Grants and Contracts Manager-ICARDA

Reports to: Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization
Location: Cairo, Egypt or based in one of ICARDA’s other country offices in North Africa or West Asia

Main purpose of position
Reporting to the Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization and working closely the Legal Office, Finance Department and the Office of the Director General, the Grants and Contracts Manager will ensure effective revision, negotiation, delivery, and management of grants contracts. This will also include timely and solicitous engagement with internal and external stakeholders, as well as the support for delivery of reports to donors.

About ICARDA
The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR.
ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty, enhance food, water, and nutritional security, as well as environmental health in the face of global challenges including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development and capacity development that take into account gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organization, other CGIAR Research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org

All CGIAR Centers are currently engaged into a reform process (“One CGIAR’”) that will help ICARDA and CGIAR achieve better impact through more strategically integrated research, unified governance, an integrated structure and new research modalities across participating Research Centers. This transformation is supported by CGIAR donors who have committed to increased funding as a result of these reforms.

Main responsibilities

• Draft and review all project-related agreements and contracts in compliance with ICARDA requirements.
• Negotiate terms and communicate with donors to review, finalize, and facilitate signing off on agreements with ICARDA senior management.
• Ensure that all grants or contracts conducted by ICARDA meet donor requirements, are well-administered, and are in compliance with donor regulations and internal ICARDA procedures from grant signing to closing.
• Work with project leaders and outreach offices, the finance department, and senior management to facilitate submission of high quality, well written, and timely technical and financial reports meeting donor requirements.
• Provide oversight and assume overall responsibility for accuracy of information and maintaining the project management database.
• Oversee and implement with the PGU team sub-grant arrangements with partners when necessary, including preparation of agreements, ensuring forward planning and preparation of requirements conforming to primary donor requirements.
• Support the grant management capacity of staff by providing support in report writing, budget management, and/or other topics as needed.
• Respond to requests for grant-related reports and statistics.
• Provide overall guidance and support to planning, implementing, and evaluating quality and efficiency of PGU grants’ management activities.
• Under the direction of the Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization, monitor PGU business risks and flagging issues for discussion and report.
• Under the direction of the Head of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization, monitor and communicate new donor regulations and propose inclusion in institutional policies and procedures as required and/or develop, refine, and implement guidelines, procedures, standards, work processes, manuals, and methodologies for a successful and comprehensive grant management system.
• Prepare and coordinate internal requests to Finance to open new project budget codes based on finalization and implementation of new agreements.
• Work with and provide grant-related information as requested by external auditors on an annual basis to review ICARDA’s compliance with donor agreements.
• Liaise with donors and communicate with them as the focal point for ICARDA on all project-related information.
• Ensure quality information management of grants by overseeing and assuming responsibility for the inventory and maintenance of grant files, agreements, relevant project information, reporting timelines, timely submission and updating of internal ICARDA documentation and communicating requirements to project leaders and senior staff as necessary. • Supervise relevant PGU staff in accordance with ICARDA’s policies and procedures, including planning, interviewing, hiring, training, supervising, and appraising performance.

Education, qualifications, and experience
Essential qualifications and competencies
• Master’s degree in Agriculture, Economics, International Development, Law, Business, or other related field or undergraduate degree plus relevant experience
• Excellent command of the English language; demonstrated ability to communicate with a variety of internal clients and external parties in a timely, professional, and succinct manner.
• 5-10 years proven and progressive experience in an international agricultural research, universities, not-for-profits, international development, or other relevant fields involving grants implementation
• Proven experience in grant agreement/contract interpretation, negotiation, and clearance
• Working knowledge of major donor rules and regulations (e.g. EU, USAID, GIZ)
• Working knowledge of grants management best practices and ability to adopt industry standards to mitigate risks
• Attention to detail with demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Good organizing skills: ability to handle multi-tasking under a deadline-based environment in a composed and professional manner.

Desirable qualifications and competencies
• Command of additional languages commonly used at ICARDA (French and Arabic)
• Experience in intellectual property (IP) standards, sanctions, data management regulations (ex. GDPR)
• Proven experience with project management and monitoring and evaluation
• Knowledge of CGIAR or similar

Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits as per IRS requirements
This is an internationally recruited position for which ICARDA offers an attractive compensation package, including a competitive salary, housing allowance, non-contributory retirement plan, medical insurance and leave provisions. All benefits are denominated and paid in US Dollars.
The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract of 3 years. The first year will be probationary period. Possibility of the extension will be subject to merit and productivity of the staff, funding and continued need for the position.

How to apply
Please apply online at this link, 20 May 2022 latest.
ICARDA is committed to increasing women representation in its workforce and strongly encourages applications from women.
Applications will be acknowledged, but only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.