Job Description

Reporting to the Executive Head of Finance, the Grants Manager is responsible for the strategic management and administration of the Foundation's grant portfolio, ensuring grants are effectively designed, awarded, monitored, evaluated, and reported in alignment with the Foundation's mission, strategic priorities, governance standards, and regulatory requirements.

The role provides leadership in grant-making processes, stakeholder engagement, due diligence, impact measurement, and partner relationship management to ensure the Foundation delivers measurable and sustainable social impact while maintaining high standards of compliance, transparency, and accountability.

Health and Safety

• Uphold the company code of conduct, policies and procedures, ensuring integrity and accountability in every aspect of your work.
• All employees have a responsibility to adhere to safety, health, and wellbeing policies, guidelines and procedures in all actions and decisions.

Grant Strategy and Portfolio Management

• Support the development and execution of the Foundation's grant-making strategy.
• Identify and assess funding opportunities aligned with strategic priorities.
• Manage a diverse portfolio of grants across thematic focus areas.
• Ensure grant allocations contribute to the Foundations agreed social impact objectives.
• Recommend grant funding priorities and allocation decisions.
• Determine grant portfolio performance improvement actions.
• Provide recommendations on continuation, scaling, modification, or closure of grants.

Grant Due Diligence and Assessment

• Lead grant application review and evaluation processes.
• Conduct organizational, financial, governance, and reputation due diligence on prospective grantees.
• Assess project feasibility, risk profiles, sustainability, and impact potential.
• Prepare grant assessment reports and funding recommendations.
• Approve progression of applications through review stages.
• Recommend grant approvals or rejections to relevant governance structures.
• Escalate material risks for executive and board consideration.

Grant Administration and Compliance

• Oversee end-to-end grant administration processes.
• Ensure grant agreements are developed, executed, and maintained.
• Monitor compliance with grant terms, policies, legal requirements, and donor obligations.
• Maintain accurate grant records and management information systems.
• Approve routine grant modifications within delegated authority.
• Recommend corrective actions for non-compliance issues.
• Determine reporting and documentation requirements for grantees.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Work in collaboration with monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) to establish monitoring frameworks and performance indicators for funded projects.
• Track grant performance against agreed outcomes and impact metrics.
• Analyze reports, site visit findings, and program performance data.
• Facilitate organizational learning and continuous improvement from grant outcomes.
• Recommend performance improvement interventions.
• Determine monitoring priorities and evaluation schedules.
• Advise on project continuation based on performance evidence.

Financial Stewardship and Risk Management

• Manage grant budgets and financial utilization.
• Monitor disbursements and financial accountability of grantees.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate grant-related risks.
• Ensure sound stewardship of Foundation resources.
• Recommend fund disbursement schedules.
• Flag financial, compliance, or reputational risks requiring escalation.
• Recommend suspension or termination of grants where necessary.

Stakeholder and Partner Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with grantees, community organizations, development partners, government agencies, and internal stakeholders.
• Serve as the principal point of contact for assigned grants.
• Facilitate collaboration and partnership development opportunities.
• Determine stakeholder engagement approaches within assigned portfolio.
• Recommend strategic partnerships that enhance impact and sustainability.

Governance and Reporting

• Prepare grant reports for management, foundation committees, and boards.
• Support governance processes related to grant approvals and oversight.
• Determine audit priorities and support the grant audits.
• Ensure grant portfolio reporting is accurate, timely, and evidence-based.
• Contribute to annual impact reports and strategic reviews.
• Validate grant performance data prior to reporting.
• Recommend governance actions based on portfolio performance and risk assessment.

Core Competencies

Strategic Thinking

• Ability to align grant-making activities with Foundations strategy and long-term social impact goals.

Analytical and Critical Thinking

• Ability to evaluate complex proposals, financial information, and impact data to inform funding decisions.

Stakeholder Management

• Strong relationship-building skills with diverse internal and external stakeholders.

Project and Portfolio Management

• Ability to manage multiple grants and competing priorities effectively.

Financial Acumen

• Understanding budget management, financial analysis, and grant accountability requirements.

Risk Management

• Ability to identify and mitigate operational, financial, compliance, and reputational risks.

Communication and Influencing

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to prepare high-quality reports and presentations.

Results Orientation

• Demonstrated ability to drive performance and deliver measurable impact outcomes.

Integrity and Accountability

• Commitment to ethical grant-making, transparency, and strong governance practices.

Learning and Innovation

• Ability to apply evidence, lessons learned, and emerging best practices to improve grant effectiveness.
• Bachelor's Degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Project Management, Public Policy, Business Administration, Finance, International Development, or a related field.
• Master's Degree in a relevant discipline is an added advantage.
• Minimum of 5-7 years' experience in grant management, philanthropy, donor-funded programs, CSR, foundation management, development sector, or non-profit organizations.
• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale grant portfolios and partnerships.
• Experience in monitoring, evaluation, learning, and impact measurement.
• Strong knowledge of grant lifecycle management processes.
• Understanding of donor compliance, governance, and risk management requirements.
• Experience conducting financial and organizational due diligence.
• Proficiency in grant management systems and data management tools.
• Advanced report writing, budgeting, and analytical skills.
• Strong Microsoft Office Suite skills, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Project Management Professional (PMP), PRINCE2, or equivalent.
• Monitoring and Evaluation certification.
• Risk Management certification.
• Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS) or equivalent grant management qualification.
• Strong understanding of corporate philanthropy and social impact frameworks.
• Knowledge of ESG, sustainability, and community development principles is an added advantage.
• Willingness to travel for project monitoring and stakeholder engagement when required.

How to apply If you feel that you are up to the challenge and possess the necessary qualification and experience, kindly click on the apply button. Remember to attach your resume.

Safaricom is the leading technology company in East Africa. Our purpose is to transform lives by connecting people to people, people to opportunities and people to information. We keep over 60 million customers connected across Kenya and Ethiopia, and play a critical role in the society, supporting over 1.13 million jobs both directly and indirectly while our total economic value was estimated at KES 1.1 trillion ($ 8.5 billion) for the 12 months through March 2025.

Listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and with annual revenues of close to KES 388 billion as at March 2025, Safaricom provides connectivity through wide range of technology. Our 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G network in aggregate covers over 99% of Kenya’s population.

We run the world’s largest mobile payment system and Africa’s largest Fintech, M-PESA, the world’s first mobile money transfer system. By empowering millions of customers to transact, save or borrow money through their mobile phone, M-PESA has driven financial inclusion in Kenya to 84.8% of the adult population in 2024, from a low of 26.7% in 2006, and generated over KES 161 billion in revenue as at FY25.

Our subsidiary, Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia, has deployed world class network and services to contribute to Ethiopia’s digital transformation.

Safaricom is an equal opportunity employer, actively recruiting staff from different backgrounds reflecting the communities that we serve. We are committed to equal gender representation at all levels.

As part of our ongoing commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we continue to work towards improving energy and resource efficiency in our network and facilities to reduce carbon emissions and our fuel consumption. We remain committed to becoming a Net Zero carbon-emitting company by 2050.