Grant Monitoring Technical Assistant At Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation

Background | The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (STBF) is a private grantmaking foundation based in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. We work towards a world in which every woman controls her reproduction, and all reproductive decisions are treated with dignity and respect. Toward this end, our core mission is to prevent unintended pregnancy and ensure access to safe abortion.

STBF’s Global Programs (GP) strategy invests in sexual and reproductive health and rights around the world. At the core of our strategy is the central tenet that our funding will lead to sustainable change: we want our funding to help transform systems, and strengthen the organizations and institutions that will outlive our grantmaking so that women and girls will continue to receive services when our funding comes to an end. In order to deliver on this ambitious strategy, we are expanding globally and growing our team with colleagues who will think critically about the sustainability of the investments we make.

Position Description | STBF is looking for three Grant Monitoring Technical Assistants to be based in either Benin, Burkina Faso, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Grant Monitoring Technical Assistant will be seconded to one of the program management units of our government partners to provide routine technical support on program management and monitoring to ensure that implementation of the grant adheres to work plans and the underlying grant agreement. The Technical Assistant will support the Government Engagement Country Advisor in monitoring progress towards program performance measures by working closely with program leadership and grant managers to identify and resolve problems and ensure that the programs are performing effectively to meet expected results and grant conditions and terms.

The Ideal Candidate | This position is right for you if you are:

Organized and efficient | You are highly detail-oriented, efficient, and capable of maintaining a swift pace of work with high quality.

An effective project manager | You are comfortable in the grey and seek clarity and guidance when needed yet remain solutions-oriented and self-directed. You can thrive in complexity and ambiguity by finding ways to take meaningful steps forward toward clarity amidst a changing backdrop. You aim to create clarity, not add to complexity.

Agile and responsive | You understand the value of diverse ideas and opinions, and you are quick to respond and provide support when needed. You are committed to transparency to ensure alignment with team members as needed, and to support an effective, collaborative team. You remain aware of cultural context and power dynamics, thoughtfully communicating to bring others in and along — even in hard conversations.

A strong relationship manager | You provide a high standard of service to staff, external partners, and senior government officials. You will deal with internal or external contacts and create a positive image of the Foundation by being prompt in responding to requests.

A strategic thinker | You are aligned with and have a deep understanding of national priorities and goals and can work to connect and align STBF strategy and approach with national policies and priorities. You are able to break down a complex vision into actionable steps.

Adaptable with a good sense of humor | You are able to manage up, down, and sideways with relative ease. You keep sight of the end-goal and are flexible in how that is achieved, ready to pivot as needed. You aren’t out for ownership and credit, but to facilitate a smooth and results-driven workflow to serve the mission. You see yourself in service to the mission always, and as part of a team working to realize an ambitious vision.

Responsibilities | Primary responsibilities of the Grant Monitoring Technical Assistant include, but are not limited to the following:

• Provides day-to-day guidance, educates, and builds capacity of government staff on program monitoring and reporting requirements ensuring that routine program implementation is consistent with STBF and grantee policies and requirements
• Provides technical assistance on development of implementation plans, budget allocations and results monitoring frameworks, and serves as a resource for program management units for programmatic and financial compliance matters
• Participates in internal program coordination meetings, reviews, and workshops to create an understanding of the processes involved in monitoring grants
• Supports in developing, implementing, and maintaining a robust subrecipient onboarding, subcontracting, and monitoring to ensure procedures are consistent with sound business practices and grant requirements
• Provides technical assistance to program management unit to ensure that required reports are submitted to the Country Advisor with appropriate data completeness, relevance, and timeliness
• Assist in preparations for Country Advisor and STBF team monitoring visits and reviews and participates as appropriate.
• Engages the program management team on the technical relevance and quality of reported outputs and supports grantee to jointly develop tools and materials to support improvements in quality of outputs
• Supports grantees in preparing progress reports and analyzing spending trends, carries out verification of reported activities and services, and follows up on implementation of STBF team feedback and recommendations
• Supports proactive initiation and preparation of amendments to the grant agreements
• Supports implementation of robust procurement procedures and ensures procurements conform to grant requirements and applicable internal procedures and process
• Support Country Advisor in performing risk assessments on grant activities and use the information to devise mitigation mechanism for the management of the grant
• Establishes and maintains documentation and database of programs to be used for tracking and reporting purposes
• Reviews and remains up-to-date on national policies, laws, or procedures which affect grant and program implementation, and relays pertinent information to STBF Government Engagement team
• Adhere to government integrity and institutional standards and procedures
• Performs other such duties as may be required and assigned by supervisor and senior leadership of the government.

Qualifications | Skills and knowledge the candidate must possess:

• Strong passion to positively influence global sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls.
• Minimum of 10 years of technical and managerial experience in implementation of complex public health programs and grants. Technical and managerial experience in public (government) sector required.
• Strong technical knowledge and skills in developing and monitoring plans, budgets, and grant reports
• Excellent project management and organizational skills with applicable experience in grant management including procurement and subrecipient monitoring
• Demonstrated knowledge of and expertise in program leadership, relationship management, and grants monitoring in Sub Saharan Africa.
• The ability to create positive relationships with stakeholders through the appropriate management of their expectations and agreed objectives.
• Superior organizational, scheduling, and planning skills to balance multiple activities.
• Excellent written and interpersonal communications skills with diverse audiences.
• Ability to proactively take initiative, work independently and solve problems with limited supervision.
• Service-oriented, adaptable to the needs and styles of country stakeholders.
• Willingness and ability to support a diverse and inclusive environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint required.
• International experience (preferred, but not required).
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken French and English languages.
• Ability to travel domestically as needed.

Education and Experience | A range of educational preparation will be considered. Sexual reproductive health program leadership and grants management experience preferred.

Benefits and Compensation | The annual salary range for this position is competitive and will be commensurate with experience.

The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.