Research Grant Job in Kenya

Research
Grants Manager

 

Department

Grants Support Office/Office of the Provost

Entity

Aga Khan University

Location

Nairobi, Kenya

Introduction

The Aga Khan University
is a pioneering institution of higher education whose mission is to improve the
quality of life in the developing world and beyond, through world-class
teaching, research and healthcare delivery.

AKU educates students for local and
global leadership from campuses and teaching hospitals in six countries,
primarily in Asia and Africa. It generates new knowledge to solve problems that
affect millions of people, especially the most vulnerable. The University is a
private, not-for-profit institution and part of the Aga Khan Development
Network. www.aku.edu

The AKU Medical College
has 4-year Master of Medicine degrees in Anaesthesia, family medicine,
medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, pediatrics, pathology, radiology, and
surgery. It also offers fellowship programs in cardiology, infectious diseases,
neonatology, and pediatric neurology.

Job Summary

The position will
coordinate all aspects of the grants management in East Africa including

• Research
  proposal applications,


•  Coordinating
  support documentation to facilitate grant applications,


•  post-award
  project implementation monitoring and reporting to ensure projects are
  designed and implemented to the highest standards and in line with donor
  requirements and AKU policies and core values, and the Support Closeout
  process.


• The
  position will also support capacity-building efforts for AKU staff and
  partners on matters of grants and awards management.

The position requires
demonstration of the ability to write winning grant applications, the ability
to coordinate activities that require input from other AKU Central Support
Units, strong writing skills, grant monitoring experience preferably in a
research environment, experience working with institutional and private donors
including NIH, USAID, CDC, UKAID, EU, NIHR, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,
DFID, GAC, Ford Foundation, and Welcome Trust.

Responsibilities:

Proposal Development

• Review
  competitive call for proposals to ensure AKU’s requirements are considered
  in the development of research proposals by proponents;


• Analyze
  the structure of proposed budgets and recommend adjustments to ensure that
  final budgets adhere to proper grant and financial management practices;
  and


• Provide
  innovative interpretations of AKU’s policies and procedures to resolve
  challenging situations due to the scope, institutional risk assessment,
  and methodological approach of the projects. Liaise with another unit of
  AKU (Finance, Legal, HR, Procurement, Risk) if needed, to resolve any outstanding
  issues.

Grant Monitoring and Evaluation Responsibilities

• Support
  project set-up including coordinating initial planning meetings to discuss
  the awards review and develop a project implementation plan;


• Improve
  the way AKU captures, accesses, and uses grantmaking information to
  enhance programmatic and operational decision-making, and to produce
  accurate reports of grantmaking results;


• Develop
  monitoring and evaluation guidelines/criteria/ tools for monitoring and
  quality control functions during grants implementation;


• Monitor
  grants for legal, financial, and program compliance including but not
  limited to ensuring that grant requirements are correctly documented in
  the grant files and database;


• Work
  with finance to generate reporting required for compliance and financial
  statement audits;


• Hold
  monthly meetings with implementing units to discuss project progress;


• Track
  project deliverables both financial and programmatic and ensure AKU meets
  its obligations to donors in a timely manner;



• Support
  coordination and maintaining of appropriate contacts, information sharing
  and relationships with colleagues and partners as requested through
  correspondence or attendance of meetings;


• Support
  regional coordination in the planning, liaison, organizing and conducting
  relevant regional events (workshops, training, meetings, missions etc.);
  and


• Provide staff and partners with the required
  technical support, guidance and training to improve grant management
  capacity in understanding of donor compliance and grants administration.

Close Out

• Manage
  project close-out process of all research grants projects ensuring
  closeout plans are developed and implemented for successful closure of
  research projects.

 Requirements

Relevant Experience and Qualifications

• Must
  have a Master’s degree in nonprofit management or related field;


• Have
  not less than 5 years of relevant work experience, with practical
  knowledge or background in nonprofits or grantmaking and/or management
  systems in a research environment;


• Have
  5 years plus relevant experience working with institutional and private
  donors including NIH, USAID, CDC, UKAID, EU, NIHR, Bill and Melinda Gates
  Foundation, DFID, GAC, Ford Foundation, and Wellcome Trust, etc.


• Have
  demonstrable ability to manage projects from inception to completion and
  have an innate ability to prioritize and synthesize information in an
  analytical and systematic manner. A comfort with ambiguity and competing
  priorities is vital.


• Have
  a proven track record of project management experience, particularly with
  large multi-year research projects, and be familiar with private
  foundation approaches, requirements, and processes;


• Have
  demonstrable ability to multitask and to work both independently and
  collaboratively for timely delivery on deadlines; and


• Have
  practical knowledge and experience of grant management software.

Knowledge and Competencies (skills, abilities & traits required)

• Ability
  to monitor projects, tracking deliverables against expenditures and
  advising Principal Investigators to make informed decisions


• Ability
  to understand complex concepts in a call and convert them into winning
  proposals


• Project
  management experience, particularly with large scale projects


• Experience
  managing large, multi-year research projects


• Familiarity
  with private foundation approaches, requirements and processes


• Ability
  to multitask and work independently and collaboratively to meet weekly,
  monthly, quarterly deadlines


• Proficiency
  in Microsoft Office Suite, especially with Excel


• Experience
  with a grant management software


• Problem-solving,
  decision-making skills


• Ability
  to coach, mentor, and provide guidance to faculty staff.


• Analytical
  (pay attention to details but at the same time have the bigger picture in
  mind)


• Excellent
  oral and written communication skills


• Knowledge
  of multi-donor agencies


• Ability
  to plan and organize a substantial workload that includes complex diverse
  tasks and responsibilities


• Ability
  to work without close supervision


• Self-confidence

How To Apply

Applicants who are
interested CLICK HERE TO APPLY for this position.