Grants Officer

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.