ThaiNGO

Overview:

Research Triangle Institute International is an independent nonprofit research institute and leading development organization headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA. RTI has worked in over 150 countries in the sectors of economic growth, governance, education, and health. A cornerstone of RTI’s work is strengthening the capacities of local partners and systems to increase local ownership and ensure that host country individuals and organizations have the skills and resources to achieve their missions and sustain their services in the long term.

Project Summary:

RTI International is seeking Grants Specialist candidates for the USAID/Burma Higher Education System Strengthening (BHESS) Activity —that will be implemented through April 2027. The project field office and 4-person team will be based out of Bangkok, Thailand. BHESS intends to utilize a locally led development approach to strengthen the non-state higher education sector in Burma by supporting alternative post-secondary education providers and ethnic Community/Junior Colleges. 

Job Summary:

The Grants Specialist reports directly to the Finance Manager. The post holder will support the grant-making process, including competition and selection, and then administer and monitor the grants., following up on compliance and working closely with subgrantees so their procedures and documentation align with standard accounting practices. 

Essential Duties on Grants Management:

• Support the development of grants manual and management for local organizations, including the grant proposal tracking, review, and approval process, and annual budgets and finances.
• Support the management of grants among local organizations/partners including development of grant proposals, grant review, and approval process.
• Support the management of the Grants Management System (GMS) facilitating the review and approval of grants application and grants file maintenance for the required grants reports.
• Support the grants post award activities including grantee monitoring and grant inventory management.
• In collaboration with the BHESS project team and/or the RTI home office grants team, conduct pre-award assessment of potential grantees to determine the level of risk and make recommendation to management.
• Ensure timely financial disbursements and compliance with grants financial management policies, monitor all grant expenses, and provide regular updates on expenditure and the status of grants that are in the pipeline.
• Review technical and financial proposals from local grantees, including negotiating annual budgets, and review grantee financial expenditure reports for accuracy and adherence to their SOW and budget.
• Monitor and document grantee performance and areas of capacity development.
• Coordinate or perform periodic evaluations of completed grantee projects and other duties as directed by the Technical and Operations Manager and/or the RTI home office grants team in order to assess compliance with grant agreements and implementation schedules.
• Review selection procedures to comply with grant agreements and detect and resolve implementation problems.
• Support the coordinate the execution of award documents (pre- award assessment, memorandum of negotiation, awards, modifications, etc.)
• Support the completion of grants packages and uploading in the Grants Management System and that grants status are updated in the GMS prior to regular deadline
• Maintain grant files including records on monitoring and evaluation and other quality
• control activities (financial, programmatic, proof of performance)
• Co- maintain financial management files for grants and ensures audit trail for all necessary grant documentation.
• Ensure timely financial disbursements, compliance with grants financial management policies, monitors all grant expenses, and provides regular updates on grant status.
• Co-manage grantees close-out for completed grants in timely manner.
• Other tasks as determined by the project.

Typical Education & Experience

Master’s degree and 1 year of experience or bachelor's degree and 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Essential Qualifications. Below are skills and abilities required to perform the essential duties of this job.

• Experience working for USAID-funded projects and knowledge of USAID grant regulations required.
• Experience with grants management or contracts to non-government organizations, civil society organizations, and academic.  Ability to resolve problem situations and communicate tactfully and effectively, both orally and in writing, and ability to work with diverse individuals.
• Ability to understand and interpret grant policies and procedures as well as the ability to apply them with consistency in a variety of circumstances.
• Ability to function independently and carry out routine responsibilities with minimal supervision.
• Must be able to communicate in English (written and oral).
• Ability to work well as a team player in a demanding environment.
• Ability to monitor progress of a project against milestones or deadlines, double-check the accuracy of information to discover weakness or missing data.
• Ability to hold confidential/sensitive information in strict confidence and exercise reasonable degree of care to prevent disclosure.  
• Availability to travel within Thailand.

Desirable

• Familiar with the International non-profit organizations working environment
• Knowledge of Burmese and Thai regulations preferred.
• Experience working in Burma strongly preferred.

Disclaimer

The above information in this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

We are looking to fill the position as soon as possible, so don’t wait to apply! To apply, please click here. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. For a successful candidate, reference checks will be performed.

Feel free to reach out to us at ssungboonleu@rti.org