ABOUT FREEDOM HOUSE

Established more than 80 years ago on the core conviction that freedom flourishes in democratic nations where governments are accountable to their people, Freedom House is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to defend and expand freedom globally to help secure a world where all are free. Around the world, repressive regimes are preventing billions of people from exercising their fundamental rights. We identify and analyze threats to freedom, mobilize decision makers to respond to those threats and seize opportunities for progress, and support activists and organizations working to defend and expand freedom. We are dedicated to ensuring that the United States serves as a positive model of democratic practice at home and a consistent champion of freedom globally. By gathering authoritative data and leveraging our global networks, Freedom House is an unwavering beacon in protecting human rights and promoting democratic governance.

POSITION SUMMARY

The USAID-funded Protecting Human Rights in Ethiopia (PHR-Ethiopia) is a five-year program to be implemented with the overall goal of increasing respect for human rights in Ethiopia. The program has four specific objectives: i) expand efforts to monitor securely and independently, document, and report on human rights violations; ii) advance accountability for human rights violations; iii) increase the number and capacity of new human rights actors and advocates throughout Ethiopia and iv) address conflict-related gender and sexual violence. To realize these objectives, the program will engage key state and non-state actors and strengthen the institutional and operational capacity of local CSOs and justice and law enforcement bodies including judges, prosecutors, and police.

Freedom House is seeking a Grants Officer to manage the development and implementation of sub-grants under the PHR-Ethiopia program. The Grants Officer will be responsible for ensuring that sub-grant programs are implemented as planned, program deliverables are of good quality, and all sub-grant-related compliance procedures are adhered to. The position holder is also responsible for providing regular coaching and mentoring to partner and beneficiary CSOs to ensure smooth implementation and quality results are achieved. The position is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and reports to the Chief of Party. 

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist in the process of identifying potential civil society partners, reviewing applications for sub-grants, and assessing and ranking of sub-grant applications.

• Complete excluded party verifications, negotiation memos, pre-award surveys, and other grant development supporting documentation. 

• Assist the Finance and Administrative Director in completing the due diligence documentation for approved subgrant applications.

• Prepare draft sub-grant agreements and other grant documentation consistent and compliant with USAID and Freedom House requirements, procedures, and best practices and submit to the Chief of Party for review and further processing.

• Review and analyze budget estimates submitted by grantees for allocability, reasonableness, and consistency.

• Liaise with grantees on a regular basis to ensure full understanding of their responsibilities.

• Conduct site visits to ensure that all deliverables are met by subgrantees and beneficiaries.

• Follow up with sub-grant implementation and maintain regular communications with partners to ensure compliance with programmatic objectives, financial obligations, and reporting requirements according to grant agreements.

• Compile monthly progress reports, including the implementation status of each sub-grant program, implementation challenges reported by partners, actions taken to overcome these challenges, coaching and mentoring provided, and any learning or success achieved.

• Review and verify sub-grant deliverables and reports submitted by partners and ensure compliance with Freedom House and USAID sub-grant requirements.

• Develop, maintain, and regularly update the sub-grant tracking sheet, and provide analysis to inform program management.

• Work with activity partners to manage implementation of processes and highlight concerns and issues immediately to the Chief of Party.

• Work with activity partners to draft timelines, budgets, and templates for activities for final review by the Chief of Party.

• Ensure all anticipated deliverables and objectives are completed before activity closes out.

• Other duties as assigned by the Chief of Party. 

Work Location Type: On-site

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:     

• Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, political science, law, or social science related field.

Experience:    

• Minimum 4 – 6 years of experience with grants management and implementation.

• Prior experience working with NGO in program development and implementation.

• Prior experience working with the compliance aspects of sub-grant programs, preferably USG-funded projects.

• Experience mentoring local organizations to build their program development and implementation capacity strongly preferred. 

Technical Skills and Abilities:

• Strong ability to communicate effectively in English and Amharic, both verbally and in writing.

• Mastery of MS Office Suite, specifically Excel and Word.

• Knowledge of USG compliance and reporting requirements.

• Ability to effectively write reports, maintain documentation, and complete required forms. 

• Ability to maintain the highest degree of confidentiality regarding all aspects of work at all times.

Personal Attributes and Characteristics: 

• Exhibit strong and sustained commitment to the mission of Freedom House.

• Show good stewardship in the use of Freedom House resources. 

• Respond promptly to stakeholder needs and solicit stakeholder feedback to improve service quality.

• Exhibit excellent phone etiquette, pleasant demeanor, and ethical conduct. 

• Consistently use good judgment when dealing with all contacts and constituents.

• Exhibit high work standards, adherence to procedures, and responsibility for assigned tasks.

• Assess own strengths and weaknesses, pursue training and development opportunities, and strive to continuously build knowledge and skills.

• Work as an effective team member, successfully balancing individual and team responsibilities.

• Comply with all policies and procedures.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION  

• Diversity makes our work stronger. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all background to apply. Diverse backgrounds relevant to the countries in which we have programming are a welcome asset.

• Applicants are required to complete our online application form and to submit a resume and a cover letter that outlines interests and qualifications for this position. 

• Travel to some countries, for business or in some cases personal reasons, while a Freedom House employee, may not be advisable or even possible due to high security risks.  

• Candidates must possess authorization to work in Ethiopia independent from Freedom House sponsorship.   

Working Conditions: 

• Generally conducive working office environment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Disability-friendly accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their essential functions.

• Some evening and weekend hours to complete tasks or attend events.

• Travel within Ethiopia outside of Addis Ababa.

• Exposed to outside weather conditions when required to complete assigned tasks outside the office.

• May involve work in regions that are remote and lack basic modern infrastructure, and in regions under U.S. travel advisory due to threats of armed attacks, civil unrest, kidnappings, disease outbreaks, etc. 

Work Environment and Physical Demands:  

• Essential functions are typically performed in an office setting or remote work. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

How to Apply

Interested and qualified applicants can apply through THIS LINK

Freedom House is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, or protected veteran status, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.