NGO Program Grants Officer Job in Nairobi, Kenya

Grants Officer 

Hours: Full Time

Reports: Sub Grants Manager

Location: Afya Jijini Program – Nairobi, Kenya 

Background: IMA World Health is the prime contractor for the USAID / Kenya and East Africa Afya Jijini program in Kenya, which seeks to improve and increase access and utilization of quality health services in Kenya through strengthened service delivery and institutional capacity of county health systems within Nairobi. 

The three sub-purposes and output areas of the project are:

1. Sub-purpose 1: Increased access and utilization of quality HIV services.
  • Output 1.1: Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission (eMTCT)
  • Output 1.2: HIV Care and Support Services
  • Output 1.3: HIV Treatment Services
  • Output 1.4: HIV Prevention, HIV Testing and Counseling (HTC), and Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC)
  • Output 1.5: Tuberculosis (TB) / HIV Co-infection Services
2. Sub-purpose 2: Increased access and uptake of focused maternal, newbord, and child health (MNCH), family planning (FP), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and nutrition services.
  • Output 2.1: Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) Services
  • Output 2.2: Child Health Services
  • Output 2.3: Family Planning Services
  • Output 2.4: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Services
  • Output 2.5: Nutrition Services
3. Sub-purpose 3: Strengthened and functional county health systems.
  • Output 3.1: Partnerships for Governance and Strategic Planning
  • Output 3.2: Human Resources for Health (HRH)
  • Output 3.3: Health Products and Technologies (HPT)
  • Output 3.4: Strategic Monitoring and Evaluation Systems
  • Output 3.5: Quality Improvement Systems
Afya Jijini is supporting the county government, in particular the County Health Teams, to implement the County Health Strategic and Investment Plan, supporting the county to achieve its mission statement: Provide quality healthcare services that are accessible, acceptable, sustainable and equitable to the population of Nairobi County and beyond.

IMA World Health is searching for Grants Officer(s) to join a dynamic team of professionals responsible for the implementation of the $3-5 million Afya Jijini Small Grants (AJSG) program and the responsible stewardship of resources. 

Core Function: The Grants Officer is responsible for providing support to the Afya Jijini Small Grants (AJSG) program, including in supporting the grant solicitation process; assessing and evaluating grantees and grant applications; participating on the Grant Selection Committees (GSCs); working closely with the Afya Jijini program and finance teams to ensure responsible programmatic and financial day-to-day monitoring of grant-funded activities; identifying areas of improvement of the grantees; and building the grantees’ capacity. 

The Grants Officer will work in collaboration with the Afya Jijini Grants team to provide assistance in the management and delivery of the AJSG Program and contribute to overall program effectiveness and efficiency. 
 
The Grants Officer will report directly to the Sub-grants Manager, and will work closely with the Senior Finance Director, Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), M&E Director, and other Senior Management and Technical team leads in supporting and overseeing financial deliverables from a management perspective to ensure grantee financial and program activities are mobilized efficiently and timely.

Specific Responsibilities and Essential Functions 
 

Compliance: 
 
The Grants Officer will ensure compliance with IMA World Health policies and procedures, USAID rules and regulations, especially those related to grants under contract, GOK laws, regulations, and practices, specifically in the issuance, day-to-day support, and continued monitoring of grantees, including:
  • Reviewing day-to-day grant activities and expenditures for compliance with USAID rules and regulations and IMA World Health’s policies and procedures;
  • Periodically reviewing and auditing specific transactions reported, as well as the internal controls and policies of the grantees, and advise on strengthening these internal controls and policies through reports and monitoring;
  • Drafting memos and other guidance documents and acting as the primary point of contact and resource for grantees on all financial compliance-related issues; and
  • Working with Afya Jijini finance and program teams to verify and track budgets and expenditures against grantee terms and conditions, ensure proper reporting, documentation, and overall deliverables are reviewed by the Afya Jijini Senior Management, and signed off on prior to issuance of payments.
Grantee Management:
  • The Grants Officer will provide input and suggestions for improving the Afya Jijini Small Grants (AJSG) Manual and grant processes and procedures, including assessing, selecting, and managing grants;
  • Assist in identifying areas of improvement for partners/grantees to work on and include these recommendations in their implementation plans. Provide suggestions to the Sub-grants Manager on how IMA can provide the support required in terms of building the programming, financial management, and reporting capacity of the grantees;
  • Provide support in the preparation and review of grant agreements, grant budgets, ensuring necessary clauses are added, and review all grant documents (programmatic and financial) for completeness;
  • Oversee grantee budgets, cash projections, financial reporting, and spending. The Grants Officer will liaise closely with the grantees in tracking expenditures and request regular budget vs. actuals reports from the grantees;
  • Ensure accurate and timely payments are made to grantees throughout the life of the grant;
  • Assist in preparing periodic updates required for the Afya Jijini senior management team and programmatic meetings to discuss the status of each grant, as required;
  • Assist with grant close-outs, including ensuring that all requirements of the grant agreement have been met and that grant funds have been properly settled for sign-off by the Sub-grants manager (followed by the final sign-off by the Senior Finance Director); and
  • Prepare a calendar of critical activity dates/key milestones per grantee.
Documentation;
  • Maintain hard copies and electronic copies of all documentation pertaining to each grant file, ensuring that these files are complete and up-to-date, as per IMA World Health documentation requirements;
  • Ensure that all files are in order and grantee payments and file checklists are satisfactorily completed prior to submission to other functional managers for final approval to pay, extend, close out, etc;
  • In coordination with the technical program leads, monitor the implementation progress of each grantee to ensure that implementation is carried out and that all administrative and financial outputs as stated in the grant are achieved; and
  • Support the drafting of grantee-related correspondence.
External audit facilitation;
  • Under the guidance of the Sub-grants Manager, the Grants Officer will work with the grants team, the finance and HQ teams to develop specific Terms of Reference for audits that are in compliance with IMA policies and procedures and USAID rules and regulations. 
  • S/he will be responsible for coordinating all the external/donor/mission audit functions and assignments.
Others;
  • The Grants Officer will also perform other tasks assigned by the Sub=grants Manager that are consistent with the Grants Officer skills and experience and this Scope of Work.
Job Requirements, Skills and Knowledge:
  • Bachelors’ degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Management or related field; Master’s degree will be an added advantage.
  • 4 – 6 years of hands-on experience working on a USAID-funded grants under contract (GUC) program required; experience with international NGOs in the health sector will be an added advantage;
  • Excellent operational knowledge of USAID rules and regulations, including USAID contracts, GUC, and grants management policies and procedures;
  • Experience in reviewing and negotiating budgets and reimbursement expense reports, and drafting audit scopes of work and reviewing audit results;
  • Experience in assessing organizational capacity and conducting organizational trainings;
  • Advanced computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, Power Point, and electronic mail). Knowledge of MIP preferred;
  • Strong interpersonal and leadership skills, including the ability to work in a professional and cordial manner with fellow staff members, grantees, including international and local NGOs, governmental entities, support organizations, and the general public;
  • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, to prioritize multiple work assignments in an extremely fast-paced environment, to meet deadlines, and to exercise good, professional judgment; ability to manage multiple activities with attention to detail, while meeting tight deadlines under pressure;
  • Excellent problem solving capacity, with demonstrated ability for considerable analysis and sound judgement to find solutions in a complex environment with shifting and competing priorities;
  • Good planning and organizational skills; and
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills that demonstrate a proven record of being an effective part of a team-oriented staff.
How to Apply
 
Interested applicants are required to submit a cover letter and an updated CV by Wednesday March 16, 2016 at 17.00 hours to jijinihr@imaworldhealth.org