National Grants Manager

Position Identification

Position Title: National Grants Manager

Department: Programs

Organization:  Islamic Relief South Africa

Location: Durban, South Africa

Purpose of Position

The National Grants Manager – Institutional Funding provides strategic leadership and oversight for Islamic Relief South Africa’s institutional donor funding portfolio. The role is responsible for identifying, positioning, securing, and managing institutional funding opportunities that support the growth and sustainability of IRSA’s programme portfolio.

The position leads institutional donor engagement, grant negotiation, compliance governance, and donor stewardship while ensuring that all institutional grants are managed in full compliance with donor agreements, regulatory frameworks, and IRSA policies.

The role oversees the entire institutional grant lifecycle, including funding opportunity capture, proposal development, grant negotiation, implementation oversight, reporting quality assurance, and audit readiness.

The National Grants Manager ensures effective coordination between the Grants Division and key internal departments including Programs, Finance, MEAL, Legal, Procurement, Safeguarding, Fund Development, and Risk & Compliance, ensuring that institutional grants are implemented effectively and meet donor requirements.

The position also provides technical leadership and supervision to Grants Specialists, ensuring strong grants management systems, operational alignment with programs, and continuous improvement in donor compliance and reporting quality.

Key Responsibilities

2.1 Institutional Donor Strategy and Portfolio Management

• Lead the development and implementation of IRSA’s institutional funding strategy, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and programme growth objectives.
• Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships with institutional donors, foundations, multilateral organisations, and international funding agencies.
• Maintain and expand IRSA’s institutional donor portfolio to ensure diversified and sustainable funding streams.
• Represent IRSA in high-level donor engagements, negotiations, partnership discussions, and coordination platforms.
• Provide strategic guidance to senior leadership on institutional funding trends, donor priorities, and partnership opportunities.
• Ensure proactive and professional donor communication that strengthens donor confidence and long-term partnerships.

2.2 Institutional Funding Opportunity Capture and Positioning

• Lead the systematic identification, assessment, and tracking of institutional funding opportunities aligned with IRSA’s programmes.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of institutional funding pipelines, donor opportunity trackers, and funding calendars.
• Ensure timely dissemination of funding opportunities and donor intelligence to programme teams.
• Provide strategic guidance on go / no-go decisions for funding opportunities based on organisational capacity, risk, and alignment with programme priorities.
• Ensure IRSA is effectively positioned for funding opportunities through strategic partnerships, consortium participation, and early donor engagement.
• Support programmes in aligning project concepts with donor priorities and institutional funding requirements.

2.3 Grant Negotiation, Governance and Compliance Oversight

• Lead the negotiation and finalization of institutional grant agreements, contracts, and partnership arrangements in coordination with Legal, Finance, and Procurement teams.
• Ensure all institutional grants comply with donor regulations, contractual obligations, and IRSA internal policies.
• Provide oversight for donor compliance systems, including documentation management, grant trackers, and compliance monitoring frameworks.
• Oversee partner due diligence, risk assessments, safeguarding checks, and compliance screening processes.
• Serve as IRSA’s institutional focal point for donor compliance, ensuring adherence to contractual obligations throughout the grant lifecycle.
• Provide guidance to programme teams on donor regulations, compliance standards, and grant management requirements.

2.4 Oversight of Grant Management, Reporting and Monitoring

• Provide oversight and quality assurance for donor narrative and financial reports, ensuring compliance with donor reporting standards and timelines.
• Ensure monthly and quarterly programme reporting processes align with donor requirements and internal accountability systems.
• Review programme reports for accuracy, compliance, and quality prior to donor submission.
• Ensure programme financial performance aligns with donor-approved budgets, including monitoring expenditure variances and overseeing budget revisions.
• Oversee donor audits, reviews, monitoring visits, and evaluations.
• Ensure lessons learned from donor feedback, audits, and evaluations are integrated into organisational learning and programme improvement.

2.5 Program Alignment and Operational Coordination

• Ensure program operational plans align with donor agreements, project deliverables, and approved budgets.
• Facilitate structured coordination between Program Teams, Regional Program and Project Coordinators (RPPCs), and the Grants Division.
• Ensure grant requirements are effectively integrated into programs implementation processes.
• Strengthen coordination between Programs, Finance, MEAL, Procurement, Safeguarding, and Risk Management functions.
• Support programs in maintaining strong grant documentation systems, audit trails, and compliance records.

2.6 Resource Mobilization and Proposal Development

• Provide leadership for institutional proposal development processes.
• Oversee the preparation of concept notes, proposals, and donor submissions in collaboration with program teams.
• Ensure proposals meet donor technical standards, compliance requirements, and submission guidelines.
• Facilitate coordination between programs, finance, and technical teams to ensure high-quality and competitive proposals.
• Strengthen IRSA’s proposal development capacity and donor positioning.

2.7 Risk Management and Audit Readiness

• Oversee grant-related risk management processes and ensure programmes maintain updated risk registers.
• Ensure grant documentation, compliance records, and beneficiary verification systems meet donor audit standards.
• Support programmes in preparing for internal and external audits related to institutional grants.
• Ensure early identification and mitigation of potential compliance risks.

2.8 Leadership, Coordination and Capacity Strengthening

• Provide line management and technical leadership to Grants Specialists and regional grants focal points.
• Strengthen grants management systems, tools, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Build organisational capacity in institutional fundraising, donor compliance, and grant management.
• Facilitate internal trainings and guidance for programme teams on donor requirements and grants management processes.
• Contribute to organisational planning, budgeting, and strategic programme development discussions.

Educational Qualification:

• Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Public Administration, Finance, International Relations, or a related field.
• A Master’s degree in a relevant discipline is strongly preferred.

Skills & Knowledge Required

• Minimum 8–10 years of professional experience in institutional grants management, donor relations, or programme funding within humanitarian or development organisations.
• Demonstrated experience managing institutional donor portfolios and grant agreements.
• Proven track record of securing and managing institutional funding from major donors.
• Experience coordinating complex multi-departmental grant processes.

Other Job Related Conditions

• Strong knowledge of institutional donor regulations, grant agreements, and compliance frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience in donor engagement, grant negotiation, and partnership management.
• Excellent leadership, strategic planning, and decision-making abilities.
• Strong analytical and risk management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organisational and coordination skills with the ability to manage multiple grants simultaneously.

Key Islamic Relief Qualities Required

• It is essential that the post holder shows a good understanding and sympathy with Islamic values and principles as well as commitment to IR’s vision and mission as per below:

• Excellence (Ihsan): Our actions in tackling poverty are marked by excellence in our operations and conduct which are deserving of the people we serve.
• Sincerity (Ikhlas): In responding to poverty and suffering our efforts are driven by sincerity to God and the need to fulfil our obligations to humanity
• Social Justice (Adl): Our work is founded on enabling people and institutions to fulfil the rights of the poor and vulnerable. We work to empower the dispossessed towards realising their God-given human potential and developing their capabilities and resources.
• Compassion (Rahma): We believe the protection and well-being of every life is of paramount importance and we shall join with other humanitarian actors to act as one in responding to suffering brought on by disasters, poverty and injustice.
• Custodianship (Amana): We uphold our duty of custodianship over the earth, its resources and the trust people place in us as humanitarian and development practitioners to be transparent and accountable.

The application must be accompanied by the following:

A copy of the completed application form,

1-page motivational letter and your CV along with a certified copy of your ID to recruitment@islamic-relief.org.za

CLOSING DATE: 13 April 2026

Dearest applicant, kindly consider the following: If the requirements of the application as above, is not met, we will consider the application as incomplete, and this will therefore not be accepted. Please consider your application as unsuccessful if you are not contacted within a month after the closing date. Over and above operational requirements Islamic Relief South Africa will take into account the country’s and organizational employment equity imperatives.