USAID/OTI Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative

is looking for a qualified professional to fill the position of

Grants Manager

Chemonics International, an international development consulting firm, implementing USAID’s Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative (UCBI) Project, solicits expressions of interest for a grants manager. The position will be based in Kyiv, Ukraine with the expectation for travel, as needed, (up to, approximately, 25% of the time) throughout Ukraine including but not limited to Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Kharkiv, and government controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts with specific travel to Kramatorsk anticipated to assist, as needed, with UCBI programming in its Kramatorsk office. This is a position with an anticipated end date of on or about May 31, 2017 with the possibility of extension contingent upon requisite approvals and funding.

USAID’s Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative (UCBI) complements ongoing USAID efforts to enable vulnerable eastern communities to actively participate in, benefit from, and advocate for Ukraine’s transition to a prosperous, unified and democratic state. The program’s overarching objectives are to:

• Increase citizen support for and participation in the development of a modern, inclusive Ukrainian identity and;
• Increase citizen confidence and engagement in the reform process at the local level.

The grants manager plays a critical role in ensuring that grants are implemented rapidly and effectively, in full compliance with USAID and Chemonics regulations and policies, and consistently with OTI’s operating methodology which emphasizes a hand-in-hand, predominantly in-kind approach to working with local partners.

Responsibilities:

• Working in coordination with other staff to ensure compliance with USAID and Chemonics policies and procedures throughout the design, development, and implementation of grants.
• Ensure effective liaising between project staff and grant recipients, providing technical advice and assistance as needed in areas such as financial management, procurement requirements, and implementation planning.
• Reporting to the operations manager, the Grants Manager works closely with all program staff to evaluate grant concepts and grant agreement/award documents while ensuring adherence to established grants management policies.
• Ensure proper negotiation of final terms and conditions for grants and reviews and analyzes budget estimates for allocability, reasonableness, and consistency. This includes working with grantees and project staff to develop or revise detailed grant budgets so that they are realistic and appropriate to the needs of the activity.
• Review required documentation for grant disbursements, including grant agreements, negotiation memos, grant activity forms, branding and marking plans, and others, ensuring that grant files are complete and maintained as required.
• Responsible for overseeing the close-out of grants within required time frames.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• At least two (2) years of progressively responsible grants management work experience on donor-funded projects, such as activity management, financial management, procurement, and/or sub-contracting strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in grants management focused on ensuring that procurement, finance, logistics, and programmatic aspects are being implemented on-time and in accordance with the specifications of the approved activity.
• Demonstrated experience in assessing recipient organizations’ grant-worthiness, as well as their financial, administrative and program planning capacities.
• Familiar with USAID contract and grants management policies and procedures is desirable, but experience with other donor funded projects will be accepted.
• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 25%, as required to the areas mentioned above.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, to prioritize multiple work assignments in an extremely fast-paced environment, to meet deadlines, and to exercise good, professional judgment that reflects positively on the image of the UCBI program.
• Ability to effectively and professionally communicate verbally and in written form in Ukrainian, Russian, and English.

Send electronic submissions to [email protected] by January 13, 2017. Please put “Grants Manager” in the subject line and include your CV and cover letter. No telephone inquiries, please. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis and only finalists will be contacted.