The GPOU provides high quality and efficient financial and administrative services to support project and programme delivery. These service include, amongst others, support in financial planning, budget development, contracting (with donors, implementing partners and consultants), procurement, donor reporting and cost centre management. The unit is also responsible for administration workflows and for leading system and process initiatives that lead to greater operational efficiency in the areas of project finance and administration across the Secretariat.

Grant making programmes have grown considerably over recent year as the mechanism has become established as one of IUCN’s primary delivery vehicles. As a result, there is now a need for a tailored service to grant making programmes. The purpose of the position is to lead on the provision of financial and administrative services to grant making programmes and to develop the function in line with anticipated growth and to ensure optimal service delivery.

The Grants Finance Officer is expected to build a business partner relationship with Global Thematic Programmes that undertake grant making programmes and relevant managers in order to gain a thorough understanding of the Global Thematic Programmes grant making portfolios, their challenges and expectations.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY

The Grants Finance Officer will support the Senior Grants Finance Manager in developing and delivering effective and efficient finance and administration services to the Global Thematic Programmes’ grant making portfolios and ensure:

• Consistent application of relevant IUCN financial and administration procedures throughout the Global Thematic Programmes grant making mechanisms in areas such as budgeting, cost recovery, procurement, time recording, contract management, thereby ensuring integrity of financial information and operational processes;
• Fiduciary and Quality assurance of IUCN financial processes across grant making programme ensuring that donor contractual conditions are met.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall supervision and direct management of the Senior Grants Finance Manager, the Grants Finance Officer will have the following specific responsibilities:

Grant-making Financial and Administrative responsibility

• Ensure that regular tasks are performed to meet IUCN’s internal procedures; such as time tracking, consistent cost recovery and overheads charging, financial and contractual data archiving, etc.
• Ensure the maintenance of up-to-date financial and administrative data in appropriate systems (Award Vision, Project Portal, etc.) including grant budgets, internal agreements, implementing partner agreements, etc.
• Review and assess the budgets of grant applicants in collaboration with programme technical staff.
• Review and accept financial reports in collaboration with programme technical staff.
• Ensure that all donor contractual requirements in respect of finance and reporting are respected through sound monitoring and oversight, and liaison with donors, IUCN regions and Global Thematic Programmes.
• Ensure and safeguard timely and efficient financial reporting to donors for grant making programmes. Track and follow up on reporting deadlines/submissions with project managers.
• Manage and support the audits of grant making programmes.
• Supervise and ensure timely and efficient contract clearance processes (implementing partners, consultancy, internal agreements).
• Support procurement processes for grant making programmes, including preparing requests for proposals, analysing submissions and awarding contracts in collaboration with project managers.
• Liaise and coordinate with regional colleagues to ensure a consistent approach to grant finance and administrational procedures across IUCN offices.

Institutional transversal support

• Provide training and support to regional finance and administration staff in the area of grant finance management and budget development, including support on the use of financial systems and procedures.
• Provide training and support on systems, standards and procedures to heads of programmes and project managers.
• Contribute to the development of global procedures and standards to support the effective management of grant making programmes (Grant-making operations manual, standard templates, guidelines, etc.).
• Contribute to the development of financial systems in areas such as contractual procedures, time tracking and reporting management, budget development and reporting.

EC (European Community) expertise

• Provide advice to finance staff and project managers responsible for the implementation of EC contracts.
• Build capacity of staff on EC requirements through coaching, training and the development of guidelines and other material.

Other responsibilities

• As required, the Grants Finance Officer shall assume responsibility for other activities and projects that the Senior Grants Finance Manager and Head of Global Programme Operations unit may assign from time to time.