Grants Compliance and Reporting Manager - (National Role)

The Grants and Reporting Coordinator will support the Programs department as the point person for communicating Mercy Corps’ humanitarian activities through donor reports. This includes the collation of information from each operational department into concise and clear narratives, supported by statistical evidence and case studies. The Grants and Reporting Coordinator must develop and possess an understanding of compliance and reporting format requirements for each donor and communicate those to program teams as needed. S/he will also serve as the focal point to ensure compliance with Mercy Corps internal systems of PM@MC and must possess a basic understanding of internal standards in monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) and accountability. S/he is an integral part of the Ukraine Response team and is expected to have a strong operational understanding of all activities and strategy. S/he will also be the point person for drafting new proposals and developing the initial narrative and budget requirements, in close collaboration with Programs, MEL, and Finance. As such, the Grants and Reporting Manager is expected to liaise across all departments. Finally, s/he is the primary contact for internal communications within Mercy Corps on key program activities, success stories and other useful updates for the broader Mercy Corps audience.

The Grants and Reporting Manager will work under the direct supervision of the Director of Programs, and work with finance, PaQ, Program Managers, security and all other field and HQ departments in coordinating all grants/reporting-related tasks.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Reporting & Grants Management

• Coordinate the preparation of timely program and donor reports on project activities in compliance with internal requirements and any relevant external donor requirements.
• Lead on the production of internal reports, including sitreps, ensuring timely inputs from program, finance and operations teams, and ensure review and signoff processes are thorough and adhered to.
• Ensure that the filing structure meets minimum PM@MC standards and program folders are populated and archived accordingly.
• Support coordination and document all Program Kick-off and Close-out meetings, track action points for follow-up and record/document all lessons learned.
• In close collaboration with the DoP, provide draft answers to donor questions and requests, while ensuring compliance with donor regulations.
• Maintain and update project management tools, including funding trackers, grant trackers and dashboards.
• Work closely with the MEL team to collect information on program monitoring, progress and quality to support ongoing reporting, proposals and other operational management tools.

Proposal Development

• Lead on the development of concept notes and funding proposals (including log frames and budgets), coordinating the development process with all departments of the team and under the guidance of the DoP. The portfolio includes a variety of donors, including major institutional donors, corporate organizations, trusts, and private donors among others.
• Ensure proposals and concept notes are developed in a timely manner and with realistic deadlines, and that these are communicated and understood by stakeholders both internal to the office as well as the region and HQ.
• Ensure proposals are developed in coordination and consultation with program technical advisers, finance and operations teams (including logistics, infrastructure) and that necessary support is adequately budgeted.
• In collaboration with DoP organize/coordinate proposal kick-off meetings, maintain proposal development calendar and ensure timely contributions from teams.
• Coordinate both internally and externally, to ensure that prior to submission all proposals are reviewed and approved by the relevant parties as appropriate.
• Ensure that concept notes and funding proposals align closely with response strategies, sector program plans, and master budgets and M&E frameworks.
• Support the DoP to track funding opportunities, including calls for funding progress of proposals, submission deadlines, financing available.  Ensure all appropriate donor and Mercy Corps proposal formats are available in country.
• Support the MEL team with the planning and implementation of program review exercises incorporating learning into new proposals.
• Support the Partnership Team and Program Managers with the development and review of partner proposals and reports as necessary.

Finance & Compliance Management

• Act as the focal point for full compliance with PM@MC minimum standards for program management.
• In coordination with Finance, support BVAs and with the Desk, lead donor reporting meetings presenting up to date information.
• Support the finance team with initial budget development and ensure consistency with program planning.

Other tasks

• Produce other information and communications products, in collaboration with the Communications and Crisis Analytics teams, for both internal and external audiences as required.
• As delegated, act as focal point for all queries and information requests from Mercy Corps and donors.
• Represent Mercy Corps to donors and other key stakeholders.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Contribute to creating a secure environment for team members.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Director of Programs

Works Directly With: Surrounding countries Team leader, PMs, EPM Cash Poland, EPM Partnerships Poland, EPM Cash Ukraine, EPM Partnership Ukraine, EPM partnership Moldova, MEL manager.

Knowledge and Experience

• 3 to 5 years of experience in grants management experience, with proven track record.
• Strong knowledge of compliance and grants policies of institutional donors (FCDO, ECHO ect). Experience working with private donors desired.
• BA/BS or equivalent
• Excellent oral and written English skills required;
• Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Mercy Corps Core Humanitarian Competencies (as defined in the Humanitarian Capacity Framework) preferred.

Technical competencies

• Understands core humanitarian and program management Standards and ensures they are met
• Can support rapid needs assessments, in line with Mercy Corps’ approach and industry’s best practice
• Can develop SOPs in line with Mercy Corps’ Minimum Standards

Functional competencies

• Possess project management skills and applies PM@MC minimum standards for all phases of the project cycle
• Can monitor program budgets, project cash flow and expenditures
• Understands donor regulations and compliance.
• Can effectively apply relevant Mercy Corps’ procedures and approaches
• Supports team members through capacity building
• Can ensure team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies

Leadership competencies

• Recognizes opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed
• Broadens influence by role modeling and leveraging networks

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The The Grants and Reporting Manager position is based in Warsaw Poland,  with travel to Ukraine. Given the emergency context, this position requires exceptional work schedules, including evenings and weekends.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.