CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in more than 90 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality, and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis.  These solutions have a broad range, from clean water to access to education; from microfinance to ensuring that everyone has nutritious food; from agriculture and climate change to disaster response. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because they have proven to be the best hope for creating lasting change in the world.  Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for over 70 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe.  Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us.

I JOB SUMMARY

 The purpose of the Senior awards specialist position is to  support the awards manager in the management of awards in compliance with CARE’s programming principles and policies and all  Donor, and government  laws, rules and regulations. The position is required to provide CARE Ethiopia with a specialized expertise on awards and contracts management so that awards and sub awards are effectively managed through the life cycle of projects (pre award, post award, close out). The Senior specialist is also responsible for contributing to customer satisfaction (internal and external) and participating in process improvement based on feedback. 

II RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS: 

Job Responsibility #1:  Award Negotiation and Start up (10%)

• Closely work with the senior cost / proposal budget specialist during the proposal budget development process

• Prepare the award agreement and agreement review and approval checklist for new awards for the review by the awards manager.  

• Prepares award agreements; completes the signing of new awards or sub awards.

• Prepares new award setup & budget upload requests with the required documentation for review by Awards Manager; follows up with SSC for the timely completion of such requests.

• Provides donor codes, project Ids, budget/activity codes and other project tracking codes to key relevant actors (budget holders, finance specialists, admin assistants, procurement, Field Office finance). Provides ongoing support on same to budget holders.

• Identifies areas of concern for program and subsequent negotiation with Donors, partners and sub recipients as required. Communicate same with awards manager.

• Prepares and provides new awards quick references and/or reference guides to all involved in project fund management.

• Completes and gets approved budget checklists as per Award policy of CARE.

• Prepares the pre-IPIA or IPIA documents in close collaboration with program teams engaged in new proposal processes for review by the awards manager.

• Participates in the preparation of cost share or match proposals in support of the awards and sub awards manager.  

Job Responsibility #2:  Implementation, Monitoring and Reporting (65%)

• Participates in project start up meetings and orientations.

• Leads the preparation and submission of fund/cash transfer requests for assigned fund codes and follows up the same for timely collection of Donors’ advances and reimbursements.

• Reviews, analyzes and reconciles monthly grants receivable payable (GRP) position fund code assigned.

• Prepares financial and other related Donor reports (cash transfer requests, cash flow forecasts, BvAs, reconciliation reports, portfolio reporting, management reporting, dashboards, FC/PID status reports, etc.).

• Manages the communication related to reports and other award issues with awards manager and SSC.

• Monitors on going level of expenditure against individual contracts/fund codes and provides timely advice on expenditure.

• Prepares project pipelines, commitment control and financial reports and BvAs for presentation in regular project review meetings. S/he also follows up meeting action items.

• Prepares the monthly SPC allocation table against current awards.

• Participates in budget follow up meetings and supports coordination in relation to project audits.

• Prepares monthly management financial report for awards under your supervision.

• Contributes to the preparation of key communication with Donors/CMPs in relation to implementation issues.

• Provides required documentation and support for project audit undertakings; follows up audit action items for timely close out of questioned costs and/or disallowed costs.

• Provides required awards data for preparation of the CO annual operating plans, board approved budget, multiyear master budget, and periodic revision of the same.

• Follow up the awards management system is accurately maintained and up to date for all awards and sub-awards assigned for under your responsibility.

Job Responsibility #3: Donor Compliance (10%)   

• Provides guidance on Donor policies, regulations and procedures to program staffs/budget holders, procurement staff, finance staff, Field Office finance, admin assistants and implementing partners.

• Closely reviews purchase requisitions and ensures that encumbrances and commitments are as per Donor rules and regulations.

• Collaborate with Finance on the timely tracking, reconciliation, reporting and refund of VAT for different donors

• Closely work with Admin Assistants and budget holders to ensure accuracy of PR charging codes. Provide feedbacks for accuracy on project charging.

Job Responsibility # 4: Awards Close- Out (10%)

• Actively represents the award unit in closeout meetings;

• Prepares closeout checklists update for the part the unit is responsible for review and submission by awards manager and budget holder.

• Reviews GRP Validation reports for final closeout of assigned projects.

• Prepares letters and correspondence related to close out procedures and processes for review and submission by awards manager.

• Share the final financial reports to SSC for GRP validation and effective close out on the People soft system,

Job Responsibility #5: Other (5%)   

• Participates in the filing of all documents relevant to the award or sub award management cycle: NBD; award negotiation and start up documents; monitoring documentation and close out (includes both hard and soft copy).

• Assists in process improvements based on feedback from audit and compliance visit by donor .

• Performs other related duties as required and assigned.

III GENDER EQUALITY

•  Understanding and demonstrated commitment to the importance of gender, youth, and social inclusion issues.

• Demonstrated commitment to principles of Gender Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and PSEAH (safeguarding), as evidenced in previous positions / programming

Job Requirements

IV. Qualifications

Required:

• BA degree in accounting or equivalent combination of work experience.

• 4 years of relevant experience with the first degree or 3 years of relevant experience plus post graduate degree in a similar position.

Desired:

• Previous development and NGO experience.

• Experience with USG, ADA and other Donor contract monitoring and reporting.

• Good communication and presentatin skills.

• Well organized and  proven ability to act ina  professional and ethical manner.

• Good skills in computer applications.

• Firm belief in teamwork and gender equity.

• Experience with financial software, preferably ERP Experience. 

How to Apply

If you are interested to be part of our dynamic team, exciting work environment and contribute to CARE Ethiopia’s mission and vision, please send your CV (not more than 3 pages) and cover letter (not more than one page) through THIS LINK

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Passionate and dedicated candidates who meet the requirement are strongly encouraged to apply, especially women!

CARE seeks to improve the lives of the most marginalized, particularly women and girls. Our diversity is our strength. We encourage people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply.

CARE Ethiopia is committed to preventing all unwanted behavior at work. This includes sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, and child abuse. We expect everyone who works for us to share this commitment by understanding and working within the CARE Safeguarding Policy and related framework. CARE Ethiopia has a zero-tolerance approach to any harm to, or exploitation of, a vulnerable adult or child by any of our staff, representatives, or partners.

CARE Ethiopia reserves the right to seek information from job applicants’ current and/or previous employers about incidents of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment the applicant may have been found guilty to have committed or about which an investigation was in the process of being carried out at the time of the termination of the applicant’s employment with that employer.

By submitting the application, the job applicant confirms that s/he has no objection to CARE Ethiopia requesting the information specified above. All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.