Grants Manager – Cash Consortium of Sudan (CCS) at Mercy Corps

Job Description

• The purpose of the CCS Grants Coordinator position is to provide essential oversight and coordination of all reporting, proposal development, and communication tasks for the CCS. S/he will coordinate effectively with CCS partners to prepare high quality and timely donor reports, lead proposal development and produce high quality external communication products. S/he will assist the CCS Director with other reporting activities including: responding to information requests, writing success stories, and monitoring and reporting on program impact. S/he will coordinate with donors, partners, and other NGOs as required by the CCS Director and will attend key coordination meetings and support information sharing across partners. S/he will provide guidance and direction to the CCS Communications Officer.

Essential Job Functions
Program Development

• Engage with the CCS Secretariat team, CCS partners and grant holder headquarters to develop high quality concept notes and proposals.
• Support the CCS Director with the development of strategy and/ or position papers.
• Support donor cultivation for unsolicited opportunities, as well as tracking of relevant donor calls for proposals.

Documentation and Reporting

• Ensure establishment and maintenance of CCS reporting and proposal pipeline.
• Engage with CCS Secretariat team, CCS partners, and grant holder headquarters to prepare donor reports on program progress, ensuring all reporting requirements are delivered on time and in a quality manner.
• Ensure quality of program writing, including program activity plans, reports and informal updates.
• Schedule various CCS coordination meetings as needed; ensure meeting minutes are documented and filed.
• Respond to information requests, draft success stories, monitor and report on the impact of the various CCS programs.
• When appropriate, develop and release public communications.
• Engage with CCS Secretariat team (Finance, MEAL, Policy, Research & Advocacy, grant holder headquarters) and with CCS partners in the development of proposals, reports, success stories, briefs, grant/sub-grant maintenance and other tasks as assigned by the CCS Director.

Program Management & Quality

• Support the CCS Director in developing and managing project consolidation tools for use by the CCS and Steering Committee for decision-making, including regular progress reports and key program highlights/ issues.
• Facilitate coordination and communication with CCS partner grants focal points through quarterly CCS Grants meetings.
• Maintain program files and ensure key materials are correctly filed.
• Coordinate with CCS partners in writing reports and success stories.
• Ensure that partners are aware of requirements and conditions of grant agreements and contracts, through the use of grant opening/mid/closing meetings and other methods.
• Ensure that grant coordination systems and processes are successfully implemented across the life of all grants.
• Ensure that key controls are in place to support effective management of the funding portfolio and compliance with the donor requirements.
• Oversee development and usage of standard visibility materials, both for CCS and its donors.
• Visit CCS partner programming field sites on regular basis.

Finance & Compliance Management

• Ensure the consortium activities are compliant with donor and grant holder rules and regulations
• Manage the consortium budget and ensure partner expenditures are in line with agreed upon budgets
• Monitor expenditures and forecasts, ensure timely identification of under/over spends and propose and implement solutions
• Ensure timely submission of donor financial reports

Representation and Coordination

• Participate where relevant in external representation of the consortium with various groups, including donors, UN agencies, the World Bank and local authorities as feasible.
• Represent consortium progress to donors as well as within the Cash Working Group, the Emergency Livelihoods Cluster, other relevant clusters, working groups related to Social Protection, and other coordination fora as strategic.
• Share learning from the consortium with the greater humanitarian and development community within Sudan as well as regionally and globally, as relevant.

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

• Communications Officer
• Accountability

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: CCS Director
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: CCS Partner Agencies, Mercy Corps Programs, Operations and Finance teams, Regional and HQ Technical Support Units
Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor degree or equivalent in related field, including public relations, journalism, and international affairs or commensurate field experience.
• 5+ years of experience providing coordination or management support to program implementation in a relevant field of expertise that includes:
  • Preparing writing and analysis on programmatic activities;
  • Budget management experience;
  • Managing work plans;
  • Representing programs with donors and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work cooperatively with internal and external stakeholders, and to play a leadership role in convening groups. Astute skills in relationship building and coordination.
• Experience working with ECHO, SDC and USAID/BHA, FCDO highly desired.
• Ability to represent the CCS to donors, NGO and UN counterparts, local groups, community members and local authorities is essential.
• Excellent writing and communications skills required.
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal