View Vacancy – Grant Manager – Africa Programme and Expertise Dept and Prosperity and Climate Team, (54/24 NR)

Main purpose of job:

This HEO Grant Manager role is an exciting opportunity to work across climate and prosperity teams in Nairobi and London. The position will be managed from within the British High Commission Prosperity and Climate team in Nairobi and will be based there. The role is split 50/50 across the Prosperity and Climate team in Nairobi and the Africa Regional Climate and Nature (ARCAN) programme team in the Africa Programme and Expertise (APEX) Department. 

The Prosperity and Climate (P&C) team in Nairobi manages three bilateral programmes – Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED), Regional Economic Development for Investment and Trade (REDIT) and Kenya Catalytic Job’s Fund (KCJF) and a total of nine centrally managed programmes (PACT, FSD Africa, Manufacturing Africa, WISER, CASA, FSD Kenya and PIDG). The team is also in the process of designing a new bilateral Climate Adaptation Programme. In the Country Business Plan (2023-2025), the economic development portfolio seeks to deliver on five key thematic areas: trade, investment, jobs, urbanisation and debt. The P&C is a high performing team, and the post holder will work in a fast-paced, diverse and inclusive work environment.

The Africa Regional Climate and Nature (ARCAN) Programme is FCDO Africa Programme and Expertise (APEX) Department’s flagship programme to build resilience to climate change, tackle nature and biodiversity loss and support renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa. This role will manage grants to organisations to support countries in East Africa to tackle climate change. APEX has team members already based in Nairobi, which this position will work closely with. There is also an active Programme Management hub, which this Grant Management position will be part of.  

The Grant Manager will have responsibility for ensuring quality project management. This will focus on building and maintaining effective relationships with partners, excellent financial, risks and results management and corporate compliance. The Grant Manager will work closely with the Programme/Senior Responsible Owner / Project Lead and other key stakeholders to ensure projects are delivered to time and budget constraints.

Roles and responsibilities:

The Grant Manager will ensure high quality:

Partner Management

• Effectively build relationships with key partners – suppliers, other donors, cross-HMG, FCDO central departments – that are important for delivery and establish yourself as the recognised first point of contact on programme management issues (financial, commercial, general PM) for the grants you manage. You will share lessons and contribute to improving relations where key stakeholders are shared across different programmes/teams.
• Communicate with partners using exceptional oral and written communication skills. Be able to articulate UK policy and strategy priorities to external partners and explain how programmes for which you are responsible contribute.

Grant Management

• Work with the wider programme team to ensure that the Programme Operating Framework (PrOF), together with relevant guides and procedures, are applied consistently and proportionately to programmes.
• Contribute to drafting the financial, management and commercial cases of new Business Cases and Annual Reviews / Programme Completion Reviews in close consultation with the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) and Programme Responsible Owner (PRO).
• Gather the information needed to complete the due diligence assessment for identified/selected partners and provide recommendation to the PRO on whether to fund organisations based on your assessment. 
• Prepare drafts for all financing instruments (e.g., Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Accountable Grants (AGs) and ensure that critical information included and then review and finalise all project documentation.
• Provide information for the PRO/SRO and commercial team to allow them to tender for goods and services. This could include providing draft information or scoring criteria for terms of reference (ToR).
• Advise P/SRO/wider programme team on all ongoing programme management milestones/requirements, keep track of review recommendations and be responsible for keeping this up to date and tracking progress through the delivery plan and work plan.
• Ensure all key documents and correspondence (e.g., on changes to budgets, results, logframe, agreements with partners, approvals, etc.) is saved on team and programme folders on Microsoft Teams.
• Work with the P/SRO/Lead Adviser to develop smart logframes/results frameworks that are routinely reviewed and updated and ensure that effective monitoring mechanisms are in place for programmes.
• Ensure that timely, quality responses to correspondence, corporate returns, and submissions relevant to your programmes are produced.

Risk Management

• Develop and maintain an appropriate risk management process and mechanism (with the P/SRO) for your programmes.  Ensure risks are reviewed quarterly, that there are links to portfolio risk discussions, and that there are appropriate mechanisms in place to capture and escalate risks from partners through PRO/SRO to the Development Director.

Financial Management

• Oversee the Programme Officer (who is responsible for updating Hera systems) to ensure data is correct and in line with partner forecasts and approved budgets.  Ensure all changes are updated in a timely manner in line with system requirements (and those set by the Finance Manager).
• Be accountable for developing and maintaining accurate budgets and robust and realistic financial forecasts for all programmes within your portfolio, working closely with PRO/SRO and implementing partners.
• Analyse and challenge partner forecasts; identify ways to incentivise improved forecasting and to deal with poor performance (as appropriate within contract/agreement types).
• Ensure all payments are linked to supporting narrative reports (and these are signed off by the P/SRO/Lead Adviser).
• Work with P/SRO to identify VFM measures and monitor them to ensure proper and effective use of funds.
• Ensure partners understand and conform to the requirements outlined in overarching agreements including principles of zero fraud and corruption.
• Ensure effective systems and processes are set up to detect and report cases of fraud and corruption with implementing partners; manage such cases effectively as needed.
• Ensure all financial information and records (including invoices, audited statements, etc.) are received and properly saved into Teams.

Lesson Learning & Comms:

• Monitor and review regular reporting from partners – identifying and sharing/showcasing key lessons with wider team(s) as appropriate (including learning from failure).
• Actively seek out and incorporate emerging evidence into programme delivery.
• Ensure that programmes follow the UK’s branding guidance and that digital elements are cleared with the digital team at HQ.
• Work with partners and the BHC Communications Team to develop effective communications stories.
• Feed in grant management and delivery lessons to policy and strategy discussions through Programme Manager or Project Lead.

• Bachelors Degree
• Experience of managing programmes throughout the project cycle particularly leading finance and risk management, and compliance, with good planning skills.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams concurrently
• A proactive approach, able to initiate and drive forward work
• A focus on continuous improvement of self and service, with an appetite to improve quality and efficiency
• The ability to establish impactful and collegiate relationships with a broad range of stakeholders
• Good written and verbal communication skills, choosing appropriate styles and methods, including digital resources, to maximise understanding and impact;