Grant Manager - Field Investment Fund

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Job description

Starting Date: 01.02.2022

Contract type: Open ended contract

Salary: 95,000CHF, £52,000, ₹24,84,000(depending on skills and experience)

Location: Geneva (Switzerland), London (UK) or Delhi (India)

Application closing date: Midnight CET 19.12.2021

Background

Better Cotton is the world's largest cotton sustainability programme. Our mission: to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. In challenging times, we are meeting the challenge head on. Through our network of field-level partners we have trained over 2.5 million farmers - from the smallest to the largest - in 23 countries in more sustainable farming practices. A quarter of the world's cotton is now grown under the Better Cotton Standard. We have united the industry's stakeholders behind our efforts, from ginners and spinners to brand owners, civil society organisations and governments. Everyone who cares about cotton and its sustainable future can now be part of something better.

The Better Cotton Growth and Innovation Fund (Better Cotton GIF or the Fund) is a global programme designed to support Better Cotton in achieving its goals and reaching cotton farming communities that need the most support. The focus of the Fund is field-level investment. The Fund invests in sustainable farming practices, training and capacity building, data collection and research to benefit farmers, farm workers and the environment.

About this role

As Grants Manager you will work closely with a portfolio of implementation partners that Better Cotton GIF funds. You will assess applications for funding, review project reports, manage the Fund's relationship with these organisations and, together with the Programmes team, play a key role in recommending what funding and support should be committed to them. The ideal candidate will have lived in South Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa or visited them extensively. If you have a particular expertise in gender, climate change, soil health, pesticides, or smallholder livelihoods, that would be an enormous advantage.

This challenging role offers excellent opportunities for personal and professional development, together with a competitive benefits package.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with Better Cotton GIF team to manage GIF grant-making workflow and calendar, including:

Coordinating application processes, including managing incoming grant proposals.
Assessing grant applications to the Better Cotton GIF- analysing the quality and potential impact of proposals and organisational viability; obtaining appropriate advice and references; reaching a judgement or recommendation for submission to the Field Impact and Investment Committee and handling relationships throughout the process until the application is either successful or declined
Supporting regular meetings of the Field Impact and Investment Committee which is responsible for approving the investment portfolio
Preparing and sending funding agreement letters to grantee partners
Managing and monitoring grants, through the review of reports and project visits

Maintain the GIF grant management database (Salesforce): Ensuring that all grant and grantee information is entered consistently and accurately. Generating reports and dashboards for the programme and finance teams. Regularly proposing ways to better track grants, budgets, and managing the database
Collaboratively evaluate, develop, implement new and refresh ways of managing the Fund's workflows, processes, and procedures to improve efficiency and accuracy.
Capturing and analysing information on the delivery of programmes and reporting on progress to the relevant stakeholders
Work closely with the Better Cotton Programmes country teams to support their relationships with GIF partners, through coordination around grant management and programme review processes.
Support the Monitoring and Evaluation team to ensure that MEL processes are effectively used with partners and learnings integrated into programme implementation
Keep abreast with developments in the cotton/environment sectors to inform the Fund's future grant programmes

The role is expected to evolve in line with Better Cotton Field Fund priorities.

Profile

The selected candidate will have the following skills, knowledge, and experience:

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

Degree in Agronomy, International Development, Anthropology or other relevant subject, or equivalent work experience

Considerable grant management experience gained in the not-for-profit sector

Experience of rural development, gained through project or grants management of projects in SS Africa or South Asia

Effective in developing relationships with organisations at all levels - and with the personal credibility, communication and analytical skills to provide advice and support on the challenges they face

Cross-cultural understanding and perspective and the ability to communicate with, and learn from, a wide range of partners and colleagues

Resourceful and proactive, with initiative and a problem-solving disposition.

Good understanding of logframes and other project design tools

Proven track record of an organised and methodical approach to work, combining numerical accuracy with attention to detail and an ability to meet deadlines

Strong IT skills, including word processing, use of spreadsheets, use of databases to process information and electronic communications.

An ability to work creatively and flexibly in a small team, supporting other colleagues, and with a strong personal commitment to learning and improvement

A commitment to the aims of Better Cotton

Desirable

Expertise in smallholder agriculture

Experience reviewing budgets and financial reports.

Experience of providing support to partners on organisational development

Working arrangements

The position is full-time (40 hours per week) and will be based in the Geneva, London or Delhi office. Better Cotton offers flexible working, with core hours being 10 am - 4 pm and the option to work from home one day per week (or more depending on Covid).

The position will require limited travel to countries funded by the GIF. These currently comprise: India, Pakistan, Turkey, Mozambique and Mali.

Applications

Interested applicants with the required attributes are asked to send a detailed CV (2 pages maximum) and a motivational letter (2 pages maximum), in English, by email to with the subject: "Application - Fund Grant Manager" by midnight CET 19.12.21 at the latest. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and first interviews will take place before the deadline, so early submission is recommended.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Better Cotton is currently unable to provide sponsorship for work permits, and candidates need to have a pre-existing right to work in the location where they will be based.

Better Cotton is an equal opportunities employer committed to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human and financial resources.