Overview

Location: Antananarivo, Madagascar, with regular travel to field sites, and occasionally internationally
Closing date for applications: 31st March 2023
Contract type: National or international (we actively encourage Malagasy nationals, women and people of colour to apply)
Start date: as soon as possible
Contract duration: 2-year contract, with a 6-month probation period
Remuneration: competitive salary, based on experience

We rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communities

Blue Ventures is an award-winning marine conservation organisation working to rebuild tropical fisheries with coastal communities. We’re committed to protecting marine biodiversity in ways that benefit coastal people. We work in places where the ocean is vital to local cultures and economies, and where there is a fundamental unmet need to support human development, thriving fishers and thriving oceans.

Summary job description

Member of Madagascar Senior Management Team, reporting to Country Director with close collaboration, technical support and oversight from the global programmes team. Line management responsibilities for the Regional Managers (who oversee BV’s contractual commitments and site implementation), and three Project Coordinators.

Blue Ventures’ work in Madagascar has expanded considerably over the last couple of years and as a result, we are seeking a Head of Programme to manage the grant life cycle of our Madagascar grants, including relationship management with institutional donors. You will also support our transition to increased partner-led delivery through subgrants to partner organisations and community associations.

We are looking for someone who can support the set-up of grants, manage donor reporting and compliance, as well as contribute to setting up and updating processes and workflows to ensure high quality services to communities and partners, as well as accurate and timely financial and narrative reporting to funders. The role will be based in Antananarivo and report to the Country Director with support from the Donor Stewardship team and grant managers in the global team.

The successful candidate will have proven experience of representing an organisation to donors as well as project and budget management preferably in an INGO setting. They will also have experience of developing and maintaining systematic and transparent records to monitor projects and for accountability and auditing. Fluency in Malagasy is desirable, while fluency in English and French (written and spoken) is essential.

The successful candidate will be a motivated, proactive and highly organised individual, with an excellent knowledge of grants management (with donors ranging from private foundations to institutional donors), open to new ideas and embracing innovation. We are looking for someone who can demonstrate experience of building effective working partnerships for conservation and community-led fisheries management.

Assessment of applications will include candidates’ alignment with BV’s core values and mission to support human rights-based approaches to marine conservation and fisheries management.

The successful candidate will thrive in environments that are dynamic, fast-paced, collegiate and ambitious, and be able to demonstrate experience of working independently and solving complex problems in challenging situations.

Blue Ventures is a fast-growing and mission-driven organisation, offering excellent opportunities for further professional development.

Responsibilities

Grant management

  • You will have principal responsibility for grant management where the donor is Madagascar-based , and is usually an institutional donor
  • You will work with the global team, who also manage grants to ensure those grants are well managed, in line with BV’s conservation and funding strategies.
  • You will lead proactive engagement from the Madagascar team on the grant management processes, including reviewing and adjusting roles and responsibilities as the country programme evolves
  • Ensure systems, processes and workflows for grant management and compliance are in place – including developing or updating them when necessary.
  • Manage the reporting process, payment requests and updated budget forecasts on a portfolio of grants, including leading on report writing where necessary and working with the project and finance teams to produce timely and accurate narrative and financial reports.
  • Ensure all grant documentation is stored and updated in relevant systems.
  • Manage the process of the grant set up and closure, working with Madagascar and global teams to ensure relevant staff know about their roles and responsibilities in relation to compliance, as well as deadlines.
  • Work with global finance team to ensure project audits meet donor regulations and deadlines.
  • Work with the country and financial teams to support effective financial systems and procedures for grant management and compliance, such as for cost recovery, procurement and grant financial oversight.
  • Input to regular progress and expenditure reviews in collaboration with the UK team.
  • Share ideas, information and learning to contribute to grant management processes and protocols, as well as facilitating opportunities for programmatic learning within Blue Ventures, with partners and with external donors.
  • Lead regular grant reviews to ensure progress is monitored, and strategic decisions around more effective project delivery can be made, with relevant members of UK and field teams, as necessary.
  • Highlight any gaps in capacity or improved systems for grant oversight and delivery as BV grows and build a team to support this.
  • Support the engagement of potential sub-grantees including a rationalised but safe approach to due diligence.
  • Establish best practice for overseeing partner led delivery with support of Director of Conservation and MCoG

Leadership and development

  • Maintain and exemplify BV’s culture and core values
  • Line manage three Regional Managers for the North West, Mid-West and South West of the country.
  • Line manage a team of project coordinators, currently three staff
  • Constantly review the structure required around grant management and delivery of grant actions
  • Work as part of the wider leadership and as a core member of the Madagascar Coordination Group to develop site and regional team capacity at all levels.

Documenting learning and reporting

  • Prioritise BV’s efforts to document and share learning, supporting a culture of openness throughout our field programme
  • Participate in the identification and wider communication of key learning and programme milestones, highlighting strategic moments and outcomes to raise the voices of small-scale fishers to an international audience
  • Represent Blue Ventures at meetings, conferences and events in the UK and internationally to communicate our work and increase our profile.
  • Prepare articles, blogs, opinion pieces, scientific publications and other appropriate knowledge and communications content as required.

Donor engagement and relationship management

  • Represent Blue Ventures and facilitate engagement with in-country based funders.
  • Manage and maintain good donor communications for existing and new Madagascar-based grants through effective grant management
  • Collaborate with other Madagascar and UK-based colleagues to support proposal development
  • Attend meetings with donors as and when required.

Skills and experience

Required

  • Educated to Masters level in a subject related to this role.
  • Proven experience of donor compliance and managing institutional donor funding and relationships
  • Proven experience of project and budget management (e.g. project planning, grant management, compiling and monitoring budgets, project cycle management, narrative and financial reporting), preferably in an INGO setting.
  • Experience in developing and maintaining systematic and transparent records in order to keep track of projects and for accountability and auditing.
  • Experience of effective and values-based partnership work between international and local organisations and communities.
  • Knowledge of financial systems and processes
  • Fluency in English and French (written and spoken)
  • Excellent writing skills, including report writing in French
  • High level interpersonal and communication skills, including experience of communicating effectively across cultures and with diverse audiences, both verbally and in writing.

Desired

  • Experience of being involved in the auditing process
  • Experience of working with foundation and corporate donors – Previous process improvement experience
  • Competency in Malagasy – Experience developing Logframes and theories of change
  • Experience working for a conservation organisation

Blue Ventures is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young and vulnerable people and expects all members of staff to share this commitment. We take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who contravenes our policy. All candidates will be asked questions on safeguarding and child protection. We want people of all backgrounds to see themselves represented and included in our work, so we actively seek to diversify our team and bring more voices to the table and offer a range of benefits to encourage a work life balance.

Application process

Applicants should apply online via Blue Ventures website by 31st March 2023. To know more about Blue Ventures (https://blueventures.org) Please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and first-round interviews may be conducted with short-listed candidates before the application deadline.

All shortlisted candidates will be contacted within two weeks of the closing date.

Why work with us:

Mission: We operate at the frontline of some of the world’s most pressing environmental and social problems, innovating effective and scalable responses with tropical coastal communities. We are recognised as a transformative force in our sector.

Working style: We’re a fast-moving social enterprise, quick to embrace and implement promising ideas without bureaucracy.

Autonomy: We expect and support our staff to take a lead in their own work, offering scope for creativity and strategic input.

Professional development: We challenge and support our staff to grow their skills, providing considerable exposure to different work experiences and training opportunities.

Adventure: We offer extensive opportunities for travel, working in diverse environmental and cultural contexts.

Family: We look out for one another as we work closely together in challenging situations, celebrating successes and spurring each other on when the going gets tough.

Values: Our organisational values are central to everything we do:

Communities first
Above all, we listen to community needs, responding in a sensitive and pragmatic way for long lasting benefits.

Passion & belief
Our mission is urgent and critical, we believe that our models work, and we are determined to get the job done.

Valued people & effective teams
We work in diverse and inclusive teams where all members have a voice and influence. We are effective because our work is integrated across teams and projects.

Innovation & courage
We are resourceful and creative. We are prepared to take risks and challenge broken paradigms.

Openness & humility
We are an open source social enterprise. We work in a transparent and collaborative way to pass on what we learn to others who share our vision and passion.

Grounded in evidence
We have high standards and are not afraid to be self critical. If we see something that doesn’t work, we change tack until we’re on the right course.