Education Development Center (EDC) is one of the world’s leading nonprofit research and development firms. EDC designs, implements, and evaluates programs to improve education, health, and economic opportunity worldwide. Collaborating with both public and private partners, we strive for a world where all people are empowered to live healthy, productive lives.  

Project Description

The Mastercard Foundation Leaders in Teaching (LIT) initiative aims to transform secondary education across Africa by strengthening secondary-level teaching and learning so that young people have the 21st-century skills and competencies needed for employment, lifelong learning, and adult life. The initiative works closely with local and national stakeholders in African countries and supports teachers and school leaders over the lifespan of their careers with a focus on recruitment, training, and motivation that prepares them to deliver quality and relevant learning.

Education Development Center (EDC) is coordinating and implementing the Leaders In Teaching (LIT) program in Liberia in collaboration with a consortium of over 10 local education partners and the Ministry of Education, focusing on all four LIT programmatic pillars:

1. Teacher Recruitment;
2. Teacher Training;
3. Education Leadership and Management; and
4. Teacher Motivation.

Each program component under the respective LIT pillars will be implemented with a strong focus on inclusion and gender equity, addressing the unique needs of marginalized young women, youth with disabilities, and refugee students in underserved communities. 

LIT aims to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning by providing holistic support across the teacher lifecycle, improving pre- and in-service teacher training in secondary education across Liberia, increasing access and completion, raising learning outcomes with a focus on STEM, preparing future and work-ready youth, and strengthening the capacity of the education system to manage and supervise teacher professional development.  

EDC will oversee program management and provide technical quality assurance, including the assessment and modification of curricula, as needed. Additionally, EDC will conduct targeted capacity-strengthening activities for local partners, empowering them to take the lead in implementing sustainable, locally led education solutions that will strengthen Liberia’s education system beyond the life of the program. As the primary point of contact with the Ministry of Education at the central level, EDC will ensure a coordinated approach among all partners, leveraging lessons learned and tools from Mastercard Foundation’s regional African partners operating in the country. 

The Grants Assistant will work closely with the Grants Manager, Local Partners Capacity Strengthening Specialist, technical team, and the finance team on the Leader in Teaching (LIT) Liberia program, ensuring efficient, effective and transparent management and compliance. The Grants Assistant will assist the Grants Manager in reviewing partners financial reports and providing feedback to partners, enhancing partners capacity through coaching and mentoring of partners finance staff, conducting monitoring visits, reviewing partners financial folders and other documents as well as providing feedback to partners on findings, development and rollout of the Grants Under Contract work plan, partner’s selection including due diligence, grantees capacity enhancement, grants administration and ensuring proper documentation filing. The Grants Assistant will report to the Grants Manager. This position is based in Monrovia with frequent travels to project locations in Counties.

Essential functions include, but are not limited to:

• Support the grants manager in ensuring the sub-award program complies with all EDC and the Mastercard Foundation rules, regulations and policies and in accordance with the Leaders in Teaching (LIT) Grants Manual;
• Support the Grants Team in conducting a detailed review of partners financial reports and supporting documentation and provide feedback to partner to address; and maintain a proper and complete grants filing system including coordinating joint programmatic and financial reports reviews, ensuring that costs incurred are in line with the progress and clear explanations are provided for budget variances as per the standards set by EDC financial reporting requirements.
• Ensure timely submission of partners financial reports to EDC finance team for final review and payment;
• Assist the Grants Manager in following up on timely review/sign off of partners financial report by relevant EDC staff members for timely cash disbursement;
• Enforce and monitor complete and up-to-date records for partners ensuring easy access to required supporting documentation for authorized staff in a secure and centralized location;
• Coordinate and participate in regular partners site visits to verify adherence to contract terms and gauge internal control systems to obtain confidence in the reports submitted to EDC
• Assist the grants manager in the develop of the grants and sub-award program work plan;

• Assist the Grants Manager in directing the competitive partners selection process, which includes RFA development and grant proposals evaluation;
• Conduct risk assessments and on-site due diligence during the partners selection process
• Assist with timely closeout or extension of partners agreements in compliance with EDC Grants Manual and procedures;
• Contribute to preparing responses to audit requests and specific reporting requirements for partners;
• Review and organize essential partners documentation (e.g., pre-award assessments, selection, reports, site visits reports, monitoring plans, financial report review checklists, important email communications, closeout letters/information, and maintain partners trackers on SharePoint;
• Support grants manager in the review of partners scope of work and budgets for any modification or extension of the grant agreement, while maintaining focus on the ceiling budget;
• Along with the grants manager, participate in the revision of the annual work plan with other EDC staff and coordinate with the partners to revise the work plan and budget as necessary;
• Support the grants manager, and local partner capacity strength specialist to enhance the capacity of partners on grants compliance and financial management in line with EDC and LIT requirements and expectations
• Implement subaward management tools, templates, methods; and processes developed by EDC HQ Grants/Finance/Contracts Department;
• Assist in conducting partners performance appraisals and eventual co-creation of scope of work, budgets based on appraisal results.
• Report to Grant Manager, and work closely with the Local Partners Capacity Strengthening Specialist, technical team, and Finance team.

The candidate for the position of Grants Assistant shall have at a minimum the following qualifications:

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Accounting or related field; advanced degree preferred in a field relevant to Business Administration and or project or program management.

Skills and Experience:

• A minimum of 4 years of progressively and directly experience in grant and sub-award management;
• Proficiency in advanced Excel and MS Word, PowerPoint, & Outlook
• Experience in reviewing partners financial reports and providing feedback;
• Experience in project budget review and monitoring and cost controls;
• Excellent social skills at all levels, cultural sensitivity, ability to work under pressure and with a team, negotiate diplomatically, and the ability to work in a multicultural and multidisciplinary work environment;
• Ability to prepare and conduct presentations; 
• Availability to work and travel in all areas of Liberia.

EDC affirms its steadfast commitment to uphold the highest standards of conduct, ensuring the protection of all individuals from misconduct, and maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any violation of these rights. Safeguarding refers to the measures and practices put in place to protect individuals, particularly vulnerable groups, from harm, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. 

Per EDC and funder policy, a police record, certificate of good standing, or other official document issued by local authorities will be required for candidates working with children and/or youth to verify suitability to work with those populations.

EDC is a smoke-free workplace, and offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and excellent benefits.

Total Rewards:  
As an educational organization, we support lifelong learning for our staff.  We invest in our people so that each individual can learn, work, and be well. We support professional development for staff at all career stages, provide flexible work options, and cultivate an environment that promotes work-life balance. Benefits and salaries are based on local labor law and Liberian employment practices. EDC offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical coverage.

Note: EDC doesn’t solicit for money from applicants at any level of the recruitment & selection process.