Senior Partnerships & Sub-grants Officer – Tunisia

About SPARK

SPARK is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to creating opportunities for young people in fragile and conflict-affected contexts through entrepreneurship development and higher education. By strengthening local ecosystems, supporting entrepreneurs, and building institutional capacities, SPARK contributes to inclusive economic growth and sustainable employment.

Senior Partnerships & Sub-grants Officer

The Senior Partnerships & Sub-grants Officer supports the day-to-day management of FEMFOCUS partnerships and sub-grants in Tunisia. The role follows the grant cycle from calls for proposals and partner due diligence through contracting, disbursement follow-up, reporting, compliance monitoring and grant closure. The position also reviews partner financial reports, working closely with the Senior Finance Officer, and ensures that partner grant records are complete and up to date.

The Senior Partnerships & Sub-grants Officer is based in Tunis and reports to the Regional Finance Manager. The position works closely with the Tunisian Programme Manager, Senior Finance Officer, Senior Project Officers, MEL Coordinator and other programme colleagues. The role maintains regular contact with partner organisations and supports timely follow-up of grant requirements, reporting, compliance issues and agreed actions.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities:

The responsibilities and tasks include, but are not limited to:

Partnership and Sub-grant Administration

• Support the partner selection processes in line with approved programme procedures and timelines;
• Coordinate partner due diligence and required checks, working with finance and programme colleagues on financial, organisational and compliance aspects;
• Prepare grant agreements, amendments and related documentation using approved templates and ensure required documents and conditions are complete before signature;
• Maintain up-to-date grant trackers covering approved amounts, budgets, instalments, reporting deadlines, deliverables, amendments and grant status;
• Maintain regular communication with partner organisations on grant requirements, timelines, documentation and follow-up actions;
• Support grant closure by ensuring final reports, required documentation and outstanding actions are completed and properly filed.

Partner Reporting and Financial Review

• Receive and review partner narrative and financial reports for completeness, consistency with the approved workplan and budget, required deliverables and the grant agreement;
• Review partner financial reports and expenditure listings, checking budget alignment, completeness of required documentation, consistency with reported activities and compliance with grant conditions;
• Work in parallel with the Senior Finance Officer on partner financial reviews, coordinate findings and follow up required clarifications or corrections with partners;
• Track reporting deadlines, missing information, agreed corrections and follow-up actions and ensure they are closed within the required timelines;

Disbursement and Grant Monitoring

• Check that contractual, reporting and programme conditions required for partner disbursements have been met and coordinate with the Senior Finance Officer on the required financial checks;
• Prepare the grant-management inputs and documentation required for partner disbursement recommendations in line with the programme approval process;
• Work in parallel with the senior project officers to monitor partner implementation against grant agreements, workplans, budgets, milestones and reporting schedules and follow up delays or deviations;
• Participate in partner monitoring visits and meetings with programme, MEL and finance colleagues where required;
• Support the processing of grant amendments where justified and ensure approved changes are reflected in the grant file and tracking tools.

Compliance, Documentation and Risk

• Apply SPARK procedures and applicable Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) requirements for partnership and sub-grant management in day-to-day work;
• Ensure partner grant files contain the required due diligence, agreements, approvals, reports, review records, correspondence and supporting documentation and are ready for internal or donor review;
• Support integrity, compliance and partner screening processes required by the programme and follow up outstanding information or actions;
• Identify and raise partnership, implementation or compliance risks and maintain clear records of agreed mitigation and follow-up actions;
• Provide requested grant documentation and explanations for audits, donor reviews and independent checks by Finance Controllers, and follow up assigned corrective actions.

Partner Support and Capacity Strengthening Needs

• Provide practical guidance to partners on grant administration, reporting, documentation, compliance requirements and agreed timelines;
• Identify and raise partner capacity-strengthening needs emerging from grant monitoring, report reviews and compliance follow-up, and coordinate these needs with the Programme Manager and relevant technical colleagues;
• Support partner orientation or training on grant requirements together with finance, programme and other technical colleagues where required;
• Contribute to a constructive working relationship with partners while maintaining clear and consistent grant requirements.

Requirements and Skills

• Bachelor degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Development Studies, Project Management or a related field;
• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in grants, sub-grants, partnership management or project administration, preferably within an NGO or donor-funded programme;
• Practical experience administering partner grants, including agreements, reporting schedules, grant files, disbursement documentation and follow-up with partners;
• Experience reviewing partner financial reports, budgets and expenditure information, with the ability to identify missing documentation, inconsistencies and issues requiring finance follow-up;
• Good understanding of donor compliance, grant conditions, supporting documentation and audit requirements. Experience with Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs funding is an asset;
• Experience with partner due diligence, compliance or integrity screening processes is an asset;
• Good Excel skills and ability to maintain accurate grant trackers and organised electronic records;
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and ability to manage several partner reporting and grant deadlines at the same time;
• Ability to communicate grant requirements clearly and work constructively with partner organisations and internal programme and finance colleagues;
• High level of integrity, accuracy and confidentiality;
• Good professional English;
• Professional proficiency in Arabic and French;
• Willingness to travel within the country and occasionally within the region if required;

SPARK Offers

• A remuneration based on SPARK’s function grid and relevant experience;
• Training and professional development opportunities;
• Full-time employment contract, subject to applicable local conditions and programme funding;
• A challenging and responsible position in an international working environment;

How to apply?

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents (in English & French):

• A cover letter outlining their motivation and demonstrating how their qualifications and experience meet the requirements of the position.
• An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV), including the contact details of at least three professional references.

Applications must be submitted no later than 20th October 2026 through https://vacancy.spark-online.org/Tab1/LoadProfile/721 .

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. As interviews may take place before the closing date, early applications are strongly encouraged.

SPARK is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage qualified women, persons with disabilities, and candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply. Recruitment and selection are conducted in accordance with SPARK’s safeguarding, integrity, and equal opportunity policies.

If you have not received a reply, we regret to inform you that we have continued with other candidates.