Subaward Manager at Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI)

Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) is an international development company. For more than 45 years, we have worked on the frontlines of international development, tackling fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. Currently, DAI is delivering results that matter in some 80 countries.

Our development solutions turn ideas into impact by bringing together fresh combinations of expertise and innovation across multiple disciplines. Our clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and national governments.

We are recruiting to fill the posiiton below:

Job Title: Subaward Manager

Location: Lagos, Nigeria (with frequent travels to Abuja and Kano)
Name of Project: USAID Youth-Powered Ecosystem to Advance Urban Adolescent Health (YPE4AH)
Reports to: Senior Organizational Capacity Development Specialist
Project Duration 5 years: May 2020-2024
Level of Effort: Full Time
Contract Duration 12 Months

Program Overview

• USAID Youth-Powered Ecosystem to Advance Urban Adolescent Health (YPE4AH) is a five-year (May 2020 –May 2025) award funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It is being implemented in Lagos and Kano by DAI in partnership with select local NGOs and the government of Nigeria.
• The project is aimed at improving the health and well-being of underprivileged, out-of-school adolescents aged 15 – 19 years of age in urban slums in selected communities in Lagos and Kano States.
• The program will foster an ecosystem that centers around Youth Hubs and seek to provide safe spaces to access sexual and reproductive health and rights information and referrals. Similarly, the program will empower young Nigerians to think about their futures differently and access the skills and resources needed to realize their aspirations from a holistic, human capital perspective.

Job Summary

• Working closely with the Senior Organizational Capacity Development Specialist (SOCDS), the Subaward Manager is responsible for the coordination, oversight and day-to-day management of YPE4AH project sub-awardees; including verification of subaward recipients’ financial and program deliverables and reports.
• S/he serves as the local contact for sub-award compliance and management communication with sub-awardees and supports the SOCDS to provide technical assistance and organizational capacity-building support.
• The Subaward Manager will be aware of, and adhere to, DAI’s procurement integrity standards, DAI policies & SoPs, sub-award terms and conditions, and local laws applicable to the operations of the sub-award recipients; and any USAID requirements applicable to the sub awardee activity being managed.
• S/he will actively contribute to evaluating sub-award recipients’ progress and monitor, on an on-going basis, the performance of sub-awardees concerning their program activities, reporting deliverables, and milestones agreed upon in their sub-award.
• S/he will work closely with operations, administrative Staff and Senior Technical Directors to facilitate the capacity-building of the sub-award recipients.

Role Responsibilities
Specific Responsibilities:

• Review and process sub-recipient financial reports against budgets, including validating expenditures through a sampled review of supporting documentation, identifying internal control weaknesses and disallowed or questioned costs, and preparing financial report review checklists and management letters
• Conduct sub-award monitoring site visits, and update risk-based sub-award monitoring and capacity-building plans regularly
• Implement sub-award management tools, templates, methods; and processes developed by DAI’s HO Contracts unit
• Collect and file essential sub-award documentation (e.g., pre-award assessments, selection & negotiation memos, reports, site visits reports, monitoring plans, financial report review checklists, management letters, essential email communications, pre-closeout letters, modifications, etc.)
• Coordinate closely with the SOCDS, Program Management and HO teams to confirm the documented correlation between sub-recipient financial expenditures and sub-recipient programmatic reporting.
• Liaise with Financial Lead and Program Management team to confirm reconciliation of sub-recipient actual expenditures compared with advance payments and clearing of cash balances.

Subaward Management:

• Establish and maintain subaward management system, tools and templates.
• Monitor, verify and evaluate sub awardee performance: review, evaluate, verify and provide feedback on sub awardees monthly financial and technical reports to ensure accuracy, completeness and timeliness
• Acts as point of contact for YPE4AH DAI’s subrecipients for day-to-day subaward administration.
• Receives sub awardee financial and program reports and tracks deliverables of sub awardees; regularly sends reporting and indicator support data to the donor.
• In coordination with YPE4AH DAI finance team, facilitates payments for sub-awardees in accordance with the DAI and other relevant USAID guidelines; based on verification of the reliability, accuracy, and integrity of subaward recipients’ payment requests to DAI.
• Works closely with the technical and management Staff of YPE4AH DAI Project in Nigeria to share information
• about sub-awardees and ensure efforts and communication to sub awardees occur in coordination.
• Tracks sub-awardees cost share, tests and verifies that cost share reported meets the requirements in 2 CFR 200; including ensuring adequate support documentation, proper valuation, and incurrence for the subaward activity.

Compliance Management:

• Ensure that all activities conducted by sub-awardees are in accordance with terms of the subaward agreement with DAI and applicable USAID guidelines; ensure that sub-awardees comply with all USAID reporting requirements; conduct regular site visits, draft summary findings and memos; including corrective action plans.
• Verify and ensure that sub-awardee accounting system, financial reporting, and systems of internal controls comply to applicable accounting and financial reporting standards.
• Adapt and implement procedures and templates to be used for formulating, negotiating, executing, monitoring, and closing subawards according to DAI subaward management policies, SoPs, and USAID regulations.
• Collaborate with USAID, DAI and Consortium Partners to ensure program activities are implemented in accordance with USAID procedures and regulations.

Capacity Building:

• Work closely with the SOCDS to conduct periodic capacity assessments of the sub-awardee management and operations structures.
• Work closely with the SOCDS to identify gaps in capacity and actively support sub-awardee management of corrective actions.
• Work closely with the SOCDS to provide guidance and mentoring to key sub-awardee Staff in finance and operations in the areas of internal control reinforcements, financial management and reporting of USAID funds.
• Share DAI policy & procedures examples for adoption where similar policies/procedures are non-existent.
• Support with the review of financial/procurement/inventory systems in place and provide support in the adoption of affordable robust management systems that will be fit for purpose.
• Support with conducting educational, community-based skills training programs and capacity building activities on proposal preparation, financial monitoring, strategic planning, and other topics for subaward recipients.
• Assist the sub-awardees with monitoring progress, tracking expenses and preparing financial reports. Risk Management; including Fraud Prevention
• Maintain and update the DAI Risk Register; a dynamic risk management tool, to capture, prioritize, and mitigate project-specific and operational environment risks; and submit to the SODCS and team for review and update each month.
• Maintain an updated Risk Register for DAI YPE4AH, supporting management in consolidating key risks and ensuring that these risks are mitigated timely
• Responsible for verification and assurance that subaward recipients’ financial and program records and reports are based on verifiable data and support documents; including ensuring that costs incurred and reported to DAI are in accordance with cost principles applicable to the sub-award.

Qualifications and Experience

• 5 - 7 years of experience in sub-award management, financial / operational systems design, implementation, and review, sub awards and program compliance management, and capacity building with international development organizations with global reach, not-for-profit organizations or other large non- governmental development partners.
• Good knowledge working on USAID-supported projects, including experience managing sub-awards according to USAID regulations and procedures.
• Experience with Nigerian regulatory agency statutory requirements for non -governmental organizations.
• Experience working with and providing technical assistance to NGOs and/or local organizations in accounting systems, financial management and reporting, internal controls and compliance systems design, implementation and review, and capacity building in other functional areas such as Human Resources, Policies & SoPs development.
• Knowledge of donor regulations, including U.S Government grant rules and regulations (USAID)
• Experience conducting trainings and other capacity-building work one-on-one with larger audiences.

Previous Supervisory Experience:

• Working independently within expressed parameters, regularly scheduled tasks and adherence to strict deadlines is essential.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience working with, managing, establishing, and maintaining collaboration with NGO partner networks.
• Excellent interpersonal skills: demonstrated ability to interact professionally with culturally diverse Staff, clients, and consultants.
• Personal and professional integrity, particularly regarding good financial stewardship and accountability.
• Demonstrated ability to work as an effective ad influential team member in a complex and fast-paced environment

Language:

• Fluency in the English language a requirement.

Application Closing Date
8th August, 2022.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV to: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the mail.

Note: DAI will only contact candidates that are successful at this prequalification stage.