Within the Mutualized Office of Expertise France in the Philippines, and under the hierarchical supervision of the Procurement and Grants Manager, the Grants Officer will be responsible for ensuring the quality, compliance and proper implementation of grant management procedures for Expertise France projects in the Philippines.

The position is designed as a senior technical role within the Procurement, Grants and Logistics unit. The Grants Officer will act as the main grants reference at operational level, with a primary responsibility for the preparation, launch, evaluation, award and contracting phases of grants. He/she will also provide senior technical oversight on grant implementation follow-up, complex cases, amendments, controls, audits and closure.

The Grants Officer will work closely with project teams to structure grant mechanisms, prepare calls for proposals, organise evaluation processes and ensure that grant agreements are properly drafted and documented. He/she will also coordinate with the Junior Grants and Procurement Officer, who will support the day-to-day operational follow-up of beneficiaries, documentation, reporting and first-level administrative checks.

The Grants Officer will also coordinate closely with the Administration and Finance unit to ensure that grant-related financial processes, payment requests, financial reports, supporting documents and audit trails are properly reviewed, documented and aligned with Expertise France procedures and donor requirements.

The Grants Officer will notably be responsible for:

1. Structuring of grants mechanisms and preparation of calls for proposals

• Contribute to the design and structuring of grant mechanisms in coordination with the Procurement and Grants Manager, project teams and, where relevant, Headquarters.
• Support project teams in defining the objectives, scope, eligibility criteria, selection criteria, implementation modalities and expected results of calls for proposals.
• Ensure that grant procedures are coherent with project objectives, donor requirements, available budgets, implementation timelines and Expertise France procedures.
• Prepare or review the full documentation required for calls for proposals, including guidelines for applicants, application forms, budget templates, evaluation grids, eligibility checklists and related annexes.
• Ensure that calls for proposals clearly define the rules applicable to beneficiaries, including eligibility of costs, reporting obligations, procurement rules, visibility requirements, audit obligations and contractual responsibilities.
• Coordinate with the Procurement and Grants Manager on procedural choices, risk analysis, validation steps and required approvals before publication.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of harmonised templates, checklists and tools for grant preparation and award processes within the Mutualized Office.

2. Publication, applicant support and information sessions

• Organise the publication and dissemination of calls for proposals through the appropriate channels, in coordination with project teams and communication colleagues where relevant.
• Ensure that communication on grant opportunities is transparent, documented and compliant with Expertise France and donor visibility requirements.
• Prepare and facilitate information sessions for potential applicants, ensuring that the objectives, eligibility rules, application process, evaluation criteria and contractual obligations are clearly understood.
• Coordinate the question-and-answer process during the call for proposals phase, ensuring equal treatment of applicants and proper documentation of all clarifications provided.
• Support project teams in explaining grant procedures to potential applicants, while maintaining the required separation between technical support and evaluation neutrality.
• Ensure that all exchanges with applicants are properly documented and archived in the grant file.

3. Reception, eligibility checks and evaluation process

• Organise the reception, registration and administrative screening of applications received under calls for proposals.
• Ensure that applications are checked for completeness, eligibility and compliance with the published requirements.
• Prepare the documentation required for evaluation committees, including application files, eligibility checklists, scoring grids, declaration of impartiality and confidentiality, minutes and decision records.
• Act as secretary or technical support to evaluation committees, ensuring that the process is properly documented and compliant with applicable procedures.
• Support evaluators in applying the published criteria consistently and transparently, while ensuring that evaluation records are complete and auditable.
• Contribute to the analysis of applicants’ organisational, administrative and financial capacities, identifying potential risks and proposing mitigation measures.
• Prepare evaluation reports, award recommendations and supporting documentation for review and validation by the Procurement and Grants Manager and, where required, by Headquarters or other validation levels.
• Ensure that all decisions related to grant award are traceable, justified and properly archived.

4. Contracting and grant agreement preparation

• Prepare grant agreements and related annexes in line with approved award decisions, Expertise France templates and donor requirements.
• Ensure that grant agreements reflect the approved action, budget, implementation period, reporting calendar, payment schedule, procurement rules, audit requirements and visibility obligations.
• Coordinate with project teams to ensure consistency between the technical proposal, budget, logical framework, implementation plan and contractual documents.
• Coordinate with the Administration and Finance unit to ensure that financial provisions, payment modalities, budget structure and reporting requirements are coherent and feasible.
• Support the organisation of contract signature processes and ensure proper circulation, signature, registration and filing of grant agreements.
• Prepare or support the preparation of internal validation notes, contractual checklists and other documents required before signature.
• Ensure that beneficiaries receive the contractual documents and understand their main obligations before the start of implementation.

5. Technical oversight of grant implementation and beneficiary follow-up

• Provide senior technical oversight on the implementation follow-up of grants, in coordination with the Junior Grants and Procurement Officer and project teams.
• Ensure that beneficiary follow-up is organised through appropriate tools, calendars, reporting schedules, tracking tables and internal coordination mechanisms.
• Provide guidance to the Junior Grants and Procurement Officer on the monitoring of beneficiary reports, supporting documents, payment requests and implementation issues.
• Review or supervise the review of narrative and financial reports submitted by beneficiaries, ensuring consistency with contractual obligations, approved budgets and implementation plans.
• Support the analysis of beneficiary progress, delays, risks, implementation difficulties and corrective measures.
• Contribute to follow-up meetings, field visits, steering committees or monitoring missions where senior grants expertise is required.
• Ensure that grant implementation issues are escalated to the Procurement and Grants Manager when they involve significant contractual, financial, operational or reputational risks.

6. First-level checks, financial coordination and payment requests

• Ensure that first-level checks on beneficiary reports and supporting documents are properly organised and documented.
• Review the completeness and consistency of supporting documents submitted by beneficiaries, including financial reports, expenditure lists, procurement documentation, invoices, proof of payment and other required evidence.
• Ensure that expenditure reported by beneficiaries is reviewed against the approved budget, implementation period, eligibility rules and contractual requirements.
• Coordinate with the Finance and Administrative Unit and HQ on grant payment requests, prefinancing, balance payments, regularisations and financial reporting.
• Ensure that payment requests are supported by validated reports, contractual conditions, budget availability and complete documentation before transmission to the finance unit.
• Identify potential ineligible expenditure, documentation gaps, procurement irregularities or inconsistencies in beneficiary reporting, and propose corrective measures.
• Ensure proper follow-up of issues identified during financial checks, including requests for clarification, missing documentation, correction of reports or adjustment of payment amounts.

7. Grant amendments, contractual follow-up and risk management

• Monitor contractual obligations, reporting deadlines, implementation periods, payment schedules and other key milestones for grants under the responsibility of the Mutualized Office.
• Prepare or review grant amendments when required, including changes to duration, budget, activities, reporting deadlines or other contractual provisions.
• Ensure that amendments are justified, documented, validated and processed before the relevant contractual deadlines.
• Analyse risks related to delays, under-performance, budget reallocations, procurement non-compliance, weak reporting, ineligible expenditure or audit exposure.
• Propose mitigation measures and corrective actions in coordination with the Procurement and Grants Manager, project teams and the finance unit.
• Support the management of complex or sensitive grant cases, including non-compliance, disputed expenditure, delayed reporting, audit findings or potential recovery of funds.
• Maintain a risk-based approach to grant follow-up, ensuring that higher-risk grants receive closer monitoring and appropriate support.

8. Capacity building and support to beneficiaries

• Prepare and deliver training sessions for grant beneficiaries on contractual obligations, reporting requirements, procurement rules, financial documentation, visibility rules and audit preparation.
• Support the Junior Grants and Procurement Officer in organising beneficiary support activities, including workshops, coaching sessions, individual follow-up meetings and practical guidance.
• Develop or adapt guidance materials, templates and tools to facilitate beneficiary understanding of Expertise France and donor requirements.
• Ensure that beneficiaries are adequately informed of their obligations at the start of implementation and throughout the grant cycle.
• Provide methodological support to beneficiaries on grant management processes, while maintaining the appropriate control and compliance role of Expertise France.
• Identify recurring difficulties faced by beneficiaries and propose improvements to tools, guidance, training materials or follow-up methods.

9. Audit-readiness, archiving and closure of grants

• Ensure that grant files are complete, well-structured, properly archived and available for internal controls, donor verifications and external audits.
• Prepare or supervise the preparation of grant files for audits, including contracts, amendments, reports, supporting documents, procurement files, payment documentation and correspondence.
• Coordinate with the finance unit and project teams to ensure that grant-related documentation is consistent across narrative, financial, contractual and accounting records.
• Support the preparation and follow-up of grant audits, including documentation requests, responses to auditors and implementation of recommendations.
• Ensure that grant closure procedures are properly implemented, including final report review, final expenditure verification, audit documentation, balance payment or recovery, and final archiving.
• Contribute to lessons learned and capitalisation exercises on grants management, including identification of recurring risks, good practices and improvement areas.

10. Coordination, reporting and continuous improvement

• Act as the operational grants focal point within the Mutualized Office, in coordination with the Procurement and Grants Manager.
• Coordinate regularly with the Junior Grants and Procurement Officer, project teams and the finance unit to ensure smooth circulation of information and timely handling of grant files.
• Maintain and update grant tracking tools, including calls for proposals, evaluation processes, contracting status, reporting deadlines, payment requests, amendments, risks, audits and closures.
• Contribute to internal reporting on grants, including dashboards, portfolio updates, risk alerts and inputs to project or office-level reports.
• Support the Procurement and Grants Manager in strengthening grants workflows, standard operating procedures, checklists, filing systems and internal coordination mechanisms.
• Contribute to a service-oriented and compliance-focused working culture within the Mutualized Office, supporting project delivery while safeguarding grant integrity, transparency and accountability.

This job description may evolve according to Expertise France's operational requirements and the needs of Expertise France projects in the Philippines.