New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) Expanding Health Partnerships—NPI EXPAND Project— is a five-year, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funded project which aims to support Missions with increasing the availability and utilization of quality health services across all USAID priority health areas.

USAID is committed to expanding its range of implementing partners by investing in new and underutilized local partners (NUPs) and strengthening their capacity to strategize, plan, and implement health sector programs with USAID funds. Enhanced participation of capable local partners to increase demand for and deliver high-quality, high impact health services will enable governments to meet crucial health goals equitably and sustainably. NPI EXPAND will catalyze opportunities to scale up innovative interventions by strengthening the capacity of NUPs with varying levels of capabilities and exposure to USAID.

The Grants Manager will be responsible for overseeing grants (and subcontracts) awarded under the EXPAND program and ensuring that they comply with the USAID requirements. The Grants Manager will directly report to the Grants Management Director and work in close coordination with other home office team members and the Kenya-based Grants Manager and Capacity Development Director. The Grants Manager will ensure that the EXPAND project goals are achieved, while the measurable program results are reported in accordance with the agreement, work plan, and monitoring, evaluation and learning plan.

 Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Guide and advise grantees/sub-awardees on the interpretation of grant terms and conditions and client rules and regulations with minimal oversight, as well and training, guiding and mentoring grantee/sub-awardee counterparts;
• Take initiative and provide creative solutions to complex contractual/compliance problems, working with Palladium team members on project-wide initiatives and issues;
• Provide contractual/regulatory guidance and ensure contract compliance in accordance with terms and conditions of supported projects, and as a result drafts requests for client approval as necessary;
• Manage the grants/subawards procurement of goods and services including, but not limited to:
  draft RFAs; manage the selection process during proposal evaluations including evaluation memos and selection justifications; facilitate negotiations with awardees; draft, review, and finalize the resulting grant/subaward document;
• Remain current on changes within the industry through resource sites, publications, and continuing education, with the ability to provide training and refresher sessions on pertinent topics to project staff and grantees/sub-awardees;
• Prepares, organizes, and maintains grant records and files documenting grant award, modification, performance and compliance;
• Provides contract briefs to document new grant awards, modifications and administrative changes;
• Participates in the implementation and monitoring of grants milestones, tracking grants deliverables and monitoring grants delivery against grants budget;
• Review and process request for payment invoices for milestone(s) achieved and verified;
• Maintain the grant portfolio database and project grant data on relevant grant database system and Project SharePoint site for all grants mechanisms, ensuring up to date records at all times;
• Manage the development and presentation of internal and external reporting (for example: Internal grants reviews, grants risk assessments, grants annual reviews, and grants deliverables);
• Escalate grants risks and issues to Grants Management Director and EXPAND Compliance leadership, as required;
• Ensure all corrective actions for assigned grants are implemented and report back to confirm their completion via the grants database system;
• Manage, together with field, grants support services and address grants matters as required;
• Support grants procurement procedures compliant with internal and client’s rules and regulations;
• Create reports on grants status;
• Report on overall progress against grants agreed targets, milestones, outputs and activities;
• Issue Grants amendments as required;
• Contribute to responses to client’s requests in conjunction with the Grants Management Director;
• Ensure that the grants manual guidelines for financial management are implemented in compliance with Palladium policies and procedures and with the client’s rules and regulations;
• In conjunction with the Grants Management Director, and the Manager, Project Delivery, engage in educating field staff on grants policies, procedures, tools, etc.;
• Conduct research to support the project, audits and other inquiries;
• Assist with other tasks as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Strong experience in international grants management, managing large complex multi-million-dollar USAID grants is essential;
• Demonstrated background ensuring compliance on large complex donor funded programs and current knowledge of USAID rules and regulations;
• Proven track record of working collaboratively with various stakeholders;
• Strong interpersonal skills to maintain good relations with the relevant partners and counterparts;
• Well organized, able to work independently, skilled in handling multiple tasks, able to adhere to deadlines;
• Strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to develop and communicate a common vision and foster collaboration across an interdisciplinary team;
• Strong management skills to guide all project human, technical, and financial resources;
• Strong interpersonal, writing, and oral presentation skills in English;
• Only local applicants (Kenya nationals) currently eligible to work in Kenya will be considered.