Grants and Compliance Manager - I - (Field Only)

The Grants and Compliance Manager is responsible for compliant implementation of the project in Uganda, leading grant implementation as it relates to compliance, milestone reporting, agreement management, and financial issues in line with donor and CRS policies.

Roles and Key Responsibilities 

Grant Financial Management

• Serve as principal point of contact on the project for grant financial management and compliance issues with program staff, sub-awardees, the project’s core global team, CRS HQ Finance, and country program finance and compliance staff. Ensure that relevant staff are aware of donor requirements. 

• Contribute to project start-up, mid-term and close-out meetings to ensure broad understanding of finance related requirements.

• Support the project’s global team, country program, HQ finance and compliance colleagues. Address issues/questions on grant conditions and the need for modifications or clarifications.

Subaward Management

• Support development, review, and approval of Fixed Amount Award agreements at the sub-award levels, ensuring adherence to CRS and donor requirements. Develop and process amendments if/as required. 

• For any exceptions to FAA agreements with local partners, if such exist, provide support for the timely assessment of the project’s Uganda partner financial capacity and ability to adhere to specific donor requirements. Develop related action plans with program and finance staff to address any capacity or system gaps. 

• Monitor and enforce safeguarding policy compliance for the project in Uganda with sub-awardees. Conduct required assessments.

• Develop and maintain a reporting tracking and communications system to ensure that sub-awardees adhere to reporting deadlines, milestones, expiration dates, and donor approved changes in grant procedures.

• Review sub-awardee progress reports to compare milestone achievement to spending, analyze reported financial or compliance impediments to the project plan, recommend reimbursement as appropriate to the Project Director, resolve questioned costs if/as needed. 

Reporting

• Prepare financial reports in CRS financial systems to support easy reconciliation and budget monitoring of projects.

• Co-develop progress reports that tie milestone achievement to spending for donor reporting. Contribute analysis of deviations arising from finance/compliance issues. 

• Support finance requests for CRS and sub-grantee questions about budgets, spending as related to milestone achievement, and reporting. Provide guidance on requirements and practices of donor/CRS finance policy.

Compliance

• Develop tools, operations manuals, and communication to ensure global grant staff and sub-awardees are aware of and implement donor policies on compliance issues e.g., time keeping, travel, and procurement. Collaborate with country and global staff to ensure that CRS’ safeguarding policies are followed throughout project implementation.

• Assist with financial audit preparation if/as required. Ensure timely closure of audit recommendations. Oversee the preparation, implementation and monitoring of related action plans.

• Oversee and lead the financial close-out of the project.

Cost Application Development

• Provide oversight in the development of follow-on cost applications and milestone plans, ensuring budgets are reasonable, accurate, and adequately reflect the costs of activities required to successfully carry out the program.

Grant Financial Management

• →Serve as principal point of contact on the project for grant financial management and compliance issues with program staff, sub-awardees, the project’s core global team, CRS HQ Finance, and country program finance and compliance staff. Ensure that relevant staff are aware of donor requirements. 
• →Contribute to project start-up, mid-term and close-out meetings to ensure broad understanding of finance related requirements.
• →Support the project’s global team, country program, HQ finance and compliance colleagues. Address issues/questions on grant conditions and the need for modifications or clarifications.

Subaward Management

• →Support development, review, and approval of Fixed Amount Award agreements at the sub-award levels, ensuring adherence to CRS and donor requirements. Develop and process amendments if/as required. 
• →For any exceptions to FAA agreements with local partners, if such exist, provide support for the timely assessment of the project’s Uganda partner financial capacity and ability to adhere to specific donor requirements. Develop related action plans with program and finance staff to address any capacity or system gaps. 
• →Monitor and enforce safeguarding policy compliance for the project in Uganda with sub-awardees. Conduct required assessments.
• →Develop and maintain a reporting tracking and communications system to ensure that sub-awardees adhere to reporting deadlines, milestones, expiration dates, and donor approved changes in grant procedures.
• →Review sub-awardee progress reports to compare milestone achievement to spending, analyze reported financial or compliance impediments to the project plan, recommend reimbursement as appropriate to the Project Director, resolve questioned costs if/as needed. 

Reporting

• →Prepare financial reports in CRS financial systems to support easy reconciliation and budget monitoring of projects.
• →Co-develop progress reports that tie milestone achievement to spending for donor reporting. Contribute analysis of deviations arising from finance/compliance issues. 
• →Support finance requests for CRS and sub-grantee questions about budgets, spending as related to milestone achievement, and reporting. Provide guidance on requirements and practices of donor/CRS finance policy.

Compliance

• →Develop tools, operations manuals, and communication to ensure global grant staff and sub-awardees are aware of and implement donor policies on compliance issues e.g., time keeping, travel, and procurement. Collaborate with country and global staff to ensure that CRS’ safeguarding policies are followed throughout project implementation.
• →Assist with financial audit preparation if/as required. Ensure timely closure of audit recommendations. Oversee the preparation, implementation and monitoring of related action plans.
• →Oversee and lead the financial close-out of the project.

Cost Application Development

• →Provide oversight in the development of follow-on cost applications and milestone plans, ensuring budgets are reasonable, accurate, and adequately reflect the costs of activities required to successfully carry out the program.

Supervisory Responsibilities: No

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

 Basic Qualifications 

• →Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field. 
• →Minimum 3 years of progressive grants management experience.
• →Strong demonstrated experience in the areas of finance and program management.
• →Experience in setting and monitoring complex budgets.

 Preferred Qualifications

• →Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting or a related field.
• →Professional qualification in accounting (ACCA, CPA or equivalent).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• →Strong knowledge of USG funding mechanisms and requirements.
• →Thorough knowledge of and experience with grant financial reporting
• →Knowledge of JDE and/or Oracle enterprise systems preferred. Strong knowledge of MS Office programs required. 
• →Knowledge of fund accounting and US Government funding regulations for non-profit organizations.
• →Strong communication and presentation skills. Demonstrated ability to train financial and non-financial staff of all levels.s
• →Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills.
• →Self-guided, strong organizational and planning skills.
• →Desire to work in a collaborative, proactive, and multicultural team environment, but able to work independently.
• →Ability to maintain strong customer service.

Required Languages: Strong written and spoken English required

Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 30% to project locations and field offices outside Kampala. 

 Agency Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

• →Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions. 
• →Acts with Integrity - Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission.  Is considered honest.
• →Builds and Maintains Trust - Shows consistency between words and actions.
• →Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• →Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• →Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• →Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• →Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.