Manager – Grants Operations

Job Summary

Purpose of the Job

The Manager, Grants Operations is a critical, people-facing role responsible for ensuring integrity, transparency, and compliance across the full grant lifecycle, from call design to closure. The role provides leadership in grants administration, system optimisation, funder compliance, and assurance processes. It also serves as a primary interface for internal teams and external funders, ensuring timely and accurate management of funders' agreements and promoting a culture of compliance and operational excellence. 

This role is critical in delivering on one of SFA Foundation’s core pillars: funding scientific research and innovation across the African continent. The postholder must be agile, highly collaborative and proactive in providing quality assurance to all grant-making and operational processes.

Job Details

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. End-to-End Grants Administration

• Provide compliance oversight of grant calls, award processes, and post-award implementation workflows.
• Coordinate with programme teams on the preparation, negotiation, and execution of funder agreements, sub-awards, amendments, and partner contracts.
• Ensure that all grant activities align with both funder-specific regulations and the Foundation’s internal policies.
• Track grant timelines, deliverables, milestones, and closeout requirements in collaboration with program and finance teams.
• Support programme teams in the planning, coordination, and execution of all grant application and award cycles, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and adherence to internal governance standards.
• Collaborate with program teams to ensure application criteria, timelines, and award decisions are well-documented and implemented transparently.
• Ensure compliance and documentation standards are met during peer review processes, including reviewer conflict-of-interest tracking and audit trail completeness.
• Ensure transparent documentation and compliance with funding committee operations, including preparation of decision packs and governance records, in coordination with Program Coordinators and Managers.
• Provide operational and compliance-focused input into the development of application materials to align with funder and internal governance expectations.
• Ensure that programmatic tools meet quality and policy standards.
• Partners with programs lead to conduct mock reviews or internal dry runs to strengthen the quality of proposal review processes before launch.

2. Management of Funder Agreements and Relationships

• Manage and maintain funder agreements and key documents, ensuring obligations and deliverables are tracked and fulfilled.
• Serve as the liaison with funding partners for all operational aspects of grant implementation.
• Coordinate timely, high-quality reporting (narrative and financial), audits, and funder communications.
• Proactively identify and resolve funder concerns, ensuring positive and professional engagements.

3. Grants Systems Management

• Lead the effective use and continuous improvement of the Grant Management System (GMS), ensuring data accuracy and system integrity.
• Facilitate onboarding, training, and technical support to users across the organisation.
• Maintain data accuracy and system integrity in grant management systems and generate operational dashboards and reports for executive review, focused on grant portfolio compliance, contractual obligations, and administrative status.
• Oversee the design, maintenance, and user experience of grant application systems to ensure efficiency, accessibility, and integration with downstream processes.
• Liaise with IT and system vendors to implement enhancements, resolve issues, and support system upgrades in line with user needs.

4. Assurance, Risk, and Compliance Oversight

• Design and oversee compliance monitoring frameworks to ensure all grants adhere to internal controls and funder expectations.
• Conduct periodic desk reviews and internal audits to assess risk and strengthen controls.
• Support resolution of grant-related compliance issues and escalate material risks as needed.
• Maintain up-to-date records to support audit readiness and knowledge management.
• Proactively identify and support resolution of implementation bottlenecks, ensuring smooth execution of funded projects.

5. Stakeholder Support and Training (People-Facing Function)

• Act as a trusted resource to program teams, finance, MEL, and senior leadership on grant operations and compliance.
• Foster a collaborative and responsive grants operations culture across departments.
• Represent the Foundation in relevant funders or partner forums relating to grant operations and compliance.
• Provide responsive and practical advice to programme teams and, when required, to applicants on eligibility, application procedures, funding policies, and submission processes.
• Guide programme teams on development and disseminate guidance materials (e.g., FAQs, webinars, templates) to improve applicant readiness and proposal quality.
• Provide training to programme teams on grants compliance, application procedures, eligibility criteria, and use of the grant management system. Support upstream processes with tools and guidance aligned to operational policy.
• Build the capacity of program staff to develop clear, funder-aligned application materials by offering hands-on guidance, templates, and quality checks before call launch.
• Deliver structured onboarding and refresher sessions on funding policy interpretation, eligibility screening, and application scoring frameworks.

6. Documentation and Continuous Improvement

• Lead development and regular updates of grants manuals, SOPs, and operational toolkits.
• Capture and apply lessons learned from grant implementation and feedback to enhance operational effectiveness.
• Coordinate with the Legal, Risk and Compliance team to ensure evolving compliance requirements are embedded into practice.

Requirements

PERSON SPECIFICATIONS

Academic qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in development, Public Administration, Business, Finance, or a related field is required.
• A master’s degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., Public Policy, Research Administration, Business, or Finance) or a professional certification in grants or project management (e.g., CRA, PMP, NGMA, NCURA) is strongly preferred.

Experience

• A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in grant operations or research administration, including at least 3 years in a leadership or managerial role, ideally within a science, innovation, or philanthropic funding organisation.
• Demonstrated experience managing grants from bilateral, multilateral, and philanthropic funders, including an understanding of funder compliance frameworks, risk management, and audit preparedness.
• Strong familiarity with grant management systems (GMS) and experience supporting end-to-end grant processes, from application design to closure.
• Practical experience collaborating with programmatic teams, finance, and legal functions to deliver integrated and compliant grantmaking.
• Knowledge of the African research and development ecosystem and comfort engaging with researchers, institutions, and funders is desirable.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and capacity-building skills, with the ability to translate complex processes into actionable tools and guidance.
• Solid knowledge of funder regulations, risk management, and audit readiness in the context of bilateral, multilateral, and philanthropic funding.

Knowledge, Skills and Attributes

• Exceptional interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical, planning, and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Ability to translate complex compliance and process requirements into practical implementation.
• Team leadership and capacity-building experience.
• Proactive, adaptable, and focused solutions.

Leadership Competencies and Personal Attributes

• Ability to see the big picture, align grant operations with strategic goals, and anticipate risks and opportunities in funding research.
• Proven capacity to build trust and maintain strong, professional relationships with funders, grantees, partners, and internal teams.
• Skilled at leading process improvements, system upgrades, and policy updates with clear, inclusive communication.
• Demonstrated ability to train, coach, and empower colleagues and partners to strengthen grants management and compliance.
• Confidence and sound judgment in navigating complex compliance issues and operational risks.
• Ability to work cross-functionally, influence, and drive alignment across Finance, Programmes, MEL, and Legal teams.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and commitment to continuous learning and capacity strengthening.
• Ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams and to build trust, alignment and shared purpose with diverse stakeholders.
• Resilience, adaptability, and a positive attitude in managing multiple priorities in dynamic environments.

Key Result Areas

• Ensure the timely, compliant, and well-documented delivery of grant calls, reviews, awards, and closeouts.
• Maintain accurate, auditable, and user-friendly grant management systems that effectively support decision-making at executive and board levels.
• Demonstrate improvement in program team readiness for call design, application quality, and adherence to compliance requirements.
• Deliver responsive, clear, and effective grants operations support that earns positive feedback from internal teams, funders, and partners.
• Regularly update policies, SoPs, and operational tools to incorporate lessons learned and meet evolving funder expectations.

About Company

Science for Africa Foundation

https://www.scienceforafrica.foundation

Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) is a pan-African, non-profit, public charitable organisation created to support, strengthen, and promote science and innovation in Africa.