Job Description
TITLE: Grants Officer
DEPARTMENT: Americares Tanzania
REPORTS TO: Finance and Operations Manager with dotted line to the Program Manager
ASSIGNMENT TYPE: Full-time
LOCATION: Mwanza Tanzania
LENGTH: Project is funded until June 30th, 2023
ABOUT AMERICARES:
Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster. Each year, Americares reaches 85 countries on average, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine, medical supplies, and emergency aid. Americares is one of the world's leading non-profit providers of donated medicine and medical supplies. For more information, visit americares.org.
About the Community Partnerships for Respectful Care (CPRC) project:
The Americares Community Partnerships for Respectful Care (CPRC) is a 5-year project (2020-2025) funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with the aim to contribute to reducing mortality and morbidity among mothers and their children through improved community-based health care. The USAID CPRC project (USAID UZAZI STAHA in Swahili) provides strategic technical assistance at the national, regional and council levels to improve the quality and uptake of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH), family planning (FP), and nutrition services, as well as strengthen respectful maternity care in Tanzania. Americares Tanzania works with Christian Social Services Commission (CSSC) in the implementation of the USAID CPRC project in the Mwanza Region.
COVID-19 Vaccination Support: Through the U.S. Government’s Initiative for Global Vaccine Access (Global VAX), USAID and other U.S. government agencies (e.g. CDC) are supporting Tanzania in reaching 70 percent of the eligible population with the COVID-19 vaccination. Through the CPRC project, USAID is supporting interventions to accelerate the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination in Mwanza and Shinyanga regions through social behavior change (SBC) and community outreach. The CPRC project will leverage its RMNCAH activities and relationships with key stakeholders to strengthen vaccination demand, community mobilization, service delivery and COVID-19 data management efforts in line with Tanzania’s Phase II acceleration plan and in close partnership with CDC vaccination service delivery support partners in the two regions. CPRC will use a ‘community scorecard’ approach for identifying barriers around COVID-19 vaccine uptake and creating locally driven solutions for combating vaccine hesitancy and misinformation and strengthening linkages between facility and community health services. Americares/CPRC will engage civil society organizations (CSOs) for grassroots-level mobilization and reach in the roll-out of interventions.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Grants Officer provides administrative oversight of CPRC’s Global Vax subgrants in terms of implementation, capacity building, reporting, and compliance with US government and Americares requirements. The Grants Officer will ensure high-quality grants management, including development and management of transparent and effective sub-granting systems, due diligence and vetting of subgrantees, capacity-building/technical assistance, processing of financial and programmatic reports, and disbursement of payments. She/he will advise the CPRC Global Vax Program Manager and other technical staff on effective procedures for integrating subgrantees into the project. She/he will support the execution of all subgrants for timely accomplishment of all deliverables.
Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Review technical and financial proposals from local civil society organizations (CSOs), including reviewing and negotiating annual budgets, scopes of work, etc.
- Support identification of appropriate subgrant instruments and development of subgrant agreements in coordination with Americares HQ
- Conduct due diligence and vetting of subgrantees per Americares’ protocol
- Support grants management process for subgrantees, including grant proposal tracking, review, and approval process nafasi za kazi
- Manage subgrant financial processes, including reviewing and approving subgrant partner financial reports for financial/contractual compliance, monitoring expenses, maintaining financial and grants for documentation, and ensuring timely financial disbursements to subgrantees
- Identify capacity needs and provide capacity-building support for subgrantees; strengthen subgrantees in financial management reporting and mechanisms
- Monitor and document subgrantee performance and areas of capacity development throughout the grant period
- Build and maintain strong relationships and communication with subgrantees
- Serve as a resource for subgrantees on questions pertaining to achievement of milestones/deliverables, project progress, compliance regulations, etc.
- Prepare quarterly updates on subgrantee performance
- Review payment requests and deliverables to ensure adherence to the grant agreements
- Organize and conduct regular site visits with technical and MEL team to ensure full compliance to the grants’ terms and conditions
- Liaise with the Finance team to ensure timely subgrantees’ invoices payment and processing
- Coordinate and perform periodic evaluations in order to have overview on compliance with grant agreements and the schedules implementation.
- Ensure timely closure of the grant agreements
- Perform other duties as assigned by his/her supervisor
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting and Business Administration with 5 years relevant experience. CPA (T) or any other relevant professional qualification is desirable. Master’s degree in similar fields will be an added advantage.
- Knowledge of USAID policies and procedures for grants and subgrants management and reporting
- At least 5 years of working experience in subgrants management with local organizations, including capacity building of management and financial systems.
- Experience in the use of QuickBooks, NetSuite, Financial Edge or any accounting and financial software or ERP system
- Experience of U.S Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) required, US GAAP for non-profit a huge plus
- Experience in financial reporting, budget monitoring
- Excellent interpersonal skills and strong communications skills; ability to develop partnerships across sectors and cultures
- Strong organizational skills, strategic thinking skills, and attention to detail
- Excellent English-language speaking and writing skills and demonstrated experience meeting USAID and other donors reporting requirements
- Proficiency in Office 365 including Word, Excel, Teams, PowerPoint and SharePoint
- Willingness and ability to travel at least two weeks per month
- Take USAID-mandated courses within 30 days of employment
- Unrestricted authorization to work in Tanzania.
CORE AMERICARES RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Foster Americares values of Collaborative, Accountability, Responsive and Effective.
- Support staff to increase individual and team effectiveness; and
- Support implementation of plans to increase team operating performance.
HOW TO APPLY
To be considered for this position, the applicant should please the following items in an expression of interest to Americares:
Curriculum vitae or resume that clearly spell out qualifications and experience
Cover letter highlighting interest in the position and relevant skills
Academic credentials
List of 3 references
Deadline for submission: 10th July 2022
Submissions should be sent to: Americares recruitment portal link provided.
Applications will be reviewed as they are received.
As a global health organization, we are committed to ensuring a safe environment for our staff, partners, and visitors. All Americares staff and visitors who are on-site at any of our locations or will be traveling for work are required to be fully vaccinated (which includes a booster, when eligible) against COVID-19 unless an exemption required by law is applicable.
Americares is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
To request a disability accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact us at talentcenter@americares.org