Grants and Contracts Manager

Job Description

Reports to: Head of Partnerships and Resource MobilizationLocation: Cairo, Egypt or based in one of ICARDA?s other country offices in North Africa or West AsiaMain purpose of position Reporting to the Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization and working closely the Legal Office, Finance Department and the Office of the Director General, the Grants and Contracts Manager will ensure effective revision, negotiation, delivery, and management of grants contracts. This will also include timely and solicitous engagement with internal and external stakeholders, as well as the support for delivery of reports to donors.About ICARDAThe International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR.ICARDA?s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organization, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.orgAll CGIAR Centers are currently engaged into a reform process (?One CGIAR??) that will help ICARDA and CGIAR achieve better impact through more strategically integrated research, unified governance, an integrated structure and new research modalities across participating Research Centers. This transformation is supported by CGIAR donors who have committed to increased funding as a result of these reforms.Main responsibilities

• Draft and review all project-related agreements and contracts in compliance with ICARDA requirements.
• Negotiate terms and communicate with donors to review, finalize, and facilitate signing off on agreements with ICARDA senior management.
• Ensure that all grants or contracts conducted by ICARDA meet donor requirements, are well-administered, and are in compliance with donor regulations and internal ICARDA procedures from grant signing to closing.
• Work with project leaders and outreach offices, the finance department, and senior management to facilitate submission of high quality, well written, and timely technical and financial reports meeting donor requirements.
• Provide oversight and assume overall responsibility for accuracy of information and maintaining the project management database.
• Oversee and implement with the PGU team sub-grant arrangements with partners when necessary, including preparation of agreements, ensuring forward planning and preparation of requirements conforming to primary donor requirements.
• Support the grant management capacity of staff by providing support in report writing, budget management, and/or other topics as needed.
• Respond to requests for grant-related reports and statistics.
• Provide overall guidance and support to planning, implementing, and evaluating quality and efficiency of PGU grants? management activities.
• Under the direction of the Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization, monitor PGU business risks and flagging issues for discussion and report.
• Under the direction of the Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization, monitor and communicate new donor regulations and propose inclusion in institutional policies and procedures as required and/or develop, refine, and implement guidelines, procedures, standards, work processes, manuals, and methodologies for a successful and comprehensive grant management system.
• Prepare and coordinate internal requests to Finance to open new project budget codes based on finalization and implementation of new agreements.
• Work with and provide grant-related information as requested by external auditors on an annual basis to review ICARDA?s compliance with donor agreements.
• Liaise with donors and communicate with them as the focal point for ICARDA on all project-related information.
• Ensure quality information management of grants by overseeing and assuming responsibility for the inventory and maintenance of grant files, agreements, relevant project information, reporting timelines, timely submission and updating of internal ICARDA documentation and communicating requirements to project leaders and senior staff as necessary.
• Supervise relevant PGU staff in accordance with ICARDA?s policies and procedures, including planning, interviewing, hiring, training, supervising, and appraising performance.

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