Grants Specialist

The Grantmaking Operations team sits within FGHR’s Operations department and is primarily focused on ensuring that resources are reaching frontline activist organisations. The team seeks to hire a Grants Specialist who will report to the Director of Grantmaking Operations and manage FGHR’s most complex grantmaking programmes.

The successful candidate will join a high-performing, enthusiastic grants management team, a deeply committed global staff, and an organisation constantly learning and adapting to global contexts.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES OF THE POSITION:

Grantmaking

• Manage due diligence and enhanced grantmaking protocols for a complex and high-volume portfolio of grants spanning low and high-risk operating environments.
  • Inform the development and implementation of grantmaking plans, ensuring they are robust and responsive to changing contexts and needs.
  • Research compliance and financial regulation for various country contexts as needed and flag potential areas of risk appropriately and in collaboration with GMO Leadership
  • Identify and flag operational challenges that may have an impact on programmatic grantmaking ambitions, potential donor commitments or grantmaking advisory bodies.
  • Coordinate with Programme and Grantmaking Operations to ensure grants and grantee relationships are managed according to their risk level and operating context.
  • Together with Program, Fundraising and Finance teams, coordinate grant recommendation processes, and timeline for grantmaking portfolios.
    • Prepare and organise applicant materials and prospective grantee documents for all grants.
    • Manage incoming grant proposals and reporting, conduct due diligence in line with grantmaking policies and best practices.
    • Communicate with grantees in Arabic and French, serving as a primary contact at FGHR, to support troubleshooting and accompanying them through partnership.
    • Monitor and safeguard grantmaking, safety and security contexts within regional and/or initiative programmes.
    • Translate grant and Programme materials in alignment with Programme strategies, portfolio priorities, and compliance requirements,
    • Lead regular grantmaking check-ins and strategic meetings as needed.
    • Analyse data and develop grantmaking insights and sessions to inform and shape grantmaking workflows.
    • Monitor and track grantmaking budgets and manage budget stakeholders.
    • Actively contribute to fundraising stages by integrating data-driven insights and compelling narratives in proposals and evaluation reports.

Database and Systems Administration

• Manage FGHR’s grants management system.
  • Maintain accurate grant and grantee records – updating grant, organisation, and contact records daily, updating budget trackers periodically and ensuring OFAC compliance.
  • Generate reports and dashboards for colleagues across departments, as needed.
  • Code all grantmaking requests and budgeting information.
  • Support enhancements to the grants management system, including the testing and implementation of back-end developments, to improve user experience, workflow efficiency, and data integrity.
  • Collaborate with Grantmaking Operations colleagues to test new releases and system updates, identify areas for improvement, and support the resolution of bugs and technical issues.
  • Contribute to the design and creation of the EOI and proposal forms in the grants management system.
  • Support the successful launch of newly implemented workflows and forms by testing functionality, identifying issues, and assisting with troubleshooting and resolution.
  • Support the design and implementation of grantee portals to improve grantee interactions and reporting.
  • Apply systems thinking and user-centred design principles to support operational innovation and process improvement.

Project Coordination

• Lead on GMO internal projects; brainstorming and implementing workflow solutions to team endeavours, ensuring cohesive and aligned project reporting and closing.
• Provide support to GMO Leadership
  • Support engagement with all project stakeholders, gathering, and integrating feedback to improve project management processes.
  • Proactively identify risks associated with projects, recommending effective solutions to ensure successful implementation.
  • Inform the scheduling and coordination of project activities, including meetings and deadlines.
  • Document project outcomes and adaptations ensuring learning is embedded in grantmaking operations.