Title: Activity Funds Assistant
Length of Assignment: Long-Term
Reports to: Activity Funds Manager
BACKGROUND
The USAID-funded Visit Tunisia Activity is a 5-year project designed to enhance Tunisia’s tourism potential, with the goal of generating revenue and jobs, particularly for women and youth, and for populations in underserved regions of the country. The overall vision behind USAID’s investment in Tunisia’s tourism sector is to capitalize on Tunisia’s natural, cultural,
heritage and historical sites to develop a more diversified and high-quality tourism sector that contributes to broad-based economic growth. Through this activity, USAID seeks to contribute to Tunisia’s growth and development to offset the negative economic impact of the coronavirus crisis. The project will seek to achieve the following four objectives:
- Objective 1: Enhance Tunisia’s competitiveness as a tourism destination;
- Objective 2: Increase tourism-related investments and revenue;
- Objective 3: Improve the enabling environment for sustained growth in the tourism sector; • Objective 4: Private sector engagement to expand the offer and quality of alternative tourism.
This project will collaborate with the relevant ministries, private sector, and donors to advance the objectives while contributing to the following high-level results:
- Increase in the number of tourists.
- Increase in the number of jobs in the tourism sector.
- Increase in tourism revenue.
- Increase in private sector-led investment and innovation in the tourism sector.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Activity Funds Assistant will support, in collaboration with the Activity Funds Manager and Activity Funds Director, overall administration of the Visit Tunisia’s three technical fund pools the Project Fund, Grants Fund, and Infrastructure Fund – which together constitute $30 million. The Activity Funds team is responsible for ensuring USAID regulations and Chemonics policies and procedures are followed throughout the design, solicitation, award, implementation, and close-out process for all grants and subcontracts activities. S/he will ensure compliance with USAID rules and regulations ADS 303 governing grants.
DETAILED RESPONSIBILITIES
- The Activity Funds Assistant will support all aspects of Activity Fund management, including liaising with technical teams, managing Funds activities, and ensuring compliance and documentation. He/she will ensure that activities and deliverables related to Fund objectives are achieved on schedule, in accordance with approved specifications and within the allocated budget;
- Analyzes, assesses, and assists with budgetary and financial aspects of solicitation proposals, recipient financial management capacities and needs, and disbursement of grants;
- Assists in financial and administrative tracking and monitoring of awards
- Facilitates selection committees/evaluation panels, and when needed drafts negotiation memos and subcontracts/grant agreements under the supervision of the Activity Funds Manager
- Oversees activities related to grant and subcontract solicitation and selection, award, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and close-outs;
- Ensures that all contract-specified regulatory requirements (e.g., ADS, CFR, and OMB for grants) are met in a satisfactory and professional manner;
- In consultation with the Activity Funds Manager and Activity Funds Director, creates and oversees overall policies, practices, and procedures relating to all aspects of the Activity Funds lifecycle;
- When necessary and appropriate, perform pre-award assessments to determine applicant management and technical capacity to administer grant awards;
- Effectively liaises between project staff and Fund recipients, and ensures that recipients are provided with suitable technical advice and assistance in the fields of management,
including financial management, financial sustainability, and advocacy, especially for grant awards;
- Monitors compliance of all agreements and procurements, ensuring proper reporting and documentations;
- Ensures the highest levels of honesty, integrity, openness and transparency in administering grant, subcontract, and procurement award processes and procedures;
- Ensures that grants-related files are maintained in a current and complete manner and are audit-ready at all times
QUALIFICATIONS
- B.A. degree in public administration, international relations, business, finance, or relevant field;
- Strong analytical skills and attention to detail required;
- Detailed knowledge of grants finance and subcontract budgeting for USAID or
donor projects, including USG regulations for compliance and oversight;
- Minimum two years’ experience with a USAID-funded project is strongly preferred; • Experience with ADS 303 and implementing USAID grants programs is strongly preferred; • Fluent English, Arabic, and French is required.
REPORTING:
The Activity Funds Assistant will report to the Activity Funds Manager.
LEVEL OF EFFORT AND PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
This position is long-term, on a full-time basis.
LOCATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT
This assignment will be based in Tunis, Tunisia with potential travel to regional locations pending project needs. The office maintains a five-day work week. Overtime is not authorized.