Grant Assistants-Field Office

USAID/Ethiopia Urban WASH Activity

Background

Founded in 1975, Chemonics International Inc. (Chemonics), is a US-based international development consulting company, operating in over 75 countries worldwide. Chemonics was recently awarded the five-year, $44.9 million USAID-funded Urban Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) project in Ethiopia. The purpose of this Activity will be to support accelerated access to safe, adequate, inclusive, and resilient WASH services targeting urban and peri-urban areas. The Activity will work to achieve this through four complementary objectives: 1) Enable and professionalize WASH service providers; 2) Foster markets for pro-poor and inclusive WASH services; 3) Strengthen WASH planning, budgeting, and service delivery oversight; and 4) Strengthen accountability among urban WASH sector actors. The USAID Urban WASH Activity will be implemented in up to 10 urban cities in Ethiopia namely, Adama, Bishoftu, Mekele, Bahir Dar, Dessie, Kobolcha, Shashemen, Hawassa, Harar and Dire Dawa.

Purpose

Chemonics seeks Grant Assistants (3) for the USAID Urban Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Activity. The Grants Assistants will support the Addis Ababa-based Senior Grants/Subcontracts Manager and the Grants Officer with the oversight of all grant activities in their assigned region, including ensuring efficient and proper controls for USAID grant compliance and reporting; coordinating training and grants administration with NGOs grantees; and reviewing and submission of financial reports as required for each grant in the field. This position will report to the Regional WASH Services Lead, with frequent oversight and coordination with the Senior Grants/Subcontracts Manager. The Grants Assistant will be based in one of the field offices in the Sidama region, Amhara region, and Dire Dawa City Administration with the specific office location to be confirmed.

Responsibilities

• Implement procedures and templates to be used for formulating, negotiating, executing, monitoring, and closing grants according to USAID regulations and the project’s Grants Under Contract (GUC) Manual.
• Work with the Senior Grants/Subcontracts Manager to ensure that proper preparation and execution of APS and RFAs, documents, and disbursements under the project are in line with USAID and Chemonics procedures
• Assist in scheduling proposal evaluations, pre award assessment visits and trainings
• Support the Senior Grants/Subcontracts Manager in reviewing all sub-grant applications, deliverables (in collaboration with the technical specialists), and financial reports for quality, contractual consistency, accuracy, and compliance with USAID regulations;
• Reviews sub-grantees liquidation and financial reports and provides summaries to the project’s Senior Grants/Subcontracts Manager on a monthly basis.
• Maintain complete grant files of all documentation generated per grantee, ensuring they are always up to date.
• Supports project audits, grantor’s audit, or monitoring visits.
• Maintain updated grants tracker
• Provides mentoring support to strengthen and improve sub-grantees’ management capacity for improved performance.
• Travel to field locations, as needed, to support the Senior Grants/Subcontracts Manager and Grants Officer in award, negotiations, implementation, and close-out.
• Promote the highest levels of honesty, integrity, openness and transparency in administering grants award processes and procedures.
• Other related duties as assigned by the Senior Grants/Subcontracts Manager and by the immediate supervisor, the Regional WASH Services Lead

Qualifications:

• Secondary education required; bachelor’s degree in finance, Business Administration, or related fields preferred
• One to two years’ experience in grants management, accounting and financial management
• Demonstrated experience in financial administration, budget and cost control management
• Demonstrated knowledge of USAID rules and regulations, previous experience working on USAID-funded projects is preferred.
• Excellent record keeping and documentation skills are required.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills required.
• Strong ability to collaborate and build partnerships with U.S. government agencies, donor agencies, international organizations, and the private sector
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity;
• Proficiency with software such as Microsoft Office Suite;
•  Fluency in English with excellent oral and written communication skills required; proficiency in Amharic, Afan Oromo, and/or Tigrigna preferred