United States of America: Director, Grants & Contracts

Organization: Search for Common Ground
Country: United States of America
Closing date: 05 Dec 2014

The Organization

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organization that promotes peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium, SFCG’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict - away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions. SFCG seeks to help conflicting parties understand their differences and act on their commonalities. With a total of approximately 500 staff worldwide, SFCG implements projects from 56 offices in 35 countries. SFCG’s programs are in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

Summary of Position

The Director, Grants & Contracts is responsible for managing all grant agreements and contracts between SFCG and its funders, and ensuring that grant awards and contracts meet the requirements of both SFCG and the funder. This person plays a key role in defining grant and contract administration procedures, as well as managing systems and processes that support the tracking and reporting of related financial information. General direction will be provided; however, significant and extensive independence of action and judgment is required. Extensive and regular interaction and joint problem-solving with program staff is expected. This person will manage a department with several direct reports, and have significant strategic responsibility for the financial success of our programmatic objectives around the world.

The Director, Grants & Contracts reports to the Chief Financial Officer, and is based out of the Washington, DC office.

Work Environment

Search for Common Ground has a great work environment with a mission of peace-building in the world, hard-working and friendly co-workers, team-building opportunities, and involvement in staff events (i.e. monthly staff meetings, peace-building films, and brown bag sessions, such as informational seminars by employees). The organization has won numerous awards.

Responsibilities

• Develop grant budget and provides approvals
• Report donor grants
• Develop expertise on US, European Union (EU) and Belgian government regulations, specifically in the areas of financial policies and procedures
• Produce and implement accurate budgets and financial information for all EU and Belgian government grant applications in support of grant proposals, in consultation with program managers
• Work in direct liaison with field finance personnel to ensure proper follow-up and reporting on project spending in compliance with external report requirements
• Prepare the timely receipt of payment requests of donors
• Accurately report financial information to the Finance Department and to external donors in support of grant proposals and at other appropriate times
• Mentor and develop Finance Department staff, providing grants and contracts expertise to the organization.
• Invoice donors of US- and Brussels-based grants
• Monitor sub-recipients
• Ensure compliance of grants and contracts and LOC drawdowns
• Complete other duties as assigned by the Chief Financial Officer

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position-holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.

Minimum Qualifications (should include as many of the following as possible)

• Bachelors Degree required, preferably in accounting or business Administration (MBA or CPA is desirable, but not required)
• Minimum of three (3) years of solid grant management experience, with knowledge of US government regulations required.
• Experience with foreign government grants, particularly those of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the EU, is a strong plus.
• Strong spreadsheet and analytical skills (advanced knowledge of Excel is required)
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience working in a non-profit organization, preferably an international organization
• Prior supervisory experience
• Detail-oriented and able to meet deadlines, both prescribed and self-imposed
• Ability to prioritize and manage a high volume of work
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to work well as a member of a team
• Knowledge of French a plus

Salary:Commensurate with experience and education, with excellent benefits

How to apply:

Please submit a cover letter and current resume at: https://sfcg.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=158. Please be sure to include salary requirements (in currency figures) or current salary, projected start date, and to mention where you found this posting. Position is open until filled. No phone calls please. Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. Please see our web site at www.sfcg.org for full details of our work.