Awards Manager

The Awards Manager provides strategic leadership in award and portfolio management for development and humanitarian programme awards, sub-awards, and contracts. This role involves collaboration with multiple teams to ensure compliance, financial stewardship, and effective award lifecycle management, and includes leadership responsibilities during major humanitarian emergencies.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership in award and portfolio management ensuring efficient oversight of programme awards, sub-awards, and contracts.
• Collaborate with Programmes Teams, MEAL, Partnerships, Finance, Supply Chain, and donor-facing teams to ensure compliance and financial stewardship.
• Lead enhancement of internal systems, capacity building, and continuous improvement of award management functions.
• Take on additional leadership responsibilities during major humanitarian emergencies.
• Ensure compliance and risk management by overseeing adherence to donor rules and regulations and strengthening internal systems.
• Lead monitoring and analysis of grant and portfolio performance aligned with organizational goals and donor requirements.
• Advise senior management on trends, risks, and necessary interventions for grant effectiveness and operational efficiency.
• Ensure award management systems and processes are implemented with key controls for compliance.
• Facilitate regular award monitoring meetings and ensure performance tracking and risk management.
• Lead implementation of plans to address performance issues in coordination with senior management.
• Manage relationships with Global Teams and provide regular portfolio updates.
• Support teams to ensure contracts and amendments follow SCI processes and donor requirements.
• Ensure donor formats are available and understood by staff throughout the award cycle.
• Flag potential issues and amendment requests promptly for approval and donor communication.
• Ensure accurate AMS records and documentation for all awards.
• Oversee legal vetting and approval of partners and sub-award agreements and ensure donor requirements are understood by partners.
• Lead sub-award agreement amendment processes adhering to donor and office procedures.
• Provide regular management information to senior management and escalate issues as needed.
• Represent Awards function at senior management meetings providing strategic insights.
• Oversee donor reporting processes ensuring quality, timeliness, and auditability.
• Maintain effective communication with Save the Children members and donors.
• Lead award kick-off meetings to share award information with staff and partners.
• Coordinate award close-out processes ensuring timely closure of awards and sub-awards.
• Lead capacity building and training on award management procedures and donor requirements for staff and partners.
• Comply with Save the Children policies on child safeguarding, anti-harassment, code of conduct, health and safety, and equal opportunities.

Requirements

• Bachelor degree or a Diploma degree in Business Administration, Political Science, International Relations or Development, or any other related field.
• Strong written and oral English and Arabic communication skills.
• 7 to 9 years of relevant experience.
• Proven track record of in-country award portfolio management and knowledge of major donors’ compliance requirements.
• Experience communicating with impact in a complex stakeholder environment.
• Experience of staff management, supervision and capacity building.
• Proven track record of supporting a senior management team.
• Problem solving skills to identify and lead the resolution of issues.
• Computer literate (i.e. Word, advanced Excel, Outlook, financial systems).
• Cultural awareness and ability to build relationships quickly with a wide variety of people.
• Patient, flexible, able to improvise and communicate clearly and effectively under pressure.
• Excellent planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organize a workload comprised of varying and changing tasks and responsibilities.
• Experience with SCI AMS (desirable).
• Significant experience with NGOs in an international environment (desirable).

Skills

• Award Portfolio Management
• Donor Compliance
• Stakeholder Communication
• Staff Supervision
• Capacity Building
• Senior Management Support
• Problem Solving
• MS Word
• Advanced Microsoft Excel
• Outlook
• Financial Systems
• Cultural Awareness
• Workload Management
• Project Coordination
• SCI AMS
• NGO Experience
• Humanitarian Programme Management

Languages

English, Arabic