The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:  Grants Officer

Organisation: Saferworld

Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda

Reports to: Partnerships and Compliance Manager

About US:

Saferworld is an independent international organisation working to prevent violent conflict and build safer lives. We work with people affected by conflict to improve their safety and sense of security, and conduct wider research and analysis. We use this evidence and learning to improve local, national and international policies and practices that can help build lasting peace. Our priority is people – we believe in a world where everyone can lead peaceful, fulfilling lives, free from fear and insecurity. We are a not-for-profit organization operational in 12 countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Job Summary: The Grants Officer will support grant administration and compliance in the region in accordance with contractual obligations. Saferworld’s funding base has grown in income and complexity over the last few years, with the majority of funds coming from institutional donors, including the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the US Government/USAID, United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF), the European Union, and other European Governments, such as SIDA, Norwegian MFA and the Netherlands MFA. This role will support the organisation’s work towards maintaining effective compliance systems and processes of Saferworld’s regional grants from respective donors, including ensuring systems, processes and workflows are in place, and delivering high quality and timely reporting.

The Grants Officer, in coordination with the Partnerships and Compliance Manager, will support effective and efficient grant management and administration to achieve programme goals, working with staff and partner organisations of all levels. The role will provide administration of the grants including managing deliverable timelines, monitoring and ensuring compliance with rules and regulations, and managing complete files and data management for each grant. The Grants Officer will be line managed by the Partnerships and Compliance Manager with a dotted line to other Grant Managers in the region.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Grant management and administration

• Work with the Partnership and Compliance Manager, to ensure systems, processes and workflows for grant management and compliance are in place including developing or updating them when required. This includes maintaining a calendar of key donor deliverables and deadlines, and regularly communicating these to country teams.
• Work with the Partnership and Compliance Manager and other Grant Managers to support the process of the grant set up for new contracts, working with relevant teams in the region and in London to ensure staff and partners are aware of their roles and responsibilities in relation to compliance, budgets and deadlines.
• With the Partnership and Compliance Manager and other Grant Managers, support monthly grant management meetings with finance and project staff, including acting as rapporteur, to ensure that finances are reconciled, and the project is on track with contracted obligations
• Ensure the fundraising and grant management database is kept up to date, including as new grants are agreed, and that grants, contracts and donor communication is accessible and accurate.
• Coordinate timesheet reporting and allocations compliance across the grants for Headquarter staff

Donor reporting

• Under the guidance of the Partnership and Compliance Manager, support the reporting process in the region – including working with the project and finance teams to support the production of timely and accurate narrative and financial reports.
• Support the submission of payment requests and updated budget forecasts and amendments for approval.
• With the Partnerships and Compliance Manager, work with the country and financial teams to support the refinement of financial systems and procedures for grant management and compliance where required.
• Follow up on payments as required, e.g. donor payment requests, consultant payments, partner disbursements
• Support country and HQ finance teams with project audits, mainly in organising project documentation including from partners.

Donor and partner compliance, quality and learning

• Work with Grant Managers and the Finance team to carry out updates of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) database
• Work closely with the Partnership and Compliance Manager and other Grant Managers to develop working relationships with Saferworld partners, including signed Project Agreements and SDN checks adherence to partnership agreements and processes, financial receipts and expenditure reports, developing and managing systems to track partners’ spend against income in relation to the project, contract compliance, and donor financial and narrative reports – including IATI where needed.
• Organise and maintain documentation in relation to partner organisational capacity assessments and budget verification exercises, including the tracker with agreed actions and recommendations arising from these assessments
• Maintaining Saferworld’s partner database in the region, and liaise with Saferworld’s global CSO partnerships adviser to ensure Saferworld’s organisational data on partners is up to date.
• Support fundraising colleagues to provide relevant data and documents in support of donor due diligence processes

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Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, International Development, Sustainable Development, Peace and Conflict Studies or related discipline.
• Post graduate diploma in project planning and Management is an added advantage.
• Demonstrable experience of project and budget management (e.g. project planning, grant management, compiling and monitoring budgets, narrative and financial reporting), preferably in an INGO setting (at least two years of experience).
• Experience in developing and maintaining systematic and transparent records in order to keep track of projects and for accountability and auditing.
• Experience of working in an organisation that has a commitment to partnership or works with partners.
• Experience of donor compliance.
• Demonstrable ability to carry out administrative duties effectively
• Experience of managing and refining databases and extracting data for analytical purposes.
• Familiarity with peacebuilding and/or international development issues
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team, as the task requires
• Fluency in English (written and spoken); fluency in a second language (desirable)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to condense complex information, including for reports
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including experience of communicating effectively across cultures and with diverse audiences, both verbally and in writing.
• Excellent organisational skills, accuracy and attention to detail and ability to meet tight deadlines
• Strong coordination and team-working skills applicable to a remote management context.
• Ability to negotiate and understand priorities of colleagues, applying a problem-solving supportive approach
• Ability to work proactively, on own initiative and well under pressure
• Ability to work in a non-partisan and neutral manner, particularly in high-stress and highly politicised environments, appreciating gender, cultural and ethnic diversity.
• Facilitation and training skills (desirable)

Personal qualities

• Commitment to and compliance with Saferworld’s safeguarding principles
• Commitment to respect and value equality and diversity, and understanding of how this applies to own area of work
• Commitment to own continuing personal and professional development
• Commitment to the vision, mission and values of Saferworld
• Ability to travel within the region, up to 2-3 months a year (non-consecutive)

How to Apply:

All candidates should send a complete application form, Download Here and send it to HR Team at jobs@saferworld.org.uk  (Ref: PRFO)

Deadline: 10th February 2023

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