Temporary Reliever(Maternity Cover)-Grants Officer Job at The African Academy of Sciences (AAS)

The Grants Officer (relieving role) is responsible for the administration and proper management of processes throughout the grants management cycle. The incumbent effectively manages a portfolio of grants, implementing pre- and post-grant award processes and providing support to grantees to ensure the delivery of quality projects on time and on budget.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Grants Management

• Prepare initial drafts for call related documents such as the call rules and guidelines, frequently asked questions, and any other important information related to the call;
• Conduct initial screening of grant applications to ensure they meet the required standard of the call;
• Manage all applications through the online grants management system to foster transparency, accountability and ease of audit and tracking of all grants application processes;
• Provide guidance to applicants, grant holders, and other stakeholders on the application process and the management of awards to ensure positive engagement with the external community in relation to the AAS Programmes work;
• Set up a review committee, attend review meetings and consolidate the reviews from the committee in time for use by the decision committee;
• Provide logistical support for the decision committee/interview committee during the selection of applicants in setting up interviews for shortlisted applicants;
• Conduct eligibility checks on shortlisted applicants to ensure viability of the grant holding institution through desk reviews and site visits;
• Deliver timely feedback on refusal/award to applicants and respond to their queries; develop and maintain regular communication with award holders/grantees;
• Develop draft grant agreements/contracts between the Academy and the grantees upon awarding of a grant.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Monitor the progress of projects to ensure they are managed in line with the stipulated guidelines, set up reporting templates and participate in the review of the same
• Build positive and trusting relationships with grant holders and other key stakeholders
• Track designated project grants in liaison with the Grants Accountant and Programme Manager to ensure all expenses are correctly accounted for, activities remain within the allocated budget and funds are disbursed on time
• Conduct regular trainings for Programme staff on the use of the grant management system such as the setting up of calls on the system and other system functions
• Support the development of Grants Management Policies to ensure the Academy’s grants
• management system adheres to universally set standards, policies and procedures
• Carry out monitoring visits to grant holder institutions, in coordination with the MEL team
• Contribute to cross-programme sharing and learning activities and events

Documentation and Reporting

• Develop and disseminate grant reports as required for management reporting;
• Maintain an updated online application system in conjunction with the Grants Management Technical team and the Programme Manager to include necessary documentation and data in line with the call requirements;
• Set up reporting templates on institutional online grants system;
• Participate in review of reports and evaluation of progress as part of post-award Grants management support to ensure grant is managed is managed in accordance with guidelines;
• Manage feedback from grantees and clarify grant management guidelines with grantees where necessary;

Programme Support and Events Management

• Plan and organise events, meetings and programmatic activities. This includes administrative and travel logistics such as processing of visa letters, drawing budgets and following up on invoices and payments;
• Support the end-to-end planning and coordination of Programme events for both local and international meetings to ensure continuous collaboration and partnerships;
• Support the development of a repository for all projects and grantees in collaboration with the Academy’s global partners in order to establish those that can be scaled up to the next phase;
• Conduct research and build rapport with other granting partners to ensure continuous
• improvement of the Academy’s grant making process;
• Provide support to other Programme staff and the operations team in the delivery of their mandate including setting up-upcoming calls on the grants management systems, providing logistical support during event planning as well as selected recruitment activities