Pre-Award Grant, Senior Manager

Department: Mobile for Development Foundation

Team: Finance and Compliance

Location: London (hybrid working)

Position type: Fixed Term Contract until March 2027

What the hiring manager says

The Pre-award Grants Manager is a new role for the Foundation to strengthen our Fundraising activities and build our portfolio of donors. I am eager to welcome someone to our team who can lead the proposal stage of grants from a Finance & Compliance perspective. This role will provide expert advice on the best strategies to qualify for various grants and also to recommend mechanisms, such as consortiums, prime awards, and sub-awards which best suit the aims and objectives of the Foundation.

Lorena Ferro

Head of Finance & Compliance M4D Foundation

About the Team

The role will be joining the established Foundation Finance and Compliance team that includes 10 professionals located in Atlanta, India and Kenya. This role will also work closely with the Director of Strategic Development and the M4D Head of programmes located in London.

About the Role

Pre-award responsibilities include:

• Lead all pre-award proposal processes in regard to financial and compliance requirements
• Research and recommend changes to GSMA entity structure, processes and approach to inform the longer term strategy for the Foundation and to ensure that the Foundation keeps pace with its evolving operating context.
• Develop, recommend and implement policies and procedures related to pre-award grant management in compliance with all GSMA policies and all donor-required certifications and representations, and compliance requirements.
• Responsible for preparing complex proposal budgets and supporting documents that are required under the proposal guidelines, coordinating proposal submissions providing guidance and advice on complex mechanisms, including compliance regulations.
• Developing an appropriate budget template that will facilitate the proposal and approval processes
• Work directly with The Director of Strategic Development, Head of Programmes and any other departments with GSMA to ensure the that we can comply with all the door requirements and to identify any potential conflict between GSMA policies ad donors Policies.
• Perform high level research and analysis of potential donors to identify any Finance and Compliance considerations early in the fundraising process
• Provide the Fundraising Committee with an assessment of any potential donors from a Finance & Compliance perspective.
• Research changing regulations and evolving external context to identify factors which could impact the Foundation’s future fundraising strategy or ongoing donor relationships
• Build relationships with donor grant award teams to ensure that the appropriate introductions are made to the Head of Finance & Compliance and post-award teams at the relevant time.
• Work with Pre-award operations manager to ensure submissions of proposals meet deadlines.
• Work with the Post-award team lead to coordinate inter-team meetings and facilitate collaboration between the teams and effective handover of awarded grants.
• Demonstrates ability to proactively resolve issues in a timely manner; and to work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Capabilities: https://www.gsmaconnect.com/gsma-capabilities/

About You

• Well-developed analytical and problem-solving skills. Ability to analyze and resolve complex issues with sound judgment. Proactive, resourceful strategic thinker with ability to manage multiple projects on deadline in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to proactively engage with donors and internal stakeholders
• Strong proficiency in MS Excel. Strong aptitude with systems and attention to detail.
• Superior interpersonal skills, oral and written communication, presentation, and organizational skills.
• Experience working with different kind of donors including but not limited to Governments (such as FCDO, GIZ, SIDA, NORAD etc), private Foundation ETC
• Experience with creation and submission of grant proposals
• International knowledge of donor’s rules and regulations relating to grant and/or contracts

Contract type

Worker type

What We Offer

Working at the GSMA offers you unparalleled access to the mobile industry. We offer a chance to truly shape the direction of mobile, whatever your role. By joining the GSMA, you will be exposed to a fast-paced rapidly evolving environment, working on global solutions, genuinely fascinating and industry-changing projects and a stimulating and dynamic environment designed to enable you to flourish.

In addition to architect-designed offices and competitive compensation, our benefits include fantastic learning & development opportunities, generous holiday allowances, four additional days off for professional development and many others.

To learn more about the GSMA, visit our career site, our LinkedIn page and our Twitter page.

Being You at the GSMA

We care deeply about diversity, equity and inclusivity and aspire to be the best at it. Your well-being and work/life balance is important, so flexi-time and remote working is available to all staff. We're keen to ensure everyone is equal, represented and connected so we particularly encourage applications from all demographics. The sucess of the GSMA year on year will continue to be contributed by people from all walks of life.

GSMA Values

Our values not only drive our culture – they shape how we work and interact inside and outside our global organisation.

Passionately driven

We approach everything we do with unparalleled capability, tenacity and commitment, knowing that the challenging scale, pace and complexity of our work is what leads to its world-changing impact.

Insightful leaders

We continually develop and engage our expertise, insight and creativity so that we’re always ready to respond to the changing landscape with authority, agility and nuance.

Stronger together

We lean on each other so the industry can lean on us, embracing our diversity by actively seeking out perspectives and skill sets beyond our own, fuelling each other’s successes and constantly asking how we can help.

Underpinning our values is our collective mindset to show up purposefully as good human beings every day, in every situation. When we’re at our best – we are collaborative, considerate and compassionate to others, and we create a safe space for one another to thrive, assuming positive intent in our colleagues. And if we aren’t at our best and the pressure is on – we feel free to be ourselves but still remain curious, lean into the tough stuff and we are always respectful to others and accountable for the part we play.