Senior Project and Grant Support Officer

Malaria Consortium is recruiting for a Senior Project and Grant Support Officer to join our team in Abuja Nigeria.

Job purpose

The Senior Project and Grants Support Officer will support the Country Programmes Manager (CPM) to effectively programme management oversight to all country project activities and serve as the system administrator for the country project portfolio sub-grantees/consortium partners management database.

S/he supports the CPM in providing programme and grant management stewardship to the Senior Management Team and maintain collaborative links with all project’s key stakeholders at the National and State level.

Scope of work

The Senior Project and Grant Support Officer will work with the CPM to directly support programme and project management functions for the country office towards ensuring all programmes and project in the MC NG portfolio are implemented in line programme proposal designs and operational plans so that programme/ project targets are met.

The role holder will also support management of sub-grantees and consortium partners to ensure optimal implementation delivery according to plan, budget and time, while ensuring efficient and effective project management practices including lessons learning, adaptive management and optimal value-for money.

Key working relationships

The Senior Project and Grant Support Officer will be a member of the programmes management team and will report to the Country Programs Manager (CPM). Under the guidance of the CPM, the post holder will closely support all country office departments (Technical, Finance, Logistics, HR & Admin) while rolling out project and programme management tools and processes to support the teams in ensuring that all Malaria Consortium Nigeria programmes / projects are implemented in line with donor guidelines and Malaria Consortium policies and procedures. S/he will support processes to ensure all staff are aware and knowledgeable of grants management processes and technology to the degree their functions require. Key external relationships would be the MC sub- grantees and consortium partners. S/he would maintain close communication with stakeholders and relevant state programme units, departments and agencies through the agreed frameworks. The position holder will contribute to efficient and effective project management practices including deployment of a lessons learning, adaptive management, and optimal value-for-money.

Key accountabilities

Programme Management (50%)

Support the CPM and the entire country senior management team to lead project activities for smooth programme management in the following areas:

• Support the CPM to oversee and track the timely implementation of the work plans, ensuring high quality outputs and taking corrective action where needed.
• Liaise and work with the Country Office project teams for implementation update and management feedbacks
• Be conversant with and guided by Malaria Consortium, policies, guidelines and all health program implementation guidelines/handbook towards the timely delivery of efficient and effective implementation
• Support knowledge management for all projects working closely with the advocacy, communication and engagement manager and project teams to ensure the documentation of project activities and ensure implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities, while ensuring key learnings are archived and available for easy access and use for decision making
•  Support regularly reports on project progress in line with Malaria Consortium’s and funders’ reporting requirements, including regular update meeting with the Country technical and programme teams, quarterly and annual progress reports.
• Support the role out and implementation of programme Management strategies, innovations, and technology to ensure a more efficient planning, implementation and monitoring of project activities
• Support the CPM on general management issues including security, HR, stakeholders management, risk management, work planning and budgeting, VFM,etc.
• Tracks and provide periodic update to CPM on the schedule for all different types of programme / project reporting including the quality assurance process and support PMs to ensure this is complied with
• Provide a range of secretariat and administrative supports, including set up, planning and coordination of meetings, to support project management delivery

Grant and Partnership Management (30%)

• Working closely with The CPM and SMT, helps coordinate and contribute to the oversight functions of sub-awardees/ grantees and consortium partners projects implementation to ensure compliance with MC’ established policies and procedures and standards, donors’ rules and regulations, and legal requirements
• Ensure the project staff and partners are compliant with contract requirements and donor regulations.
• Work with the CPM to track and update grant and partners project risk register for Malaria Consortium Nigeria and ensure that any actions required to mitigate risks are implemented.
• Monitor grants/ sub grants for legal, financial, and program compliance including but not limited to ensuring that grant requirements are correctly documented in the grant files and database.
• Support to problem-solve complex grant scenarios; consult/liaise with finance, compliance and/or legal counsel as necessary.
• Assist in monitoring and documentation of the grant making workflow processes, forms, templates, reports and data to assure full compliance with internal controls and legal requirements.
• Representation especially at the partners meetings, grant management meetings especially at state levels.
• Perform other related grant management and consortium partner management work as required.

Strategic planning and strategy implementation (10%)

• Provide strategic planning support to the CPM with focus on ensuring the relevance of Malaria Consortium’s role in Nigeria and contributes to the development, implementation, and M&E of Malaria Consortium’s country strategy.
• Support the CPM in identifying and pursuing new business opportunities which will include identifying areas of interest and identifying potential partnerships.
• Participate in the internal learning meetings and platforms to integrate best practices in country level programming and to strengthen Malaria Consortium’s technical approach to project implementation
• Work with the relevant programmes and technical team members to review key programme documents (multi-year and annual work plans, budgets and data), identify achievements, and gaps, and use this information to inform strategies and key messages.
• Ensure regular communications are maintained between the different functions particularly between field teams, partners and relevant stakeholders.

Financial planning and management (10%)

• Work with the CPM, Country Finance Manager (CFM), PMs and Operations team to design roll-out systems that ensure the link of programme / project planning with Malaria Consortium annual budgeting and forecasting cycle.
• Work with the CPM to monitor that Programme / Project Managers are efficiently and accurately managing their budgets and resources within allowable line-item flexibility and there is accountability of resources.
• Closely monitor programme / projects budget spending and burn rates.

Person specification

Qualifications and experience:

Essential

• First degree in public health, epidemiology, international development, business management is desirable;
• Project management (minimum of 7 years’) experience, particularly with large scale public health projects ;
• Experience in programme and grant management at state and National level;
• Excellent project planning, management and monitoring & evaluation skills.
• Experience managing and tracking project budgets, milestones, performance and indicator;
• Experience in deploying and using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Project Management tools and applications; 
• Experience working on multi project portfolios and campaign style interventions (delivery of integrated interventions and ITN/SMC campaigns) would be an added advantage.

Work-based skills and competencies:

Essential

• Good understanding of the Nigeria health system;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• Strong analytic, strategic thinking and planning skills;
• Team player and demonstrated ability to work within a team as well as individually;
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects with conflicting time frames;
• Ability to travel to States and LGAs outside of assignment location;

Desirable

·Demonstrable passion for Malaria Consortium’s mission; a strategic manager with integrity and a desire to work in a dynamic environment

• Excellent computer skills in Excel and knowledge and use of ERP/project management tools/applications
• Project Management certification/qualification

Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Established in 2003, Malaria Consortium is one of the world’s leading non-profit organisations specialising in the prevention, control, and treatment of malaria and other communicable diseases among vulnerable populations.

Our mission is to save lives and improve health in Africa and Asia through evidence-based programmes that combat targeted diseases and promote Universal Health Coverage