Manager, Grants & Partnerships (National) at BRAC

The Grants Manager will support the Head of AIM to maintain a coherent overview of implementation and performance against key indicators, monitor budgets and have forecasting oversight of the overall grant and ensure appropriate, timely and accurate sharing of information with Mastercard Foundation and lesson learning with the donor as well as across the Country Offices.Under the direction of the Head of AIM while receiving technical support from the HQ Grant Management team, the Grants Manager will be responsible for ensuring that the Country Offices adhere to all AIM grant management obligations internally within BRAC and externally with Mastercard Foundation. This position is empowered to make recommendations to GRP Grant Management for improvements needed within Country Offices systems to support donor compliance.

This role will be required to have close working relationships with the Country Offices, specifically the key Programme Managers, Grant Managers at country level, including members of the Programme management teams and Finance on financial and narrative reporting, monitoring and analysis, procurement and compliance processes related to the grant. The AIM Grants Manager may have direct and ongoing communication with relevant counterparts at Mastercard Foundation as delegated by the Head of AIM. Also, direct daily contact with the AIM and support team within the Office is expected.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy

• Expected to productively participate in SMT Meetings as necessary in order to deliver grant management inputs and analysis to improve overall AIM grant management operational functioning;
• Work with HQ Grant Management team to ensure any internal or external grant management audit findings are correctively actioned for AIM countries;
• Supports Consortium building and management through ensuring requisite contracts in place;
• Participates in representation visits to donors/external fora on behalf of BRAC as needed;
• Work with GRP Director of Grant Management to diagnose capacity building needs for Country Offices in grant management and implement action plans to address.

Coordination

• Prepare and convene the multi-functional Kick Off Meeting while supporting Country Offices to prepare for and hold their own Kick Off Meetings;
• Follow up and ensure that actions and commitments made at the Kick Off are documented and followed up on by the various teams;
• Convene and support chairing of the monthly remote programme review meetings and adjust the methodology to fit the need of the programme;
• Ensure and support Country Offices to convene monthly grant review meetings; participate in those country grant review meetings in order to keep overarching grant management view on grant progress, challenges and risks;
• Engage in strategic programme-related and operations-related liaison internally, with Mastercard Foundation and external entities as necessary;
• Work with AIM team and Country Grant Managers to practice active grant management and operationalize contingency plans related to the overall AIM grant as needed;
• Work cross-functionally to produce necessary and timely amendments, budget realignment requests etc;
• Facilitates Close Out meetings and actions;
• Participates in Global Grant Management community of practice calls and trainings on behalf of the AIM grant and applies relevant information and learning internally;
• Lead and coordinate Due Diligence of Downstream global partners during grant implementation as needed and lead on contracting;
• Support Country Office Grant Managers to lead and complete Due Diligence of Downstream country level partners and advice on contracting;
• Communicates with Office SMT and HQ Grant Management regarding donor related issues that require escalation;
• Proactively analyses issues and resolve through collaboration with other teams.

Communications

• Act as the centralized focal point on any grant management communications with the donor as needed and as delegated by the Head of AIM;
• Support Head of AIM to ensure communications with Mastercard are coordinated across the grant, and messages shared across countries;
• Facilitate and support productive lesson learning in grant management across all countries of the grant;
• Act as lead on day-to-day contact with COs on grant management issues as well as with the Head of AIM.

Reporting

• Maintain reporting tracker for the overall AIM grant;
• Coordinates and negotiates the drafting process for financial and narrative reports across Country Offices, ensuring submission deadlines are met and reports of high quality;
• Liaises with the donor regarding any clarifications on reporting dates or changing donor requirements and inform teams accordingly and update tracking systems;
• Develop relevant tools and training of staff to ensure quality AIM donor reporting;
• Ensure the production of consolidated, evidence-based and high quality technical/narrative and financial reports to be submitted to the donor;
• Ensure adherence to all Mastercard Foundation reporting requirements.

Compliance

• Ensure Country Office Letters of Obligation (sub-grants) is processed timely and up-to-date at all times;
• Serve as compliance authority on overall award, ensure line item flexibility parameters are respected and prompt budget realignments are done as necessary;
• Actively engage with GRP Director of Grant Management on complex donor compliance issues to influence BRAC global grant management policy and procedure;
• Support adherence to BRAC Grant Management and BRAC Sub-Grant Management procedures and policies;
• Supports adherence to complex donor compliance requirements across the Country Offices and downstream partners through regular communication of compliance elements and training;
• Support teams across Country Offices to ensure amendments follow BRAC processes
• Ensure vetting of all partners complete and evidenced;
• Develop central AIM sub-grant agreements for use by Country Offices using endorsed template packages to ensure all donor compliance requirements are passed down;
• Identify and address or escalate any potential compliance issues to SMT and HQ Grant Management.

Capacity Building

• Coordinate capacity building initiatives with Country Offices that support effective grant management of AIM;
• Help to build capacity of junior staff and promote learning in the grant management team, as applicable;
• Encourage professional development among the Grants Management team.

Systems

• Manage AIM on the Proposal Grant System or related system and ensure updates to Country Office AIM records in real time, its reporting functions, and ensuring adherence to system guidelines to promote data quality;
• Maintain overall AIM grant file in accordance with BRAC procedures.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Establish a safeguarding culture by implementing the safeguarding policies, taking programme decisions with the do-no-harm principle, mitigating safeguarding risks and maintaining a safe working environment where staff feel encouraged to voice concerns without fear of retaliation.
• Ensure 100% of team members, partners and service providers have access to and receive mandatory training on the safeguarding policies and reporting channels.
• Introduce a mandatory safeguarding agenda in monthly meetings for continuous dialogue & reminders as part of creating a safeguarding culture.
• eReport safeguarding incidents witnessed or experiences to the Safeguarding department. For known cases, maintain neutrality, be sensitive and non-judgemental to victims/survivors, and cooperate with organisational investigations providing accurate information as needed.

Academic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s in finance or international development or related field.

Required Skills, Competencies & Knowledge:

• Experience with NGOs, Multilaterals.
• Knowledge of the requirements of major institutional donors including budgeting, eligibility issues, compliance management, and reporting; experience of engaging with donors at a strategic level (UNHCR, USAID, GAC, DFAT, DFID, DEVCO, ECHO).
• Possess high understanding of program operations including procurement and field realities.
• Possess understanding of the full grant cycle including proposal development phase.
• Understanding of the financial aspects of grant management, ability to work with Finance Departments on grant management issues.
• Show courage and confidence to have tough conversations with other CO teams, donors and Affiliates.
• Show high skills in coordination and negotiation.
• Strong attention to detail, problem solving skills, and ability to analyze trends.
• Computer literate (i.e. Google Suite/ Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet Explorer, financial systems).
• Patient, adaptable, able to improvise, and communicate clearly and effectively under pressure.
• Fluent communication (written and spoken) in English.
• Knowledge of BRAC, its history, and its programmes and culture desirable.

Experience Requirements:

• 8 years’ experience in development or related field.
• Experience in grants management.