Grants and Compliance Specialist at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA): (Deadline 2 February 2025)

Grants and Compliance Specialist at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA): (Deadline 2 February 2025)

Job Title: Grants and Compliance Specialist

Salary: Based on experience

Location: RW (Primary)

Category: International

Job Type: Full-time

Career Level: Experienced (Non-Manager)

Education: Bachelor’s Degree

Travel: Up to 25%

Job Description

About CNFA 

CNFA is an international agricultural development organization that specializes in the design and implementation of sustainable, enterprise-based agricultural initiatives. We work with businesses, foundations, governments, and communities to build customized local and global partnerships that meet the world’s growing demand for food. Since our inception in 1985, we have designed and implemented enterprise-based, agricultural development initiatives to facilitate market access, enhance agribusiness competitiveness, increase productivity, and improve access to inputs and financing in 47 countries around the world.

Program Description 

CNFA is currently seeking applications from qualified candidates for a Grants and Compliance Specialist position to support a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food for Progress (FFPr) program, Haranira Ubuziranenge, in Rwanda. Haranira Ubuziranenge, which translates to “ensuring or striving for safety” in Kinyarwanda, aims to strengthen the capacities of public and private stakeholders in Rwanda to develop, enforce, and adopt international science-based food safety standards. To achieve this goal, the Project will implement interventions across three key components: 1) Strengthening Food Safety Frameworks and Government Institutions; 2) Enhanced Laboratory Technical Capacity in Testing, Inspection, and Certification; and 3) Increased Food Safety Awareness and Capacity Building of Producers. The Co-Investment Fund (CIF) will support cooperatives (including those investing in cold chain), agribusinesses, Farm Service Centers (FSC), associations, and larger farmers who aggregate smallholder production with grants to procure equipment to improve post-harvest handing (e.g., solar driers), storage, and cold chain (e.g., the low-cost CoolBot), as well as related food safety training.

Position Summary 

Reporting to the Operations and Finance Director, the Grants and Compliance Specialist will be responsible for leading and managing grant activities, ensuring compliance, and providing due diligence. S/he will be responsible for overseeing the entire grants lifecycle and supporting effective program implementation through strategic grant management. The Grants and Compliance Specialist will be responsible for the solicitation, review, selection, management, and closeout of all grants in partnership with technical staff. S/he will contribute to the development and contribution of relevant project manuals (grants, operations, etc.) as well as ensuring grant activity complies with the manuals and USG and CNFA policies. This position is based in Kigali.

Position Roles and Responsibilities

• Lead the administration of CIF grants from solicitation to closeout, including solicitation development, application review, selection, due diligence, award negotiation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Organize and maintain all project documents and files related to grant and procurement process including RFAs and RFQs, related correspondence, selection memos, procurement requests to home office and procurement agreements with the selected vendors, grant agreements, financial leverage documentation and procurement documentation related to grant expenditures.
• Chair the Grant Selection Committee (GSC) and provide guidance and instructions to the GSC regarding evaluation, confidentiality, and expected integrity and professionalism of the evaluators.
• Coordinate with project and technical teams to identify CIF partnership opportunities aligned with project objectives, collaborating closely with Social Inclusion Specialist to ensure that solicitations and other procurement mechanisms are inclusive of women, youth, and other marginalized groups.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to potential grantees through the application and implementation process.
• Conduct thorough pre-award assessments and all required due diligence of potential partners.
• Collaborate with the Operations and Finance Director and other Finance team members to ensure proper financial management and reporting in line with USDA regulations.
• Ensure quality information management through regular maintenance of grants pipeline and associated records and manage coordination and preparation of documents and files for internal and external audits.
• Utilize and update the project grants manual, procurement manual, and CNFA templates as tools to ensure compliance.
• Collaborate with technical and MEL teams to create a tracking system which will monitor the profile of grantees, progress percentage for each grantee, and activity, intervention, and type of each grant agreement.
• Responsible for ensuring environmental compliance and conducting environmental review reports for grants in collaboration with the MEL team.
• Other tasks at the request as assigned by supervisor, Chief of Party, or designee.

Job Requirements

Key Qualifications 

• University degree in accounting, business, finance, public administration, agricultural economics or a related field.
• Six (6) years of progressive work experience for USDA, USAID, or other donor-funded projects.
• At least four (4) years of grants administration experience in USG-funded programs and demonstrated knowledge of USG rules and regulations is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate budgets and review financial vouchers and expense reports.
• Administrative experience with NGOs and NGO procedures.
• Demonstrated experience supporting all stages of a grants administration (e.g., supporting the development of solicitations, supporting applicants completing grant applications, participating in the review, evaluation, and selection of grant applications, supporting implementation and close-out).
• Experience administering grant funds with cost-share requirements is strongly preferred.
• Organized team player, with a proactive and flexible work style.
• Proven experience in managing multiple and competing tasks while maintaining the quality of deliverables within deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and experience using financial management software.
• Oral and written fluency in English and Kinyarwanda are required. Knowledge of French is an asset.

Deadline: February 2nd, 2025

Application Link: Click here

CNFA IS PROUD TO BE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER It is the policy of CNFA to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons, regardless of age, race, religion, color, national origin, gender identity, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital status, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, veteran status, or on the basis of personal favoritism or other non-merit factors, except where otherwise provided by law.

REASONABLE ACCOMODATION & CONTACT INFORMATION CNFA provides a reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please contact the CNFA Home Office Human Resources Department via email at [email protected] or via phone at 202-296-3920 if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job with us.

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