Senior Manager: Delivery Risk, Grants and Compliance

Global Communities•Silver Spring, MD

11d•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Delivery Risk, Grants, and Compliance plays a critical role in safeguarding the integrity, accountability, and operational resilience of Global Communities’ programs and awards portfolio. Reporting to the Chief Global Programs Officer, the position provides strategic and technical leadership in the development, implementation, and oversight of systems that ensure proactive risk mitigation, effective grants and contracts management, and compliance with donor and legal requirements. The Senior Manager oversees the full lifecycle of grants, contracts, and subawards, ensuring adherence to U.S. Government (USG), other donors, and internal policies. The role provides expert guidance to country, program, and shared services teams on contractual, compliance, and delivery risk matters—ensuring that Global Communities’ resources are used responsibly, efficiently, and in alignment with donor and organizational standards. Working closely with the Program Delivery and Excellence teams, country offices, and departments such as Finance, Legal, and HR, the incumbent leads cross-functional efforts to identify, assess, and respond to risks across operational, fiduciary, programmatic, and safeguarding dimensions. This position combines strategic vision with technical depth to ensure risk and compliance systems are embedded within decision-making and program delivery processes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in international development, Risk Management, Business Administration, or a related field,
A minimum of 10-12 years of progressively responsible experience in project management, risk management, or compliance within the international development sector. A master’s degree in a relevant discipline is preferred.
Demonstrated success supporting field operations in humanitarian, conflict, or international development settings, with a strong understanding of complex operating environments.
Proven experience designing and implementing risk management frameworks, compliance systems, and mitigation strategies across multiple geographies.
Deep knowledge of donor regulations (e.g., DoS, FCDO, EU, UN) and practical experience applying them to project delivery, compliance, and operational oversight.
Strong knowledge of donor regulations, including 2 CFR 200 and other international compliance standards.
Experience managing or advising on programmatic and operational risk, including financial, reputational, and safeguarding dimensions.
Familiarity with international security risk mitigation and demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with security professionals.
Experience conducting investigations, compliance reviews, or risk assessments, and providing actionable recommendations for process improvement.
Experience engaging with cross-functional teams (Finance, Legal, HR, Security, and Program Delivery) to develop integrated risk and compliance solutions.
Experience developing and delivering training, capacity-building, and awareness sessions related to risk and compliance.
Strong understanding of risk management principles, compliance standards, and internal control systems in international development operations.
Excellent analytical and investigative skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information and distill clear, actionable insights.
High proficiency in project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid) and familiarity with governance, audit, and compliance tools.
Exceptional judgment and decision-making abilities, particularly under pressure or in sensitive, high-stakes situations.
Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with proven ability to engage and influence diverse internal and external stakeholders.
Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural competence, with the ability to foster collaboration and trust across teams and regions.
High degree of ethical integrity, discretion, and commitment to confidentiality in handling sensitive matters.
Strong report writing, presentation, and data interpretation skills, with the ability to brief senior leadership effectively.
Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, and experience using risk management and monitoring tools preferred.
Fluency in English (written and spoken) required.

Nice To Haves

A master’s degree in a relevant discipline is preferred.
Prior work in international or multicultural organizations, particularly in humanitarian or development contexts, preferred.
Proficiency in another language (e.g., French, Spanish, or Arabic) preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of Global Communities’ project delivery risk management framework, including risk appetite statements, registers, and escalation pathways.
Drive proactive risk identification, mitigation planning, and monitoring across Global Support Team (GST), country, and project teams to manage operational, fiduciary, reputational, and compliance risks.
Provide strategic advisory support to country leadership and senior management on emerging risks, trends, and mitigation strategies.
Design and facilitate risk management capacity-building initiatives for both global and field-based staff.
Coordinate and lead cross-functional risk review meetings with GST departments, including Finance, Legal, Global Security, IT, and HR.
Ensure alignment between risk mitigation measures and security protocols in partnership with the Global Security team.
Advise Finance, HR, and other functions to align compliance systems with operational realities and program delivery needs.
Establish and maintain standardized risk and compliance processes and minimum standards across country offices and projects.
Oversee and maintain the country registration tracker, ensuring real-time awareness of registration status, renewals, and compliance across all operating geographies.
Oversee compliance with USG, other donors, and Global Communities’ requirements throughout the full lifecycle of grants, contracts, and subawards.
Review, negotiate, and approve agreements, amendments, subawards, and consultants within delegated authority.
Maintain and continuously improve internal grants and contracts management systems, including approval workflows, agreement templates, and compliance tools to ensure consistent, donor-aligned processes across the organization.
Serve as a key compliance resource for program and country teams, interpreting donor regulations and providing guidance on award terms and conditions.
Partner with Program Operations to monitor award performance and contractual compliance, proactively identifying risks and recommending corrective measures.
Support Program Operations to develop grant and contract compliance systems that ensure accurate and timely award implementation, reporting, and closeout with full documentation and audit readiness.
Collaborate with Finance, Legal, and Program teams to align contractual, financial, and operational compliance frameworks.
Support training and mentoring of staff to strengthen institutional knowledge and consistent application of award management practices.
Monitor and interpret donor regulations, national laws, and internal policies, ensuring compliance with DoS, FCDO, EU, UN, and other key funders.
Collaborate with shared services teams to guide country offices in understanding and applying compliance requirements related to award terms, procurement, and fraud reporting.
Deliver compliance training and orientation during project start-up and closeout phases to promote consistent understanding and application of requirements.
Conduct targeted compliance reviews, providing actionable recommendations and follow-up support.
Serve as the primary liaison with Finance, Internal Audit, Legal, and Global Security on compliance matters, including audits, investigations, and corrective action plans.
Proactively identify and resolve complex compliance issues in challenging operating environments, recommending policy adjustments or risk-informed adaptations where necessary.
Provide expert input on investigation protocols related to program delivery and operational compliance.
Lead and coordinate investigations involving program operations, ensuring timely processing, adherence to legal and donor requirements, and alignment with internal standards.
Analyze investigation outcomes to identify systemic trends and recommend preventive and corrective measures to strengthen overall risk frameworks.
Develop and present risk and compliance reports and metrics to Senior Leadership, Internal Audit, and other governance bodies.
Create and disseminate guidance materials, training modules, and communications that promote a culture of compliance, accountability, and transparency.
Integrate risk analysis and mitigation planning into project design, budgeting, and delivery processes.
Collaborate closely with, Finance, and other departments to ensure policies are operationally feasible and informed by field realities.
Promote continuous learning and adaptation through feedback loops between field operations and corporate risk management functions.
Travel domestically and internationally up to 10%, including challenging or high-risk environments.
Provide surge leadership during new country start-ups, closeouts, or crisis response efforts.
Partner with Humanitarian Response and Global Security teams to address emergent risks, operational disruptions, or crisis response needs.