BCFs Senior Grant Admin

Contract type:

Permanent

Salary:

£33,000 – 43,000

Location:

Edinburgh, Scotland (Hybrid working available)

About Us:
NIRAS UK is contracted by the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to manage the

Biodiversity Challenge Funds (BCFs) , comprising the Darwin Initiative, Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and Darwin Plus. We administer all three competitive grant funds, including more than 10 different grant schemes, working to safeguard biodiversity and the environment worldwide.

About the role:
The Darwin Initiative is the UK’s flagship international challenge fund for biodiversity and sustainable development aiming to reduce poverty and slow, halt or reverse rates of biodiversity loss and degradation in over 100 eligible countries. The Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund aims to provide innovative and scalable solutions to reduce pressure on wildlife from illegal trade and, in doing so, reduce poverty. Darwin Plus funds projects that aim to improve resilience to climate change and protect the unique biodiversity of the UK Overseas Territories.

NIRAS is responsible for a wide range of duties in support of fund delivery, including:
the overall administration of the application process
processing and making payments to projects
supporting ongoing projects (e.g., with technical queries and reporting)
conducting desk and field-based monitoring of projects
providing quality assurance of project reporting
managing various social media accounts and producing communications material
sharing best practice and key learnings
delivering webinars and workshops
coordinating a wide pool of independent sub-contractors
and running applicant and project helpdesks.

The jobholder will work alongside an established and experienced team of grant administrators to help support a growing number of projects and application schemes. In addition, there will be opportunities to work with our wider team of project and bid managers to develop innovative and well-structured solutions to meet client needs. They will be expected to be accountable for the delivery of international assignments involving teams of in-house and external consultants.
In addition, the jobholder will support other grant funds such as the

Ocean Community Empowerment and Nature (OCEAN) Grants Programme .

Key Responsibilities:
Support the overall administration of the funds, including processing applications and reports.
Provide support to, and deputise for, the Programme Manager as needed.
Provide support to applicants and projects based globally.
Data collation and synthesis to help respond to client requirements.
Proofread and quality assure written reports and other written content for formatting, grammar, and logic of arguments.
Process applications and make eligibility assessments against pre-agreed criteria, and collate and synthesise written and verbal comments to write detailed technical feedback for applicants.
Support financial claims processes, ensuring accurate maintenance of administrative and financial records.
Maintain clear lines of communication with UK government client and other stakeholders.
Liaise with external sub-contractors as required.
Take the lead on specific funding schemes as agreed, including coordinating inputs from other team members.
Coordinate planning and contribute to delivery of in-person and online workshops with a range of stakeholders – mostly conservation practitioners from the UK and internationally.
Programme management support, including contracting and financial management, and coordination of a range of workstreams.
Leading discussions and negotiations with the Client where required.
Any other support to the Programme Manager as needed.
Support to business development and tendering as required.

Person Specification:
At least 5 years’ relevant professional experience.
A degree in a relevant subject such as biological sciences, geography or international development.
Experience in project management such as project planning, project processes, risk management, earned value, customer/client liaison, problem solving and project budgets.
Experience in negotiating effectively and building and sustaining relationships with key partners and clients.

Knowledge and Skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including the ability to convey information/data clearly, requiring little proofreading or quality assurance, and adapting style and tone to suit audience.
Meticulous attention to detail, and strong numeracy skills.
Good planning and organisational skills.
Ability to understand budgets and process financial data.
Understanding of financial control processes related to payments.
Competent user of Microsoft Office software, including strong Excel skills.
Knowledge of Flexi-Grant, Microsoft Azure and Umbraco software.

About you:
Good team-working skills alongside the ability to work independently and proactively, with little direct supervision, in a fast-paced and dynamic operating environment.
Very high attention to detail and ability to work efficiently and to a high standard, even under pressure.
Adaptable, flexible and able to respond to challenges and competing demands.
An ability and willingness to work effectively with colleagues with different skill sets and from different cultural backgrounds to meet deadlines.

Salary and Benefits:
In addition to a competitive salary, NIRAS offers a comprehensive benefits package including:
25 days paid annual leave plus public holidays.
Employee Life Assurance.
Employer pension contributions, and optional salary sacrifice arrangements.
Company Sick Pay available from day one of your employment.
24/7 access to our Employee Assistance Programme.
Enhanced provisions for family-friendly leave/pay.
Paid time off for dependents and emergencies.
Cycle to Work scheme.
Flexibility over your working hours.

How to Apply:
To apply for this position, please submit your CV at your earliest convenience. Cover letters and any relevant portfolio or project examples are not essential, but will be reviewed alongside CVs if submitted.

Please do not hesitate to email Grace Hodgkinson (Assistant Talent Acquisition Partner UK) at [email protected] should you have any questions.

NIRAS is an equal opportunity employer with a focus on Sustainable Development Goals. We value diversity in all its forms and welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds. We look forward to receiving your application.

Note:

Due to time and workload constraints, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and should you not receive feedback within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.