Grants and Compliance Manager

Position Title: Grants and Compliance Manager   
Primary Location: Gaza   
Position Status: Full time, Permanent   
   
This position is dependent upon funding and the donor’s approval of the proposed Grants and Compliance Manager. Mercy Corps anticipates a program start date of January 2016. The applicant must be willing to commit to an assignment of five years.

PROGRAM/ DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:
Mercy Corps has been present in the West Bank and Gaza since the 1980s, helping Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to work toward building a more productive and hopeful future. The organization works to meet basic needs while looking towards long-term opportunities to empower youth, mitigate conflict, stimulate a participatory economy using technology to transcend borders and checkpoints. Mercy Corps in Gaza is in the final stages of the five-year 100 million dollar Palestinian Community Assistance Program (PCAP) funded by USAID. Through PCAP, Mercy Corps has reached over one million Gazans, with home rehabilitation, employment and skills training programs, and education and psychosocial support services for children and youth. The program focuses on recovery from the devastating conflict of summer 2014 to enhance food security, improve psychosocial resilience, and stimulate early economic recovery through cash for work projects and internships.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Grants and Compliance Manager will be a key position in the $50 million, 5-year USAID-funded Envision Gaza 2020 Program, a program that will meet the basic needs of Palestinians living in Gaza by creating employment and opportunities (e.g. cash/voucher-for-work activities); supporting the food security needs of vulnerable households (e.g. small subsistence farming); distribution of basic commodities of NFIs and supporting community-based organizations to lead post-conflict and emergency response.  The Grants and Compliance Manager will be responsible for ensuring and facilitating the compliance of the program with donor regulations and manage and administer a subaward mechanism that will award several million dollars in subawards to national and international organizations for activities that help vulnerable populations in Gaza to become more sustainable and self-reliant.  S/he will also lead efforts to build the capacity of local NGOs to meet finance and compliance requirements of USAID and other donors, so that these local organizations develop professional personnel and systems. S/he will work closely with Mercy Corps’ Gaza staff dedicated to the program, including the Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, Finance Manager and Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, and consult with Mercy Corps’ WB/G Mission Director and with Mercy Corps’ HQ compliance and legal departments.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Sub Awards Management:
-Participate in the development of the overall programmatic strategy and the strategy for the subawards/contract program.
-Contribute to the design and administration of a participatory rapid needs assessment to confirm priorities for sub-grant RFAs and awards.
-Assist in developing a program specific subawards manual in coordination with HQ Compliance department.
-Participate in the design of RFAs for subaward opportunities, publication of RFAs, issuing of RFA packages to prospective applicants, manage the administrative process of receiving RFA applications and providing the applicants to the RFA Review Committee, in accordance with the program subawards manual.

-Administer RFA processes for issuing sub-grants to Gazan NGOs, in accordance with the program subaward manual, with, for each solicitation, clearly defined and communicated steps for selecting, negotiating and awarding subawards. .
-Responsible for the review of applicant organization’s budgets and budget narratives for completeness, cost realism and compliance with the solicitation budget requirements.
-Responsible for pre-award financial review, as applicable, and other due diligence of apparently successful applicants.
-Select appropriate subaward agreement type, provide HQ with the required information to draft subawards, and negotiate agreements with selected subrecipients.
-Work closely with the partner organizations, if applicable, to ensure they are issuing, managing and monitoring subawards in accordance with the program subaward manual.
-Draft modifications to subawards, as applicable.
-Develop and conduct subrecipient financial and compliance training workshops.
-Review subrecpient financial reports/invoices for correctness and completeness and ensure that reports are submitted on time.
-Develop subrecipient monitoring plans, conduct financial monitoring of subrecipients and prepare financial monitoring visit reports (as applicable).
-Follow up on all subaward compliance and audit issues, including documentation of corrective actions.
-Maintain subawards in the accounting system as well as subaward financial files in accordance with the Field Finance Manual.
-Process needed documents for subrecipient payments.
-Responsible for subaward financial close-outs, including ensuring that all requirements of the subaward agreement have been met and that subaward funds have been properly settled.
-Provide compliance guidance and consultations to subrecipients on a demand-driven basis.

Compliance:
-Ensure that the program is executed in alignment with the Cooperative Agreement and the applicable USAID regulations, staying abreast of changes in regulatory environment related to donor/grant compliance; update program procedures as necessary;
-Help find solutions to issues that are compliant, yet facilitate the achievement of program objectives.
-Review program procedures, contracts and other documents for compliance requirements and ensure these requirements are met.
-Prepare prior approval, waiver and other compliance requests to the donor.
-Assist subrecipients, as needed, with compliance requests to Mercy Corps. Identify and communicate compliance risks associated with program implementation;
-Prepare and maintain internal and donor compliance-related reports.
-Work very closely the Finance department to facilitate grant projections, disbursement and reporting, ensuring compliant documentation, and, as requested by the COP, investigate subaward financial anomalies as per MC policies and procedures.
-Provide leadership and direction with regard to any grant or contract functions needed for the program’s success and to provide input on program functions.
-Ensure the compliance tracker for the program is up to date and reviewed with the relevant departments on a monthly basis.

Team Management
-Create and sustain a dynamic and participatory work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
-Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
-Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary. Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
-Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
-Ensure that all staff receive appropriate communications regarding their compliance assignments and responsibilities;
-Develop, update as necessary and deliver training programs and materials and ensure all staff are aware of the compliance requirements related to their position;

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 towards 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.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Grants Officers, Project Monitors
ACCOUNTABILITY:
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Chief of Party
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Finance Manager, Program Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, Deputy Chief of Party

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
-MA/S or equivalent in Grants Management, International Development or related field;
-At least 10 years of relevant field or management experience of complex, multi-dimensional programming;
-Proven success managing the administration and compliance of US government funding, particularly with the management of large USAID-funded sub-grant mechanisms of a comparable size;
-Proven experience managing complex teams in difficult environments;
-Demonstrated experience and ability to professionally and appropriately represent the organization and negotiate and defend Mercy Corps’ interests with a diverse range of international and local organizations and other groups;
-Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational, and prioritization skills are necessary;
-Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members is required;
-Strength and experience in effective monitoring and evaluation, and demonstrated ability to adapt based on results to maximize impact;
-Experience working in complex political environments, and accordingly under dramatically more complex USG regulations;
-Extensive technical expertise in gender integration strongly preferred;
-Experience with emergency response programs and staff training and mentoring is preferred;
-Experience living and working in the Palestinian Territories preferred;
-Fluency in written and spoken English essential; proficiency in Arabic is preferred;

SUCCESS FACTORS:
-Demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles, follow procedures, and meet deadlines;
-Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving;
-Proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results;
-Ability to understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details;
-Ability to live within a complex security and political situation and to follow strict security protocols;
-Knowledge of security standards, equipment, precautionary measures, communication protocols, various unstable conditions and familiarity of the Sphere Project’s Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response;
-Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
-Knowledge of procurement and tendering;
-Curiosity about and sensitivity to new cultures.

LIVING /ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
The position will be based in Gaza, and frequent travel will be required to project sites in Gaza with regular travel to Jerusalem and occasional travel to the West Bank. Strict adherence to Mercy Corps security policies and procedures will be required as will respect for local cultural norms and traditions.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Qualified persons with disability are highly encouraged to apply.

لتصلك اخر برامج التشغيل والوظائف في قطاع غزة على جوالك وبدون رسوم  ارسل حرف  غ  للرقم 37953

 

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit a one page cover letter and their CV by e-mail to     
 

no later than Wednesday, September 30, 2015.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Please indicate in the email subject; Grants and Compliance Manager.
No application will be accepted if the email subject is not mentioned in the email subject line.
Please apply separate application for each position you are interested in.