Sub-grants Manager at Search for Common Ground (SFCG)

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organization that promotes the peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium, Search’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict - away from destructive approaches towards cooperative solutions. With more than 600 staff worldwide, Search implements projects in more than 30 countries across the globe.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Sub-grants Manager

Location: Port Harcourt, Rivers
Employment: Type Full-Time
Work Type: On-site

About the Project

• Search for Common Ground (Search), in consortium with local co-applications has proposed to implement an 18-month action with the overall goal of fostering inclusive community security approaches to address the systemic drivers of violence and criminality in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers States.
• Bringing together four leading peacebuilding and development organizations in the Niger Delta, the consortium offers a holistic, community-centered approach to addressing core drivers of criminality, violence, and conflict in the region, with a specific focus on the empowerment and inclusion of youth in the security of their respective communities in the Niger Delta.
• The consortium partners will leverage existing relationships with the action’s diverse target groups, including at-risk youth, local communities impacted by oil production and oil bunkering, state security actors, the private sector, journalists and media actors, key civil society organizations, and policymakers at the state, regional, national, and international levels, to secure broad-based buy-in and participation in the action.
• Overall, the project will seek to shift how relevant actors think about and approach issues of oil bunkering, criminality, and security in the Niger Delta in favor of more bottom-up, human-centered perspectives.
• This institutional and social shift is necessary in order to sustainably reduce the prevalence of oil bunkering and other forms of criminality and violence in the region in the long term.

The design of the action centers around four activity streams, each addressing a systemic driver of division, violence, and criminality in Bayelsa, Rivers, and Delta States:

• Stream 1 will foster intra-community collaboration around issues of social exclusion, lack of economic opportunity, and environmental degradation.
• Stream 2 will build trust and collaboration between communities, the government, and security actors for more participatory, community-centered security operations. 
• Stream 3 will leverage arts- and culture-based approaches to foster social cohesion between divided communities, both online and offline.
• Stream 4 will facilitate policy change to institutionalize community-centered security approaches at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels. 

Position Summary

• The Subgrants Manager will report to the Senior Finance Manager. She/he will manage the Subgrants and compliance aspects of the project by ensuring that reports are properly reconciled and up to date and that the respective subgrants, procurement, and internal control processes meet the requirements of both the funders and SFCG.
• She/he will maintain the subgrantee's accounting records, maintain a subgrant tracker, provide financial analysis and other key management reports, and provide assistance with budget preparation, reviewing procurement supporting documentation, and conducting periodic compliance reviews.
• The ideal candidate will have proven experience in financial and grant management in an INGO, nonprofit sector, financial statement preparation and analysis, design, and workflows. She/he will work closely with the Head of Implementation and Project Manager, as well as the Project Finance Coordinator and Officers in the Niger Delta field offices, and collaborate closely with other Abuja HQ staff.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the Senior Finance Manager in coordinating, and monitoring the implementation of donor-funded projects and programs.
• Manage subgrant transactions effectively and efficiently to ensure quality reporting.
• Coordinates sub-grant start-up processes with respective Sub grantees to ensure smooth project start-up.
• Conduct pre-award financial risk assessments, determine training needs, and provide capacity building to subgrantees.
• Serves as primary contact for local subgrantees and subcontractors on administrative items. Ensures inquiries and needs are promptly addressed to develop and continue positive relationships between subgrantees and SFCG.
• Carries out tasks in support of assigned activities, such as photocopying, processing paperwork, and organizing meetings.
• Maintains a transparent and auditable filing system for grant paperwork.
• Trains local SFCG staff on the purpose, policies, and procedures for grants.
• Maintains a tracker of all subgrants, subcontracts, and other activities under grants.
• Establish a grant tracking mechanism in order to effectively follow up on grant activities, determine progress, and make decisions where further action is needed.
• Work closely with the program department in grant implementation, coordination, and management.
• Support in the reporting process with Subgrantee staff for updates and Field Offices for approvals before submission to the Finance unit for upload to the system.
• Ensure that monthly subgrant reports are submitted on time; that reports are coherent and accurate (monthly, quarterly, interim, or final reports).
• Review Subgrant agreements and coordinate their review with the relevant SFCG field office and Abuja HQ office.  Prepare subgrant agreement modifications when they are needed.
• Ensure that grants are implemented in compliance with Search guidelines and relevant donor regulations.
• Maintains close and continuous communication with representatives of those beneficiaries who received assistance from SFCG.
• Ensure SFCG and donor financial policies and procedures are complied with, and any issues arising from non-compliance are dealt with swiftly and efficiently.
• Capacity building to ensure grants are managed in compliance with donor requirements
• Lead start-up and close-out workshops so project staff understand contractual obligations and donor compliance requirements
• Undertake activities to ensure donor compliance is achieved, including audit support; on-site verification, and data quality via field visits
• Setting up compliance monitoring systems; and producing compliance reports;
• Compliance checks in relation to the Procurement manual and Donor requirements
• Review procurement supporting documentation for completeness and accuracy.
• Conduct periodic reviews of compliance and internal control processes of the organization.
• Track and report key functional metrics to reduce expenses and improve effectiveness
• Control spending and build a culture of long-term savings on procurement costs
• The position holder will conduct him/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to SFCG and not jeopardize its mission and objectives;
• Any other function assigned to him/her by the Supervisor.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• A Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Studies, or Social Science (a Master's Degree in a related subject will be an added advantage).
• At least seven (7) years of experience working in project and/or grant management and proposal/business development/design.
• Experience in developing and interpreting donor budgets.
• Knowledge of development issues, trends, challenges, opportunities, and implications to the community.
• Proven ability to develop and write grant proposals and concepts, and a track record of winning proposals.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment.
• Good communicator with strong organizational, time management, and analytical skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, cultural, and diplomatic skills.
• Strong writing and editing skills with close attention to detail.
• Ability to juggle competing priorities, meet demanding deadlines, and work under pressure in unstable security environments.
• Experience in using Office applications, especially Excel, will be a great advantage.
• Travel to program Units and field offices when necessary to support Reviews and Capacity development process.

Application Closing Date
31st July, 2023.