Advisor, Award Management

Summary

The Advisor, Award Management is responsible for actively managing a portfolio of high-risk awards. You will ensure donor compliance and successful implementation for an assigned portfolio of high-risk awards from opportunity to closeout and will be accountable for meeting award management targets and metrics for the assigned portfolio, ensuring timely implementation and effective flow of information and resources to Save the Children International (SCI) via our Award Management (AM) and Financial systems. You will coordinate with relevant stakeholders, particularly technical, financial, procurement and fundraising staff, as well as country office colleagues, and will actively support new business development efforts for the department inclusive of cost proposals for high-risk donors.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

Award Management (50%)

• Efficiently manage portfolio of high-risk awards from start up to closeout in accordance with Save the Children and donor guidelines.
• Serve as primary point of contact on assigned portfolio with donors, Country Offices and internal stakeholders. Manage any escalated issues from relevant stakeholders as necessary. Exercise independent judgement; escalate further to senior management as needed.
• Oversee independent award monitoring of implementation, reporting and procurements to ensure compliance, completion and the application of best practices.
• Ensure award project-specific level of effort reporting for awards and private funding maximizes the best use of resources.
• Review draft agreement documents and negotiate donor terms and conditions in coordination with program team, Country Office and Grants and Contracts staff.
• Supervise the successful award/project start-up of the assigned portfolio of awards in collaboration with Country Office and Program staff.
• Oversee the development and management of sub-award/consultant/contract agreements in partnership with Award Operations.
• Oversee/complete award closeout process to ensure all financial and contractual obligations have been met via the Award Management System CloseOut checklist.
• Manage portfolio risks by liaising with Director, technical experts, Country Office colleagues, escalating as necessary.
• Conduct periodic international visits to monitor project(s).

Support New Business Development (20%)

• Support department’s new business priorities and pipeline and represent agency and internal interests to potential partners and donors.
• Oversee development and submission of concept notes, and proposals, including narratives of proposal sections, cost proposals and supporting documentation in collaboration with SCI, internal colleagues and relevant partners.
• Lead the process of liaising with country offices to provide and incorporate feedback on proposal sections and concept notes.
• Participate in capture trips and design workshops for proposals as needed.

Budget and Financial Management (20%)

• Oversee monitoring of portfolio or award budgets to ensure compliance and other reports as needed for the department across various funding sources.
• Lead the annual budget planning process for assigned award portfolio; review budgets to ensure they are complete and accurate. Manage the annual budget planning process for the award portfolio by coordinating efforts between program, Country Office and technical staff.
• Manage all aspects of the reporting process, in conjunction with Finance, to ensure timely, accurate narrative and financial reporting for award/unit’s portfolio of awards. Ensure stakeholders have clear deliverables and deadlines to meet donor requirements.
• Review (and prepare, as applicable) interim and final donor reports in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure coordinated response to donor queries.

Knowledge Management (10%)

• Lead the process to ensure that Knowledge Management (KM) systems are consistently followed within unit, and periodically review KM process with department leadership to ensure they reflect current technology and meet the unit’s needs. Manage KM systems to ensure award files are kept current and in a clear and organized manner, for smooth backstopping and/or handover situations.
• Maintain KM systems, along with program/technical staff, around resource development ensuring key program documents are posted on the Award Management System (AMS).
• Participate in developing best practices, sharing resources, and ongoing training in conjunction with program/technical staff.
• Ensure award specific training needs met on donor requirements.
• Contribute to sharing program’s successes in collaboration with technical experts.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor Degree or equivalent experience, plus at least 5 years of relevant experience
• Demonstrated success working across the full cycle of project/award management and implementation
• Ability to lead portfolio financial review and analysis processes to ensure oversight and management of risk for awards in portfolio
• Proven ability to work with non-financial stakeholders and communicate effectively and help them understand financial processes and procedures
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task and work well under competing priorities and deadlines
• Ability to lead portfolio financial review and analysis processes to ensure oversight and management of risk for awards in portfolio
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 10% of time**.**
• Professional proficiency in MS Office suite
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals and teams at all levels, both internally and externally
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering and maintaining and environment of diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience implementing high value, high risk United States Government (USG) cooperative agreements and contracts strongly preferred
• Experience in international development or humanitarian contexts
• Experience working with general ledger and financial systems