DEPARTMENT: International Programs
RESPONSIBLE TO: ARC Somalia MFI & TVET Project Director
STATUS: Full Time
SUPERVISORY CAPACITY:
DEPARTMENT/COUNTRY PROGRAM DESCRIPTION/MISSION
The American Refugee Committee (ARC) is an entrepreneurial humanitarian organization that assists displaced people to move from vulnerability to resilience, from impoverishment to a basic level of well-being, and from exclusion to inclusion.
ARC, in partnership with FAO, DFID, relevant Somalia ministries, and existing financial institutions and microfinance providers, intends to initiate a vocational training and market-driven microfinance program. The overarching goal is to increase technical education, entrepreneurial and employment opportunities for Somali youth through the provision of market driven sustainable capacity building and microfinance program, by strengthening strategic linkages between education, public and private sectors. The TVET program objectives include 400 graduates from institutional and entrepreneurial vocational training, capacity building for 30 Business Development Service (BDS) providers, and provision of tools and techniques for enhanced life skills and conflict resolution. The Microfinance program will be linked with and built on the achievements of the SEED program, which has two major components: (i) market development, covering the productive sectors of: agriculture, livestock, and fisheries (ii) investment climate enhancement including a challenge fund and business reforms.This program will add value to productive sectors and result in significant returns to youth, women, industry and the wider economy of Somalia.
PRIMARY PURPOSE OF POSITION
Under direct supervision of the TVET/MFI Project Director of ARC for Somalia, and in consultation with FAO-Somalia SEED Program Manager, the Grants Manager (GM) is responsible for providing efficient and effective management of the FAO grants. S/he is responsible for ensuring quality grant management including: supporting program coordinators and project staff in timely, high quality implementation, monitoring, management of spending and burn rates, developing the grant management capacity of staff, ensuring compliance with donor and internal organization requirements, donor engagement, coordinating grant information management, and ensuring timely, quality reporting.
MAJOR AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY
PRIMARY DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
- Work with Project Director, Coordinators, other project staff and partners, and ARC Somalia Senior Management Team to support detailed implementation planning, timely procurement, spending planning, and monitoring frameworks to ensure high quality, timely project implementation.
- Represent ARC with donors and partners, as associated with the TVET and MFI sub-components, and in assistance to the Senior Grant Manager, including sharing of best practices and lessons learned.
- Ensure full compliance with ARCs minimum operating standards for grant management and work with implementing partners.
- Monitor and enable budget holders’ utilization of ARC processes and tools to ensure achievement of targeted burn rates for all grants.
- Work with program and finance staff to produce budget realignment and grant C/NCE requests.
- Monitor implementation, procurement and expenditures to ensure compliance with contract obligations and effective budget management practices.
- Maintain a culture of accountability among implementation and budget holders, with the support of the Country Director, Senior Grant Manager and Finance Controller.
- Support project staff developing timely, high quality donor reports, ensuring the quality of financial and narrative donor reports.
- Manage contractual aspects of sub-grant/sub-contract relations in the Somalia program.
- Collaborate with headquarters M&E and other technical advisors to ensure quality programming.
- Undertake other tasks as needed.
EDUCATION, TECHNICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED
- Master’s Degree in International Development, Microfinance, Finance, Economics, or related area.
- Fluency in English and strong writing abilities.
- Must have a minimum of 3 years of experience in a similar position in complex emergency or post-conflict settings, preferably with NGOs. Field experience and familiarity with Somalia is preferred.
- Proven ability to nurture a smooth working relationship with staff, strategic partners and varied local, national, and civil society stakeholders (MFIs, banks, technical assistance providers, international donors, research agencies, etc.).
- Demonstrated success in establishing partnership management and monitoring protocols with local NGO partners.
- High-level computer literacy; Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook required.
- Demonstrated success coordinating UN or other humanitarian donor supported projects in agriculture and livestock, community-based programming, and capacity building related to livelihoods.
- Sound technical knowledge of grant management systems, approaches, protocols and best practices for end-to-end project planning and management.
- Proven efficacy in training and facilitation of workshops.
- Commitment to ARC’s mandate and objectives.
- Proven ability to coordinate, manage and delegate work appropriately.
- Experience working with diverse communities.
- Highly developed organizational, liaison and communication skills.
- Ability to work under own initiative and as part of a small team.
- Ability to multi-task, work under pressure, and be administratively self-sufficient.
