Senior Grants Management Officer – Research Awards Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)

Reporting to Grants and Contracts Manager. The incumbent is responsible for tracking awards lifespan, reconciliation receivables, monitoring modifications and ensuring updated grant database and record maintenance. He/she will mainly focus on servicing internal clients and processes as defined in the Grants Management Manual. He/she will actively work with the Grants and Contracts Manager and Head of Grants and Contracts in managing a portfolio of research related awards as well as following up departmental tasks and ensuring tasks are tracked, followed up and executed.

Main duties

• Manages a portfolio of awards assigned by ensuring that project staff, partners and sub recipients are served with day-to-day information in award management.
• Works closely with finance department to manage and reconcile award account receivables and provide monthly reconciliations for all assigned projects
• Facilitates the creation of ERP and ESS codes for all assigned projects
• Captures all finalized invoices in ERP, follow up on outstanding invoices ensuring that all outstanding invoices are paid, and that income received is recorded by finance
• Manages and reconciles award account payables account and ensuring that all unpaid invoices on assigned projects are captured in ERP, followed up and settled by finance.
• Supports with reconciliations and management of staff effort reports and effort profiling in ESS. Effort profiling is to be done in consultation with relevant research and operations managers
• Ensures that staff follow grants management policies, directives, standards and procedures using GrantVantage.
• Assists in reviewing, completing relevant sections and ensuring the signing of assigned grantee Notice of Grant Awards (NGAs), Memorandum of Understanding, and Subcontracts.
• Ensures that the grants database for Research Awards is up to date and records are well maintained at all times.
• Supports internal and external audits on assigned projects
• Obtains required closeout information and facilitate grant closeout process by working closely with project accountant and project managers to ensure that project records all expenditure, and that ERP and ESS codes are deactivated accordingly
• Monitors research awards milestones and reporting timelines and ensure to work on invoices and financial reports for all assigned projects on time
• Facilitates the execution of bridge funding requests for assigned projects
• Reviews awards Budget to Actual for all grants portfolio in department and project meetings and following up on award burn rates.
• Coordinates and facilitates the resolution of all Grant and Contract related technical and financial issues between Project Teams and Finance/Operations Teams
• Reviews all procurement request for relevant projects including Air Travel Authorizations recruitment requisitions and quote analyses.
• Runs award expense lists and ensure accuracy and allowability.
• Provides technical support as required to staff and sub recipient
• Tracks departmental tasks and ensure timely execution of assigned tasks.
• Communicates openly with team members/other stakeholders on all relevant work matters

Qualifications

• Grade 12 certificate
• A Degree in Business Administration/Accountancy or Finance
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience with private sector or NGO’s or International Organization with experience that includes documentation and filing along with exposure to research projects
• Experience using GrantVantage or related grants management systems
• Knowledge and training in donor rules and regulations and policies preferred
  Strong communication skills
• Intermediate to Advanced Proficiency in Microsoft office programs, particularly Excel and Word is a must.

Suitably qualified candidates are invited to apply. However, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.