Director, Grants & Contracts

Summary

The IPA Director of Grants and Contracts leads all aspects of the award administration function.(Grants Team) They are responsible for developing the vision and developing and implementing the strategic plan for ensuring quality, timely and effective execution of the awards administration function. S/he is responsible for developing the annual priorities for the grants team and overseeing day-to-day award and subaward administration, including but not limited to, partner negotiations, due diligence, monitoring award and sub award funder compliance, for a diverse funding pool. S/he establishes and maintains internal controls, and policies and procedures consistent with best practices and in compliance with audit, legal and statutory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a strategic plan that ensures quality, timely effective execution, and continual process improvements of the awards administration function . Leads the Grants Department to ensure timely and effective award management and administration of a diversified portfolio of awards; assign or reassign award portfolios within the Department to ensure a balanced workload and timely service delivery.
• Direct the daily operations of the team whose responsibilities include:
• Leading all funder post-award due diligence requests for all grants and contracts.
  • Working closely with in-country and other project teams and members of Global Finance, Grants
  • Financial Management, IT, and Legal Teams to review, negotiate, and accept incoming awards and
  • record them in IPA's software systems (Salesforce, Box, and Replicon.)
  • Reviewing and analyzing incoming awards terms and conditions to ensure they comport with IPA's
  • requirements as well as all applicable regulations.
  • funder engagement, setting up pre-spends, timely preparation and submission of deliverables,
  • monitoring award end dates, requesting, reviewing, and processing award amendments, approving cost
  • transfer, where required, and set-up of at-risk spending approvals.
  • Acting as a subject matter expert in grants administration operations that emphasize assessment and
  • mitigation of risk, compliance, and enforcement of USG and, FCDO rules and regulations, and
  • institutional grant-related policies and procedures.
  • Managing the issuance of all sub-awards on a timely basis ensuring terms and conditions are in
  • compliance with applicable regulations and funder requirements and ensuring standards are established
  • to monitor compliance.
  • Overseeing timely and accurate closeout of awards by ensuring all contractual requirements have been
  • fulfilled, , initiating internal closeout requests, and routing to Global Finance for official closeout
• Advising proposal teams with technical and contractual input as required; including potential review of proposal submissions for compliance with donor regulations; develop responses to contractual questions.
• Serving as in-house expert on compliance issues with award provisions and/or routes award provisions to the relevant IPA expert or policyholder (e.g., data processing, data protection, safeguarding, audit standards, recruiting practices, etc.)
• Plays a key role in the development and implementation of improved systems and "best practices" for IPA-managed subawards. Collaborates with IPA staff globally to ensure the Grants team is meeting and adapting to the needs of the organization with the creation and/or refinement of existing grant-related policies and procedures

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or master's degree in a relevant field
• 10+ years of relevant grant and contract management experience with a variety of funding including US Federalagencies, FCDO and other governmental, multilateral and private foundations; 5 years in support of aninternational not for profit/non-profit organization
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to manage and motivate a team, including ability to lead staff andpromote productivity in a diverse, multi-national and multi-location work environment.
• Ability to interact effectively with all staff levels as well as ability to work independently andas a member of a team.
• Ability to mentor and guide professional growth and development for the Grants team.
• Experience providing contractual or compliance guidance to new business plans, proposals and budget
• development.
• Consistently works within internal process and procedures and ensures others do the same
• Expert knowledge and ability to apply standard terms and conditions of major funders such as USG, FCDO, EU,
• IGC, Wellspring, and Gates.
• Experience as a subject matter expert in grants administration operations that emphasize assessment and
• mitigation of risk, compliance, and enforcement of OMB circulars and institutional grant-related policies and
• procedures
• Exercise sound judgement in independently interpreting and adapting policies and regulations for application to
• specific grant awards as well as develop solutions to substantive challenges affecting the effectiveness and
• efficiency of the grant agreement process.
• Proven negotiation skills, including the ability to negotiate effectively, make sound decisions and apply creative
• problem solving.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills; ability to make effective and persuasive presentations to small
• and large groups.
• Excellent organizational skills, strong analytical skills and problem-solving skills; culturally sensitive; ability to
• work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment, keeping multiple priorities moving and not losing track of
• details.
• Demonstrated track record of establishing and sustaining interpersonal and professional relationships with donor
• representatives and partners.
• Ability to speak and comprehend Spanish or French a plus.

Reports to

General Counsel

Deadline to Apply

February 17th

Location

Washington, DC

About IPA

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of the world's poor. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence of which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to a tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 600 leading academics to conduct over 900 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.

Safeguarding at IPA

At Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), we are committed to creating a safe and respectful environment for all individuals, particularly children and vulnerable adults. As IPA adheres to strict safeguarding principles, selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards. By joining IPA, you become part of a team dedicated to ethical conduct, social responsibility, and meaningful impact in the fight against global poverty. Together, we work to create a better world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive with dignity and respect.