Head - Grants

About the role

AGRA, an African-led institution supporting inclusive agricultural transformation and sustainable food systems, is hiring a Head of Grants. The role leads the redesign, implementation and continuous improvement of grants management policies, operating model, systems, controls and service standards across the full grant lifecycle. It covers grant administration, due diligence and onboarding, expenditure verification, compliance, portfolio performance, reporting, closure and corrective action tracking, with accountability for reducing turnaround times, clearing backlogs, improving data quality and strengthening controls.

Key responsibilities

• Lead development of grant policies and procedures for review and approval by the Chief Operating Officer, and prepare grant materials for each grant and contract in line with AGRA policies and IRS regulations.
• Lead grants portfolio reviews, oversee grants management systems, and partner with ICT, Finance and Program teams on system optimization and process improvements.
• Lead grants management capability-building and advise the President, Divisional Heads and the COO on proposals and incoming donor grants, engaging the Board Grants Review Committee and collaborating with the Legal Department on legal review of agreements.
• Oversee preparation, quality assurance and processing of grant agreements and supporting documentation.
• Lead talent management in the grants function, including workforce planning, capability development, succession planning and coaching of grants personnel.
• Design the annual grant-making budget, plan the flow of grants over the year, provide performance analytics and projections, and create management indicators for the Board and leadership.
• Provide fiscal administration, analyze audit reports, and integrate grant reports into donor, board and annual reports; assist with annual regulatory filings such as the Form 990-PF.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting or equivalent; Master's degree is an added advantage.
• Professional certification in grants management, project management, finance or compliance (e.g. ACCA, CPA, PMP) is desirable.
• Minimum 8 years' experience in finance and general accounting.
• At least 3 years at a senior management level in grants management within a multi-donor, multi-program international NGO.
• Good working knowledge of not-for-profit and private foundation law and US funding regulations.

Required skills

• Strong understanding of regulatory, compliance and governance requirements for grant-funded organizations.
• Ability to use grants management systems, data analytics and digital tools for portfolio oversight and decision-making.

Applications are submitted through LinkedIn.