The Director of Awards Management in the Department of Global Health (DGH) is responsible for the management and oversight of DGH financial and award compliance aspects of a portfolio of awards managed by the department. This position reports to and will work closely with the Senior Director of Finance and Portfolio Management on the management of DGH’s portfolio of awards. This position disseminates pertinent contractual, human resources and administrative information regarding health and nutrition programming to HQ and country-based staff. The Director’s responsibilities include but are not limited to providing advice and direction related to awards management and compliance; oversight, coordination, support of cost proposals and project start up; contributing to the preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual reporting and analysis of financial results.
Through a risk based monitoring approach, this position assures Save the Children US (SCUS) awards management policies are implemented in coordination with DGH, Finance, and Grants and Contracts policies and procedures. This position identifies systems to enhance DGH efficiencies to enhance program and budget management. Liaising with relevant stakeholders, particularly the Associate Vice President of DGH, the Sr. Director of Award Management, Field Liaison, and other HQ and field based staff, the Director sets priorities and addresses structural issues to ensure portfolio health, escalating to departmental and functional leader’s attention as needed.
This position will coordinate with the DGH Senior Director of Finance and Portfolio Management to project multi-year financial requirements and to prepare and/or oversee preparation of budgets for funding proposals. This position will assure implementation of best practices with respect to financial controls and processes including grant management and donor reporting. This position will supervise and train up to five staff on the DGH Award Management team.
This position works in close collaboration with DGH staff working on finance and grants management as well as Country Office (CO) and Regional Office (RO) specific award management staff supporting DGH grants management and budgeting to ensure DGH achieves consistency, efficiency and excellence in these functions.
Monitor and Manage DGH’s Award Portfolio (40%)
- Work collaboratively with Save the Children International (SCI) HQ, COs, ROs, other SC members, and relevant partners and sub-grantees.
- Serve as main point of contact on assigned awards for COs, ROs, and SCUS stakeholders (i.e., technical assistance providers, program officers, other technical departments, Finance, Grants and Contracts, HR, Legal, etc.)
- As needed, be the key point of contact for donors on resources provided to SCI and ensure timely and effective communication to donors on matters related to their financial resources.
- Ensure all donor communications, requests, and amendments are communicated effectively and timely to the relevant SCI offices and recorded/stored for future reference.
- Work with supervisor to put in place functional structure and organization for awards management.
- Support with department’s budget planning and monitor monthly budget versus actual expenditures; compile and analyze annual budget submissions.
- Work with Finance and relevant technical staff to monitor rate of spending in COs, ROs and HQ, including charges such as personnel, travel, consultancy, sub-grant agreements, and troubleshoot and escalate issues as needed.
- Work with CO and SCUS Finance to monitor match reporting when required by donor.
- Work with CO and SCUS Finance to ensure expense charges are allowable, allocable and reasonable; and follow up to ensure errors are corrected timely.
- Track and monitor project-specific Level of effort (LOE) reporting as needed for awards in DGH’s portfolio and/or departmental sharing of LOE as required.
- Support the department and agency to maintain knowledge management systems (ensuring award files are kept up to date in a consistent manner to support backstopping and handover).
- Monitor award implementation, reporting and procurements to ensure compliance with donor rules and regulations as well as SCUS policies.
Award Monitoring and Oversight for CO and RO Specific Awards (25%):
Jointly with the Sr. Director of Finance and Portfolio Management, oversees and monitors financial and award compliance aspects for CO and RO specific DGH portfolio inclusive of all funding sources, and recommend systems to assure the efficiency of DGH’s work. This includes:
- Prepare and/or oversee pipeline analyses for CO and RO specific DGH awards.
- Responsible for identifying and resolving financial and grants management issues within the CO and RO managed portfolios.
- With-in the CO and RO specific portfolio, review and assure financial management systems and procedures to improve efficiency and excellence and ensure checks and balances.
- In collaboration with relevant SCUS and SCI CO and RO staff, ensure project activity timeline is established and monitored during project start-up and implementation.
- Lead project start up for all contracts, and work with and train relevant SCUS and SCI Award Management staff in accordance with a pre-established transition plan.
- Operationalize project start-up processes and manual, and contribute to the revision of such manual as needed.
- Ensure financial compliance and provide training to relevant staff as part of project start-upand implementation.
- Ensure systems are in place to support compliance functions of CO and RO portfolios and DGH award documentation, including budgets and sub agreements per SCUS and donor regulations and requirements.
- Communicate financial perspective on CO and RO specific award budgets to Senior Director of Finance and Portfolio Management.
Staff supervision and training (15%)
- Supervise up to five DGH Awards Management staff.
- Ensure orientation and training for DGH Award Management staff, identifying staff development opportunities to build and strengthen the capacity of the team.
- Prepare and disseminate to HQ Award Managers DGH’s finance and award management guidance.
- Contribute to and/or facilitate country office based awards management trainings.
- Manage and track DGH Award Management staffing coverage for country and regional awards and provide monthly reporting on LOE splits in accordance with SCUS guidelines.
- Work with supervisor to foresee and resolve management and human resource issues with regards to the Awards Management team.
New Business/Program development (10%)
- Responsible for preparing and/or overseeing the preparation and internal approval of DGH’s cost proposals for new funding opportunities.
- Assist country and regional offices with preparing cost packages for new funding opportunities.
- Oversee and provide capacity building training for DGH Award Management staff to prepare cost proposals.
Back-stop/cover for Sr. Director Finance & Portfolio Management (10%)
- Represent the Sr. Director at DGH Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Business Team and other senior level meetings/representation as needed.
- Minimum 7-10 years' relevant professional experience.
- Strong level of technical knowledge in award management, finance and budget management, specifically the development and management of large, complex multi-year budgets with multiple funding streams.
- Ability to travel internationally up to 20% of the time
- Demonstrated capacity in budget preparation, including cost proposals.
- Knowledge of U.S government funding mechanisms, such as global cooperative agreements and contracts, including indefinite quantity contracts, and other donor requirements for procurement.
- Strong people management, interpersonal, teamwork and cross-cultural communication skills.
- Ability to lead and grow a team, and provide timely and useful feedback.
- Demonstrated ability to make timely decisions and facilitate acceptance of change.
- Excellent oral and written English language skills.
- Strong computer skills, including advanced proficiency in Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet, and ability to learn quickly to master SC systems.
- Knowledge of financial management systems, such as Agresso
- Ability to pro-actively problem-solve, handle many tasks at once and determine priorities.
- Ability to take initiative and work independently.
Preferred Qualifications
- Masters degree preferred
- Management experience, preferably in a development/relief agency, including financial management and direct supervision and training of awards management or finance team.
- Ability to cultivate trust to facilitate collaboration.
- French language skills preferred.
- Aetna Medical and Dental insurance with a concierge service
- Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
- Vision Insurance
- Life insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Commuter Benefit Program
- Vacation and Sick leave
- Paid holidays
What makes us special!
- Generous Retirement Savings with matching company contributions of up to 8%
- Family Leave – 10 additional days of paid time off for you to use to care for your family members
- Additional Maternity and Paternity Leave – 30 days where parents can take additional paid leave (beyond short-term disability and FMLA) at the birth or adoption of a child during that critical first year!
- Critical Child Illness Leave – We hope you never have to use it, but we will provide an additional 30 days of paid leave per year should your dependent child be faced with a critical illness.
- Pet Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Identity Protection, Home, Auto and additional Life insurances
- Summer Fun Fridays – During the summer months, early release at 1:30 pm every other Friday!
- Volunteer Day – One paid day a year to support the causes that matter to you!
- Ergonomic Options – Every employee at our HQ offices has the option of a sitting/standing desk
- Leadership and Employee Development Training, including:
- Our remarkable in-house CORE, Senior Management Development, and Leadership Development Programs
- Language learning opportunities
- Continuous Improvement skill development programs
- Brown Bag information sharing sessions
- Work hard/Play hard! We make sure there’s ample opportunity for fun, engagement, and celebration while you work, such as networking events, March Madness, World Cup, Dodgeball Tournaments, Take Your Child to Work Day, Founder’s Day, and our annual Day of Service