Grants Officer San Miguel/ San Salvador

Overview:
**BACKGROUND**

Creative Associates International Inc. is a dynamic and fast-growing professional services firm that specializes in international development in the areas of education, democratic transitions and stabilization in post-conflict environments. Based in Washington, DC, the firm has a field presence in 30 countries worldwide with a strong and diverse portfolio that includes global contracts with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other clients including the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Defense. The firm has earned a solid reputation among its clients and missions worldwide and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.

**PROGRAM DESCRIPTION**

In close coordination with USAID, the program will contribute to the US government efforts to address the root causes of irregular migration from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, including increasing community and institutional resilience.

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The Grants Officer will be responsible to ensure effective and efficient management of grants administration and to ensure flexible, innovative, and rapid-response mechanisms are designed to target key zones. S/he will also ensure that the grant management and administration function is always in compliance with Creative and USAID’s policies and procedures; and will work towards capacity building of the recipients as well as the other staff members in the area of grants management.

**REPORTING & SUPERVISION**

The Grants Officer reports to the Senior Grants Officer.

**Responsibilities**:
**PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES**

Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

- Provides oversight and management of grants staff and grants program.
- Organizes and coordinates organizational staffing structure and workflow of grants staff activities and administration.
- Update and maintain grants files in the database for the project., on Creative’s SharePoint, and generate weekly internal grants reports.
- Issues and reviews relevant information pertaining to grants clearances using the Activity Cycle Flow Chart.
- Responsible for ensuring quality control and the integrity of the data in Creative’s online grants database and ensures that the data in the system is always up to date.
- Responsible for ensuring compliance with Creative’s grants policies as detailed in the Field Manual and the program’s Activity Manual Addendum (Grants Manual).
- Coordinate closely with program staff to ensure timely administration and monitoring of grant agreements.
- Coordinate with finance, procurement, and program staff to facilitate grantee kick-off meeting, monitoring and closeout of grant activities.
- Coordinate closely with Grants, Procurement and Programs to ensure activity-level spending is on track and provide quality control on any required budget modifications.
- Provide guidance and interpretation for program staff as well as grantees of Creative’s grants policies and procedures and USG regulation.
- Manage the grants and direct implementation pipeline.
- Manage the financial commitments, spending, and deobligations of the activities pool and all program fund sources.
- Ensure that grant master files are always up-to-date and ready for audit.
- Lead the grants management team to serve as a central point of grant activity coordination and facilitation.
- Provide support to technical units on grants compliance and the online grants database.
- Provide training in grants compliance to program staff.
- Perform other tasks, as assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications:
**REQUIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS**:

- High school diploma required. Bachelor’s degree in relevant field or professional accounting/financial qualification highly desired.
- Must have 4 years of general work experience, and 2+ years of specific grants management experience required.
- Previous experience with small grants programs or exposure to in-kind grants highly desired.
- Competence in computers and using financial software.
- Understanding of budget and cost control management.
- Advanced knowledge of Spoken and Written English highly desired; intermediate level required.
- Spanish fluency required.
- Must have existing work authorization for El Salvador.