Context

Cameroon is compounded by three conflict-related humanitarian crises: in addition, the secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have further exacerbated the needs in-country. Incursions by Armed Organized Groups (AOGs) in the Lack Chad Basin have resulted into 114,000 Nigerians seeking refuge in Cameroon and a further 322,000 Cameroonians as IDPs in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Cameroon’s Eastern regions are still home to over 290,000 refugees from the Central African Republic and the third crisis is the on-going violence in the two English-speaking regions of North-west and South-west where nearly one million Cameroonians have been displaced due to this crisis.

NRC has been operational in Cameroon since April 2017, and currently has five field offices; Maroua and Kousseri in the Far North; Buea in the South-west; Bamenda in the North-west and Batouri in the East. To provide assistance to people affected by these 3 crisis, NRC is implementing 11 projects and is looking for more funding opportunities in future.

Role and responsibilities

The Grants Manager will contribute to achieving high quality programming by ensuring effective grants management including, compliance requirements, reporting, timely and quality proposal development, and internal and external communication. The Grants Manager reports to the Head of Programme. 

Generic responsibilities:

1. Adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures
2. Maintain overview of all grants, donor requirements, rules and regulations, and internal and external deadlines, including filing of grant documents (including through the grants database - PMIS)
3. Support the development of donor applications and reports, as well as ensuring donor compliance and quality control
4. Contribute to the development, revision and quality control of funding proposals, budgets and donor reports
5. Lead on NRC Cameroons due diligence assessment when and as required by an existing or new donor;
6. Lead on organizational assessments of Partners as per NRC’s Grants Management procedures;
7. Review donor contracts, flag any points that might challenge NRC’s procedures, and support contract negotiations;
8. Coordinate the finalization of donor reports ensuring consistency between narrative and financial reports and that they meet quality standards;
9. Highlight critical financial issues such as under/over spends to finance and Budget Holders, and follow up in writing when discussed verbally; Be familiar with all NRC organizational and donor portfolio compliance requirements and ensure high quality management of grants through meeting of KPIs and deadlines;
10. Support and advise programme colleagues with queries related to donor compliance on grants within portfolio;
11. Ensure all documentation required to be kept by donors is available within the Grants department by maintaining high standard information management/filing systems.
12. Support the HoP and CD in the development and the implantation of Cameroon funding strategy.

Specific responsibilities:

Proposal Development

1. Build positive working relationships with other teams in the Country Office to coordinate and support development of high quality proposals using relevant NRC Grant Management tools and guidance (Go/ No-go checklist, proposal development calendar, procurement plan, internal budgeting tool);
2. Coordinate proposal development for NRC Cameroon’s portfolio of donors;
3. Work closely with Budget Holders, programme teams and support (finance, HR, Logistics) to compile accurate proposal budget and assess whether all necessary costs have been included. 
4. Work closely with the Gender and Protection Officer to ensure that NRC’s proposals take into account a gender analysis of specific needs of displaced people and a subsequent response.

Grant Agreement

1. Work in close collaboration with the Area manager and CC leads to ensure that project deliverables are timely met, flag any challenges requiring amendments and follow up with donors;
2. Work with finance team to support the development of internal budgeting tool and communication with field offices on allocated budget;
3. Together with the Grants and Communication Assistant, summarize in writing, key reporting and compliance requirements (compliance checklist) including potential issues for Grant Opening Meetings;
4. Coordinate with respective budget holders and finance in order to ensure budgets are correctly allocated and aligned;
5. Coordinate the project revision and follow up with amendments of contracts;
6. Work with the relevant Area Manager and CC leads to ensure Grant Opening Meetings are arranged and take place within 30 days of the grant being activated.

Donor Reporting, Monitoring and Compliance

1. Coordinate timely finalization of donor reports ensuring consistency between narrative and financial reports and that they meet quality standards; 
2. Highlight critical financial issues such as under/over spends to finance and Budget Holders, and follow up in writing when discussed verbally;
3. Support and advise programme colleagues with queries related to donor compliance on grants within portfolio;
4. Coordinate closure of grants in respective portfolio (Grants Closing meetings) 3 months before end of projects;
5. Assist in training and capacity building related to NRC Grants Management/donor compliance as required.

Others

1. Ensure all documentation required to be kept by donors is available in the NRC online Filing tree (Office 365) and in hard copies;
2. Visit area and/or field offices to support with capacity building of staff and partners and monitoring purposes when possible during the period of deployement;
3. Represent NRC with partners and donors as delegated.

Competencies

Professional competencies:

• At least 4 years of relevant experience in a related field;
• Experience of program and grants management in humanitarian/recovery context;
• Experience working in complex/ insecure environments and with displaced populations;
• Good understanding of donor rules and regulations;
• Proven skills and experience proposal development and reporting and working with multiple donors;
• Good personal organisational skills, including time management, and ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure;
• Staff capacity-building experience;
• Willingness to travel to field offices and work in difficult environment according to travel requirements.
• Fluency in English and French, both written and verbal.

Context related skills, knowledge and experience (shall be adapted to the specific position):

• Good knowledge of the context in Cameroon
• Knowledge of humanitarian donors
• Strong writing skills
• Knowledge of the humanitarian coordination framework
• Budget development and management experience
• Organized and detail oriented
• Proactive and able to lead new initiatives
• Able to work in teams
• Flexible and hard working

What We Offer

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to join our work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility: At NRC we think outside the box. We encourage ideas and give responsibility to all employees at all levels, to help solve the complex issues that we face. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative

• 12 months fixed term contract renewable
• Grade 8 in NRC scale
• Duty Station: Yaounde with 20% travelling
• An opportunity to match your career to a compelling cause
• A chance to meet and work with people who are the best in their fields

The role is open ONLY to national candidates who can show a commitment to NRC and being part of a challenging, but important mission to make a difference.  

Find the full job description here.

APPLY before: 16/10/2021

To apply as an internal candidate, click on the suitcase icon “I am an employee” on the top right of the page to be redirected to NRC’s internal career site.