The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) is an independent philanthropic organisation headquartered in London with offices in Nairobi, New Delhi, and in Ethiopia. CIFF works with a wide range of partners seeking to transform and empower the lives of poor and vulnerable children in developing countries.
This position, Senior Analyst, Grants- Africa, is offered as a 12 Month Fixed Term Contract (FTC) and is based in Nairobi. The role is crucial for ensuring effective grants management, compliance, and operational efficiency across CIFF's Africa portfolio. This position requires rigorous due diligence, precise grant closure execution, meticulous financial tracking, and continuous process improvement, working closely with programme teams, finance, and external partners.
Role’s Responsibilities
Strategy & Planning
- Support programme leads and operations teams to conduct due diligence assessments for prospective grantees in accordance with CIFF’s partnership due diligence guidelines.
- Ensure all due diligence documentation is correctly stored, tracked, and maintained in Fluxx, with clear audit trails.
Programme Development, Delivery & Performance
- Grant Closure Processes:
- Support programme and operations teams to complete closure requirements for expiring grants, including partner communication, documentation, and financial reconciliations.
- Coordinate the collection, verification, and archiving closure-related documentation, including final financial reports, safeguarding attestations, audit confirmations, legal status verification, and partner declarations.
- Prepare closure summaries and residual risk assessments to inform internal approvals and ensure all close-out actions are fully documented and compliant with CIFF’s internal standards.
- Track closure progress and flag risks or delays to relevant stakeholders.
- Complete due diligence reports and documentation for all assigned partners, and ensure that closure documentation is accurately filed and stored in Fluxx.
- Implement and manage weekly tracker of due diligence and closure status across all relevant grants.
Financial Tracking and Payment Coordination
- Manage coordination with finance and programme teams to ensure timely processing and follow-up of partner payments.
- Maintain up-to-date records in Fluxx to reflect payment progress and related documentation.
- Oversee the accuracy and completeness of the OPEX tracker, ensuring it aligns with financial reports and provides clear visibility of operational expenditures.
- Analyse expenditure patterns and highlight potential variances, risks, or budget implications to relevant stakeholders.
Process Improvement and Knowledge Management
- Identify systemic bottlenecks and propose process enhancements to improve efficiency, compliance, and partner experience.
- Lead the development and continuous improvement of templates, checklists, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Contribute to organisational learning by documenting lessons, trends, and recommendations for future portfolio planning.
Stakeholder and Partner Management
- Serve as the primary focal point supporting the Portfolio Finance Director on grant management, payment, and closure processes.
- Facilitate collaboration across programme, legal, and finance functions to ensure effective workflow, clear communication, and timely decision-making.
- Prepare summary reports, trackers, and management dashboards for internal review and leadership updates.
- Support internal and external audits, ensuring readiness and comprehensive documentation.
Skills & Experience
- Significant experience in grants management, due diligence, compliance, or programme operations in an international NGO, foundation, or donor agency.
- Strong understanding of the grant lifecycle, due diligence processes, financial tracking, and risk management frameworks.
- Proven ability to work with cross-functional teams and coordinate complex workflows under tight deadlines.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated attention to detail and process improvement mindset.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage senior leadership and external partners effectively.
- High proficiency with grant management systems (Fluxx experience preferred) and financial tracking tools.
- High level of discretion, integrity, and cultural sensitivity.
- Collaborative and adaptable, with the ability to work in a fast-paced, changing environment.
