Award Management Team Programme Officer (Fixed term until end June 2026) - US or UK base

Mercy Corps•Avondale, AZ

49d

About The Position

The Awards Management Team (AMT) works in lockstep with Mercy Corps' country teams to ensure they have the resources, tools, and information they need to succeed in the implementation of high-quality programs across three areas by: 1. Stewarding award management from kick-off to close out, supporting adherence to donor requirements, aligning donor contractual deliverables with internal program quality and compliance standards to deliver program impact, resolving compliance issues, and promoting knowledge management; 2. Contributing to strategic new business development by identifying new funding opportunities, supporting high-quality program design, and leading submission efforts aligned with donor requirements; and 3. Serving as liaison between Mercy Corps' program teams and their most critical relationships with internal and external stakeholders The Award Management Officer (AMO) supports strategic, impactful, high-quality programming within the Awards Management Team structure for Africa. They are responsible for an award portfolio within the region, working closely with country teams to oversee current awards and support new business opportunities.

Requirements

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information clearly and concisely for various audiences.
A detail-oriented, multi-tasker who is able to communicate clearly and work under pressure.
A problem solver, adept in successfully dealing with issues of complexity.
Proven ability to build and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with diverse internal teams and external stakeholders across different cultures and time zones.
Able to harness the expertise, experience and ideas of colleagues and effectively use this to improve their own work and support that of others.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, track deadlines, and ensure timely completion of tasks for self and direct reports.
A robust sense of humor is greatly appreciated.
A demonstrable passion for, and a clear empathy with, the organization's aims and values.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a relevant field. Master's degree preferred.
3+ years of professional experience in international relief and development, including managing the development, implementation, administration, and compliance of grants (especially government-funded awards). Field-based experience is highly desirable, ideally in the Africa.
Experience with proposal development (support and writing) with various donors (e.g., US Government, European institutions, private foundations, corporations).
Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Fluency in English required.

Nice To Haves

Experience with monitoring and evaluation and other learning efforts is preferred.
Experience representing an organization to external stakeholders is preferred.
Fluency in a regionally relevant language is a plus.

Responsibilities

Oversee assigned portfolio of awards to ensure compliance with donor requirements, monitor overall award health, and provide guidance and oversight on award requirements (i.e., narrative reporting, prior approvals)
Support country teams' adherence to donor rules and regulations, serving as main point of contact for institutional donor compliance and communication
Provide guidance to country teams on narrative reporting; review and submit reports and other award deliverables, ensuring quality and adherence to donor requirements and internal standards.
Lead award agreement and amendment review and negotiation processes
Prepare and communicate award kick-off and closeout tools, including new award initiation summary
Provide training and capacity building to country teams on award management, compliance and institutional donor requirements on an as-needed basis
Review draft proposals for completeness, compliance, alignment with donor requirements, and overall quality; manage proposal and concept submissions.
Support or lead coordination for assigned proposals or concept notes, monitoring timelines, tracking status, and communicating with relevant parties.
May contribute to proposal writing (narrative, annexes), potentially traveling to country offices if needed.
Coordinate with other Global and Regional departments (e.g., Finance, Compliance, Technical Support) during proposal development.
Provide administrative support for proposal development as needed, such as drafting standard annexes (e.g., Past Performance Reports, capacity statements), copy-editing, formatting, obtaining signatures, and final compilation/submission.
Serve as HQ focal point for donor communications on award management matters, communicating regarding updates, amendments, or key programmatic changes
With guidance from the AMT Manager, represent regional/country interests and programs with external stakeholders.
Participate in representational visits, events and meetings as requested
Maintain internal knowledge management systems for assigned awards (e.g., GAIT, Digital Library)
Responsible for record retention of key award documents in accordance with record retention policy
Support internal communications, ensuring information flow between country teams, HQ, and other stakeholders.
Facilitate learning across portfolios and share lessons learned and knowledge of agency resources/tools/best practices.
Provide dedicated support during emergencies or complex program start-ups as assigned.
Support regional team on special projects, as assigned.