Project Administration and Grants Specialist

JOB OVERVIEW

IITA is recruiting a Project Administration and Grants Specialist for a two-year renewable appointment in Ibadan. The specialist will coordinate the administrative, financial and operational management of research and development grants, from proposal preparation and project start-up through implementation, reporting and close-out.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop proposal, extension and annual work-plan budgets, activity-based budgets and forecasts.
• Monitor expenditure, variances, underspending, overspending and financial risks; coordinate revisions, reallocations and reforecasting.
• Maintain budget dashboards and support accurate staff-time and shared-cost allocation.
• Prepare and administer partner and sub-grant agreements, budgets, milestones, deliverables, payment schedules and compliance records.
• Track partner implementation, expenditure, reports and disbursements; flag compliance issues and follow up corrective action.
• Coordinate donor technical and financial reporting, maintain the reporting calendar, and consolidate inputs from scientists, partners and finance teams.
• Support project start-up by setting up plans, budgets, procurement schedules, agreements, trackers and reporting systems.
• Track implementation milestones, procurement, travel, service agreements, payments and project risks across Finance, Procurement, PDAU, People and Culture, and Legal teams.
• Coordinate project close-out, including deliverables, reconciliations, assets and archiving.
• Prepare proposal budgets, budget narratives, partner budgets and supporting documents in line with donor cost rules.
• Maintain an accurate portfolio of grants, budgets, partners, reporting dates and implementation status, and improve project-management tools and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Finance, Accounting, Economics, Development Management, Agricultural Economics, Public Administration or a related field. A strong relevant Bachelor’s degree with substantial experience may be considered.
• At least five years of progressive experience in project administration, grants management, financial management or programme coordination in a research institution, university, NGO or donor-funded programme.
• Demonstrated experience with multi-year budgets, sub-grants, donor reporting, procurement, contracts, allowable costs and simultaneous deadlines.
• Strong Excel, numeracy, analytical, organisational, English communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Experience with ERP, grants, project or financial-management systems is an advantage; agriculture or CGIAR experience is desirable.
• Integrity, confidentiality, sound judgement and the ability to work independently are essential.

CONTRACT AND BENEFITS

Two-year renewable appointment. IITA offers a competitive salary, benefits and working conditions.

METHOD OF APPLICATION

Apply through the official IITA recruitment portal. Submit a detailed cover letter and curriculum vitae in Microsoft Word format; the filename should include the applicant’s name. Women are encouraged to apply. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

9 September 2026.