Job Description

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Purpose of Role

Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies South Africa (AGGP_SA) is committed to strengthening entrepreneurship ecosystems to enable sustainable, high-impact ventures that drive job creation and economic growth. The Grant-Making Lead plays a pivotal role in ensuring AGGP_SA's grants are strategically deployed to achieve systemic change. This role oversees the full grant lifecycle, from strategy development to grant disbursement, monitoring, and evaluation. We are looking for a proactive and analytical leader with deep expertise in philanthropic grant-making. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, skilled in relationship management, financial oversight, and impact-driven programme execution.

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Objectives of Role

GRANT-MAKING STRATEGY & ALIGNMENT:

Conduct regular reviews of the grant-making strategy to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness. Contribute towards developing systems, processes, and frameworks for the grant-making team and other internal stakeholders. Develop and manage the grant-making budget and ensure that funds are spent effectively and efficiently. Establish clear grant-making guidelines, criteria, and priorities. Prepare grant, financial, and other grant related reports as required for the Boards and other stakeholders.

GRANT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT:

Oversee diverse grant portfolios, ensuring they contribute to AGGP_SA's mission and strategic objectives. Lead the full grant lifecycle, including application reviews, due diligence, agreements, disbursements, monitoring, and closeouts. Assess grantee proposals, work plans, budgets, and risk factors to ensure sound investment decisions. Collaborate with the Learning & Innovation team to evaluate and monitor grantee performance through regular reporting site visits, ensuring compliance and impact Oversee the maintenance of the grant management system to ensure that up-to-date, accurate and complete data is maintained for all grants.

STAKEHOLDER & GRANTEEE RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT:

Cultivate strong relationships with grantees, providing strategic support to enhance impact and sustainability. Identify, develop, and manage partnerships with funders, government agencies, and entrepreneurship ecosystem players. Facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among grantees to enhance program effectiveness. Develop and execute engagement strategies to strengthen relationships with external stakeholders

GRANT EVALUATION & LEARNING:

Work closely with the Learning & Innovation team to implement robust grant evaluation systems. Collect, analyse, and leverage grant performance data to refine funding strategies and improve impact. Identify best practices and lessons learned to enhance AGGP_SA's grant-making effectiveness. Share insights with grantees and the broader ecosystem to promote continuous learning.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & COMPLIANCE

Develop and manage the grant-making budget, ensuring efficient allocation and responsible expenditure. Ensure financial compliance by implementing strong grant oversight and financial reporting mechanisms. Prepare and present financial reports, highlighting spending trends and impact. Work closely with finance teams to monitor fund utilisation & ensure accountability

TEAM LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT:

Recruit, train and lead a high performing grantmaking team. Foster a collaborative, high-impact work environment that encourages innovation and accountability. Prepare and present financial reports, highlighting spending trends and impact. Provide coaching and professional development opportunities to build internal grant-making expertise.
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Experience and Qualifications

A formal qualification in Development, or a related field. Minimum 5 years of experience in family/private philanthropic grant-making, ideally in entrepreneurship, employment, or education sectors Proven experience managing high-value, multi-stakeholder grant investments with a focus on systemic change. Strong track record of designing and implementing impactful grant strategies.
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Competencies

Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to synthesise complex information. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience in preparing reports for diverse stakeholders. Strategic mindset with a strong ability to align grant-making with organisational priorities. Proficiency in financial management, including budgeting and compliance. Ability to build and manage multi-stakeholder relationships, both internally and externally. Experience in project management, with a strong ability to manage multiple priorities. * Proficiency in cloud-based grant management systems and data-driven decision-making.