Finance and Grants Manager at American Institutes for Research

Finance and Grants Manager at American Institutes for Research
Finance and Grants Manager at American Institutes for Research

About the job

Finance and Grants Manager at American Institutes for Research

Overview

Join AIR as a Finance and Grants Manager with our International Development Division (IDD) and make a difference, improving the quality of life for individuals and communities in low and middle income countries. AIR’s IDD work spans the globe with projects in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Central and Latin America, and the Middle East.

Our IDD team is committed and engaged because we drive positive change in the following areas:

  • Agriculture, food, and nutrition
  • E arly childhood development and education
  • Refugees and migration
  • Social protection
  • Water, sanitation, and infrastructure
  • Women’s empowerment
  • W orkforce development

Use your experience, knowledge, and education to help us deliver on our mission: to contribute to a better, more equitable world.

AIR is currently seeking a Finance and Grants Manager for the anticipated USAID-funded Optimizing Food Assistance Programs, Processes, and Products for Nutrition (O3P) activity. The activity will re-emphasize programming aspects of food assistance-driven nutrition programs while focusing on product optimization and process improvement. The activity closely aligns with AIR’s mission to generate and use evidence to contribute to a better/more equitable world and AIR’s areas of expertise in designing and implementing impact evaluations and evidence syntheses in international development. The project involves a strong emphasis on research, evidence synthesis, and knowledge translation to contribute to evidence-based policy. The position is contingent upon award.

This position will be located in Nairobi, Kenya. Kenyan nationals and residents are strongly encouraged to apply. This is a local hire position.

About AIR

Established in 1946, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world. We advance evidence in the areas of education, health, the workforce, human services, and international development to create a better, more equitable world.

AIR’s commitment to diversity goes beyond legal compliance to its full integration in our strategy, operations, and work environment. At AIR, we define diversity broadly, considering everyone’s unique life and community experiences. We believe that embracing diverse perspectives, abilities/disabilities, racial/ethnic and cultural backgrounds, styles, ages, genders, gender identities and expressions, education backgrounds, and life stories drives innovation and employee engagement. Learn more about AIR’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy and hear from our staff by clicking here .

Responsibilities

The responsibilities for the position include:

Finance

Overall, the Finance and Grants Manager will be responsible for all budgeting, financial, and administrative management aspects of the project, as well as the issuance and management of multiple, simultaneous grants. This is a full-time project position collaborating as a core member of the project team, including Technical Directors, Project Associates, other AIR home office personnel and implementing partner organizations. They will also:

  • Monitor day-to-day finances and administration and ensure compliance with USAID’s regulations and AIR’s internal procedures.
  • Provide oversight on operational activities such as start-up, mobilization, demobilization, and activity-specific procurements.
  • Lead the activity’s financial reviews and reporting, analyzing and troubleshooting issues, and prepare quarterly finance projections and reports.
  • Ensure accuracy of activity’s financial transactions and monthly activity invoices.
  • Manage all project financial performance targets and monitor accuracy of activity budget and provides analysis and solutions.
  • Proactively identify and analyze areas of risk and advise on possible solutions and preventive measures.
  • Ensure compliance with internal and external audit findings.
  • Support other deliverables as required.

Grants

  • Manage the solicitation, selection, and award processes, in coordination with project team members.
  • Oversee the development of requests for applications and the review of grant applications for responsibility, cost-reasonableness and realism, regulatory compliance, sustainability, and risk analysis and mitigation.
  • Ensure alignment of grants with host country laws, including labor policies, tax reporting and regulations.
  • Manage compliance of multiple, simultaneous sub-awardees for their duration by tracking project activities and grantees’ work against timelines, budgets, objectives, and deliverables.
  • Maintain and manage records of sub-awardee agreements, including an inventory of sub-awards, and a schedule of dates and deadlines relevant to those sub-awards.
  • Provide guidance and training to grantees on management and compliance points.
  • Some travel may be required to provide face-to-face support to grantees.

Qualifications

Education, Knowledge, and Experience:

  • Bachelor’s degree in accounting, commerce, finance, management, business administration or similar field.
  • At least 5 years of experience managing/supervising financial operations and managing full-cycle contracts and compliance of donor-funded projects.
  • Experience administering grants under contract.
  • Substantial knowledge in utilizing US government rules and regulations governing contractual and financial management (e.g., ADS, FAR, AIDAR).
  • Previous experience working in USAID-funded programs.
  • Proven project management and leadership skills, such as: collaborating with team members and partners towards common goals; negotiating and problem solving; training, informing and building capacity; and holding oneself and others accountable.

Skills

  • Strong familiarity with Microsoft Office suite of products, particularly Excel.
  • Demonstrable cross-cultural and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate clearly and collaborate effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and at all levels
  • ability to maintain professional, respectful conduct even while under pressure.
  • Ability to collaborate effectively in a virtual work environment.
  • High-level of proficiency in English

Disclosures

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.

AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks.

AIR maintains a drug-free work environment .

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer

AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out to recruitment@air.org .

If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov . You can also report it to your state attorney general . Find out more about how to avoid scams at ftc.gov/scams

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