Country: United States of America
Closing date: 29 Feb 2016
Your Objective
The Compliance Operations & Awards Manager provides operational assistance to Plan International USA programs. S/he liaises with the client, home and field offices, subcontractors, and consultants in order to support timely and high-quality work conducted for programs under implementation. S/he adds value by developing and implementing administrative and operational systems which adhere to Plan International USA and U.S. Government Rules and Regulations. The position will serve as main point of contact during the startup operations and will manage many actions and initiatives. S/he will be required to have detailed knowledge of all project requirements so as to properly disseminate that knowledge to others. S/he will also support the recruitment of key personnel and will orient and train appropriate field staff. In addition, the position will lead and facilitate the close down process of projects, paying strict attention to compliance with institutional and donor requirements. The role is intended to lead these main phases while also supporting other team members, as needed, who are assigned to the overall management of the project. The position will also provide support to the project life cycle through award administration. The manager will support the development of business processes, policies, and procedures including maintaining, filing, and updating as necessary.
The position plays a key role in the Compliance Operations & Award team providing leadership, guidance, and support to the Head of Compliance Operations & Awards. This is a high profile role that offers a unique opportunity to work with multiple practice areas at Plan and interact with various Plan Country Offices around the world.
Your Role
• Lead and collaborate with other program staff to document and share the donor requirements and goals for each project. This work may include assigning tasks, setting timetables and establishing key deliverable dates for achieving intermediate and overall goals.
• Setting review dates to ensure that projects remain on target.
• Mobilizing a start-up team consisting of NO, CO and RO staff to take ownership of the key project deliverables.
• Building and nurturing strong relationships with the donors (both technical and contractual).
• Supporting the rapid recruitment of all key personnel and project team staff.
• Setting up financial systems, procurement processes, and detailed grant management policies, leading to a smooth transition of the work plan to key personnel for execution.
• Supporting the operational set up of new offices, both physically and logistically.
• Support the set up a Monitoring and Evaluation system, and developing a communications plan in compliance with a branding and marking plan (USG requirement).
• Managing donor communication and face-to-face interactions through the start-up period.
• Supporting the development of training tools for project staff on startup activities and methodologies.
• Leading the close down process for field programs, as directed, ensuring all donor requirements are met and resulting in clean and effective audits.
• Facilitation, coordination, submission, and negotiation of Plan’s cooperative agreements and associate awards, contracts, sub-awards, leases, service agreements, and consulting agreements and modifications thereto
• Development and maintenance of acquisition and assistance templates/formats and other guidance for use by Plan staff;
• In concert with department staff, review, improvement and development of policies and procedures for COA including Plan USA business processes
• In concert with department staff, the development and execution of training on grants and contracts compliance issues for headquarters and field staff;
• Maintenance of award files within Salesforce (CRM), from set-up to close-out;
Our Offer to you
Plan is a child-centered community development organization working with communities in over 50 countries to end the cycle of poverty for children and their families. We invite our staff to embrace Plan’s mission, working in partnership with management, peers, donors, and other supporters in an effort to make lasting change for children and families around the world.
We aspire to five core values that help us define our culture and to inform our business decisions: Accountability, Passion, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence - AsPIRE. Plan expects all staff to exhibit and embrace these values in every part of their work lives.
We are committed to adhering to Plan’s Child Protection Standards and protecting the well being of children in any situation that may arise. The protection of children is everyone’s responsibility.
Plan offers opportunities for growth and development through internal and external training opportunities. We value the ideas and opinions of staff at any level and provide forums in which those can be shared with others.
Plan is an equal opportunity employer and follows all laws associated with the EEOC.
Key Competencies
• Excellent oral communication and writing skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and team spirit
• Ability to work in a team setting with people of different backgrounds.
• Ability to use initiative and independent judgment, identify and resolve problems, and strong negotiation skills
• Process focused with the ability to understand and follow set requirements as put forth by a donor
• Ability to set priorities and work within deadlines.
• Ability to travel internationally, up to 30%.
Education and Experience
• BA/BS degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Knowledge of U.S. Government Rules and Regulations for administration of Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Contracts
• Minimum of four years of administrative or technical experience on USAID/USG-funded projects.
• Demonstrable experience with a contractor or international NGO managing a USAID/USG-funded office or program.
• Demonstrable experience managing the in-country operational and programmatic start-up and/or closedown for USAID/USG-funded programming.
• Previous experience establishing in-country presence in less secure operating environments is highly preferred.
• Experience in project development and project management required.
• Excellent diplomatic, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated decision making, problem solving, and team building ability.
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of staff/individuals and in a multi-cultural environment.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Complete fluency in English and mastery of Spanish and/or French preferred
Physical and Mental Demands
International travel is required up to 30 percent of the time, sometimes with short notice. The successful candidate must be resilient, and capable of maintaining a calm, professional focus under busy and time sensitive conditions. In turn, Plan strives to create a flexible work environment that includes compensatory time for extensive travel and the privilege to work remotely, at times, in line with our policy.
How to apply:
Plan seeks to fill this position as quickly as possible. Interested and qualified applicants based in the US should submit a cover letter and resume via our website: http://www.planusa.org/jobopps