Sr. Grants Officer, USAID/West Bank & Gaza Accountable Local Governance (ALG) Activity

Position Purpose

The Sr. Grants Officer is a member of the grants management team and is responsible for proficiently managing and administering a sizable and complex array of grants under ALG. The Sr. Grants Officer administers the grantee selection process in full compliance with USAID and DAI rules and regulations, leads in the provision of technical and administrative support in building the capacity of local sub‐grantees to effectively manage grants, and oversees the implementation of grant awards.

KEy Duties & Responsibilities

Management:

• Ensure compliance with the approved ALG Grants Manual and all relevant regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Provide training, guidance, and direction to ALG grant staff and other project units (technical, MEL, Operations, and Communications) on grant policies, procedures, responsibilities, and instructions.
• Ensure documentation requirements are met across various project units, including technical, grants, procurement, M&E, communications, and finance.
• Use the ALG Field Operations Manual to ensure adherence to policies, procedures, and practices.

Planning and Implementation:

• Assist the Grants Manager in overseeing grants management in coordination with the grants team.
• Develop and implement the USAID ALG grants manual.
• Participate in work planning and activity planning to align the grants program with overall project activities.
• Lead the development of timelines and details for activities implemented under grants; conduct market research and price analysis in coordination with technical and procurement staff.
• Coordinate with staff to prepare Request for Applications (RFAs) or other Notices of Funding, assess the capacity and readiness of potential grantees, and manage the evaluation and selection committee process.
• Prepare required approvals to ensure compliance with internal and external contract and policy requirements.
• Conduct due diligence processes for verification of information submitted by potential grantees.
• Develop and analyze budgets for allowability, allocability, reasonableness, and consistency for proposed activities in coordination with local partners.
• Prepare grant agreements and amendments, explaining terms, conditions, roles, and responsibilities, and ensure identified weaknesses in initial grantee assessments are addressed.
• Organize kickoff meetings and provide initial orientation and ongoing support, training, and capacity development for grantee management and compliance with USAID regulations.
• Ensure post-award grant management in accordance with relevant regulations and generate reports on the status of grant activities, such as forecasting payment, inventory, amendments, closeouts, and sector-specific data.
• Maintain a monitoring system to track funded activities, monetary amounts, type of organization, activity type, cost-sharing, and development impact.
• Support technical, M&E, and Communications teams in monitoring the work of grantees in agreement with USAID and DAI policies and regulations.
• Coordinate with Finance and Technical Teams to ensure on-time deliverables, payments, and cash flow requests by monitoring milestones and payment schedules.

Compliance:

• Provide training, guidance, and direction to project staff on planning, implementation, and compliance of grants policies, procedures, and instructions.
• Support capacity-building efforts for ALG partners and subcontractors related to compliance with the Grants Manual and all relevant policies and procedures.
• Review grants for completeness and appropriateness with the work plan.
• Ensure all required documentation is uploaded in the grants database TAMIS and SharePoint.
• Review grant milestones and payment requests against grant agreements to ensure compliance.
• Work with the procurement department to compete and purchase goods and services for in-kind grantees.
• Train and enforce policies and procedures to prevent improprieties, intentional and unintentional.
• Lead the audit of grant files (physical, digital, TAMIS, and SharePoint) no less than annually.
• Assist in managing grant closeout procedures, including disposition plans (as applicable).
• Work with the TAMIS Administrator to customize the Grant Module in TAMIS.
• Troubleshoot grant-related issues with other grant staff and ALG management as needed.
• Mentor other grant staff on grant compliance and provide review of grant documents.
• Ensure vetting of all ALG grantees and compliance with all relevant USAID and DAI rules and regulations.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent number of years of professional experience.
• Grants experience, preferably with international donor-funded organization. For a candidate with a master’s 6 years of professional work experience is required, for a candidate with a bachelor’s 8 years of relevant technical experience is required.
• Familiarity with USAID rules and regulations strongly desired.
• Ability to solve complex technical, managerial, or operational problems and evaluation options based on relevant information.
• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.

The Sr. Grants Officer will report to the Subcontracts and Grants Manager.