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Grants Specialist

Chemonics International seeks a Grants Specialist for an Innovation Grant Fund (called the Challenge Fund) for its USAID Small and Medium Enterprises Activity (SMEA). SMEA is a 5-year, $35 million project that is aimed at improvement of financial and operating performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan in selected high-performing industrial, manufacturing and services sectors. Through Challenge Fund grants program, SMEA will support the creation and diffusion of innovative, sustainable, and scalable ICT and business solutions to the competitiveness challenges facing Pakistani SMEs.

The Grants Specialist will report directly to the Challenge Fund Lead and assist in the design and execution of rounds of Challenge Fund grant calls based on themes as approved by the project work plan. The Grant Specialist’s responsibilities will range supervising the Grant Associate to providing support in technical design, financial management and administration of the grants, to mentoring and provision of technical assistance to the beneficiaries of the challenge fund grants This position will be based in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Responsibilities:

▪ Contribute to the technical and financial design of the Challenge Fund

▪ Work with the grants team for operations and compliance, to adapt Chemonics’ comprehensive grants manual to the Fund, assist Challenge Fund Lead in establishing a USAID compliant grants database, grants solicitation, award, monitoring, and closeout.

▪ Ensure that the Fund design targets beneficiary groups, in accordance with USAID guidelines

▪ Contribute in updating the Challenge Fund Manual that specifies the funding process (eligibility and selection criteria, advisory committee constitution, application forms, guidance notes and systems for fund disbursement, governance, transparency and performance monitoring ,etc)

▪ Provide support in Managing the competitive process for the different rounds of the fund, including proposal screening and selection of grantees. Analyze and evaluate grant applications, proposals and grant agreement/award documents to ensure adherence to established grants management policies.

▪ Ensure that appropriate due diligence is carried out on Grantees’ to assess whether their policies adhere to USAID requirements, this includes assessment of financial management and accounting practices and systems, environmental protection, etc.

▪ Ensure proper negotiation of the terms and conditions for grants and review and analyze budget estimates for allocability, reasonableness, and consistency.

▪ Ensure the proper preparation and execution of grant documents and grant disbursements consistent and compliant with USAID and Chemonics requirements, procedures and best practices. Documentation required will include items such as negotiation memos, grant activity forms, branding and marking plans, or others.

▪ Provide support in managing the grants process including assessment and oversight, with a strong emphasis on due diligence, Value-for-Money and cost effectiveness

▪ Assist grant recipients in areas such as financial management, and financial sustainability, procurement requirements and implementation planning where necessary

▪ Work with the Finance team to ensure adequate cash flow for grant activities throughout their implementation.

▪ Work with the M&E team to ensure that USAID specified objectives of the fund are measurable and reported at all stages.

▪ Draft periodic reports on the challenge fund rounds for the project management as well as the donors

Qualifications:

▪ A Master’s degree or higher related to finance, business administration, economics, or commerce.

▪ At least 5-8 years of experience in managing donor-funded, large-scale grants program design and administration. Preference given to candidates with USAID-grants experience.

▪ Applicants with experience in private sector engagement involving ICT activities will be given preference.

▪ Ability to perform successfully as a member of multiple project-related teams

▪ Strong computer literacy skills required in word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, web browsers, and email

▪ Excellent communications and writing ability in English

▪ Demonstrated successful interpersonal skills

▪ Fluency in both English and Urdu required; other Pakistani languages preferred