Grants Officer

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. The agency pursues its mission through emergency relief services, sustainable community development, civil society and economic development initiatives. Mercy Corps has been present in the Middle East since the 1980s and currently works in Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq. Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps has implemented community development programs focused on promoting economic development and increased opportunity for disadvantaged communities, while responding to emergencies as they emerged in the country. In 2012, the program portfolio shifted in response to the massive refugee influx from Syria and Mercy Corps in Lebanon has solidified its emergency response programming while integrating longer-term development programming by focusing on key sectors: Protection, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Governance and Conflict, and Livelihoods. With funding from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), Mercy Corps is expanding an eight-month pilot project to a two-year program aiming at improving the stability and resiliency in target communities in the North of Lebanon and the Beqaa through reduced unemployment and increased income for businesses. INTAJ (Improved Networks, Training and Jobs) is focused on three main components: skills development, small and medium enterprise (SME) development, and solid waste and recycling management (SWM/R). GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY: The Grant Officer will support preparing of all sub-grant documentation for INTAJ, closely liaising with the Finance Team and Project Managers in Tripoli and Bekaa. S/he will also ensure all narrative and financial reporting meets the quality standard and meets Mercy Corps’ minimum standards and donor requirements. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: • Organize the sub-grants files per Mercy Corps’ minimum standards and procedures. • Review grant financial reports/invoices to ensure they are correct and complete, coordinating with teams to also ensure they are submitted on time. • Check all reports and supporting documentation so they are prepared and filed according to Mercy Corps procedures, including grant correspondence. • Assist in partner site monitoring visits per the monitoring plan. • Provide compliance guidance and consultations to partners by answering daily questions and following up on financial issues. • Track partner financial reports submissions and payments. • Prepare payments for partners after ensuring all requirements are met per procedures and record the payments. • Support design and implementation of ‘process maps’ and other endeavors to promote organizational efficiency. • Contribute to communications documentation, including providing data from sub-grant files. • Ensure all activities are gender sensitive and follow Mercy Corps’ Gender Equity Policy; • Apply Do No Harm standards to ensure activities do not have detrimental effects on vulnerable communities; • Contribute to monthly reports and other ad hoc reports to meet donor and internal requirements; • Participate in internal office coordination and planning meetings and workshops; • Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not jeopardize its humanitarian mission; • Other assigned tasks, as necessary. Organizational Learning: As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve. We expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves. Accountability to Beneficiaries: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, M&E of our field projects. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY: REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Operations Coordinator SUPERVISES: None WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Program and Project Managers, Operations Coordinator, Technical Advisors, M&E teams, HQ Compliance team, and Mercy Corps’ Lebanon finance department. KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE • One or more years of experience of bookkeeping, banking and/or financial reporting. • A university degree in finance, accounting, business administration or a related business field is required. • Familiarity with major international donor rules and non-profit accounting. • Excellent written and verbal English and Arabic is a plus. • Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel. • Strong analytical skills coupled with a solid understanding of grant management rules. • Strong organizational skills, and ability to work independently and take initiative under pressure in a rapidly changing, multi-cultural context, whilst adhering to strict deadlines. • Ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel. • A demonstrated ability to multi-task and process information into action as to not delay program activities. • Must work well as a member of a team. • Ability and willingness to travel regularly to the field. SUCCESS FACTORS The Grants Officer will be bright, energetic, hard-working and eager to learn. They will take a deep personal interest in humanitarian and development assistance. They will have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability. They will be attentive to detail and able to carry out assigned tasks in a timely manner and according to a very high standard of quality. They will be creative and flexible, contributing to developing and encouraging new and innovative solutions, but at the same time will not have any difficulty in adhering to systems and procedures. They will strictly follow all protocols related to safety and security, and holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Mercy Corps’ values.