Title:  Grants Officer

Reports to:  Project Manager

Location:  Ramadi or Baghdad       

Travel:  50%       

The Near East Foundation (NEF) is seeking applicants for a Grants Officer to be based in Ramadi or Baghdad, Iraq.For over 100 years, NEF has worked to build more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive communities in the Middle East and Africa through education, governance, and economic development initiatives. Its programs are organized around three themes: Inclusive Economic Development, Climate-resilient Development, and Stabilization and Peacebuilding.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Grants Officer will (a) be responsible for all grants and cash assistance distributed during the project, (b) verify the eligibility of beneficiaries to receive grants and cash support, and (c) support the finance team with general procurement and administrative matters. The Grants Officer will perform the duties and responsibilities in accordance with the project proposal and budget in addition to the programmatic, administrative, and financial policies and regulations of NEF in Iraq.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the Country Director and in close collaboration with the Project Manager, the Grants Officer will have the following responsibilities:

• Develop and distribute formal financial contracts for beneficiaries, Community-based Organizations (CBOs) and National NGOs (NNGOs) receiving grant assistance. These contracts should detail the amount and type of assistance and be shared with relevant NEF staff.
• Prepare accurate business documents to ensure all bank checks are prepared and disbursed on schedule and according to established guidelines.
• Compile receipts from all beneficiaries, CBOs and NNGOS.
• Settle advances and receipts with the accountant and produce timely reports detailing ongoing disbursement and compliance with donor requirements.
• Maintain individual files on each beneficiary that is shared with all project staff and meticulously updated and confirmed.
• Support the review of beneficiary business plans and the eligibility of all participants (by compiling required support documents)
• Create purchasing orders when needed.
• Enter all participant data into the NEF Iraq participant database to generate statistics throughout the project.
• Prepare grants and solicitation documents when required.
• Oversee grantee compliance and procurement regulation compliance. 
• If required, publicize requests for applications to ensure a competitive grant-making process.
• Support grant evaluation, award, and post-award monitoring, assessing prospective grantees’ ability to handle grants ahead of an award.
• Support revision and editing of applicant’s proposals and review budget estimates for allowable costs, reasonableness, and consistency.
• Track grant funds during implementation on a monthly basis, cumulatively, and by the grantee. 
• Assist grantee CSOs and NNGOs during implementation, focusing on finance, procurement, and compliance.
• Ensure compliance with donor regulations and any Special Award Conditions. 
• Conduct site visits of grantees, as necessary. 
• Assist with preparing cost and no-cost amendments to grant agreements as necessary. 
• Support with grants reporting to the donor. 
• Support with grant completion and closeout; and 
• Support with audits of grantees for compliance as necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS 

The successful Grants Officer must be a self-directed individual with the following qualifications: 

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in management/administration studies, finances, accounting, or related field; or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Minimum 3 years related experience preferably working in disbursing cash assistance/grants, financial management, for the UN/INGOs sector.
• Experience with data input and statistics, financial filings, and documentation.
• Demonstrated experience and skill with budget preparation and analysis; 
• Demonstrated ability to build grantee and project staff capacity for grants management and to monitor their performance; 
• A clear understanding of grant and procurement ethics and donor compliance is essential.
• High computer skills in MS Office programs, especially in MS Excel. 
• Strong organizational skills and excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills; and 
• Fluency in English and Arabic.

 Position Criteria:

• Sensitivity to cultural differences and the ability to work effectively across a wide variety of cultural contexts.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Good numerical skills to maintain accurate records.
• Flexible, creative, and problem-solving abilities. 

Application Instructions

NEF will accept rolling applications until the position is filled. First review of applications will begin on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Please apply by submitting the following documents to https://neareast.bamboohr.com/careers/291?source=aWQ9MjE%3D 

1. Cover letter outlining all relevant experience
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. List of three references (including one from current, or most recent, employer)

Please note, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Near East Foundation by visiting the NEF website at www.neareast.org. 

The Near East Foundation promotes Equal Employment Opportunities for all applicants seeking employment and NEF employees.