Careers

The Tanzania Environmental Sustainability Trust (the Trust) is recruiting a Programme Manager to assist in overseeing the Trust’s grantmaking, grantee and project supervision, and monitoring and evaluation, under the authority of the Chief Executive Officer. The Programme Manager is a member of the Trust’s Secretariat senior management team, functions as the principal assistant to the CEO, and plays a key role in the resource mobilization efforts of the Trust.

Background

The Trust is a newly established, nation-wide non-profit independent institution whose purpose is to serve as a catalyst for mobilizing long-term sustainable financing for the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of natural resources, and mitigation of and adaptation to climate change challenges in Tanzania. Its primary role is managing donor funds and making grants to Tanzanian entities to implement activities which further its purposes. It intends to play a significant role in managing private sector offset funding required as a consequence of industry activity, as well as managing funding streams from donor organizations who require these funds to be managed by non-profit and independent entities. It is governed by a multi-sector Board of Trustees and intends to maintain close relationships with relevant government departments and assist the nation in meeting its national, regional and global environmental and climate obligations.

Responsibilities

The Programme Manager is the line manager charged with grant and project management, serving as the main interface between the Trust and grantees/project implementers. S/he is responsible for ensuring that the Trust’s grantmaking processes follow approved policies and are in line with the Trust’s commitments and contract obligations to funders, and acts as the main pragmatic resolver of problems that arise during project implementation. The Programme Manager is bound by the Trust’s policies with respect to conflict of interest.

1. Grantmaking procedures

• Develop an intimate understanding of the Trust’s Grants Manual and other policies and procedures related to grantmaking and contracting for project implementation.
• Lead in developing grant competitions, calls for proposals, informational materials, application and budget templates, timelines and submission processes, and related documents for CEO approval.
• Lead in answering questions and clarifying terms and conditions. Ensure application processes are operational, that submissions are cataloged and acknowledged, and that application/applicant confidentiality is maintained as required.
• Assess applications in accordance with the terms of the grant competition and general and grant-specific policies, procedures and criteria. Obtain additional information as directed by the CEO, grants committee or other authority, including due diligence materials.

2. Grant management

• Serve as the default Grants Officer on all Trust grants and contracts for programmatic outcomes.
• Monitor compliance with grant/contract terms and notify the CEO of failure or probable failure on the part of a grantee/contractor.
• Monitor grantee/contractor activities in the field with regular visits.
• Review and comment on grantee interim and final reports in a timely manner and report concerns to the CEO.
• Serve as the main point of contact for grantees/contractors reporting difficulties or seeking variance on grant terms or conditions, and inform the CEO.
• Supervise contracted outside parties (chiefs of party, project managers, project/programme consultants) as assigned.
• Supervise Programme Assistants/Officers as assigned.

3. Monitoring, evaluation and learning

• Serve as the Trust’s lead with respect to monitoring, evaluation and learning from grants and contracts, providing regular reports on lessons learned regarding grantmaking, grantee selection, project design, impact and related matters.
• Supervise MEL specialists as assigned.
• Manage and use knowledge gained from the Trust’s funded projects to inform the continuous improvement of the Trust’s funding strategy, and communicate Trust programme information to key stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience with grant and/or project management, particularly environmental grantmaking involving international funding partners (bilateral agencies, UNDP).
• Deep understanding of strategies for safeguarding biodiversity and climate change adaptation — or a demonstrated ability to quickly master key concepts and strategies — including mitigation and offsets (the mitigation hierarchy), payment for ecosystem services, and carbon markets.
• Ability to travel, often to remote locations under difficult circumstances, to monitor grantee/contract activities, project impacts and similar developments.
• Strong writing skills and the ability to produce clear, compelling reports, assessments and evaluations.
• Strong understanding of project budgets and grantee financial reporting, including the main ways in which grant funds are misused or diverted.
• Strong people and problem-resolution skills. Fluency in English and Kiswahili.