Associate Manager - Grants-Associate Manager

Key skills

Market Analysis

Project Management

Donor Intelligence

Grants Management

Reports

MIS

Additional/Preferred Skills

Cross-Cultural Communication

CRM

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree

Associate Manager – Grants

ICRISAT seeks applications from dynamic and professional personnel for the position of “Associate Manager –  Grants”. The incumbent will be responsible for the Post-Award Grant Management responsibilities and will work closely with the Grants Manager.  The position is based in India and will support our Business Development activities globally. The incumbent will report directly to the Director – Business Development.

ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. Covering 6.5 million square kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi- arid or dryland tropics has over 2 billion people and 644 million of these are the poorest of the poor. ICRISAT and its partners help empower these disadvantaged populations to overcome poverty, hunger and a degraded environment through better agricultural production systems.

ICRISAT is headquartered at Patancheru near Hyderabad, India, with two regional hubs and eight country offices in sub-Saharan Africa. ICRISAT envisions a prosperous, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics. Its mission is to reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation in the dryland tropics. ICRISAT conducts research on its mandate crops of chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet in the arid and semi-arid tropics. The Institute focuses its work on the drylands and in protecting the environment. Tropical dryland areas are usually seen as resource-poor and perennially beset by shocks such as drought, thereby trapping dryland communities in poverty and hunger and making them dependent on external aid. Please visit – www.icrisat.org

Responsibilities:

• Review, process and submission of project reports (both email, hardcopy and online submission) to donors, adhering to due dates and following internal procedures;

• Alert the respective Principal Investigators (PIs) on due financial and technical reports

• Thoroughly check all the documents and reports, editing, and formatting, liaise with the PIs for any additional inputs, if needed.

• Follow up with PIs to ensure timely submission of reports.

• Coordinate with finance colleagues on financial reports to be submitted along with the technical reports, invoices, audited statements, review of audit questionnaires, etc.

• Manage and enhance our CRM system to serve as a centralized platform for managing our relationships with our donors and partners.

• Support the coordination of resource mobilization initiatives and activities, including the development of grants management tools to ensure the effective engagement of stakeholders in raising resources for the institute.

• Collate data on donor intelligence and mapping to assist the Business Development Unit in devising effective resource mobilization and fundraising strategies.

• Contribute to the generation of Management Information Systems (MIS) reports on project pipelines, grants and contracts periodically, as required by the management.

• Advise research programs and working groups on relevant donor requirements/compliance, potential funding opportunities, changes in donor priorities, and ensure quality grant management for all related projects.

• Support the other Business Development Unit staff in business development activities.

• Any other responsibility as directed by the Director, Business Development.

Competencies:

• Ability to deal tactfully under pressure, deliver under tight schedules, and maintain a high degree of confidentiality.

• Works well with others, is self-motivated.

• Ability to closely liaise with donors and partners at all levels.

• Ability to interact with leaders and staff of the different units.

• Ability to proactively liaise with the researchers and line staff across different cultures and geographies.

• Ability to facilitate multi-locational administrative processes/procedures.

• An effective Project Manager.

• Ability to manage tasks independently or with limited supervision to meet agreed timelines.

• Familiarity with Microsoft Office software and IT tools like Salesforce.

• Experience with Artificial Intelligence will be an added advantage.

Requirements:

• Masters in Business Administration, Project Management, or a relevant field.

• At least 8-10 years of experience in business development, grant management and/or project management within the international development or research sectors.

• Experience working with various teams and functions, and working directly supporting research and/or program delivery teams.

• Ability to effectively manage and coordinate with geographically dispersed teams throughout all stages of the donor grant lifecycle.

• Experience managing donor compliance, technical and financial reporting.

• Ability to analyze and synthesize information and strong attention to detail

• Outstanding people skills: strong ability to communicate constructively across culturally diverse teams and contribute to a pleasant work environment

• Solid organizational skills: ability to be flexible and to work within a dynamic team environment

• Knowledge of related IT-enabled or CRM (customer relationship management) tools like Salesforce, MS Office products, etc. is necessary.

• Hands-on problem-solving with strong analytical abilities.

• Fluency in written and spoken English is mandatory. 

• An existing network of global, national and/or regional donors would be an advantage.

General:

This is Contractual position initially for a period of three years (36 months), renewable based on the performance of the incumbent and the institute’s continuing need for the position.

How to apply:

The selection process will commence by 29 May 2025 until a suitable candidate is identified.  Applicants should apply  with their latest Resume, and the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable about their professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged; however, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

ICRISAT is an equal opportunity employer