Grants Management Senior Associate

The Grants Management Senior Associate provides operational support for all grants management processes throughout the project lifecycle, including calls for proposals, evaluation, selection, monitoring, and reporting. The role ensures integrity, quality, and compliance of grant-related transactions and supports capacity building for implementing partners.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the operational execution of Calls for Proposals, including compiling documentation, receiving submissions, managing eligibility screenings, and organizing background files for the Evaluation Committee
• Lead the preparation and drafting of standard grant agreements, amendments, and award documentation in alignment with UNOPS templates and policies for Officer/Manager approval
• Independently track and manage the complete grant lifecycle—from launch through implementation to operational and financial closure—ensuring compliance with milestone prerequisites, asset verification, and closeout protocols
• Perform detailed reviews and verifications of partner financial reports, expenditure statements, and supporting documentation against approved budgets and contractual terms, flagging discrepancies for Officer review
• Verify milestone completion and payment documentation, process payment requisitions in systems, and liaise with Finance teams to ensure timely disbursement
• Coordinate partner capacity assessments and financial audits; conduct initial due diligence reviews and draft preliminary findings on budget reallocation requests or red flags for Officer/Senior Officer determination
• Conduct routine monitoring of grantee progress reports (narrative and financial), verifying execution against approved work plans, indicators, and target milestones
• Conduct field visits and online monitoring sessions using established M&E tools to verify on-the-ground operational progress and compliance
• Identify project delivery delays, compliance bottlenecks, or budget variances, and formulate operational risk logs and proposed adjustments for Manager review
• Serve as the primary focal point for grantees on operational matters, providing practical guidance on UNOPS financial rules, reporting templates, and administrative procedures
• Facilitate orientation sessions and capacity-building workshops for grantees on grant compliance, reporting requirements, and financial documentation
• Maintain and oversee the real-time integrity of data in the Grant Management System, tracking tools, and digital repositories
• Consolidate portfolio performance data and operational KPIs to draft preliminary inputs for project dashboards, donor progress reports, and briefing notes

Requirements

• A Bachelor's Degree preferably in Business Administration, Project Management, Economics, Social Science, Development Studies, Finance, or any other related fields is required
• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) preferably in Business Administration, Project Management, Economics, Social Science, Development Studies, Finance, or any other related fields is an added advantage
• At least two (3) years of experience in project support, operations support, and grant management with the first degree or one (1) year of experience with a masters degree
• Experience of working with civil society is desired
• Experience of working in the development and humanitarian sector/working with UN, Donors and NGOs is desired
• Demonstrated experience in conducting financial and budget analysis
• Experience in project support functions (finance, human resources, procurement & logistics) is desired
• Experience with internet navigation and office applications (Google Workspace) is desired
• Fluent proficiency in English is required
• Fluent proficiency in Sinhala is required
• Fluent proficiency in Tamil is required

Skills

• Grants Management
• Project Support
• Operations Support
• Financial Analysis
• Budget Analysis
• Grant Monitoring
• Grant Reporting
• Capacity Building
• Civil Society Engagement
• Development Sector Expertise
• Humanitarian Sector Expertise
• Donor Relations
• NGO Collaboration
• Procurement Support
• Logistical Support
• Google Workspace
• Internet Navigation

Languages

English, Sinhala, Tamil