Program Officer: Business Development & Program Support

Position Title: Program Officer: Business Development and Program Support

Department Name: HQ Programs

Supervisor of Position: Program and Business Development Manager

Employment Definition: Full Time

Location of Position: SAMS Headquarters (USA)

**Role Summary/Purpose:**Located within the Programs Department at SAMS Headquarters and working closely with Country Offices, the Program Officer supports country offices in pre-positioning for funding opportunities, as well as proposal development, day-to-day program administration, reporting, and remote monitoring of grant-funded and privately-funded programs. The Program Officer also participates in efforts to strengthen health and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) program quality related to protection mainstreaming and inclusion of vulnerable populations – through participation in monitoring and evaluation processes, program strategy review, and relevant training initiatives. As needed, the Program Officer travels to Country Offices to provide backstopping support in project administration and partnerships.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Development

• Support new and existing Country Offices in mapping and positioning with potential donors/partners
• Lead development and submission of concept notes and proposals to private and institutional donors
• Review budgets that are part of proposals, to ensure reasonable, allowable, and allocable costs, and congruence with program narrative.
• Participate in after-action reviews after proposals are submitted, to improve efficiency of internal processes and quality of proposal submissions
• Participate in review and development of annual Business Development and Operational Plans, working closely with colleagues in Country Offices and HQ Programs
• Participate in meetings with existing and potential donors and coordinate follow-up actions within SAMS to build and maintain these relationships

Program Administration

• Support new program start-up, in coordination with Programs and Operations colleagues in Country Offices and Headquarters, ensuring that Country Offices have all of the necessary knowledge and tools required to manage programs, in compliance with donor regulations
• Monitor progress of grant-funded and privately-funded programs through monthly and quarterly review of internal project management tools – indicator tracking tables, financial pipelines, M&E reporting, work plans, compliance trackers, etc.
• Work with the Senior Program Officers to enter and maintain data for country offices within the Grants Management System, once activated
• Liaise with existing donors of grant-funded programs, providing them regular updates on project progress
• Lead review and finalization of internal and external narrative reporting
• Coordinate review and finalization of internal and external financial and inventory reports, with Country Offices and HQ Finance
• Ensure close-out checklists are completed and filed for each grant-funded program
• Support Country Offices in management and monitoring of partners (grantees and sub-grantees), including review of reports and participation in progress review meetings, as well as support for delivery of capacity-building for partners.
• Support HQ and Country Offices in preparation for internal/external audits
• Maintain complete and accurate filing system for all active, closed grants, and proposals submitted by HQ and country officers.

Compliance

• Support country offices in partner/sub-grantee selection process, through review of pre-award self-assessments and organizational capacity assessments;
• Participate in review of incoming and outgoing grant agreements, partner agreements, modifications, MOUs, and pre-award letters, as needed
• Promote compliance with Grants Management manual and support country offices to strengthen internal controls and risk mitigation mechanisms related to grant management, safeguarding, HR, finance, security and procurement

Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• University/Baccalaureate degree in related field required.
• Two years of relevant work experience – preferably with national or international NGOs
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including drafting project proposals and reports
• Prior knowledge of 2 CFR 200 and experience with regulations of major donor agencies such as USAID, U.S. Department of State, EU, FCDO
• Ability to work in a professional and cordial manner with fellow staff members, visitors, partner institutions including international and local NGOs, governmental entities, support organizations, and the general public
• A multi-tasker with strong ability to work under pressure
• Flexibility, creativity, and the ability to maintain a rapid and demanding pace of work
• Ability to perform in cross-functional team approach
• Ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines and produce quality results on time with attention to detail.
• Proficient in using computers with related knowledge of software programs and Internet.

Desired Characteristics:

• Ability to travel outside the United States
• Knowledge of the Arabic language and/or the Middle East region
• Prior experience with health, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), gender-based violence, and/or medical education programs