Asia Senior Coordinator – Grants Management Unit

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.

With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people.

The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.

I. About the position

The Senior Coordinator – Grants Management will be responsible in supervising the GMU team in Asia Region, providing guidance to the team and ensuring sufficient quality control in the service provided to the Research units. He/she will be the point of contact within the GMU Regional HUB, representing the Region and supporting the implementation of standard processes.

II. Key responsibilities

2.1 Coordination and Supervision

Oversee and evaluate the Asia GMU teamwork, taking corrective and adaptive actions. Review the Asia Team’s workload and skillsets for effective mapping to the Alliance new structure, setting-up clear annual objectives, mentoring and supervising Asia GMU Grant Analyst;
Advise Asia Team on portfolio performance and inform the GMU Manager of propose remedial solutions to sustain service and assesses service requirements of clients to effectively align deliverables to changing demands;
Support the GMU Manager in acting as coordinator for the GMU Asia team by sustaining continuous delivery of quality services, incorporate adjustments due to changing operational conditions and by providing specialist advice, support, and assistance to the Managing Director on GMU related matter (i.e. donor and partner related queries, country analyses);
Whenever required by the GMU Manager, provide analysis on the portfolio trend in Asia and participate in working groups with the Asia regional team.

2.2 Grants Administration

Provide support to the management, administration and monitoring of the portfolio of projects assigned and ensure that the commitments of the Legal documents with the donors & partners are accomplished in the dates established;
Conduct review of donor contracts and facilitate their negotiation following the Alliance’s policies and procedures and facilitate the process of contract clearance and signature;
Set up new grants in the systems and communicate grant opening to internal stakeholders, maintain an overview of reporting requirements (deadlines, templates, etc.) and communicate it regularly to relevant internal stakeholders
Ensure comprehensive information management and filing system, ensuring donor contractual documents, reports, and key correspondences are consistently and frequently filed in the Alliance system and other data bases;
Work closely with the resource mobilization unit, finance, legal, researchers and other areas of the organization to ensure that contracts are executed on time;
Liaise with donors on all grant-related issues, including submission of donor reports and requests for project modifications;
Support scientists in the overall management and monitoring of grants, sharing information about compliance requirements and reviewing adherence to them.

2.3 Sub-grants administration

Coordinate capacity assessment and due diligence review of prospective partners;
Ensure Partners’ awareness of reporting requirements, research ethics and contractual compliance;
Draft Sub-grant agreements connected to the assigned project portfolio to ensure compliance with prime donor’s requirements;
Track and collect cleared reports to be filed in the appropriate digital repositories;
Provide ongoing support to internal stakeholders and partners throughout the Sub-grant lifecycle on administrative and compliance issues including contract modifications.

2.4 Others

Develop, maintain and update to the GMU manuals, tools, templates, policies, SOPs, and guidance documents; Sharing Asia perspective and experiences;
Proactively propose strategies or procedural changes required for the Alliance to stay compliant with changing donor regulations or requirements;
Participate in project review meetings and provide input from GMU.

III. Required qualification and experience

Bachelor’s degree or (Master degree is desirable) in International Development, International Relations, Economics, Business Administration or another relevant field;
Previous experience working for international development and/or research organizations, NGOs or UN agencies;
Previous experience in a supervisory role;
Minimum of 5 years progressively responsible experience in the administration and monitoring of grants (review and negotiation of grant contracts, donor reporting, monitoring of grant implementation, development or implementation of grant-related procedures, grants management training and facilitation);
Experience of project management, including understanding of project budgeting, budget management and financial issues;
Proficiency in relevant software programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint);
Excellent organizational skills including the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines while still maintaining attention to detail and accuracy, and problem solve effectively;
Proven track record of building collaborative relationships across and within internal teams, and with external stakeholders;
Demonstrated to ability to work effectively as part of a team with people in a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment, including with external stakeholders; excellent interpersonal skills;
Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and written including the ability to organize and write clear and concise reports;
Experience of implementing and/or using information management systems (grants databases, ERP systems, etc.).

IV. Terms of employment

This is a full-time position and available for Vietnamese nationals based in Hanoi, Vietnam. The successful candidate should be available to commence as soon as possible for an initial of one (1) year fixed term contract, with the possibility of contract renewal depending on performance and funding situation. This position is subjected to an initial two-month probation period and is graded at a level BG7 in a scale of 14 levels being BG14 the highest level.

The Alliance offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer, and strive for gender, diversity and inclusion in our staff, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic.

V. Applications

To be considered for this position, please send an email to Ms. To Mai Trang – HR Unit (t.tomai@cgiar.org) with the subject line “Application – GMU Senior Coordinator – Candidate’s full name”. In your email, please include:

A cover letter illustrating your motivation to apply and suitability for the above position against the listed qualifications and work responsibilities.
A detailed curriculum vitae, including the names and email addresses of three professional referees who have worked either as your professional or academic supervisors and are knowledgeable about your skills and professional abilities.

This position is urgent and will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found. Only qualified applicants with relevant skills and experience will be contacted. We recommend applying as soon as possible and no later than 22 July 2022.