Self Help Africa (SHA) Malawi
Join Our Team
Advert for Legal and Contracts Manager
Self Help Africa is an international development organisation that works through agriculture and agri-enterprise development to end hunger and extreme poverty.
The organisation has programmes in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and implements projects in Brazil and Bangladesh.
In early 2023 we launched a new five-year organisation strategy, which defines shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality, and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based, and enterprise-focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment, and incomes, while sustaining natural resources.
Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries Partner Africa, which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, TruTrade, an innovative trading platform in Malawi, and CUMO, Malawi’s largest micro-finance provider.
Our three core values are:
▪ Impact: We are accountable, ambitious, and committed to systemic change.
▪ Innovation: We are agile, creative, and enterprising in an ever-changing
world.
▪ Community: We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our
relationships.
Job Purpose: Managing all legal aspects of an organization’s operations in addition to negotiating, creating, and reviewing contracts.
Legal and Compliance
- Lead on donor contract review process, ensuring tracking of all global compliance review of contract and following up on actions.
- Support Management in identifying and assessing areas of compliance risk and developing mitigating actions.
- Ensure that SHA Malawi donor contracts adhere to all the legal standards as well as internal policies and procedures.
- Be updated with SHA donor compliance requirements and ensure high quality management of grants through meeting of the requirements and deadlines.
- Coordinate donor audits, work with other departments (to ensure all documentation required is ready and available for donor audits (e.g. vouchers, distribution lists)
- Draft partner contracts and follow up approval with the Global Office.
Due Diligence Assessments and Contracts
- Lead on SHA due diligence assessment when and as required by an existing or new donor.
- Lead in the development and roll-out of organisational assessments for partners.
- In coordination with the DCD-P and SD draft Partner Agreements and MoUs with relevant and take through signing processes.
- Oversee the partner capacity building as required in partner assessments.
Legal and Compliance
- Lead on donor contract review process, ensuring tracking of all global compliance review of contract and following up on actions.
- Support Management in identifying and assessing areas of compliance risk and developing mitigating actions.
- Ensure that SHA Malawi donor contracts adhere to all the legal standards as well as internal policies and procedures.
- Be updated with SHA donor compliance requirements and ensure high quality management of grants through meeting of the requirements and deadlines.
- Coordinate donor audits, work with other departments (to ensure all documentation required is ready and available for donor audits (e.g. vouchers, distribution lists)
- Draft partner contracts and follow up approval with the Global Office.
Due Diligence Assessments and Contracts
- Lead on SHA due diligence assessment when and as required by an existing or new donor.
- Lead in the development and roll-out of organisational assessments for partners.
- In coordination with the DCD-P and SD draft Partner Agreements and MoUs with relevant and take through signing processes.
- Oversee the partner capacity building as required in partner assessments.
Budgeting and proposal development
- Assist Project Managers in budget compilation at the project proposal stage, lead in sign off from global office.
- Ensure that support costs are adequately covered in the development of project or funding proposals in line with the organisation’s Cost Recovery Policy.
- Provide day to day support and advice on funding issues relating to current and potential future grants.
- Lead in the review of partnership budgets.
Grant Management
- Support overview and maintenance of all grants, donor requirements, rules and regulations, and internal and external deadlines.
- Ensure grant kick off meetings are done promptly for all new awards and that proper coding structure and budgets are communicated to budget holders.
- Lead and coordinate grant set up meetings, support mid-term review meetings and lead grant closure meetings for all grants.
- Organise and participate in monthly programme review meetings and support Programme teams to address issues and risks identified.
- Alert the DCD- Programmes, Systems Director, Project Managers of the risk of over/under expenditure, late reporting, control weaknesses or non-compliance with other donor guidelines.
- Ensure that grant income (received and receivable) is accurately reported are promptly claimed from donors in line with donor agreements.
- Monitor and track cash inflows for all projects and prepare the monthly cashflow forecast.
- Maintain a successful grant monitoring and tracking system to assess the status and performance of each grantee quickly and easily, including any implementation issues.
- Disseminate grant information so that all key contributing staff have a clear understanding of requirements and expectations on the grant.
- Coordinate the distribution of the Anticipated Results (AR) to each respective project manager monthly, and support Project Managers and accountants in revising the ARs.
- Provide budget performance reports to Management Team and present the report at the monthly Programme review meetings.
- Coordinate budget realignments, amendments, cost and no-cost extension requests going to the member and donor in a timely manner.
- Contribute to continuously improve internal grant management systems.
Donor Reporting
- Review Donor Financial Reports from projects, ensuring that they are accurate as per donor reporting requirements. Liaise promptly with Project Managers on any issues that may arise before signing them off to DCD Programmes.
- Work with the Programme Development Manager to coordinate donor reporting to ensure that reports are signed off at Global Office, delivered on time and supported by auditable records.
Desirable Qualifications & Experience
- A bachelor’s degree in organisational development, Business, Law, humanities, and related fields.
- A Legal background or experience is highly desirable.
- At least 4 years relevant in grant management and compliance functions, preferably with International NGOs, with thorough understanding of major donor standard requirements.
- Experience in managing external communications with donors.
- Experience in providing staff capacity development training.
Method Of Application
Qualified and interested candidates who meet the stated requirements must submit a completed Application Form, downloadable on https://gsha.box.com/v/applicationform. The completed application form should be uploaded together with the Cover letter, Curriculum Vitae and Copies Certificates saved in your name to https://selfhelpafrica.org/ie/careers-apply/?jbcd=500QD00000D2tlr%20-%20Advert%20for%20Legal%20&%20Contracts%20Manager%20(61079
No hard copies / physical applications will be accepted. Please note zipped Folder will not be accessed.
Closing date for the receipt of completed application forms is 12:00 Midnight of 25th April, 2024. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Self Help Africa takes the safety and well-being of all those we work with, and our staff, very seriously. We have a zero-tolerance policy on abuse. Our recruitment is safe, meaning that we recruit staff with the highest values and standards of ethical behaviour. Self Help Africa has a Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy, which reflects our commitment to protecting the people with whom we work. All candidates will be expected to comply with this policy and its procedures.
For more information about the organisation, please visit our website at www.selfhelpafrica.net.
SHA is an equal opportunity employer.