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The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) (www.ifdc.org)is a public international organization (PIO) governed by an international board of directors with representation from developed and developing nations. The non-profit center focuses on increasing and sustaining food and agricultural productivity in developing countries through the development and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise.

Job Description

• Date:  March 30, 2016
• Position: Grants Manager – 2SCALE Benin, Côte d’Ivoire & Mali
• Type of contract: Full time
• Indicative starting date:  May 2, 2016
• Location:  Cotonou, or Abidjan, or Bamako, or Accra

Background
The program entitled “Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship” (2SCALE) aims at improving rural livelihoods and food and nutrition security in Africa. It was created by a consortium of partners, led by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), and comprising the Base-of-the-Pyramid Innovation Centre (BoPInc.) and the International Centre for development-oriented Research in Agriculture (ICRA). The program is supported by a grant of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (through the Directorate-General for International Cooperation, DGIS) of the Netherlands.

From 2012 to 2014, 2SCALE developed a portfolio of 53 public-private partnerships in selected high-potential sectors in ten sub-Saharan countries. From 2015 to 2017, 2SCALE supports its private partners to deepen and scale-up these partnerships. The objective is to offer significant opportunity to over 500,000 smallholder farmers to improve their livelihoods and 2,500 SMEs to improve sales and provide jobs, while sustainably supplying food to regional, national and local markets, of which 40 percent will be BoP consumers.

To nurture agribusiness cluster- and value chain development and sustain its interventions through local stakeholders, 2SCALE developed a unique system to award sub grants for business support services (BSSs). This system includes administrative procedures, selection processes, evaluation criteria, monitoring and evaluation of sub grants, and close-out activities; it is detailed in 2SCALE’s grants manual. The grant making and management system is led by 3 grants managers: 2 in West Africa (1 for anglophone countries, 1 for francophone countries) and 1 in East and Southern Africa.

This job vacancy announcement focuses on the Grants Manager position for francophone countries in West Africa (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali).

Duties
The Grants Manager for 2SCALE in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali is responsible for developing and monitoring sub grants in compliance with the project’s grants manual; building the capacity of grantees in sub grants management; and monitoring partnership agreements.

Specific duties include the following:

• Conduct and document the due diligence of potential new grantees.
• Review action plans and related budgeted proposed under sub grant contracts or partnership agreements. Whenever needed, assist in revising or finalizing them.
• Finalize sub grant contracts that must be high-quality documents (in French).
• Submit sub grants for approval and monitor the grant making process until the sub grant is fully executed.
• File each fully executed sub grant and related payment documentation.
• Monitor schedules for installment disbursements, alert field teams about deadlines and make disbursement projections for the following month.
• Identify and prioritize needs and gaps of grantees in financial, management and governance systems, including operational policies and manuals.
• In close collaboration and consultation with 2SCALE partnership facilitators, visit regularly the organizations that are implementing activities though 2SCALE sub grant funds. Monitor grantees to assess performance, attainment of targets, adherence to contractual obligations stated in sub grants and quality of interventions.
• Develop and update a file to monitor key commitments (e.g. governance meetings and filing of minutes; annual financial statement; private sector contribution, etc.) agreed-upon in the partnership agreements related to active partnerships in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali. Anticipate reminders to partnership facilitators.
• Write and submit quality progress reports and notes with a strict respect of deadlines.
• Prepare monthly grant recaps and projections.
• Document lessons learned, share them in reports and integrate them into subsequent project activities.
• Collaborate with the Communications Specialist, Cluster Advisors/Assistants, management team and other colleagues as needed to develop outreach materials highlighting successes and learnings from the sub grant approach.
• Develop and ensure excellent working relationships with project grantees and partners, including agro-industries.

The Grants Manager is also responsible for any other assignments that the management deems necessary for the success of the project.

Supervision

• The Grants Manager for 2SCALE in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali is supervised by and reports to the Regional Agribusiness Coordinator, West Africa.
• S/he works in close collaboration with the two other 2SCALE Grants Managers (Ghana & Nigeria; East and Southern Africa).

Position and duty station

• The Grants Manager for 2SCALE in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali is a national position with a duty station at one of the following IFDC offices, depending on the country of residence of the candidate: Cotonou, Abidjan, or Bamako. S/he can also be posted in Accra, where the 2SCALE regional coordination is located.
• The position requires intensive travels to Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali, and exceptionally to other 2SCALE countries.

Required Skills or Experience

• Master’s degree in Social Sciences (International Development/ Affairs), Business Administration, Finance or related field, with at least 3 years of relevant professional experience (or Bachelor’s degree with at least 10 years of experience), including a minimum of 2 years in grant management with international donor-funded development programs.
• Experience of development programs in the agricultural sector is considered a plus.
• Competent in organizing and facilitating capacity building programs for grantees.
• Very rigorous and well-organized.
• Ability to learn and adapt quickly, and work independently.
• Team player, able to work in a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment.
• Ability to respect deadlines.
• Fluent in English and in French.
• Willingness to travel extensively (up to 50% of the time) and in difficult conditions in Africa.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Economics, International Studies, or a related field, with a least 3 years of experience working on issuing, administering, and monitoring (sub)grants, preferably with international donor-funded projects, UN agencies or NGOs on relevant programs.
• Very rigorous and able to write high-quality documents in French.
• Ability to respect deadlines and work under pressure with limited supervision.
• Proven skills in organizing and facilitating capacity building programs for grantees.
• Team player, willing to work in a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment.
• Computer literacy in Windows-based versions of Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Fluency in French with excellent writing skills, and proficiency in English (needed to exchange with colleagues and understand project documents).
• Willingness to travel extensively and in difficult conditions in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali, and, if needed, other African countries.