Mercy Corps is seeking a Grants Manager for an FCDO-funded Border Security Programme. Irregular migration and associated criminal activity in East Africa remain a complex and escalating challenge which leads to significant exploitation of vulnerable people on the move. The East Africa Border Security Programme (BSP) is a multi-year programme funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The programme works with governments, law enforcement agencies, communities and civil society organisations across East Africa to strengthen border security, disrupt organized immigration crime (OIC), improve protection for victims of trafficking and smuggling, and strengthen community resilience in border areas. The programme combines evidence generation, law enforcement strengthening, community engagement and victim protection through an integrated regional approach implemented through a consortium of partners

General Position Summary

The Grants Manager works under the guidance and supervision of the BSP Finance and Compliance Director and with direct interaction with the BSP Programme lead, Managers, Consortium Members and the Mercy Corps Finance Team. The Grants Manager is expected to work closely with the BSP management, technical and operations teams and country level finance and grants teams across Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Grants Management

• Establish and maintain and efficient BSP grants management system, and grant management matrix to ensure oversight and management of all BSP grants
• Oversee and coordinate management of sub-grant agreements and financial management of sub-grants.
• Lead the review and assessment of partner financial reports, ensuring expenditures comply with FCDO regulations, program budgets, cost eligibility requirements, and consortium agreement provisions.
• Responsible for processing of sub-grants and issuance of payments, transfers and transactions between consortium members as well as locally engaged partners.
• Oversee pre-award and post-award activities include asset control, timely reporting and contract fulfillment to check against payment.
• Coordinate partner due diligence assessments, monitor implementation of capacity improvement plans, and provide ongoing capacity strengthening to consortium members and local partners.
• Work with BSP programme team to verify and track budget and expenditures vis-à-vis sub-grant awards and ensure proper reporting, documentation and overall deliverables are reviewed by Senior Management and signed off prior to issuance of payment.
• Ensure consistency across sub-grantees on basic provisions and highlight issues that could be viewed as bias or discrepancies.
• Provide regular reports on BSP, issues, recommendations that need to be considered for operational adjustment.
• Identify, monitor and escalate financial, compliance and operational risks affecting programme implementation and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.
• Monitor the effectiveness of financial controls across consortium partners and support implementation of corrective actions where weaknesses are identified
• Work with Mercy Corps team members and sub grantees management teams to conduct ad-hoc audit review of BSP field operations.
• Coordinate BSP expenditure verification and project audits.
• Undertake additional grants, compliance and financial management responsibilities as assigned to support programme objectives.
• Ensure that BSP grants management systems are efficient and are based on smooth-running infrastructure that facilitate timely and efficient program implementation. Provide regular review of partner operations to ensure cost-effectiveness and provide guidance on improved operational practices for value-for-money.
• Travel between field locations

Staff Management, Professional Development and Team building

• Provide direct supervision of the Sub Grants team and oversight of consortium partner staff involved in Grant managements, financial compliance and programme reporting.
• Create a work atmosphere conducive for professional growth and development of personnel at all levels by implementing and ensuring all staff are effectively using the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations and regularly providing constructive feedback.
• Promote accountability by conducting staff annual performance reviews with direct supervisees, and ensuring that supervisory staff do the same.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and Reporting

• Work with the BSP Senior Management, M&E and finance team members to ensure that BSP deliverables are aligned with value-for-money objectives and that financial milestones are proportionate to programme milestones.
• Provide financial perspective in management and decision-making to enhance BSP Mercy Corps’ adaptive management.

Security:

• Work with partners to establish financial reporting and management systems that ensure the safety and security of BSP financial resources including cash assets and records.
• Conduct yourself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned.

Organizational Learning

As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Safeguarding responsibilities

• Actively learns safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Supervisory Responsibility

Finance and Subgrants Officers

Accountability

Reports directly to: Finance and Compliance Director

Works directly with: Program Director/Team Lead, Deputy Team Lead Program Managers, Country Finance/Grants Teams, Program Teams, Implementing Partners and HR and Operations departments.

Knowledge and Experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics or relevant field; advanced degree preferred.
• Professional accounting certification CPA(K).
• At least ten (10) years of demonstrated professional experience managing grants, subcontracts, procurement and compliance with donor regulations, preferably Donor-funded projects.
• Strong accounting skills and experience in management of the general ledger, journal entries, payables and balance sheet.
• Demonstrated experience applying clauses and negotiating without heavy management oversight including developing amendments and modifications as a result of negotiations.
• Experience providing capacity-building training to staff and local organizations.
• Proven abilities in analytical, excel, accounting systems and reporting skills.

• Establish and maintain and efficient BSP grants management system, and grant management matrix to ensure oversight and management of all BSP grants
• Oversee and coordinate management of sub-grant agreements and financial management of sub-grants.
• Lead the review and assessment of partner financial reports, ensuring expenditures comply with FCDO regulations, program budgets, cost eligibility requirements, and consortium agreement provisions.
• Responsible for processing of sub-grants and issuance of payments, transfers and transactions between consortium members as well as locally engaged partners.
• Oversee pre-award and post-award activities include asset control, timely reporting and contract fulfillment to check against payment.
• Coordinate partner due diligence assessments, monitor implementation of capacity improvement plans, and provide ongoing capacity strengthening to consortium members and local partners.
• Work with BSP programme team to verify and track budget and expenditures vis-à-vis sub-grant awards and ensure proper reporting, documentation and overall deliverables are reviewed by Senior Management and signed off prior to issuance of payment.
• Ensure consistency across sub-grantees on basic provisions and highlight issues that could be viewed as bias or discrepancies.
• Provide regular reports on BSP, issues, recommendations that need to be considered for operational adjustment.
• Identify, monitor and escalate financial, compliance and operational risks affecting programme implementation and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.
• Monitor the effectiveness of financial controls across consortium partners and support implementation of corrective actions where weaknesses are identified
• Work with Mercy Corps team members and sub grantees management teams to conduct ad-hoc audit review of BSP field operations.
• Coordinate BSP expenditure verification and project audits.
• Undertake additional grants, compliance and financial management responsibilities as assigned to support programme objectives.
• Ensure that BSP grants management systems are efficient and are based on smooth-running infrastructure that facilitate timely and efficient program implementation. Provide regular review of partner operations to ensure cost-effectiveness and provide guidance on improved operational practices for value-for-money.
• Travel between field locations
• Provide direct supervision of the Sub Grants team and oversight of consortium partner staff involved in Grant managements, financial compliance and programme reporting.
• Create a work atmosphere conducive for professional growth and development of personnel at all levels by implementing and ensuring all staff are effectively using the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations and regularly providing constructive feedback.
• Promote accountability by conducting staff annual performance reviews with direct supervisees, and ensuring that supervisory staff do the same.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
• Work with the BSP Senior Management, M&E and finance team members to ensure that BSP deliverables are aligned with value-for-money objectives and that financial milestones are proportionate to programme milestones.
• Provide financial perspective in management and decision-making to enhance BSP Mercy Corps’ adaptive management.
• Work with partners to establish financial reporting and management systems that ensure the safety and security of BSP financial resources including cash assets and records.
• Conduct yourself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Proven abilities in analytical, excel, accounting systems and reporting skills.

• A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics or relevant field; advanced degree preferred.
• Professional accounting certification CPA(K).
• At least ten (10) years of demonstrated professional experience managing grants, subcontracts, procurement and compliance with donor regulations, preferably Donor-funded projects.
• Strong accounting skills and experience in management of the general ledger, journal entries, payables and balance sheet.
• Demonstrated experience applying clauses and negotiating without heavy management oversight including developing amendments and modifications as a result of negotiations.
• Experience providing capacity-building training to staff and local organizations.