Position:                          Senior Officer, Resource allocation and grant management

Term of Employment:   One year with a possibility of extension

Duty Station(s):              Addis Ababa

Required Number:         One

Salary & Benefits:           Competitive

Application Deadline:    October 02, 2023

 BACKGROUND:

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) is a strategy and delivery-oriented government agency created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATI envisions that, by 2025, smallholder farmers are commercialized with greater incomes, inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability, contributing to Ethiopia’s achievement of middle-income country status.

The agency focuses on two primary national approaches to catalyze agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources (MoA), its affiliate institutions, and other partners to identify and address systemic bottlenecks within an Agricultural Transformation Agenda. Second, we support Regional Governments to accelerate development of high-priority commodity value chains in clearly defined geographic clusters, through the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) Initiative.

Our major activities include conducting strategic and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support, coordinating platforms to better integrate partners and projects, and designing and directly leading a number of implementation projects. Our headquarters are in Addis Ababa, and we have regional offices in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray regional offices, allowing us to work closely with a wide range of public, private and development sector partners across the country.

Our Culture

We have an exceptional team of highly competent employees with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results.  Our culture is one where talented, dedicated and adaptable individuals are committed to doing their best and exhibit great team work to achieve excellent results. 

At ATI, we provide an exceptional platform for people who want to achieve their highest potential and make a meaningful contribution in changing the country’s agricultural sector.  We offer rewarding work in a young, fast-paced growing organization with passionate, committed, motivated colleagues and excellent career development and training.  We recognize our most valuable assets are our staff and are committed to providing our employees with the tools, training, and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals. 

POSITION SUMMARY:

The resource allocation and grant management Senior Officer will work to create, maintain, and facilitate effective grant management system within the organization.  The Senior Officer is responsible to ensure both ATI and GoE policies and procedures on grant management are implemented.  In addition, the SO is responsible to maintain the organization grant systems to ensure compliance as per the agreement  and deliver timely and coherent grant information and present to all concerned parties to support management decisions. The SO will work closely with focal point in respective Development Partners and MoF to provide and maintain financial requirement of the grants and budget from GoE.

Performance will be evaluated primarily on the operational effectiveness and efficiency of the grant management system that is satisfactory to internal management and external stakeholders.

The position holder shall report to the Director of Partnerships and Resource Mobilization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

The specific duties include the following:

Grant Management  

• Manage and proactively work to improve the grant management systems of ATI.
• Ensure that all grant agreements are consistent with ATI financial system management and the Government financial procedures, rules and regulation.
• Ensure all grant files are adequately and regularly updated in the ERP. Make sure that all financial codes of grants are developed and managed well in the ERP for effective and efficient tracking and management of grants.
• Work closely with finance team and ensure systems are in place and work efficiently in the ERP to monitor financial recording and balance of grants on a monthly basis.
• Manage the budget proposal development, liaise closely with budget-holders to develop, and compile the budget requests going to the donors.
• Facilities and coordinate grant-budget proposal and amendments /revisions.
• Propose the appropriate allocation of all resources, both secured and on progress, to the proposed Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B) of ATI teams as per the allowable and allocable grant components and budget line of respective development partners and Government Budget.
• Indicate possible funding gaps and surplus of teams’ budget to the Director of Partnership and Resource Mobilization.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders for assurance of new secured grants insertion on the AWP and master budget.
• Work closely with all responsible teams and ensure grant agreements are getting adequate attention and focus from commencement to close-out.
• Review and analyze financial reports produced by finance team against the grant template and ensure completeness, accuracy and timelessness of reports
• Make sure all grants financial reports are in line with donor requirements in terms of timeline, template, approved component/activity, and budget line.
• Work closely with respective budget holders and implementing partners for ensuring a quality justification for under/over utilization of donor approved budget lines.
• Work closely with partnership/resource mobilization director to ensure the consolidation of financial reports with respective narrative reports before final submission to the donor.
• Make sure that all projects of ATI follow compliance standards in accordance with all relevant regulations.

Resource Allocation

• Make sure that grants are allocated to allowable and allocable program/project components and activities and respective donor and government budget lines during planning and budget preparation.
• Participate and work jointly with Budget Holders in facilitating periodic grant update meetings and ensure that the action points arising from these meetings on grant are followed and implemented.
• Provide monthly financial management information on grants to respective Budget Holders and senior management.
• Ensuring adherence and Donor Compliance requirements both at the ATI and implementing partners in respect of financial and budget management.
• Ensure that all grants are complete and accurate from a financial perspective in advance of grant closure. 
• Actively participate and lead grant closure activities in collaboration with relevant teams

Financial Analysis

•  Plan budget, expected outcomes, and expenditures of ATI Projects
• Analyze financial data (budgets, etc.) and create forecasts and projections for ATI’s project performances considering the goals and financial standing of the Institute.
• Generate Excel models, presentations, and reports.
• Present the results of the analysis to stakeholders.
• Provide creative alternatives and recommendations to reduce costs and improve financial performance of ATI Projects
• Track and determine the financial status of ATI Projects by analyzing actual outcomes in comparison with forecasts.
• Summarize reports and monitor financial movements of ATI Projects
• Manage grant audit in close collaboration with the relevant operations and technical staff plan, appoint and assist auditors as required in a timely manner and review management reports before sign-off by the CEO.

• A minimum of Bachelor’s degree (Master’s Degree is preferable) in Accounting, Business, Finance, Economics, Administration or related field.
• At least six (6) years for master’s degree holder or eight (8) years for BA degree holder; of which 1 year experience working in grant management and experience in senior position is a plus;
• Experience in international development, including working in resource mobilization from multilateral and bilateral agencies, as well as sub-grant management to implementing partners is highly considered; experience within agricultural sector is a plus;
• Professional certification in advanced training related to financial software (preferably in Agresso) and other donors’ procedures;

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Demonstrates ability to work effectively in diverse multicultural environments and to work and deliver under pressure;
• Demonstrates analytical and organizational skills with excellent attention to detail and high degree of personal initiative;
• Reasonable knowledge of relevant government laws and regulations in the country;
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching;
• Good skills in Microsoft Office Suite specifically in excel;
• Fluency in English and Amharic is essential; fluency in at least one additional Ethiopian language is a plus;
• Ability to work under pressure, long work hours, and high workload;
• Ability to independently organize work and prioritize tasks as well as work with teams.
• Proficiency in spreadsheets, databases, MS Office and financial software applications
• Outstanding presentation, reporting and communication skills
• Proven knowledge of financial forecasting and diagnosis, corporate finance and information analysis
• Well informed in current financial subjects, accounting, tax laws, money market and business environments
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks efficiently,
• Critical thinking, analytical and forecasting skills,
• Conflict-resolution and problem-solving skills,
• Flexibility and good decision-making skills,
• Interpersonal interaction skills (effective communication, negotiation, collaboration, the ability to be diplomatic and stand one’s ground).