Land
O’Lakes International Development is a division of Land O’Lakes, Inc., a U.S.
food and agricultural cooperative that implements humanitarian and economic
development activities for donor agencies and is inviting applications from
suitably qualified candidates to fill the positions of:
Grants and Contracts Manager
The Position
The Grants and Contracts Manager will help identify, contract and manage contractors and service providers who will provide technical support to our partners in the field.
The position is part of a USAID-funded cooperative development project funded
from Washington, DC, implemented in East Africa currently in Kenya and Uganda
(75% Kenya, 25% Uganda).Grants and Contracts Manager
The Position
The Grants and Contracts Manager will help identify, contract and manage contractors and service providers who will provide technical support to our partners in the field.
The Grants and Contracts Manager will be responsible for negotiating and contracting terms with the various consultants as well as liaising with the project technical team to ensure deliverables are accepted.
A significant component will be direct technical assistance to business partners, mostly cooperatives, in the form of grants and professional service contracts.
The role of the Grants and Contracts Manager is to coordinate the smooth procurement, contracting, and tracking of these services.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Coordinate
and collaborate with Land O’Lakes Contracts and Compliance, Operations,
and the Project Manager to execute the field implementation of grants and
contracts.
- Customize
procedures to ensure a fair and transparent grant and contracting process.
- Prepare
scopes of work in collaboration with CDP staff and collaborating partners.
- Prepare
requests for applications in collaboration with CDP staff and
collaborating partners and/or market tenders using media and project
website.
- Negotiate
terms of contracts and ensure deliverable schedules are met and approved.
- Conduct
oversight and monitoring of contracts and grants to ensure activities and
deliverables are produced according to schedule, and in a high-quality
manner.
- Oversee
payments in collaboration with the regional office or Headquarters.
Position Requirements
- Previous
experience in U.S. Government grants, agreements and/ or contracts
preferred.
- Experience
working on diverse teams working in several countries preferred.
- Business,
Finance or Accounting Degree and/or post-graduate qualification in
accounting plus three years previous experience.
This is a part-time position, approximately 20 hours/week for
the first two months, and 10-20 hours/week for the remaining position term.
The work schedule is flexible with required weekly meetings.
Nairobi office space will be provided during training, and for weekly check-in meetings.
The position is currently a 36 month position.
Future opportunities with Land O’Lakes will depend on upcoming projects in the region.
Project Coordinator
The Position
Land O’Lakes International Development seeks a Kenya-based Project Coordinator for a USAID-funded Cooperative Development Project in East Africa.
The project aims to increase farmer access to self-reliant cooperative enterprises that meet the evolving needs of their members and contribute to improved quality of life for members, especially women, through the formation and increased competitiveness of self-sustaining horizontally and/or vertically integrated dairy cooperatives.
Applicants should have experience providing strategic leadership, technical and managerial direction required for successful projects. This position will report directly to the US-based project manager.
Duties and Responsibilities
Project Implementation
The work schedule is flexible with required weekly meetings.
Nairobi office space will be provided during training, and for weekly check-in meetings.
The position is currently a 36 month position.
Future opportunities with Land O’Lakes will depend on upcoming projects in the region.
Project Coordinator
The Position
Land O’Lakes International Development seeks a Kenya-based Project Coordinator for a USAID-funded Cooperative Development Project in East Africa.
The project aims to increase farmer access to self-reliant cooperative enterprises that meet the evolving needs of their members and contribute to improved quality of life for members, especially women, through the formation and increased competitiveness of self-sustaining horizontally and/or vertically integrated dairy cooperatives.
Applicants should have experience providing strategic leadership, technical and managerial direction required for successful projects. This position will report directly to the US-based project manager.
Duties and Responsibilities
Project Implementation
- In
partnership with key project staff and stakeholders, ensure project’s
strategic objectives and results are fully accomplished and meet expected
technical quality standards. Develop relationships with key industry
actors.
- Ensure
that project plans are innovative and align with project strategies and
work plans. This will include oversight of project monitoring and
evaluation to ensure learning is documented and used to improve the
project where possible.
- In
collaboration with project manager, provide guidance and technical oversight
to partners and other collaborating agencies to capture lessons learned
and best practices to be documented and disseminated.
- With
project staff, ensure the delivery of quality training, technical
assistance and administrative and financial support to all partner
agencies, including the selection and coordination of consultants.
Management
- Ensure
accurate and timely reporting of project field finances and progress
status; participate in monthly finance review with project manager
evaluating actual financial performance against the budget, and explain
variances on a regular basis.
- Ensure
staff compliance with all administrative and operational procedures and
policies, as well as applicable USAID regulations.
- Develop
key relationship with government counterparts, local organizations and
project partners.
- Ensure
a high level of communication and close working relationships with USAID
and project partners.
Position Requirements
- Minimum
of a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree strongly preferred, in dairy
processing, economics, finance, planning, or an advanced degree in a
related field.
- 10
years of overall experience with a minimum of five years of relevant
experience in East Africa.
- Knowledge
and experience in the dairy sector in East Africa, and in Uganda and Kenya
specifically, is strongly desired.
- Experience
with project Monitoring and Evaluation required, familiarity with USAID
M&E preferred.
- Prior
experience managing geographically dispersed teams is preferred. Fluency
in both written and spoken English required.
Future opportunities with Land O’Lakes will depend on the project portfolio.
Application Instructions
1) Interested candidates must submit their application letters and detailed CVs with three traceable references to: recruit.CD3@idd.landolakes.com. Please do not attach files greater than 1 MB (copies of certificates will be requested later in the recruiting process).
2) The email’s subject line must include the title of the position for which you are applying.
3) Applications must be received by midnight 23 January 2012 (Nairobi time).
Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Failure to follow the instructions above may result in disqualification from the recruitment process.
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