Norwegian Church Aid is a non-profit organization working in 30 countries worldwide to eradicate poverty. In Ethiopia, Norwegian Church Aid has been operating since 1974, engaged in short term emergency response and long-term development programs.

Our intervention in Ethiopia focuses on Climate Resilience, Reproductive Health, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene, as well as Humanitarian Emergency Response. NCA/E operate in six regions: Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, Somali, Gambella, Southern Nations Nationalities and People’s State and at the Federal level.

To achieve our development goals, we work with faith based and non-faith-based actors which have demonstrated strong grassroots reach and influence in the society.

Norwegian Church Aid is a member of the ACT Alliance, a coalition of organizations working together in over 140 countries to create positive and sustainable change in people’s lives.

NCA/E would like to invite interested and qualified applicants for Grants and Compliance Advisor position.

Job Summary:

The Grant and Compliance Advisor is in charge of managing different donor funded projects including Norwegian funded projects. He/she works in collaboration with team members to ensure compliance with various donors and also responsible for partnership capacity building and assisting the program in finance function, Donor reporting etc. S/he works in close collaboration of the partner organizations with close monitoring and follow-up as per the compliance requirement.

Key Responsibilities:

1) Managing Donor funded projects 

• Follow up projects of NCA and subgrantees financial management, providing clear objectives, and technical support and capacity building / training. Provide technical supervision of field program and finance staff.
• Develop a financial and accounting training program and provide support to budget holders, partner finance staffs if applicable
• Identify and address key financial risk areas in the planning phase as the nature of the emergency will have changed the operating environment.
• Review / develop, co-ordinate and administer the plan for the control, monitoring and reporting of financial operations to include controller, treasury, payroll and budget functions, & development of accounting systems and procedures.
• Update Financial information, for respective finance and program department as needed.
• Active participation for the preparation of the project budget preparation to show funding requirements and ensure it is communicated regularly.
• Assist in providing Financial Planning information by the specific deadline dates
• Ensure or follow up timely and secure transfer of funds to meet program needs

 2) Partnership/Sub-grant Process

• Work with Budget holders and finance department head to organize capacity and risk assessments for partners.
• Help facilitate the sub-award proposal review process as needed
• Work in collaboration with procurement, logistic, other NCA finance team, and program staff to manage sub-agreements.
• Contribute to NCA Ethiopia partnership assessment as needed/requested.

3) Partner Monitoring & financial report verification:

• Support program department staffs following donor funded projects and humanitarian team in monitoring sub-grantee partner donor compliance and progress against objectives, developing monitoring tools as needed.
• Liaise with program and finance team for timely submission of accurate financial reports.
• Conduct monitoring trip to existing sub-grants of partners
• Carry out all Pre-Award Assessments – including the defining of capacity building issues – for prospective partners and feedback to country office staffs, in a timely and comprehensive fashion
• Review financial report submitted by partners and provides immediate feedback as necessary
• Carry out subsequent visits to partners who are selected, in order to develop a Capacity Building Plan with specific action points, incorporating this into the negotiation phase for the Sub-Grant Agreement transfers
• Conduct training to NCA partners finance staff
• Coordinate communication between NCA Finance, program and sub grantees
• Ensuring that all partners submit their financial report on timely fashion and fund to be transferred to partners without delay
• Assist on post-award monitoring and filed visits to ensure that NCA and donor requirements are being followed by the sub grantees.
• Ensure budget and other operational policy and producers are respected by partners.

4)  Capacity Building:

• Contribute to the development of capacity building strategy, particularly based on UN and other institutional funded projects
• Work with program and finance department to schedule and implement capacity building plans which may include formal training, mentoring, and experience sharing visits.
• Work with program department and PMER to establish linkages with other organizations that have capacity building programs, with the aim of experience sharing.
• Track and document assessments of the impact of capacity building interventions, including regular reports/updates on partner capacity building activities.

 5)  Documentation and Reporting:

•  Maintain comprehensive files for the grants including partner files and relevant hard copied in the respective sub-agreement electronic files and label them correctly.
• Working with budget holders review monthly internal reports, compile and submit partner reports into overall donor report, program as needed/requested.

 6)  Donor Reports

• Preparation of draft donor reports for review by the Finance Controller
• Analysis of actual to budget results to identify problems in accounting or compliance
• Identification of procedural or training issues to be addressed to improve the quality of report data.
• Preparation of the creation of detail level budgets in NCA format to ensure required donor reports can be produced form the accounting system

7)  Budgets

• Assisting in the preparation and maintenance of the country’s Operating Budget to ensure data is complete and maintained on a timely basis.
• Preparation of monthly management reports analyzing the use of sub-grantee funding versus approved allocation as well as spending analysis.
• Assisting in the development and preparation of cost allocation processes for overarching costs that comply with donor regulations on allowable costs.
• Review of actual vs. budget results to ensure maximum utilization of budgeted amounts and to provide recommendations for realignments as required.

  8)  Other Duties

• Contribute to the overall proper functioning of the Finance department by taking on any other duties assigned by supervisor.
• Contribute to the overall improvement of the financial and accounting system in ETHIOPIA by providing recommendation to supervisor for consideration on specific areas that could be improved.
• Contribute to teamwork
• Facilitate any external audits and audits conducted by the Internal Auditor and other headquarters personnel

Area of Specialization: Grant management, Compliance, partnership capacity building

Reports to:   Grants and Compliance Team Head

Length of Contract: One year (with the possibility of extension)

Required qualifications: 

• BA in Accounting and/or MBA and /or master’s in accounting and Finance
• Minimum of 7/5 years demonstrated experience, preferably in INGOs engaged in humanitarian and development activities.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to promote effective collaboration within and across partner organizations
• Good written and oral communication skill in English language

 Personal qualities:  

• Ability to work long hours, under pressure and able meeting deadlines.
• Able to maintain motivation of self and others.
• Proactive to identify and communicate potential problems and propose solutions to the level of management appropriate to effect solutions.
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as to work autonomously when required.
• Keen to learn the financial and administrative procedures of NCA and partner organizations
• Strong personal integrity and commitment to accountability
• Detail oriented in following up and networking
• Excellent computer basic skills and keen to learn relevant software used by NCA
• Willing and able to frequently travel to hardship areas which NCA project sites are located