About CRS

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

For nearly 60 years, CRS has taken the lead in responding to natural and man-made disasters affecting Ethiopia’s most vulnerable communities. Moving beyond emergency response, CRS’ disaster mitigation and recovery projects in drought and flood-prone areas have rebuilt individual and community assets through non-food aid in the form of agriculture, livestock, health, nutrition, and water and sanitation assistance. CRS’s humanitarian work in Ethiopia also provides livelihoods support to farmers and entrepreneurs, promotes gender equality, mobilizes for immunization and mitigates the impact of HIV.

As part of CRS family, you will join the more than 5000 strong and vibrant individuals working globally to accomplish the mission of CRS. CRS/Ethiopia invites you, the qualified candidate, to apply for the following position.

Position Title:                 Program Manager I-Grants

Department:                  Program

Duty Station:                  CRS Ethiopia/Addis Ababa

Required Number:        One

Employment Term:       Indefinit Period

Reports To:                     Senior PM-PCS, Peace Building and Grants

Job Summary:

The role of the program Grants manager is to provide support to Budget Managers for sub-grants to partners and manage CP program grants.  The program Grants manager will closely work with partner program and finance staff and follow up the timely clearing of liquidation and reimbursement documents, advance requests and quarter cash forecast request.  S/he will strengthen partner’s grant management capacity, improve communication and enhance effective delivery of program implementation.

Specifically, s/he is responsible to (1) Support budget mangers in the process of annual budget planning and forecasts in Insight, (2) Participate in projects budget planning during concept notes and proposal development. (3) Advise budget managers, in matters related to program grant, donor reporting, agreements, modification, PAL. (4) Review BCR and partner advances and liquidations to ensure accuracy and legitimacy while increasing partner financial and internal control capacities; (5) Insure proper documentation of all projects key documents on gateway, (6) build partner capacity based on the identified financial capacity gaps/needs.

 Overall Responsibilities:

• Provides support to program and partners on financial management, reporting and liquidations, and budgeting;
• Track budget, expenditures of the program grant by partner and funding sources and report on regular basis
• Regularly lead the review of BCS, ageing report and questioned costs and take appropriate action with the relevant PM, partner and finance
• Serve as point of contact for gateway, monitor and update all record and participate in sub recipient monitoring

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

Leadership & Management:

• Facilitates development of annual budget plans and forecast plans.
• Ensures that all financial deliverables are met in a high quality and timely fashion;
• Proactively review all funding under any projects that are allocated to program department (emergency, WASH, girls gain, agriculture, health-nutrition and other privately funded projects).
• Work closely with budget managers and partners to review and explain budget levels, timelines, allow ability, etc. and plan quarterly/yearly expenditures.
• Ensures by closely working with budget managers, partners and CRS finance team that all advances to partners of different projects/grants are released on time;
• Supports partners to prepare financial documents and verify whether they are accurate, valid, and are supported by necessary attachments;
• Reviews Accounts/Fund balances of all related projects using the monthly BCR;
• Ensure to track budgets including modification, advances, liquidations, questioned costs and alert the PM, HOP and Finance
• Process routine grant management documents, including periodic reports and payment requests following applicable rules and procedures;
• Responds to issues that arise during grant agreements and program implementation including financial reporting, issuing modifications, oversight of compliance with terms and conditions and resolution of disputes, and resolving audit findings;
• Oversees project budget development and undertake regular analysis of project expenditure, and lead the preparation of budget amendments/modification;
• Maintains separate files for each partner, complete with all the necessary documents. (Approved Project Budget, Budget amendments, grant agreements, grant modifications, information on opening and closing dates of projects.);
• Works closely with partners to ensure the timely, accurate liquidation of project advances and reimbursements in accordance with approved budgets;
• Coordinates grant closure activities with the respective project/grant manager and ensures that expired grants are fully closed Intime;
• Coordinate with the PMs, DHOPs, HOP to ensure that all expenditure requests are consistent with budget allocations, quarterly planning with CRS policy and donor requirements, and bring any irregularities to the attention of requesting staff and the HOP;
•  In collaboration with CRS finance, handle all audit related activities for the CP program, and follow up with partners to ensure timely closure of findings.

Capacity Building:

• Serves as a technical support person for CP program department and partners to assists in strengthening capacity through training, networking and exchange visits;
• Provide on-spot assistance and training to all PMs and partners in the overall grant management and supervision, budget planning and utilization, documentation and reporting as required/needed;

Monitoring and Reporting:

• Coordinating with CRS finance department, participate on the sub-recipient financial monitoring process to conduct regular monitoring internal control system, support partners to develop internal control improvement plans and make a close follow up and support for the actual implementation of these plans
• Monitors the financial management of partners to ensure that finance related activities are performed to a high professional standard, effectively implemented and fulfill CRS/Ethiopia requirements;
• Carries out other responsibilities given by his immediate supervisors and HOP;

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship

Education and Experience

• MA/MSc in a relevant field with 5 years of relevant experience
• BA/BSC in a relevant field with 6 years of relevant experience

Personal Skills

• Excellent analytical skills with ability to make sound judgment and decisions
• Accuracy and completeness with a strong eye for detail
• Ethical conduct in accordance with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results-oriented
• Ability to work collaboratively
• Minimum of three years’ experience in a position with similar responsibilities, preferably with an International NGO.
• Substantial budgeting, budget/expense analysis, and accounting experience.
• Knowledge of the relevant public donors’ regulations preferred.
• Knowledge of local law in taxation and local regulatory reporting procedures.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications.