Program Development Officer / Grants Manager – OTI (Worldwide)

SUMMARY
Casals is seeking qualified Program Development Officer/Grant Manager (PDO/GM) candidates for an anticipated USAID/OTI funded project. The PDO/GM is responsible for identifying potential activities and grantees that meet project objectives, as well as developing, implementing, monitoring and closing-out grants. The PDO/GM also coordinates with other team members, as needed, for the successful implementation of grants activities.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
General

Identify potential grantees and develop and design grants to meet the needs for improved information.
Participate in periodic team meetings to discuss current country context issues, present and discuss grant ideas, and report on the progress of grant implementation.
Become familiar and comply with all approved Casals procedures and manuals (e.g., Activity Management Guide; Activity Cycle Flowchart; Field Procurement Guide; Plans for Operational Communications, Emergencies, Physical and Informational Security).
Develop and maintain positive working relations with grantees and beneficiaries in Casals target communities.
Cultivate relationships with a wide variety of individuals and organizations in Casals’ area of operation.
Provide support in informing grantees on the Casals grant implementation approach and Casals and USAID/OTI policies and procedures.
Share information about grants with Supervisor, fellow members of the Grants Management Team (GMT), other Casals staff and USAID/OTI.
Coordinate the GMT.
Other tasks, as identified by the Chief of Party and/or Deputy Chief of Party.

Grant Implementation

Lead the technical supervision of assigned grant activities, including compliance with grant objectives and results, activity timeline and indicators.
Provide support in the financial and administrative supervision of grant activities.
Identify needs for short-term technical assistance (STTA) and prepare scopes of work.
Screen and select, with the PA, STTA in accordance with Casals policies and procedures.
Conduct regular follow-up meetings with grantees.
Monitor grant implementation through a desk review and regular site visits, when possible.
Track technical compliance of grant activities in accordance with agreement and request finance to process relevant payments.
Provide additional technical support to grantee, as needed.
Provide technical concurrence on all grant and STTA payments.
Identify, in a timely manner, and prepare justifications for modifications of grant activities.
Provide relevant information for input in the USAID/OTI Database.
Ensure that grant files are up to date.
Coordinate with Program Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PLME) Officer and Database Coordinator to ensure accurate and quality information on grant activities.

Grant Close-Out

Provide technical assistance, as needed, to grantees in the development of final products.
Collect final reports and/or other related deliverables from grantees.
Assist in the review on budget expenditures on grant activities for financial close out.
Prepare and compile close out documents for all completed grants, with the Procurement Associate.
Provide documents and information (e.g., number of beneficiaries, outputs, impacts) to the Database Coordinator for updates in the OTI Database.
Ensure all grant files and documentation are complete.
Ensure close-out checklist is completed.
Coordinate with PLME Manager on follow-up evaluations.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
Title of Supervisor: Operations Manager/Deputy Chief of Party

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL CONTACTS
USAID Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) and local grantees and partners.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Knowledgeable about community development and local government functions at central and local levels.
Able to work with local communities and government in remote and potentially insecure locations.
Be capable of close collaboration with colleagues and grantee partners.
Be open to feedback and tolerant of diverse viewpoints.
Be able to contribute to political analysis and support the USAID/OTI Country Representative and Casals Chief of Party.
Have experience operating in difficult environments.
Complete fluency in oral and written English and the local language.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree in sociology, law, social or political science, or other development-related field required.
Minimum of three and preferably five years professional experience working with urban and rural populations, local organizations, and/or communities in the country where the project is to take place.
Experience working on social or political development projects required and experience identifying, developing, and managing projects for an international organization preferred.
In-depth knowledge of the communities where Casals is operating and the ability to identify potential interventions that will contribute toward project objectives.
Demonstrated experience in community participation-type projects required and experience with transition issues including political reform and violence prevention.
Capacity to understand and analyze national, regional, and local politics, and the creativity and analytical capacity to design grants that relate to transition underway in the country.
Ability to network and identify appropriate grantees and help reform-oriented entities and organizations design and develop grants.
Experience supervising and mentoring staff.
Ability to draft well written succinct reports.
Computer literacy required with proficiency in Microsoft applications, including Word and Excel.
Excellent organization and time management skills and ability to work efficiently within a team, under pressure and meeting tight deadlines.

PHYSICAL AND WORKING REQUIREMENTS

Living and work conditions at the assignment location could be remote and uncomfortable.
Long hours, exposure to weather and hazardous conditions.
Personnel should be capable of moving on short notice and under adverse conditions.

TRAVEL
Must be willing to live in the country where the project is to take place and travel if necessary throughout the country.

DISCLAIMER
The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

HOW TO APPLY
Send CV, references, and USAID Biographical Data Sheet to webjobs@casals.com.
USAID BioData Sheet is available at transition.usaid.gov/forms/AID1420-17.doc (copy link and paste into browser).

Please reference ” PDO – Worldwide” in the subject line of your email.