Grants Manager

Project Description:

USAID Feed the Future Orora Wihaze Activity targets transformation of poultry, fish, pig and goat value chains and will cultivate local demand for animal source foods. Venture37 leads a consortium of four firms that operate as a project team to deliver results using an innovative market systems development approach and aiming to empower micro, small, and medium enterprises. The Activity will use and offer grants and contracts or other contractual  mechanisms to create incentives for private businesses and supporting organizations to address gaps and barriers or to seize opportunities in the marketplace for animal source foods. Orora Wihaze will solicit concept notes for innovative and impactful ideas that contribute to the achievement of Activity’s Objectives. After evaluation of the concept notes and where appropriate a grant or contract will be awarded to successful applicants to address high priority issues; target smallholder households, women, youth and PWD in target districts; be highly feasible; and have potential for scale and replication by other market actors.

Position Summary and Primary Responsibilities:

The Grants Manager is responsible for leading the Orora Wihaze grants team and managing an innovative grant fund through the solicitation, design, due diligence, negotiation, documentation, monitoring, reporting and closeout of grants and grant activities while ensuring compliance with Venture37 policies and process and USAID rules and regulations. These grants will assist local market innovators to increase the availability of, access to, and consumption of  animal sourced foods (ASF), particularly among women of reproductive age and children (U2) through the development of a profitable market.

The Grants Manager collaborates closely with the technical teams during the conceptualization of individual innovative activities and grant solicitations and help shape their ideas into a grant design which complies with USAID regulations and delivers project results. The Grants Manager also supports Orora Wihaze’s market systems design approach by engaging with the technical team and the grant applicant in a co-creation process to develop a scope of work and budget that fit both compliance standards and technical performance objectives.

The Grants Manager oversees grant compliance and monitoring  of all grants from solicitation to closeout and is responsible for ensuring all Orora Wihaze team members are trained in grant compliance review when conducting site visits.  The Grants Manager also closely supports grant and contract recipients in compliance and award management ensuring timely collection of required documentation and reports.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Prepare, review, update, or adapt the Orora Wihaze Grants Plan to forecast and track the development of partnerships, award of grants or contracts, funds expended, and achievement of the sub-objectives detailed in agreements.
• Organize and lead weekly grants meetings with Orora Wihaze staff including members of the Venture37 team and member of the Consortium (Catholic Relief Services, MarketShare Associates, and the Manoff Group)
• Work in coordination with Market Systems, Nutrition and Behavior Change, Policy Teams to design, promote, and distribute solicitations for concept notes. Participate in the review and evaluation process, leading in the documentation of the scoring and selection.  Assess grant submissions for technical and budget soundness and compliance with USAID regulations, recommending award actions to the team.
• Conduct the due diligence of grant applicants to determine their eligibility
• Support the Chief of Party and Senior Finance and Administrative Manager submit grants approval request package to the funder for review and approval, and help respond to questions from USAID’s Contracting Officer’s Representative.
• Develop grant agreements and facilitate signature of awards.  Maintain grant documentation, fully utilizing and managing information in the Cobblestone contract and grant management database and document management system.
• Lead grant kickoff meetings with new grantees to review key terms and conditions of their grant agreements.
• Oversee and structure regular grantee  reporting on an agreed  timeline. Monitor and track leverage contributions, performance reports, and compliance with award conditions.  Communicate and collaborate with MEL, Finance, and Technical Teams to gather data and share information.
• Train and provide guidance to team members to also monitor grant compliance when conducting site visits, grantee deliverables and milestones review, and training and capacity building activities.  Act as resource for USAID rules and regulation compliance.
• Communicate as necessary with project grantees, assisting and training the partners to complete reports requirements and maintain compliance with the terms of grant agreements.
• Create grants closeout plan and lead the closeout process for all grants issued by the project.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, business, management, or other related field.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience managing a grants portfolio.
• Experience with USAID grants under contract rules and regulations.
• Experience with a grants management database used to manage workflow and document key stages in a grant cycle
• Experience in or working with private companies and collaborating with local agencies, departments, and ministries.
• Proven ability to write clear and concise documents for donor review
• Fluency in oral and written English and Kinyarwanda.