Chemonics International, an international development consulting firm, implementing the USAID/OTI Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative (UCBI) Project, seeks a long-term grants manager. UCBI provides fast, flexible, short-term assistance to Ukrainian partners in support of successful, peaceful democratic transition and community cohesion in the wake of the conflict and deepened social tensions in the East. The position will be based in Kharkiv, Ukraine with the expectation for travel (up to, approximately, 25% of the time) in and around Kharkiv oblast and Kyiv, as required for project activities.

The grants manager plays a critical role in ensuring that grants are implemented rapidly and effectively, in full compliance with USAID and Chemonics regulations and policies, and consistently with OTI’s operating methodology which emphasizes a hand-in-hand, predominantly in-kind approach to working with local partners.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced grants manager to play a key role in program development. Working with a small Kharkiv-based team, the grants manager will be integral to developing and sustaining a network of partners and activities.

Responsibilities:

• Working in coordination with other staff will ensure compliance with USAID and Chemonics policies and procedures throughout the design, development, and implementation of grants.
• Ensure effective liaising between project staff and grant recipients, providing technical advice and assistance as needed in areas such as financial management, procurement requirements, and implementation planning.
• Reporting to the Regional Program Manager, the Grants Manager works closely with all program staff to evaluate grant concepts and grant agreement/award documents while ensuring adherence to established grants management policies.
• Ensure proper negotiation of final terms and conditions for grants and reviews and analyzes budget estimates for allocability, reasonableness, and consistency. This includes working with grantees and project staff to develop or revise detailed grant budgets so that they are realistic and appropriate to the needs of the activity.
• Review required documentation for grant disbursements, including grant agreements, negotiation memos, grant activity forms, branding and marking plans, and others, ensuring that grant files are complete and maintained as required.
• Responsible for overseeing the close-out of grants within required time frames.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• At least two (2) years of progressively responsible grants management work experience on donor-funded projects, such as activity management, financial management, procurement, and/or sub-contracting.
• Demonstrated experience in grants management focused on ensuring that procurement, finance, logistics, and programmatic aspects are being implemented on-time and in accordance with the specifications of the approved activity.
• Demonstrated experience in assessing recipient organizations’ grant-worthiness, as well as their financial, administrative and program planning capacities.
• Familiar with USAID contract and grants management policies and procedures is desirable, but experience with other donor funded projects will be accepted.
• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 25% of the time in and around Kharkiv oblast and Kyiv, as required for project activities.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, to prioritize multiple work assignments in an extremely fast-paced environment, to meet deadlines, and to exercise good, professional judgment that reflects positively on the image of the UCBI program.
• Ability to effectively and professionally communicate verbally and in written form in Ukrainian, Russian, and English.

Send electronic submissions to [email protected] by April 3, 2015. Please put “Grants Manager-East” in the subject line and include your CV and cover letter. No telephone inquiries, please. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis and only finalists will be contacted.