The Danish Refugee Council is one of the world's leading humanitarian NGOs, working in over 30 countries to provide adequate assistance and protection to refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs, returnees, people on the move, and vulnerable local populations/host communities. Currently, DRC is seeking a highly qualified national Grants Manager based in Caracas, Venezuela.
About the job: DRC is managing its operations in Venezuela under the direction of the country office in Caracas and four field offices located in the states of Sucre, Apure, and Zulia (Maracaibo and Santa Barbara de Zulia). DRC Venezuela is implementing an integrated Action encompassing the Protection, Food Security & Livelihood, WASH and Disaster Preparedness sectors.
The overall purpose of the role:
The Grants Manager is responsible for leading and overseeing the grants management and partnerships portfolio of DRC Venezuela Country Office in accordance with donor and DRC regulations. This includes ensuring effective proposal development, donor compliance, timely and high-quality reporting, and overall accountability to donors. The position manages and provides technical supervision to the Grants Management Specialist and the Partnership Specialist, and reports to the Head of Programme. The Grants Manager collaborates closely with Support Services Managers, Technical Coordinators, Area Managers, and the Senior Management Team on all grants-related matters, compliance, and partnerships.
Responsibilities:
Team Management and Leadership
- Directly supervise, mentor, and provide technical guidance to the Grants Management Specialist and the Partnership Specialist.
- Define individual workplans and performance objectives for direct reports, and conduct regular performance reviews in line with DRC HR procedures.
- Foster a collaborative team environment that promotes learning, accountability, and professional development.
- Coordinate and distribute workload across the grants team, ensuring coverage of all grants management and partnership functions.
- Identify capacity gaps within the team and implement targeted training and support measures.
Daily Grants Management and Administration
- Ensure high-quality contract management in close cooperation with the SMT; anticipate and identify potential risks and implement mitigation strategies.
- Communicate with donors and prepare modification requests and other contractual documentation as required.
- Coordinate and facilitate grant kickoff, review, and closing meetings; monitor progress against timelines and action points; actively participate in KPI meetings hosted among CO, RO, and HQ.
- Oversee that DRC’s Grants Management Card on Dynamics and internal documentation systems (SharePoint) are fully and accurately updated; ensure high-quality project-grant data in coordination with the Grants Management Specialist.
- Review and update the grants tracker and ensure regular communication with DRC regional offices, headquarters, and field teams in line with established workstreams.
- Provide ad hoc support and guidance to programme staff on grants management and business development-related matters.
- Conduct visits to field locations as possible and/or needed.
Compliance Monitoring and Quality Assurance
- Act as the Grants and Contract Management Donor Compliance Focal Point for the CO; ensure all staff understand their contractual obligations and donor regulations.
- Provide advice on DRC Grants Management Volume and Donor Compliance matters in collaboration with HQ GMS; escalate grants and contract management risks to the relevant SMT or RO member.
- Quality control all contracts before signature, seeking advice from DRC RO, HQ GMU, and finance as required.
- Ensure that contractual obligations (including visibility requirements) and reporting deadlines are known and consistently met by Programme, MEAL, and Operations teams.
- Lead on contract amendments, including cost/no-cost extensions and project revisions, in coordination with relevant internal stakeholders.
- Actively participate in Global Grants Community Meetings to stay current on DRC Grants Management best practices, new regulations, and donor requirements.
Partnerships Management
- Oversee the work of the Partnership Specialist to ensure effective coordination, compliance, and accountability with DRC implementing partners.
- Facilitate coordination and communication between DRC and its partners on grants management, contract compliance, and quality assurance, ensuring alignment with DRC Implementing Partners SOPs.
- Review and validate sub-grant agreements (SGAs) and partnership documentation before signature.
- Ensure partner capacity assessments and due diligence processes are conducted in a timely and quality manner.
Reporting and New Business Development
- Coordinate and provide training in proposal development and reporting for grants and programme teams, including relevant field staff.
- Work with the Regional New Business Development team and the HoP to update the donor mapping and funding tracker; keep abreast of funding trends and donor strategies, with special attention to portfolio diversification.
- Support the HoP in maintaining active and regular communication with donors, ensuring timely and high-quality responses.
- Participate in external coordination and fundraising-related meetings as delegated by the HoP.
- Support the HoP in Go/No-Go meetings for new grants and lead proposal planning meetings.
- Collaborate with programme technical coordinators, area managers, support services, and implementing partners to gather inputs for proposal development.
- Edit and compile final proposal drafts and annexes, ensuring quality standards are met before submission to the HoP for review.
- Ensure that proposal development and donor reporting are informed by reliable organizational data and learning, in close collaboration with the MEAL team.
Any ad-hoc tasks assigned by the Head of Programme.
Experience and technical competencies:
- At least 6 years of experience in grants management, preferably with an international NGO or donor-funded organization, including at least 2 years in a supervisory or management role.
- Demonstrated experience managing and mentoring grants or programme staff.
- Solid experience in the compilation of donor proposals, modification requests, and reports; with practical experience working with UNHCR, BHA, ECHO, GFFO, SDC, SIDA, IOM, COSUDE, and/or private foundations.
- Strong knowledge of donor rules and regulations.
- Knowledge and experience working across multiple sectors including protection, food security and livelihoods, and WASH.
- Demonstrated ability to prioritize large workloads, meet deadlines consistently, and adapt in complex and challenging work environments.
- Excellent communication, coordination, influencing, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and grants management platforms (e.g., DRC Dynamics, SharePoint).
- Ability to lead and work within a multicultural and diverse team.
- Commitment to humanitarian principles and DRC values.
Education:
- University degree in Social Sciences, International Development, Law, or a relevant field. Master’s degree is an asset.
Languages:
- Fluency in English (speaking, writing, reading) is essential.
- Communication skills in Spanish is mandatory.
We offer:
- The opportunity to be part of one of the best NGOs worldwide.
- Access to over 1,000 free online trainings and certifications.
- Contract duration: subject to budget availability.
- Salary: Band F / Terms of Employment for national or expatriate staff, as applicable
- HCM insurance fully covered by the organization.
DRC Core Competencies:
- Achieving Excellence: Focus on achieving results and ensuring efficient processes.
- Collaboration: Engage relevant parties and encourage feedback.
- Taking the Initiative: Take ownership and initiative while seeking innovation.
- Communicating: Listen and speak effectively and honestly.
- Demonstrating Integrity: Act in accordance with DRC's vision and values.
Application Process: All applicants must upload a cover letter (max. 1 page) and an updated CV (max. 2 pages, without attachments) in English or Spanish, on the DRC employment platform. Applications sent by email will not be considered.
Application Deadline: Sunday, september 13 at 11:59 pm Local Time. Please note that applications will be reviewed continuously, and interviews will be scheduled as soon as a suitable candidate is identified. DRC reserves the right to close the vacancy before the deadline once a suitable candidate is identified.
Start Date: September 2026