Job Description

The Senior Specialist – Grants and finance will report to the SVP Finance and Operations, they will play key role in post award management of grants.

Their primary responsibilities revolve around assessing grant applications, support on funding decisions, and ensuring that the allocated funds are used effectively to achieve the foundations goals.

They need to have strong analytical, decision-making, communication, and interpersonal skills. Additionally, they should have a deep understanding of the organization’s mission and priorities to make informed funding decisions that align with the donor’s goals.

Key Responsibilities & Duties

• Contributes to the organization’s strategic planning by providing insights on grant making strategies, programmatic priorities, and resource allocation.
• Identifies and manages risks associated with grant funding, including financial, operational, and reputation risks for the organization.
• Engages with other donors, foundations, and partners to collaborate on projects and share knowledge and best practices
• Contributes to formulation of M&E framework associated with grants
• Grant Evaluation: Reviewing grant applications and proposals submitted by prospective recipients to assess their alignment with the organization’s mission, priorities, and guidelines.
• Funding Decisions: Collaborating with other stakeholders within the organization to make informed decisions regarding which projects or organizations to fund. This may involve conducting due diligence, site visits, and interviews with potential grantees.
• Budget Review: Analyzing proposed budgets and financial plans submitted by grant applicants to ensure that the requested funds are reasonable and allocated appropriately.
• Contract and Agreement Negotiation: support the compliance team with grant agreements, contracts, and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) that outline the terms and conditions of the grant, including reporting requirements and performance expectations.
• Compliance Oversight: Monitoring grant recipients to ensure that they adhere to the terms and conditions of the grant, meet project milestones, and comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Performance Assessment: Evaluating the progress and impact of funded projects by reviewing performance reports and conducting site visits or assessments. This helps to determine whether the funds are being used effectively.
• Reporting and Documentation: Ensuring that all grant-related activities and documents are well-documented and that reports on grantee performance and the impact of funded projects are generated and shared with internal and external stakeholders
• Identifying opportunities to refine grant-making processes and guidelines to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
• Support on the post-award management process on dynamics 365 CRM

Key Competencies

• Planning and Organizing
• Working in a team
• Communicating with others
• Drive and Determination
• Managing Change

Knowledge and Skills

• Strategic Planning and Grant Making Insights
• Risk Management
• Engagement with Donors and Partners
• Grant management
• Financial planning and analyses
• Reporting and M&E framework in NGOs
• Excellent written and spoken English language (Arabic will be an advantage).

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 5 years in accounting/finance, responsible for grant management in NGO or international NGO
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Business Administration or similar, master’s will be an advantage

Timeline & Terms

• Full-time, remote (based in the time zone with maximum of 2 hours difference with UAE)
• competitive salary