Grants Officer for the Africa Region

About the Tenure Facility

The Tenure Facility is the first and only international financial mechanism exclusively focused on securing land and forest rights for Indigenous Peoples and local communities worldwide. Recognizing and upholding these rights represents one of the most impactful opportunities for fostering sustainable rural development, achieving global climate goals, and mitigating local conflicts in a cost-effective manner.

Through grants and technical assistance, the Tenure Facility empowers Indigenous Peoples and local communities by strengthening their capacity to implement land and forest tenure reforms. Additionally, it supports governments in testing and scaling innovative approaches to land rights recognition, ensuring practical solutions to administrative and legal challenges.

Overview of the Position

The Grants Officer reports to the Chief Operating Officer and forms part of the Operations Team. The Grants Officer plays a key role in the implementation of the Tenure Facility’s grant-making and grant supervision processes. He or she will be responsible for administering the grant processes of the Tenure Facility’s projects and for ensuring that Tenure Facility staff members, consultants, and project partners operate within existing policies, guidelines, and procedures.

While the position falls under the Operations Team, given its strong programmatic focus, the Grants Officer is expected to work in close coordination with the Program Officers and the Finance Unit. The position may involve in-country visits to project partners.

Overarching Responsibilities

• Contribute to establishing the Tenure Facility as a highly credible and respected foundation among international development institutions and donors.
• Generate mutual trust and respect with Indigenous Peoples and local communities and their cultures, with full awareness of the intricacies of relationships among them and their allies and supporters.
• Contribute to a collaborative and resilient internal working culture that supports sustained progress toward the Tenure Facility’s strategic goals and objectives.

Specific Responsibilities

The main responsibilities include:

• Ensure that data related to grants and grantees in the Project Management System (Roots) is complete and meets Tenure Facility standards.
• Work with Program Officers to provide prompt and sensitive responses to all unsolicited requests for funding and record related information.
• Track the progress of project preparation, implementation, disbursement, reporting, and closure in Roots, and prepare related reports for management, donors, communications, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate the procurement of consultants and programme-related services, assist in preparing consultant contracts, ensure compliance with foundation regulations, and handle related queries, invoices, and payments.
• Draft grant management documents, such as grant agreements, extensions, and amendments, for review by Program Officers and Financial Controllers, and manage related correspondence with grantees.
• Review grant concept notes, proposals, risk registers, quality assurance reviews, and grant agreements to ensure they are complete and aligned with Tenure Facility policies.
• Ensure the timely submission and approval of grantee reports by tracking and monitoring their status and sending reminders to grantees.
• Shepherd grants and contracts through the review and approval process.
• Assist with grant payment schedules, disbursements, and monitoring grant balances in coordination with Financial Controllers.
• Assist with programme-related travel preparations and ensure reports are created and registered in TF systems.
• Train new programme staff on grants and contracts processes and the use of the Project Management System (Roots).
• Advise Tenure Facility staff members, consultants, and grantees on policies and procedures related to grant management.
• Work to enhance and improve grants management processes and increase efficiency.
• Undertake special projects as assigned.

Qualifications and Requirements

• University degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in international development, law, business or public administration, social sciences, natural resource management, or a related field. A Master’s degree is an asset.
• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of relevant professional experience in grants management, programme operations or administration, or project management, preferably with a foundation, international NGO, donor agency, or similar organisation.
• Experience working with partners in Africa, and with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, is a strong asset.
• Experience with grants management or similar information systems; familiarity with NGO Online (DigiPING) is an asset.
• Fluency in English and French, both written and spoken, is required.
• Fluency in Portuguese and/or Spanish would be considered an asset.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly, including to project sites and partner organisations in Africa, sometimes in remote locations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and online collaboration tools.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multicultural, geographically distributed team, with cultural sensitivity and respect for Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Terms of Employment

• Permanent full-time position, starting 7 January 2027, with a six months' probationary period.
• Location: Kungsholmen, Stockholm.
• Collective agreement, pension and insurance: Almega Tjänstemannaavtalet.
• Salary by agreement.

The Tenure Facility promotes a balanced, diverse workforce, a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners' needs, and we continually strive to improve our gender balance.