GRANTS AND REPORTING SPECIALIST 165 views

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action, helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been present in Zimbabwe since 2002 focusing its interventions on a multi sectoral market systems development portfolio mobilizing communities to promote small-scale agriculture and revive local economies. Its current operations focus on helping smallholder farmers increase their incomes and harvests through the power of technology and increasing urban household access to quality, reliable water, sanitation and hygiene services. Market driven approaches are at the heart of Mercy Corps’ programming globally. Mercy Corps facilitates the development of systems that increase incomes and improve access to goods and services, while reducing the risks and effects of shocks and stresses.

General Position Summary

This position will be primarily responsible for identifying new funding opportunities, donor pre-positioning, and leading new business development, including leading design and lead writing concept notes and proposals, in close coordination with HQ’s Technical Support Unit and Desk team. To successfully perform these responsibilities, the successful candidate will act as a key liaison point for networking with donor and potential partners in Zimbabwe. The Grants and Reporting Specialist will be the main focal point for all Mercy Corps program reports including reports submitted directly to donors, reports submitted by Mercy Corps headquarters, and clusters and other external reporting. They will be the focal point for coordinating the development of concept notes and proposals, ensuring that necessary internal approvals are granted, and the budget and narrative requirements are met. The Grants and Reporting Specialist will also lead in summarizing the compliance requirements of grants issued under each donor and communicating these requirements to the program teams.

The Grants and Reporting Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the Country Director. They will work closely with the MEL Specialist, Program/Project Managers, Finance, Operations and all other field departments in coordinating all grant applications and related responsibilities.

Essential Job Responsibilities

REPRESENTATION AND COORDINATION

• Identify opportunities for strategic growth and portfolio expansion through new business development

• Represent Mercy Corps in cultivating relationships with key donors and partner organizations

• Act as day-to-day representative of Mercy Corps to organizations on program development matters, including attending key internal and external meetings, as needed,

• Represent Mercy Corps in inter agency coordination meetings as assigned by the Country Director

PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

• Lead on the development of concept notes and funding proposals (including budgets), coordinating the process with all Zimbabwe departments under the guidance of the Country Director.

• Work closely with Regional Program Teams in MC Support Offices in Edinburgh and Portland to keep donor, grant and information tracking databases up to date with most current proposals, concept notes, partnership agreements and reports.

• Ensure proposals are developed in coordination and consultation with Country Director, program managers, finance and operations teams and that necessary support is adequately budgeted.

TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING

• Support teams in developing for high-impact communication in proposals and reports to donors

STRATEGY & VISION

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.

• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to country-wide strategy development.

• Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support.

GRANTS MANAGEMENT

• Develop a thorough understanding of relevant Mercy Corps internal and donor policies, regulations, and procedures and train teams accordingly.

• Lead in summarizing the compliance requirements of grants issued under each donor and communicating these requirements to the program teams.

• Work closely with the finance and operations departments to develop grants compliance checklists and share, and follow-up, with program staff for implementation

• Act as the primary focal point with the Regional Portfolio teams in Portland and Edinburgh to act in response to donor priorities and adhere to specific requirements and deadlines

• Facilitate training for program and operations staff on proposal development, report writing, grant management and information management.

• Lead in keeping track of grant start and end dates, and ensure all reporting deadlines are met.

• Lead in the consolidation of all donor reports for Mercy Corps Zimbabwe programs with input from Country Director, MEL Specialist, program managers and desk officers at MC HQs.

• Lead in developing Technical Agreements for the Government of Zimbabwe’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC).

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

• Oversee the rollout of the MEL System.

• Plan and lead all MEL activities including the baseline, midterm and final evaluations, and develop standards for data collection.

• Train project team members and partners on their ME&L responsibilities

• Provide technical support of available MEL staff located in field offices.

• Update MEL and project management systems to reflect program progress and needs; enforce proper usage of these systems by program staff.

• Collect, analyze and validate information and data on the performance indicators

• Present data analysis and periodic reporting in consultation with technical staff

• Ensure that lessons learned throughout the project are captured and communicated to internal and external stakeholders through appropriate channels

• Take on overall responsibility for project reporting including Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Annual, Final and ad-hoc reports.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles, and assist with career development.

• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.

• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

• Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.

SECURITY

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.

• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically

to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility

• MEL Specialist and MEL Officers

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Country Director

Works Directly With: Resilience Director, Program Managers and Teams, MEL Specialist and Teams, Country Finance and Operations Teams, Regional and HQ Programme Officers

Qualifications And Experience

Minimum Qualification& Transferable Skills

• Masters Degree in relevant field (International Relations, Political science, Development Studies, etc.

• At least 5 years’ experience in supporting multi sectoral and multi donor funded grants including leading in proposal development and donor reporting in emergency/post conflict environment.

• Prior experience and knowledge of USG (USAID OFDA/FFP), FCDO, EU, ECHO and UN OCHA grant management including regulations, procedures and requirements.

• Familiarity with key International Humanitarian Standards and Partnerships such as Sphere Project, Core Humanitarian Standards, Humanitarian Accountability and Partnership, ALNAP and IASC.

• Experience with high level advocacy to institutional donors, corporate/foundation partners.

• Fluency in written and spoken English required.

• Strong communications skills with exceptional ability to articulate complex issues in a clear comprehensible manner to a wide variety of stakeholders

• Excellent writing skills, Ability to deliver high quality reports with short deadlines

• Excellent Computer Skills

• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment

• Ability to work under immense pressure, ability to multi-task and juggle several tasks and relationships at one time

• Excellent communication skills, experience in representing an organization

Success Factors

The successful candidate will have an ability to work independently, take initiative in tasks and self-learning, and be proactive in communications and development of professional relationships. S/he will be able to work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment with demonstrated sensitivity to the people and issues in the country. Strict adherence to Mercy Corps security policies and procedure. Capacity to spark innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to programming and inspire groups to collaborate closely to design impactful high-quality programs. Desire and ability to learn and grown, both personally and professionally.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This is a national position based in Harare, Zimbabwe. Housing and transport allowances are provided by the Country Office. Air travel is not very necessary to get from one end of the country to the other because the road network is good. Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours and as such staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.