Sub-Award & Compliance Assistant at Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action; helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within, now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

The Mercy Corps Subaward Unit is responsible for managing the programmatic, financial and operational aspects of sub-awards issued under all programs across Mercy Corps Nigeria. Working with an increasingly wide and diverse set of local and international partners at all levels of public, private and civil society, there is a need to strengthen programmatic and financial support to partners to enable more robust growth and development of sub-grantees. Compliance with the donor regulations and Mercy Corps internal policies and procedures is a critical part of the capacity-building process and essential to enable sub-grantees to develop strong systems that will help in the delivery of programmatic interventions.

General Position Summary

Working directly under the direction of the Senior Subaward & Compliance Officer, the Sub-awards & Compliance Assistant will dedicate full time to supporting the Rural Resilience Activity – Enterprise Innovation Fund in adhering to the compliance procedures relating to finance, sub-awards, etc. The Sub-awards & Compliance Assistant in close coordination with the Program Lead, will be responsible for archiving, monitoring sub-grants and ensuring adequate internal controls are in place to mitigate risks in compliance with laws, regulations, donor requirements and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Sub Grants:

•  Ensure compliance with Mercy Corps and donors regulations related to sub-granting, including issuance, management and monitoring of sub-awards.
•  Set up physical grant files and ensure all grant documents are properly filed, both financial and program reports.
•  Prepare sub-award JE and enter same on navigator for subgrantee liquidations.
•  Review subgrantee financial reports for correctness and completeness and ensure that reports are submitted on time
•  Coordinate with the Mercy Corps programs team on the technical assessment component of the potential sub-grant and include in the pre-award survey.
•  Carry out pre-award assessment of potential subrecipients
•  In close coordination with Program Managers and Senior Subaward & compliance officer, develop capacity-building plans based on identified areas of improvement and help partners achieve that plan.
•  Support in preparing for sub-grants kickoff meetings and sub-grants closeout meetings with close coordination with Senior Sub-awards and Compliance Officer.
•  Ensure sub-grant files are complete and up to date as per the MC sub-grant file checklist and MC Programme Management minimum standards.
•  Update Reporting Tracker and follow up with partners for submission and timely report.
•  Proactively lead logistic support to the sub-award and program team.
•  Ensure subgrant files are complete and up to date as per MC subgrant files sub grant files checklist and MC Program Management Minimum Standard.

Strategy & Vision

•  Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
•  Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
•  Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support.
•  Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.

Team Management

•  Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
•  Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
•  Provide team members and sub-awardees with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.

Influence & Representation

•  Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
•  Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

SECURITY

•  Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

•  As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES

•  Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility

NA

Accountability Reports Directly to: Senior Sub-Awards & Compliance Officer based in Abuja. Works Directly with: Program and operational teams, finance and sub-award teams in Abuja and across RRA intervention States.

Knowledge and Experience

•  Experience with USAID awards reporting is preferred.
•  A university degree in finance, accounting or equivalent is required.
•  Two years of experience in the Subaward & compliance Department of an international NGO is preferred.
•  Demonstrated competency with computerized general ledger software.
•  Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel.
•  Experience in archiving and documentation is an advantage.
•  Excellent oral and written English skills.

SUCCESS FACTORS

The successful candidate will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with capacity building. S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.

In particular, the successful candidate will be willing to travel to locations within Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe States and the LGAs outside the state capitals according to the needs of the Mercy Corps program. This will mean sometimes staying and working in stressful environments with very basic living conditions, strictly following security protocols at all times and sometimes working long and irregular hours).

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours.

Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

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 a 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, colour, 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 the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary-General and IASC. 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 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.

Note

•  Female candidates who are qualified are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application Closing Date: Monday 15th August 2022

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