Вакансія: Grants Manager

The Investment for Business Resilience Activity (formerly known as the Financial Sector Reform Activity) in Ukraine is a five-year program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and managed by DAI Global LLC (DAI). The purpose of the activity is to transform the country’s financial sector into a sophisticated, well-functioning, competitive market that is aligned with European Union (EU) standards and integrated into international financial systems. This transformation will mobilize private finance for sustained economic growth in Ukraine.

The IBR is looking for candidates to fill in the Grants Manager, LTTA in Kyiv or Lviv.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE: 

The Grants Manager (GM) will directly support the Senior Grants Manager in overseeing a $47 million grants facility under Components Three (C3) and Five (C5) of the IBR Activity. The GM will work closely with Component teams to ensure that technical requirements and schedules are clearly captured in grants solicitation and award documentation. S/he will be expected to actively participate in team discussions, contribute ideas to design processes, remain flexible with assigned tasks, and think creatively about how to structure and develop grants mechanisms that facilitate technical excellence while meeting high standards of regulatory compliance.  Because the GM is expected to provide crosscutting senior level support to the IBR grants facility, s/he will be required to meet tight deadlines, adapt to changing circumstances under short notice, consistently deliver products that are complete, accurate, and clearly written, and manage multiple competing priorities under pressure. 

The GM will co-lead the grants award lifecycle and work with the relevant technical managers to organize technical evaluation committees and oversee procedures that meet DAI grants and internal audit best practices.  Because the IBR grants facility will include a focus on identifying non-traditional, local, and niche technical partners, this will require the Grants Manager to build the capacity of local partners and staff on USAID award administration procedures, while ensuring that agile programming, accountability for performance, technical innovation, and grant compliance remain in place.  The grants facility will be used to drive financial inclusion and enterprise growth, requiring IBR to evolve project systems and grants design in parallel with the continuum of innovation and learning in meeting the overarching goals of increased job creation, domestic sales, exports, and increased access to financing.

OBJECTIVES AND DUTIES: 

Grants Excellence: 

• Under the supervision of the Senior Grants Manager and in collaboration with Component Leads, set and oversee a grants award schedule that is highly efficient, attainable, results oriented, and deadline driven. 
• Monitor the financial performance of all grant awards including providing accurate budget pipeline projections and supporting approval requests related to fee recovery in grant performance. 
• Work with relevant team members in grants, technical, procurement, or finance to ensure that grant disbursements are made within 15 calendar days of technical approval. 
• Develop a funds tracker and oversee the weekly international wire funds requests for grants disbursements, staying within a 10% variance between funds requested and expended. 
• Meticulously review grant award agreements to ensure alignment of technical objectives, milestone schedules, and grantee performance are realistic and compliant.
• Provide management support with award implementation to mitigate the need for frequent, high volume, or unnecessary grant modifications.
• Identify trends, patterns, conduct data analysis, and provide recommendations that lead to improved and enhanced performance of the IBR grant facility. 
• Continually develop, review or adapt grant templates as needed that remain fit-for-purpose, ensuring operational and technical innovations are captured, and approved by DAI where required. 

Grants Management: 

• Work with the technical component teams to translate project needs into notice of funding opportunities.
• Provide management support across the use of IBR’s grants facility in meeting grant deadlines and targets, including but not limited to making site visits, proactively addressing issues before they arise or escalate, advising on solutions and problem solving, and formulating thoughtful analysis and responses that increase the understanding of IBR’s grants facility across the different teams. 

• Support co-creation or due diligence efforts with local organizations to meet award schedules.
• Co-chair technical evaluation committees and ensure selection documentation is completed on time.
• Manage the due diligence process with the assigned grants and technical specialists, ensuring cost applications are fully verified and meet USAID cost principles.
• Develop and prepare complete award packages for USAID review and approval.
• Oversee the entire file retention procedure and requirements for grants award management, ensuring that all grant files are complete, up-to-date, and saved in accordance with the project records map and DAI systems requirements.
• Ensure that DAI regulations are complied with in all grant transactions and processes and keep the Senior Grants Manager and Finance and Administrative Director informed on all major compliance issues/challenges while taking the necessary corrective steps.
• Work in close collaboration with the Procurement and Subcontracts Departments in ensuring the timely and accurate documentation of the disposition of the procured equipment to the grantees under In-kind grants.
• Work with the awards coordinator and M&E manager to track impact of grant activities, outputs and outcomes.
• Provide inputs and draft reporting to develop success stories in grants in collaboration with the communications team.
• Provide inputs for USAID reporting or activities (events, videos, interviews, stories, documentaries, etc.) to communicate the outcomes of grant activities more broadly in Ukraine.

• Ensure that all grants and technical teams are using the required systems and templates for grants. 
• Review grants documentation for completeness, accuracy, proper formatting and editing, prior to submitting to Senior Management for approval.

Supervision, Training and Coaching:

• Supervise Senior Grants Specialists, Grants Specialists and Officers when and if assigned by the Senior Grants Manager and approved by COP.
• Provide continual coaching, on-the-job-training, and learning-by-doing accompaniment to Grants Specialists and Officers, ensuring consistency and technical excellence across the grants facility.
• Ensure the grants team has the knowledge and training to review all cost share / contribution / leverage presented by the grantees for accuracy, compliance, and sufficient detail to ensure compliance with the grant agreement. Monitor and report on cost share / contribution / leverage attained by the grantees. 
• Ensure the grants team maintain accurate financial tracking of grant awards and provide recommendations to the Senior Management team as required for adequate cash flow needs.
• Ensure the Grants Manual and grants sections of the FOM are fully updated, clearly written, and communicated to staff in training or learning sessions.
• Develop and lead trainings on USAID grants awards management to staff or local organizations as required to strengthen local capacity. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree in international development, international relations, international finance, or relevant university degree that demonstrates complementarity to the scope of requirements. 
• At least five years of proven experience in grants design and administration on USAID-funded projects, preferably in the areas of enterprise development or access to finance, including at least one and a half years of the managerial experience.
• Working knowledge of USAID Automated Directive Systems and Federal Acquisition Regulations pertaining to grants under contract, subcontracts, and procurement.
• Demonstrated experience in grants manual development, design of project workflows, systems development for grants and procurement, and leading or co-facilitating staff training on the same.
• Demonstrated management skills and experience building teams.  
• Experience building capacity of local organizations in grant proposal development.
• Strong organizational and time management skills. 
• Must have solid interpersonal and communication skills. 
• Must have excellent oral and written English; Ukrainian language skills desired. 
• Knowledge and familiarity with Ukraine’s private sector landscape including financial sector, relevant government ministries and familiarity with relevant policies and reforms is highly desired. 
• Reside in Ukraine. 

Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. 

Please submit Cover Letter and CV to [email protected] by August 20, 2024.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Please include “Application for Grants Manager: your name and surname” in the subject line.