Background information about the job or company

World University Service of Canada - is a leading Canadian non-profit organization in international development, committed to building a more equitable and sustainable world. We work with a unique and powerful network of post-secondary institutions, private-sector partners and volunteers to provide education, employment and empowerment opportunities that imp...

Responsibilities or duties

The DREEM Senior Grants and Compliance Officer will support the effective administration and monitoring of both the DREEM Grant and Sub-grants, an initiative funded by the Mastercard Foundation. This role provides operational and technical support to the DREEM Senior Manager, Pan Africa in overseeing the full cycle of the DREEM Award ensuring adherence to contractual, legal, donor and financial regulations. This includes grant reporting, budget monitoring, subgrantee oversight and lead audit preparation to ensure accountability

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

RLO Sub-Award Management & Administration :

• Lead and facilitate the full sub-grant cycle, from Request for Applications (RFAs) and pre/post-award assessments to agreement drafting and final close-out.
• Process sub-grantee cash disbursements and ensure financial requests align with the approved sub-agreements and budgets

Donor Compliance & Risk Management:

• Ensure all sub-award documentation and activity implementation strictly adhere to donor rules
• Identify, document, and assess compliance risks, working with stakeholders to develop and implement mitigation plans.
• Review sub-grantees' financial and narrative reports for accuracy and adherence to compliance frameworks.
• Integrate lessons learned, audit recommendations, compliance reviews, and best practices into ongoing and future grants management processes, and share key insights to support institutional learning.

Capacity Building & RLO Support:

• Design and facilitate customized training programs for partners on financial management, reporting, and compliance.
• Conduct regular site visits and spot checks to evaluate sub-grantee performance and internal control procedures
• Conduct organizational capacity assessments (OCAs) for potential sub-grantees prior to funding

Audit Readiness and Record Keeping:

• Maintain comprehensive grant management information systems and ensure accurate filing of all contractual documents, reports, and correspondence.
• Strengthen internal controls to ensure continuous audit readiness. Coordinate and support internal and external audit processes for sub-grantees

Reporting and Tracking:

• Establish and manage a centralised reporting system for donor deliverables and program milestones.
• Monitor progress toward grant and subgrant deliverables, identifying potential delays or risks, and coordinating corrective actions.

Team Leadership & Cross Functional Support:

• Supervise, mentor, and build the capacity of junior grants staff while training program teams on grants management and compliance policies and procedures
• Work with finance teams to revise proposed grant budgets, ensure accurate expense tracking, and monitor spending against approved budgets to prevent overspends.

This job description is intended to outline the general scope and level of responsibilities for the role. Duties and priorities may be adjusted in line with programme needs, donor requirements, and team structure, provided they remain consistent with the role’s purpose and level.

Qualifications or requirements

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration; a Master’s degree is preferred.

Professional Qualification:

• Professional accounting qualification such as CPA(K) or ACCA is required; membership in good standing with ICPAK is preferred.

Experience needed

A minimum of 5–7 years of progressive experience in grant management or compliance, often within an international NGO setting.

Donor Knowledge:

• Experience with major institutional donors is essential

Sub-grant Management:

• Proven experience in the full cycle of sub-granting, including Request for Applications (RFAs), due diligence, risk assessment, and sub-recipient monitoring.

Financial Expertise:

• Proficiency in budget development, monitoring, and financial reporting, including staff salary allocation and cost-sharing

Risk Mitigation:

• Ability to identify compliance risks, conduct audits, and ensure adherence to internal policies and donor requirements.

Communication & Training:

• Strong written skills for reporting and interpersonal skills for training staff on compliance requirements.

Technical Proficiencies:

• High-level skill in Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel) and specialized accounting or grant management software
• Experience preparing for and coordinating external/internal audits.
• Fluent in English, French Language skills preferred
• Strong organizational skills, with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.

• Lead and facilitate the full sub-grant cycle, from Request for Applications (RFAs) and pre/post-award assessments to agreement drafting and final close-out.
• Process sub-grantee cash disbursements and ensure financial requests align with the approved sub-agreements and budgets
• Ensure all sub-award documentation and activity implementation strictly adhere to donor rules
• Identify, document, and assess compliance risks, working with stakeholders to develop and implement mitigation plans.
• Review sub-grantees' financial and narrative reports for accuracy and adherence to compliance frameworks.
• Integrate lessons learned, audit recommendations, compliance reviews, and best practices into ongoing and future grants management processes, and share key insights to support institutional learning.
• Design and facilitate customized training programs for partners on financial management, reporting, and compliance.
• Conduct regular site visits and spot checks to evaluate sub-grantee performance and internal control procedures
• Conduct organizational capacity assessments (OCAs) for potential sub-grantees prior to funding
• Maintain comprehensive grant management information systems and ensure accurate filing of all contractual documents, reports, and correspondence.
• Strengthen internal controls to ensure continuous audit readiness. Coordinate and support internal and external audit processes for sub-grantees
• Establish and manage a centralised reporting system for donor deliverables and program milestones.
• Monitor progress toward grant and subgrant deliverables, identifying potential delays or risks, and coordinating corrective actions.
• Supervise, mentor, and build the capacity of junior grants staff while training program teams on grants management and compliance policies and procedures
• Work with finance teams to revise proposed grant budgets, ensure accurate expense tracking, and monitor spending against approved budgets to prevent overspends.

• Strong written skills for reporting
• Interpersonal skills for training staff on compliance requirements.
• High-level skill in Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel)
• Specialized accounting or grant management software
• Experience preparing for and coordinating external/internal audits.
• Fluent in English
• French Language skills preferred
• Strong organizational skills
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration; a Master’s degree is preferred.
• Professional accounting qualification such as CPA(K) or ACCA is required; membership in good standing with ICPAK is preferred.
• A minimum of 5–7 years of progressive experience in grant management or compliance, often within an international NGO setting.
• Experience with major institutional donors is essential
• Proven experience in the full cycle of sub-granting, including Request for Applications (RFAs), due diligence, risk assessment, and sub-recipient monitoring.
• Proficiency in budget development, monitoring, and financial reporting, including staff salary allocation and cost-sharing
• Ability to identify compliance risks, conduct audits, and ensure adherence to internal policies and donor requirements.