Business Development and Grants Coordinator

Business Development and Grants Coordinator | Uganda

Reports to Head of Programs | Full time

Hello Hello! So you’re interested in joining us? Welcome, we’re happy you’re here.

Click here to apply: https://app.jobvite.com/j?cj=ooDIffwI&s=AlertNet 

This year, American Refugee Committee became Alight. We’re the same organization with the same people doing the same critical work – providing health care and clean water, shelter, protection, and economic opportunity to more than 3.5 million people in 17 countries each year. But in solidarity with the people we serve who are too often defined by a single dark moment in their lives, we’re dropping the label ‘refugee.’

When you Join Alight, you’ll find…

A team with deep experience in co-designing solutions that create new value around the world. We know we need to always be better, and we believe in the power and abundance of everyday people, everywhere, to change the world with us.

A culture of radical accountability to our customers –as we help build a meaningful life for and with the displaced, we ask them what they want and then deliver on it.

An organization that refuses to settle for anything less than delivering human-worthy services.

If you are looking to be part of a living, breathing, ever-changing organization full of disrupters and doers, then read on!

The Team

Alight Uganda’s mission is to work with its partners and constituencies to provide opportunities and expertise to refugees, displaced people, and host communities. We help people survive conflict and crisis and rebuild lives of dignity, health, security, and self-sufficiency. Alight is committed to the delivery of programs that ensure measurable quality and lasting impact for the people we serve. Alight Uganda, with its head office in Kampala, is currently providing gender-based violence prevention and response, water and sanitation, food security and livelihood services to South Sudanese and Congolese Refugees (who fled to Uganda) and host communities in six locations of Uganda – BidiBidi, Palabek, Kyaka-II, Kyangwali, Oruchinga and Nakivale.  It is also home to Alight’s breakthrough initiatives Kuja Kuja and Safe Rides. 

The Role

As the Business Development and Grants Coordinator you see opportunity and package a customer-centered, well thought-out, and quality product every time– whether it is a new proposal, donor meeting, or grant portfolio coordination. You are responsible for the development of new project proposals in accordance with the Country  Strategic Plan (CSP), and  responsible for supporting, advising and backstopping grants management functions across the project lifecycle, including project start-up, monitoring and management (tracking expenditure and program progress against project documents, project review meetings, donor reporting, processing grants modifications), and close-out, to ensure that projects are implemented in compliance with ALIGHT and donors’ rules and regulations, as well as meet internal standards. You bring people together and involve others, while also sharing your knowledge in order to develop and build a team around you. You will work closely with the Minneapolis team and Uganda Head of Programs to work toward these goals.

How will you know you’re doing well?

• You are consistently developing and submitting proposals that are high quality and human-centered.

Burn rates are well tracked, communicated, and spent.

• You regularly assess the needs of the team around you by getting close and asking; you prototype new ways of doing things based on these insights.
• You see the gifts and talents of the people around you, in particular supporting the field teams in their grants management capacity
• You recognized the role compliance plays, without overbuilding. As such, you help team members to meet donor and internal requirements while also adapting process that are based in reality.
• You never compromise on time or quality when it comes to reporting.
• You collaborate with others and are well versed in information management for grant and program implementation.

Your role and measures of success will evolve as you grow within the position. These outcomes will help guide your work as you get started.

Essential Responsibilities and Duties

Business Development

You will support development of Alight Business Development strategy in Uganda and ensure coordination with overall program development strategy, to include the following;

Donor Development

• Maintain regular engagement with donors, international organizations, national governments, foundations, etc., to track donor trends and priorities and inform HQ of upcoming program priorities;
• Represent Alight to the donor community as needed and inform donors on Alight Uganda efforts; attend relevant meetings and networking events
• Maintain outreach with relevant international and local NGOs as well as private sector firms in order to facilitate partnerships needed for program development opportunities; and,
• Develop, capture, plan and conduct completion analysis on upcoming priority proposals;
• Broadly, ensure careful focus on generation and follow-up of priority funding ‘leads’ including linking with like-minded agencies / those sharing Alight objectives, with a mind to consortia development to broaden Alight funding eligibility to currently non-accessible donors (e.g. DFID, ECHO).

Proposal Development

• Lead and / or contribute to research and development of proposals, concept notes, proposals, assessments, studies and similar for the country program, in close collaboration with Technical Coordinators and Area Coordinators / Site Leads;
• Engage in needs assessment for project proposals as necessary;
• Coordinate the planning and preparation of project proposals, providing guidance and assistance to Technical Coordinators and Area Coordinators in the interpretation of funding agency regulations and requirements.
• Contribute to program design, for solicited and unsolicited programs, and for pilot and full-scale programs;
• Where proposals are pending with donor agencies, meet with donor officers to ensure program plans represent a good fit with donor objectives;
• Participate in the preparation of funding proposals, including leading proposal writing efforts as well as costing efforts;
• Serve as a liaison between Program Coordinator, donor agencies, and the HQ in the budgeting and preparation of project proposals;
• Prepare and compiles all component of each grant submission, ensuring that the proposal is formatted, packaged, and submitted in accordance with donor agency requirements, within submission deadlines.
• Build the capacity of regional and country teams in program development; and,
• Develop and maintain a track of reference documentation, including such information as donor agency requirements and forms, abstracts and reference literature, and other pertinent material.
• Facilitate and support the research and identification of funding opportunities, as appropriate.

Grants Coordination

Support the development, implementation, and close and consistent tracking of country program work planning and activities for overall timely implementation and realization of country program targets and milestones, to include:

• Provide advice and guidance to program implementation team / field team on the application of grant funding policies, regulations, and procedures, primarily from a grants compliance perspective;
• Ensure the grant management database is updated regularly and management is informed using appropriate monthly reports;
• In conjunction with Protection Technical Lead and Area Coordinator, monitor and coordinate the administration of post-award grants to ensure that budgeting and administrative policies, procedures, and agency requirements are being followed; manage administrative problems and/or budget changes occurring during the awarded granting period.
• Work with the Protection Technical Lead and Area Coordinator in country and Global level (Reporting Revolution) to ensure that reports to donors are submitted on time; that reports are coherent and accurate (proposal, interim or final report); review, (and when needed prepare) donor reports produced by the country program / technical Team for accuracy, quality and compliance with donor requirements. This may involve writing / contributing to writing and substantial editing.
• In conjunction with Protection Technical Lead and Area Coordinator, ensure awards are followed by Project Meetings (Planning, Opening, Review and Closing meetings, among others), with timely production of supporting documentation as required and updated documentation for grant management and implementation planning.
• Develop and maintain specialized databases and systems for recording and tracking grant proposals, awards, and related statistical information; create and distribute standard and special reports, studies, summaries, and analyses, as required.
• Working collaboratively with the Protection Technical Lead and Area Coordinator, contribute to country program implementation and performance reporting, both to donors as well as Alight’s International Headquarters;
• Provide technical support to assess donor eligibility/allow ability of planned expenditures and identify related compliance requirements;
• In collaboration with M&E and Reporting Technical Coordinator, ensure that increased quality of implementation and impact are pushed for is constantly pushed for and achieved, advising management on ways forward towards this end.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Skills and experience we’re seeking:

• Master’s degree in Project Management, Development, International Relations, Social Sciences or any related field from an accredited university required
• Significant and sustained experience (Min 7 Years ) in complex global development and/or humanitarian settings; experience with refugees, returnees, displaced, and other conflict affected populations is a must.
• Experience working with multi-donor, multi-grant sites for five years or more.
• Proven pattern of success in grant management, project design, and proposal development (program narratives and budgets) 
• Demonstrated ability to write clearly, insightfully and persuasively on tight deadlines.
• A strong network of international donor contacts and relationships, preferred. 
• An outstanding ability to track donor trends that contribute to business development outcomes.
• Proven success in grant writing, networking and liaising with field and HQ staff when necessary
• Familiarity with multilateral donor requirements and working procedures; previous work experience with USAID, UN, DFID, EU, ECHO and Private Donors / Foundations is required.
• High proficiency in English, both written and spoken;
• Proficiency in the use of computers and standard application.

Qualities top candidates will possess:

• Strong analytical, written and verbal skills;
• High level of integrity, accountability and responsibility;
• Good interpersonal skills and ability and inclination to work in / with teams;
• High level of self-drive, discipline and desire to achieve;
• Ability to work with minimal supervision, hit deadlines, and produce high-quality outputs;
• Willingness to travel and stay for extended periods in remote refugee sites to support workflows.
• Open heart and open mind with the willingness to show (not tell) and the humility to learn from others.

Benefits

Borderless Team of 2,500 staff worldwide that sees possibility, celebrates moments of abundance, shares new ideas, and strives to do a better thing every day.

Learning & Development – Access thousands of free online learning courses to take at your own pace and tailor to your professional goals.

Health, dental, and MedEvac Insurance – We strive to offer the best-in-class healthcare plans to our staff each year.  We cover 100% of the cost for your health premium and 75% of the cost for coverage for your spouse/dependents.

Retirement – We contribute 6% of your salary regardless of your contribution amount, after one year of service.

Generous Leave Time – Between vacation days, personal leave days, and holidays, you have ample opportunity to take time off when you need it.

Who We Are

We are on a journey to build Alight, a new platform of amazing people and organizations providing lifesaving services and creating breakthrough solutions for and with the displaced. WeAreAlight.org

Alight is an Equal Opportunity Employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.  Alight complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.