2303 - Grants Officer, Africa

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a 501(c)3 grantmaking foundation that receives an annual Congressional appropriation in excess of $310 million and is governed by a private, bipartisan Board of Directors. This unusual arrangement positions NED to play a unique role as America’s leading foundation for freedom, empowering the institution to be nimble, innovative, and risk-taking in support of democratic activists, civil society organizations, independent media, and the NED family core institutes (the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, the Center for International Private Enterprise, and the Solidarity Center).

We seek a motivated, energetic, organized, and resourceful Grants Officer, Africa who is a mission-oriented team player, and who would be excited to join a fast-paced Grants Africa team. This position is based in Washington, D.C.

Position Summary: 

The Grants Officer works under the supervision of the Senior Manager Africa, on the Africa/MENA Principal’s team in the Grants Administration Department. The positions provide hands-on (cradle-to-grave) management of an assigned grant portfolio, working closely with colleagues to provide effective and collaborative due diligence and oversight of grant programs.

The mission of the Grants Administration department is to provide effective and efficient grants management, guiding grantees through the grant lifecycle to support their successful implementation of projects, in support of NED’s mission.  The department strives to promote consistent implementation of policy and procedure, flexibility, responsiveness, innovation, and collaboration in the administration of NED’s grantmaking program.

Responsibilities:

• Participate in proposal review and risk assessment processes, providing input into the assessment of the eligibility and grants administration capacity of prospective grantees.
• Analyze proposal budgets for allowability, allocability, and reasonableness.
• Draft new grant agreements and amendments.
• Ensure the smooth management of grants portfolio, including timely payments, quick response to grantee inquiries, and efficient problem-solving.
• Maintain an up-to-date grant portfolio, sending all reminders, follow-ups, and closeouts.
• Approve grantee financial reports, payment requests, and conduct resolution of invoice review findings.
• Facilitate grantees’ understanding of grant, reporting, and audit requirements.
• Ensure that grants awarded are in compliance with US Government or other donor regulations and/or other special requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• The level of responsibility and independence in assigned tasks will increase with experience.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs, relevant area studies, nonprofit administration, or related field is required.
• 2+ years of experience.
• 2 - 4 years of grants and/or contract administration experience in a nonprofit organization or foundation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Word and Excel; knowledge of another relational database helpful.
• Fluency in French required.
• Familiarity with Federal grant regulations and international activities/issues relevant to NED’s operational environment.
• Familiarity with or an interest in the Africa region.
• Ability to travel internationally on an occasional basis.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Attention to detail and ability to multi-task, set priorities, and organize time efficiently.
• Strong ability to be a team player and self-starter, comfortable in a supporting role, working independently, and in a multicultural environment.
• Ability to work with discretion.
• Authorized to work in the United States.

This position is part of the NED Bargaining Unit.

To Apply:

Applications must include a cover letter, resume, desired salary, and contact information for three professional references, of which one should be a supervisor.  Please, no phone call inquiries. 

The NED is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics covered by applicable law. The NED is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for all qualified individuals and bases all employment decisions on qualifications, merit, and business need. The NED believes that diversity and inclusion amongst our team members are critical to our success as an organization operating globally and seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

For more information, please visit our website at www.ned.org or careers@ned.org.