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Since we started in 1981, we’ve remained resolutely focused on tackling these three essentials that transform people’s lives.

Without all three, people can’t live dignified, healthy lives. With all three, they can unlock their potential, break free from poverty, and change their lives for good. Children grow up healthy and strong, women and men get to earn a living, whole communities start to thrive. It sounds normal and it should be.

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Funding Manager

Team description

WaterAid Liberia has recently completed its 2023-2028 Country Programme Strategy (CPS) which sets a 5-year building block towards delivering a more influencing-led programme over the strategy period. This new CPS does not only build on progress from previous CPS but also outlines key shifts in strategic focus required for a more catalyzed change to achieve maximum impact from our work in Liberia.

The Management team will support fundraising and the building of partnerships with donors, government, private sector, and civil society organizations as well as ensure compliance to donor requirements for the effective management of secured grants.

Job purpose

The Funding Manager will support the Country Programme (CP)’s efforts at forging strategic partnerships, mobilizing adequate financial resources, and properly managing grants from diverse sources. In particular, the role will lead development of a fundraising strategy for the Country Programme; gather and analyze strategic donor intelligence; build effective liaisons with academia, private, for profit and non-profit entities, and multilateral/bilateral funding institutions that will translate into project development and funding of projects. The role will also be responsible for ensuring that project implementation and reporting are in compliance with donor contract conditions, etc. The post holder will be expected to build strong and effective collaborations with colleagues in WaterAid Liberia, WaterAid West Africa Region, WaterAid International Member Countries, Partner Organisations, and a wide range of stakeholders to achieve success.

Fundraising

• Develop the fundraising strategy and plans required to deliver WaterAid Liberia’s overall strategy.
• Maintain close and effective collaborations with WaterAid Liberia colleagues, WaterAid member fundraising teams, the Regional Funding Manager, and Global Funding Managers to scope opportunities to meet WaterAid Liberia funding requirements and coordinate development and implementation of the plans to realize the opportunities.
• Coordinate donor intelligence, funding analysis, identification, and filtering of opportunities to meet CP funding requirements and the timely production of technically sound and competitive proposals in response to these as agreed with the Country Director and the SMT.
• Initiate and coordinate fundraising engagements, campaigns, and events with multi-stakeholders including in-country and external private for-profit and non-profit entities, charities, philanthropic, corporations, and multilateral /bilateral funding sources to maximize new engagement and funding opportunities.
• Maintain clear communication channels with donors; Regional funding manager and with member country fundraising teams when approaching new donors and managing existing ones, sharing information to maximize donor engagement opportunities globally.
• Lead all funding proposal development activities and contracting processes in WAL, including coordination of the Programme/Policy, Finance, and People teams inputs and provide quality assurance of project proposals and budgets.
• Respond effectively to information requests from donors or member country fundraising teams, maintaining a clear record of reasons for proceeding with or rejecting opportunities
• Ensure all WaterAid proposal review protocols are completed and in line with gold standards for fundraising.

Grant and Contract Management

• In collaboration with colleagues, assure good relationship with Funders is maintained by WaterAid Liberia. Act as the main point of contact for the Funder, Regional Funding Manager, Global Fundraising Managers, and member country fundraising teams by responding to queries in a timely effective manner.
• Work collaboratively, and support and challenge the Programmes, Finance, and People Teams and Partners to ensure all contractual funding requirements are met and delivered on time. Keep up to date with local and international donor policies and communicate these as widely as required.
• Identify through early warning mechanisms, potential risks and work with other CP team members to develop and implement risk management plans for donor-contract funded programmes; escalate any major risk issue to SMT as may be necessary with recommendations of an appropriate course of action. Work with team members to identify associated project risks and ensure plans for mitigation are communicated to the CP Senior Management Team (SMT), Regional Funding Manager, members of the fundraising teams, and funder in good time. Coordinate planning for any mitigation strategies to respond to contract risks and propose changes to be requested from the funder concerned as necessary.
• Support and coordinate the delivery of funder reporting requirements (including the development of a clear reporting schedule) with the Programmes and Finance teams to ensure all reporting is timely, accurate, and fully meets funder requirements and internal WaterAid requirements. Ensure quality assurance for all reports.
• Conduct fundraising capacity analysis to identify any gaps (internal WaterAid capacity or partner capacity) related to fundraising and work in collaboration with relevant teams to develop and implement learning and capacity-building activities to enhance CP’s ability to adequately fundraise.
• Ensure the maintenance of an effective contract and document management system and process are functioning in line with donor and WaterAid audit requirements. Ensure appropriate funder management systems and processes are in place in compliance with WaterAid policy and practice.
• Support the Finance and IT Manager to complete funding forecasts, accurately identify funding gaps, manage matching funding obligations, and track expenditure against grant commitments.
• Be accountable for ensuring that project implementation and reporting are in compliance with donor contract conditions etc.

Cross organization collaboration

• Contribute actively to building a culture of learning and knowledge management across the organization. Encourage effective documentation and sharing of learning through workshops, seminars, exposure visits, sharing meetings, etc.
• Be an active member of the WAL and work in different taskforces, working committees, networks, alliances, workshops, and meetings as assigned; contribute to reflection, analysis, and translate strategic direction to operational actions to achieve country programme goals.
• Promote interaction and collaboration between departments.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• University/Masters level degree in International Development, Business, Marketing, or other related discipline.
• Minimum of five (5) years post-qualification work experience of which at least three (3) years should be in the management of institutional funding especially with leading donors.
• Prior experience in developing a fundraising strategy at a country/regional level.
• Strong network within donor communities and the private sector.
• Prior experience leading a fundraising or business development team in an organizational context with a similar profile as WaterAid Liberia.
• Prior experience of institutional fundraising.
• Strong proposal writing and coordination skills and the ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Strong experience in reviewing, monitoring, and reporting against funder contracts.
• Experience of effective risk management including the ability to identify problems or risks and develop effective and timely mitigation measures or solutions.
• Ability to develop and review complex proposal budgets.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills. Including excellent report-writing skills, and the ability to communicate information and ideas effectively.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills with experience of developing and cultivating business development contacts and relationships.
• Experience working in a matrix management structure.
• Attention to detail and ability to produce quality high-quality and accurate documentation.
• Effectively plan, prioritize, and coordinate the work of others in the team and other teams toward meeting tight proposal timelines.
• Proven experience in building and successfully maintaining strong working relationships internally and with external funders.
• Ability to work autonomously with minimum supervision and can work under pressure to competing demands.
• Ability to resolve conflicts as required and negotiate effectively with others.
• Strong initiative, with a willingness to take on new responsibilities and challenges.

Commitment to WaterAid’s values and a working style that reflects these.

Apply

Kindly apply by sending your CV and cover letter to recruitmentwli@wateraid.org by January 19, 2024. The subject line of your email should read “Application – Funding Manager”

Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

WaterAid believes in a fair and transparent recruitment process. It however reserves the right to accept or reject any application.

Please note: to apply for this role you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in Liberia.

No recruitment agencies, please