Grants Manager

POSITION TITLE: Grants Manager LOCATION: Lilongwe, Malawi PROJECT: The Market Transitions to Enable New Growth Opportunities (MTENGO) PROJECT SUMMARY: The Market Transitions to Enable New Growth Opportunities (MTENGO) project is a five year, USDA-funded project implemented by Winrock International in the Northern and Central regions of Malawi. MTENGO uses a farmer-first approach grounded in market incentives to increase resource-efficient, reliable production from Malawian agriculture in the face of climate unpredictability. MTENGO’s approach will enable farmers to: Diversify and achieve stable returns from their farming portfolio through climate smart farming by responding to market demands with diversified production; Increase access to water for productive purposes through improved water management practices; Make ecosystem services work for farmers by improving farmer access to, and collective management of, water, soil, and forest products; and Increase access to markets and finance so farmers can make climate smart investments. The Grants Manager will provide grant management support through the total grant cycle (pre-award to post-award) and provide guidance to the technical team and grantees on a continuous basis to ensure compliance with USG grants requirements and local laws. ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Provide management oversight and technical assistance for all matters relating to grants and sub-agreements for MTENGO project. Support the technical team to develop terms of references for grant opportunities and draft requests for applications or annual program statements. In coordination with the technical team, publicize the grant opportunities. Manage the grant application review process, coordinating with the technical team to ensure proposed grant activities match the grants strategy and the Project’s objectives and with the grant applicants as necessary to clarify points Assist grant applicants to apply for a unique entity identifier (UEI) as needed Conduct pre-award audits of possible grantee organizations, in addition to audits during implementation and at close-out, as needed and identified in the Grants Manual and in coordination with the Operations Director. Ensure proper negotiation of the terms and conditions for grants. Prepare grant packages including the grant agreements and supporting documents and work with home office project management and awards management staff in the review and approval of the grant package. Manage grant pipeline through the use of a grant tracker before and after award. Follow-up with grantees as needed to ensure submissions of required programmatic reports, financial reports, and other deliverables included in the grant agreement. Monitor financial management of grant funds to ensure consistency between the projected and actual expenditures. Ensure all documents related to grants are properly filed in the project file shared folder Coordinate with technical and MEL staff to ensure proper monitoring of the technical implementation of grants to ensure timely progress, including through field visits, and review submitted technical reports, proposed strategy, and work plans to ensure consistency with agreed technical plan. Manage administrative close-out processes of grants. Maintain accurate documentation and filing of grant documents, ensuring adherence with donor and audit requirements. Identify and share best practices for the implementation and management of grants. QUALIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND: Education: Bachelor’s Degree in economics, finance, business administration or a related field. Experience: Minimum 6 years of experience in soliciting for grantees, awarding grants and managing and mentoring grantees for results. Experienced in USDA/USAID regulations and procedures. At least 3 years of professional work experience with an international organization that implements development or humanitarian projects. Knowledge, Skill & Ability Requirements: Strong writing and proofreading skills, with attention to detail. Sound knowledge of U.S. government rules and regulations (2 CFR 200), especially those pertaining to USDA. Ability to work as part of a team and have good interpersonal communication skills. Good Microsoft Office skills (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams). Excellent written and spoken English skills. Strong workflow management skills and ability to handle multiple tasks at the same time and meet tight deadlines. Willing and able to travel throughout Malawi. Winrock is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and value diversity and inclusiveness. Winrock recruits, employs, trains, promotes and compensates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law. At Winrock we have a clear mission: Empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources through unwavering dedication to accountability, equity, innovation, integrity and transformation. Winrock knows that its success comes from the hard work and steadfast dedication of its diverse workforce. Winrock remains committed to maintaining diversity, inclusion and equity across the entire organization