POSITION TITLE: Grants Specialist

LOCATION: Auki, Malaita Province, Solomon Islands

UNIT: Agriculture, Resilience and Water

REPORTS TO: Procurement and Grants Manager

BACKGROUND:

Winrock International is a nonprofit organization that works with people in the United States and around the world to increase economic opportunity, sustain natural resources, and protect the environment. Winrock matches innovative approaches in agriculture, natural resources management, clean energy, and leadership development with the unique needs of its partners. By linking local individuals and communities with new ideas and technology, Winrock is increasing long-term productivity, equity, and responsible resource management to benefit the poor and disadvantaged of the world.

Winrock is seeking candidates for a Grants Specialist for the Strengthening Competitiveness, Livelihoods and Environment – Natural Resource Management (SCALE-NRM) Project. The SCALE Program is a comprehensive five-year, $25 million United States Agency for International Development (USAID) investment in economic growth and trade in the Solomon Islands, with specific emphasis on the development of the agribusiness sector and improved management of the forestry sector. In support of the Solomon Islands’ National Development Strategy 2016-2035, the project has three objectives: (1) improve the enabling environment for increased trade and investment; (2) promote the development and expansion of the agribusiness sector; and (3) improve natural resources governance. Through five implementing partners, SCALE will work in provinces most in need of development as identified by the Solomon Islands government, with an initial focus on Malaita Province.

As a part of the broader SCALE Program, SCALE-NRM is designed to address the underlying causes of forest degradation in Solomon Islands, with a current focus on Malaita Province. The program will implement a range of activities to improve forest governance and ensure sustainable forest management with the ultimate aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in Solomon Islands. The project is being implemented over a five-year period, from October 2020 to September 2025. SCALE-NRM is a partnership between USAID and Winrock International.

As a part of the SCALE-NRM Project, the Forests and Development Fund (FDF) is a small grants activity that will support community-level activities that improve NRM, sustainable landscapes development and livelihoods activities that will strengthen Solomon Islands’ resilience to climate change impacts. Grant activities will support forest protection, restoration/reforestation, sustainable forest management, sustainable livelihoods alternatives to forestry, as well as building Solomon Islands’ capacity among organizations, tribes, communities and individuals to establish, implement and evaluate forest-preserving programs.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The SCALE-NRM Grants Specialist will oversee FDF grants procurement and administration. S/he will be responsible for ensuring that grants are processed in timely manner and the process adheres to SCALE-NRM Grants Manual, preparing and/or reviewing grant procurement packages to ensure they meet SCALE-NRM and USAID requirements outlined in the Grants Manual, conducting subgrant recipient monitoring, and overall performance of the grants activity and budget. The Grants Specialist will design and implement a monitoring and evaluation system for grants, ensuring that data is collected, tracked, and analyzed regularly per grant agreements. The Grants Specialist will also oversee general execution, management, monitoring, and closeout of grants under SCALE-NRM.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Manage the full Grants Cycle (Rounds’ design, solicitation, procurement, monitoring and close-out).

· Facilitate the design of each Round of competitive grants solicitation and procurement, working closely with the technical and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) teams to ensure grants are fully integrated into SCALE-NRM technical approach.

· Provide mentoring and coaching for technical field staff on grants solicitation procurement, management and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL).

· Prepare solicitations and grant packages, in cooperation with technical staff, including technical, budget, and due diligence documentation.

· Oversee administrative and financial implementation and monitoring of grants, ensuring compliance with USAID regulations and Winrock policies.

· Oversee procurement processes for in-kind grants.

· Support organizational capacity building and training for grant recipients.

· Facilitate the transfer of grant resources (funds or in-kind goods and services) to the subrecipient, and acceptance of grant deliverables/results.

· Facilitate the engagement of partners and stakeholders in the grants activity.

· Facilitate public communications and outreach about the FDF grants activity, with the support of the Communications Coordinator.

· Design and implement a comprehensive grants tracking and MEL system, with the support of the MEL team.

· Design, with the support of the MEL team, a learning agenda for the grants activity, and conduct learning events for partners, stakeholders, and grant recipients.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQURIEMENTS:

Education: B.S. or equivalent university degree in Accounting, Finance or Business Administration.

Experience: The ideal candidate will have the following experience:

· At least 5 years of experience working in the development sector.

· At least 3 years of experience leading financial and grants management of donor-funded programs.

· Demonstrated experience managing small grants to community-based organizations and coordinating with technical and administrative team members.

· Strong computer software skills in MS Excel and Word.

· Strong accounting software skills (such as QuickBooks) preferred.

· Strong communication skills both oral and written with fluency English required.

SALARY:

The annual salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.