Grants Manager to serve on the Programme Management Unit for an anticipated five year DFID funded East and Southern Africa Staple Foods Market Programme

Agribusiness Systems International (ASI) is a specialized international development agency based in Washington, D.C., that works to create increasingly competitive and socially inclusive industries throughout the world. As an affiliate of ACDI/VOCA, ASI draws from 49 years of experience expanding economic opportunities in 145 developing and transitional nations. ASI combines expertise and technical capacity to work with partners across both public and private sectors to promote and reinforce our development mission of empowering people to succeed in a market-driven global economy.

Grants Manager, Dar es Salaam

ASI is seeking a Grants Manager to serve on the Programme Management Unit for an anticipated five year DFID funded East and Southern Africa Staple Foods Market Programme. The overall goal of this programme is to improve functioning of national and regional staple food market systems, increase regional trade in food, and contribute to benefiting over 375,000 male and female farmers. Beneficiaries will be primarily poor farmers in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi. The programme is expected to start in February 2013 and the Fund Manager will be based in Dar es Salaam. The Grants Manager will be responsible for managing day-to-day operations of Challenge and Development Funds. Specific responsibilities include: • Establish the programme grant management system at the start of the project based on ASI’s grants management protocols and in line with DFID guidelines Set-up and manage each competitive tender round including marketing, application processing, due diligence, selection, applicant support etc. • Launch the Early Bird Window of the Challenge Fund • Manage competitive fund processes, including facilitation of evaluation of concept notes and applications by independent assessment panel • Prepare and negotiate contracts for fund recipients • Monitor implementation of challenge and development funded activities • Ensure that communications strategy is adhered to and that marketing for each round of proposals is carried; • Ensure that M&E activities are carried out as and provide technical support where needed • Overall administrative, operational and financial oversight of fund recipient outputs • Support in the development of a risk-matrix at the beginning of the programme to identify and manage risks ; • Provide inputs for donor and ASI reporting requirements This position is contingent upon ASI being awarded a contract.

Qualifications: • Degree in contract management, financial management or accounting; • Relevant experience (preferably a minimum of 5 years) in contract management; • Experience in the management and monitoring of Challenge and Development Funds; • Familiarity with DFID financial and fund management policies and procedures • Experience working on multi-country programmes; • Ability to work with flexibility, efficiency, enthusiasm, and diplomacy; • Relevant experience in East and Southern Africa region over the past five years; • Strong oral and written communication and presentation skills in English.

How to apply:

Please apply online at http://acdivoca.maxhire.net/cp/?E55568361D43515B7E59192F7756196F07627B4DNo phone calls please. Only finalists contacted. Women and minorities encouraged to apply. EOE