Tunisia Job Opportunities and Business Success (JOBS)
SCOPE OF WORK
Title: Grants and Subcontracts Director
Length of Assignment: Long-Term
Reports to: Operations and Finance Team Leader
1. BACKGROUND
The purpose of the USAID-funded Jobs, Opportunities & Business Success project (JOBS) is to create jobs in Tunisia on a sustainable basis by (1) providing targeted assistance to Tunisian businesses, especially SMEs, to expand their sales and/or exports enabling them to expand and hire additional workers; (2) enhance work force development by reducing the education/training gap between what the university and vocational training systems provide and the actual needs of Tunisian businesses; (3) promote a more effective business enabling environment by working with the public and private sectors to promote policy and regulatory reforms; and, (4) communicate to Tunisians, especially youth, a sense of the importance of market-led economic growth and entrepreneurship, as well as vocational education as an apt career choice.
JOBS also aspires to have project stakeholders and Tunisians at large understand and be aware of USAID’s contribution to these objectives through the JOBS project.
2. POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Grants and Subcontracts Director will be responsible for the contractual and administrative implementation of all programmatic activities that include, but are not limited to, supporting local firms in Tunis and throughout the region with Business Enabling opportunities that increase private sector success, economic growth and job creation. S/he will work with a wide-range of partners, including private sector firms, ministries, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and other entities. Under the supervision of the Operations and Finance Team Leader. S/he will ensure compliance with USAID rules and regulations ADS 303 governing grants and ensure subcontracts and negotiation memos are drafted in accordance with Chemonics’ policies, procedures, and best practices. S/he will be the primary focal point for the implementation of all grants and Subcontracts instruments. Grants and Subcontracts will involve close collaboration with the Component Team Leaders and their strategic technical teams, and very close collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL team) to ensure activity results under grants and subcontract interventions are properly measured and tracked. S/he will
ensure inputs are being delivered according to established work plans. The Grants and Subcontracts Director will also work with the COP, DCOP, and technical specialists to incorporate lessons learned from program implementation into new activity developments. This is a high-level management position to support the Team Leader in meeting the demands of senior leadership. JOBS is a large program-reaching upwards of 100 staff members with 5 regional offices.
3. DETAILED RESPONSIBILITIES
Grants Management
The principal tasks to be completed under this SOW are as follows:
- Responsible for the contractual and administrative management, implementation, and close-out of all
activities under JOBS’ four components. The Director will be responsible for leading the drafting of
the Grants APS or RFA required to compete and selection grantee applicants.
- Coordinate closely with the Operations and Finance Team Leader when questions arise between the
field office, home office, and partners regarding grant compliance and negotiation;
- Establishes and revises, as deemed necessary, the systems and procedures for grant agreement
execution (from solicitation to award, payments and close out), and provides appropriate guidance
and training to technical specialists to foster clear understanding of the grant procedures, and of their
roles and responsibilities on the implementation and management of grants under contract;
- Serves on Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) meetings as required to review and approve grant
activities. Spearheads effective interactions between the grants team and the technical team at the
beginning of the award process in order to ensure the soundness of all background documents and
materials for the effective execution of grant agreements;
- Responsible for organizing and tracking activity documentation and ensures grants compliance with
USAID rules and regulations
- Leads the SAF Managers in the creation of tools, such as, a grants disbursement tracker to ensure the
tracking of grants.
- Supports the SAF Managers in the execution of grant agreements and ensure the proper closure of all
activities.
- Responsible for the monitoring of individual grant budgets to ensure availability of funds;
- Develops and submits to the Operations and Finance Team Leader, regular reports on grants
activities, including analysis of issues, constraints and bottlenecks, documentation of lessons learned,
and description of corrective measures taken during the reporting period or proposed for future
actions.
- Works with the Operations and Finance Team Leader to determines the most reasonable, fair and
expeditious procurement option for each item procured, in compliance with Chemonics and USAID
policies and procedures, and the JOBS Grants Manual.
- Monitors contracts and purchase orders issued to vendors to ensure compliance to terms and
conditions.
- Reviews and finalizes RFPs in cooperation with JOBS’ Team Leaders to ensure compliance with
USAID policies and procedures.
- Reviews applications, evaluates the cost application for cost realism and cost effectiveness, finalizes
grant documents, and manages and monitors the grants approvals;
- Supports the Operations and Finance Team Leader in reviewing and analyzing budget estimates for
reasonableness, and consistency;
- Performs pre-award determinations of applicant management and technical capacities to administer
grant awards responsibly and advise on how to enhance recipient capabilities as necessary and
appropriate;
- Reviews how the grantees manage procurement, source, origin, inventory, care, maintenance and
disposition of grant purchased equipment, and assists in improving their processes, as necessary;
- Empowers the SAF Managers to lead trainings and management of grants and build capacity in grants
lifecycle management.
Subcontract Management
- Oversees procurement requirements and ensures compliance with corporate policies, contractual requirements, US Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), and any other applicable policies and regulations;
- The Director will be responsible for reviewing the draft RFP/RFQs before they are released to properly compete vendors and subcontractors.
- Reviews all neg memos and subcontracts produced by the SAF Managers, prior to execution.
- Provides oversight support to SAF Managers as they work directly with local, regional or international vendors and service providers to obtain quotations and/or initiate procurements of requested commodities and services;
- Monitors contracts and purchase orders issued to vendors and follow up as necessary to ensure compliance to contract terms and conditions;
- Reviews subcontract deliverables and confirms deliverables are in accordance with contract terms and conditions;
- Provides procurement status reports to the Operations and Finance Team Leader.
- Provides training to project staff in procurement and subcontract policies and procedures;
- Ensures that procurement requests are conducted in a timely manner;
- Ensures that procurement and subcontract-related files are maintained in a current and complete manner and are audit-ready at all times.
- Performs other project duties as assigned by the Operations and Finance Team Leader.
5. LEVEL OF EFFORT AND PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
Long-term, full-time.
6. LOCATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The assignment will be in Tunis, Tunisia.
7. SUPERVISION AND REPORTING
The Grants and Subcontracts Director will report to the Operations and Finance Team Leader and will
directly supervise the SAF Managers with an overall team of 7-8 staff.