Subawards and Finance Coordinator

About the job

Overview

Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has over 30 years’ experience assisting governments, communities, and the private sector. As a not-for-profit, independent research institute based in North Carolina, USA, RTI has roughly 6,000 employees with global experience implementing international development projects. RTI's Sustainable Growth & Resilience (SG&R) technical unit within the International Development Group brings together RTI experts and capabilities across food security, agriculture, energy, environment, water, governance, and economic opportunity. SG&R will leverage RTI's experience designing and delivering multisectoral programming and technical solutions to respond to climate change, build resilience, and promote economic growth around the world.

SG&R’s Global Food Security and Agriculture portfolio is working to strengthen agricultural markets, engage youth and women as critical leaders in the workforce, address climate change, and tackle the dual burden of malnutrition around the globe. RTI’s work is helping foster stronger food systems, build resilience to climate and man-made shock, and engage the next generation of local leaders. RTI is currently partnering on nearly 30 projects in East Africa, including activities focused on private sector-driven agricultural growth in Rwanda and market systems development in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Project Description

The purpose of the USAID/Ethiopia Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Activity is to enable timely anticipatory and early action to preempt crises and reduce the impact of shocks in Ethiopia by strengthening disaster risk management (DRM) planning and preparedness, improving DRM coordination, and enhancing resource mobilization and management. The activity will also strengthen gender in emergencies (GiE) capacity, increase private sector engagement in DRM, and expand local organizations' capacity to engage in DRM.

Position Description

RTI is seeking a Subawards and Finance Coordinator in Ethiopia for the Ethiopia DRM Activity. The Subawards and Finance Coordinator will be responsible for helping manage subawards to implement activities as well as ensure financial management and reporting in compliance with USAID rules and regulations.

This position will be based in Semera, Afar, Ethiopia, and will report to the DRM Regional Manager - Afar.

Responsibilities

• Support the administration and assignation of general funding for sub-awards, implemented by local researchers and institutions that address global and country-specific learning questions.
• Support program team on sub-award-related budget information and inputs as contributes to overall award and budget management.
• Implement the subawards management program in coordination with the project technical staff and the RTI Office of Contracts.
• Implement the sub-award plan, process and approaches in compliance with the project Subawards Manual and USAID rules and regulations.
• Support the coordination of the subaward co-creation process and the efforts to continuously identify potential subawards (including new and underutilized partners).
• Prepare the sub-award package for client approval as appropriate and, upon client approval, prepare the sub-award package and any future modifications for the Project Director as per the delegation of authority.
• Maintained sub-award files and verified all the required certifications and documents needed for sub-award implementation, management, and audits.
• Prepare requests for advance payments for the sub-awards as applicable.
• Ensure timely financial disbursements and compliance with sub-award financial management policies monitor all sub-award expenses, track progress against milestones, and provide regular updates on sub-award status.
• Ensure liquidation of completed subawards.
• Provide technical assistance as appropriate under the project Technical Capacity Strengthening Plan for subawards.
• Support after-action reviews to identify research and operational refinements for future subawards.
• Administer and coordinate any procurements for the project team and as required under subawards.
• Prepare monthly tracking sheet and deliver analysis on various aspects of each sub-grant.
• Post financial reports.
• Review all partner financial reports.
• Ensure partner financial reports, modifications, filing, and tracker are being closed and updated on time by all officers/senior officers.
• Provide the Monitoring and Evaluation team with updates on activities for various reports.
• Ensure all documents related to the implementation of subawards are properly filed and retained.
• Support other procurement and accounting functions and procedures at the regional office level as required

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and 5 years of experience, master’s degree and 3 years of experience.
• Proven ability to work under pressure, and with multiple concurrent demands.
• Demonstrated knowledge, skills, and/or experiences in management, administration, planning, budgeting, finance and/or accounting, reporting and ensuring compliance of internal control systems.
• Experience working with and providing guidance to project partners and subcontractors regarding the subcontracting process.
• Previous experience of working on USAID programs is strongly desired.
• Excellent management, communication, and organizational skills (attention to detail is required); flexibility and capacity to multi-task.
• Verbal and written fluency in English, Amharic, and Afar is required.
• Ability to travel and work throughout Ethiopia in difficult terrain/conditions at times.

Apply