About the Africa Youth Climate Fund (AYCF)

Africa's youthful population is one of the continent's greatest assets in advancing a low-carbon, climate-resilient development pathway through initiatives that promote a just and inclusive green transition. Yet despite young people being at the forefront of climate action, innovation, advocacy, and community resilience-building, they continue to receive only a fraction of global climate finance. Less than 1% of international and local climate funding reaches youth-led organizations directly, limiting their ability to scale solutions, influence policy, and drive transformative climate action. At the same time, Africa faces disproportionate climate impacts despite contributing less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making investment in youth leadership and locally driven solutions more urgent than ever.

The Africa Youth Climate Fund (AYCF) is a flagship initiative of the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO), established to redistribute power, resources, and decision-making to Africa's youth climate movements. AYCF exists to address the persistent inequities in climate finance by ensuring that young African climate leaders, innovators, movements, and organizations have direct access to the resources, partnerships, and opportunities needed to scale transformative climate solutions. Through a participatory youth-for-youth grant-making model, the Fund supports entrepreneurship and innovation, movement building, research, and climate justice advocacy across Africa. AYCF serves as both a financing mechanism and a continental platform for strengthening youth leadership in climate action, resilience, and sustainable development.

AYCF envisions an Africa where young people are not merely beneficiaries of climate interventions but are recognized as decision-makers, innovators, investors, and architects of the continent's climate-resilient future. Through resource mobilization, fostering partnerships, nurturing innovation, and amplifying youth voices, AYCF is building a new paradigm of climate finance that is accessible, equitable, and responsive to the aspirations and realities of Africa's young people.

Purpose of the Position

The Grants and Operations Manager will provide strategic leadership for grant management, organizational operations, and institutional systems that enable the effective implementation of the Africa Youth Climate Fund (AYCF)'s programs. The position is responsible for overseeing the full grants lifecycle, ensuring compliance with donor and statutory requirements, strengthening operational systems and internal controls, and supporting organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

Working closely with the Executive Director of AYCF, GAYO Finance, GAYO Operations, and the Program team, the Grants and Operations Manager will ensure that grants are implemented efficiently, risks are effectively managed, organizational policies are consistently applied, and operational systems support the delivery of AYCF's strategic objectives. The role also contributes to proposal development, organizational planning, performance management, and continuous institutional improvement.

As AYCF expands its grantmaking portfolio across Africa, the Grants and Operations Manager will play a central role in designing, strengthening, and managing the operational systems that enable youth-led organisations to access and effectively manage climate finance and champion AYCF's youth-for-youth grantmaking model by ensuring that grant-making processes are transparent, accessible, participatory, and accountable, enabling young people to actively contribute to funding priorities, proposal review, grant selection, and resource allocation.

The Manager will lead the development and continuous improvement of grant management policies, procedures, and operational systems that promote accessibility, inclusion, trust-based philanthropy, and locally led climate action. This includes overseeing grant administration, due diligence, contracting, compliance, risk management, grant tracking, and reporting, while ensuring that grant-making processes are efficient, equitable, and aligned with donor requirements and AYCF's institutional policies.

The position holder will also strengthen the operational foundations of AYCF by improving organizational systems, internal controls, compliance frameworks, and business processes that support effective program delivery. Through transparent, accountable, and well-governed grant management, the Grants and Operations Manager will strengthen AYCF’s position as a trusted, youth-led climate fund that channels resources effectively to young climate leaders across Africa while maintaining strong governance and operational excellence.

AYCF's Grant-Making Philosophy

Current climate funding mechanisms often favor large, established institutions with sophisticated administrative structures and extensive fundraising experience. While these systems may promote accountability, they frequently create barriers that disproportionately disadvantage youth-led organizations, particularly those operating at the grassroots level. To this extent, the Grants and Operations Manager will champion AYCF's commitment to transforming how these contemporary mechanisms are designed and ensure climate finance reaches young people at the speed and scale required to respond to the urgency of the climate crisis on the continent, while remaining accessible, equitable, transparent, and responsive to the realities of youth-led organizations across Africa. In doing so, the role will contribute to repositioning AYCF not only as a grant-making institution but as a catalyst for transforming climate philanthropy, demonstrating that youth-led organizations are capable, credible, and effective stewards of climate finance when provided with accessible funding mechanisms, appropriate institutional support, and meaningful decision-making power.

The Grants Manager will therefore help advance a new paradigm of climate philanthropy that redistributes both resources and decision-making power to young people, ensuring that AYCF's grant-making systems are guided by principles of:

• Equity and inclusion
• Accessibility and simplicity;
• Participation and youth leadership;
• Trust and mutual accountability;
• Flexibility and responsiveness;
• Learning and adaptation;
• Institutional strengthening and sustainability;
• Locally led development and climate justice.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Grant-Making and Grant Operations (30%)

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of AYCF's grantmaking systems, policies, and operational procedures.
• Develop and maintain grant management manuals, standard operating procedures, templates, and operational guidelines.
• Coordinate the planning and implementation of grant calls from concept development through award notification.
• Ensure grant opportunities are accessible, transparent, inclusive, and aligned with AYCF's youth-for-youth grantmaking principles.
• Coordinate the end-to-end grant administration process, including application management, eligibility screening, due diligence, contracting, grant disbursement coordination, amendments and/or addenda, and close-out.
• Establish and maintain grant management systems that enable effective tracking of grants throughout their lifecycle.
• Serve as Secretariat to Grant Review Committees by coordinating proposal review processes, preparing documentation, maintaining records, and ensuring adherence to approved grant-making procedures.
• Ensure grant-making processes uphold the highest standards of transparency, fairness, accountability, and integrity.

Operations, Compliance and Risk Management  (20%)

• Lead the strengthening and continuous improvement of AYCF’s operational systems, internal controls, procedures, and institutional processes in alignment with GAYO’s fiscal hosting policies and donor requirements.
• Coordinate procurement processes, logistics, records management, asset tracking, administrative support, and operational documentation in line with approved policies and delegated authority frameworks.
• Work closely with relevant GAYO functions, including Finance, Operations, HR/Admin, and Programs, to ensure that AYCF operations are efficient, compliant, well-documented, and responsive to program delivery needs.
• Support the implementation of risk tracking systems to identify, document, escalate, and monitor operational, compliance, procurement, financial, and institutional risks.
• Ensure AYCF’s operational processes comply with statutory, legal, regulatory, donor, and internal policy requirements.
• Maintain clear documentation of operational decisions, procurement records, approvals, compliance checks, risk actions, and institutional processes to support transparency and audit readiness.
• Support the development and use of digital systems, templates, trackers, and dashboards that improve operational efficiency, compliance monitoring, grant management, and decision-making.
• Promote a culture of operational discipline, accountability, transparency, continuous improvement, and service delivery across AYCF’s systems and functions.

Grantee Onboarding, Grant Compliance, and Operational Support (20%)

• Coordinate grantee onboarding on grant agreements, compliance obligations, reporting schedules, disbursement procedures, documentation standards, safeguarding requirements, and grant management processes.
• Ensure that all grantees clearly understand their contractual obligations, financial management requirements, reporting responsibilities, documentation standards, and close-out expectations.
• Work closely with the Program and Community Support Manager to ensure that grantees receive appropriate technical, learning, and accompaniment support without compromising grant accountability, transparency, and compliance.
• Maintain accurate records of grantee obligations, reporting deadlines, disbursement conditions, risk issues, amendments, compliance follow-ups, and close-out requirements.
• Monitor grantee compliance with grant agreements, donor requirements, AYCF policies, and approved implementation plans, and flag emerging operational, financial, or institutional risks for timely action.
• Coordinate grant amendments, no-cost extensions, budget realignments, and close-out processes in line with approved procedures and donor requirements.
• Support the strengthening of grantee-facing operational systems, templates, checklists, and guidance notes to make grant management processes clear, accessible, and accountable.
• Ensure that AYCF’s grant management approach remains transparent, youth-responsive, risk-aware, and aligned with principles of trust-based philanthropy and locally led development.

Financial Coordination and Grant Accountability (10%)

• Work closely with GAYO Finance, as fiscal host, to ensure that grant commitments, payment requests, disbursement schedules, expenditure monitoring, financial documentation, and donor financial reporting are aligned with approved budgets, grant agreements, donor requirements, and AYCF’s grantmaking procedures. The Grants and Operations Manager will not serve as the finance lead but will ensure that program, grant, and financial documentation are consistent, complete, and audit-ready.
• Monitor grant expenditure against approved budgets and flag potential compliance or financial risks.
• Coordinate grant payment requests and disbursement schedules.
• Support financial reporting by ensuring consistency between program implementation, grant agreements, and financial documentation.
• Facilitate grant audits and compliance reviews.
• Strengthen grant financial accountability through effective documentation, reconciliation, and reporting systems.

Organizational Planning, Performance, and Reporting (10%)

• Coordinate organizational work planning and monitor operational performance.
• Develop and maintain grant and operational dashboards to support management decision-making.
• Prepare periodic operational and grant portfolio reports for senior management and the advisory circle.
• Monitor key operational performance indicators and recommend improvements to organizational systems and processes.
• Support institutional planning, policy development, and organizational performance reviews.

Leadership, Team Coordination, and Continuous Improvement (10%)

• Provide leadership and technical guidance on grants management, operational systems, and compliance across the organization.
• Foster effective collaboration between program, finance, communications, and operations functions.
• Lead internal capacity-building initiatives on grant management, compliance, procurement, and operational procedures.
• Promote a culture of accountability, integrity, innovation, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Undertake any other responsibilities assigned by the Executive Director of AYCF that are consistent with the purpose of the role and contribute to AYCF’s strategic objectives.

Person Specifications

Education and Professional Qualifications

• A master’s degree in International Development, Development Studies, Public Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Law, Project/Programme Management, Nonprofit Management, Organizational Development, Climate Finance, Philanthropy, or a related field.
• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with substantial and progressively responsible experience in grants management, fund operations, compliance, program administration, or institutional systems may be considered in lieu of a master’s degree.
• Professional training or certification in grants management, project management, donor compliance, procurement, risk management, financial management, fund management, or nonprofit operations will be an added advantage.
• Professional certification in grants management, project management, procurement, compliance, risk management, or organizational management is an added advantage.
• Demonstrated understanding of grantmaking, donor compliance, youth-led development, climate justice, locally led action, or philanthropic funding systems will be considered an asset.

Experience

• At least five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in grants management, grant operations, program administration, institutional systems, compliance, or operational management within the development, philanthropy, humanitarian, climate, or non-profit sectors.
• Demonstrated experience managing the full grants lifecycle, including grant design, solicitation, due diligence, contracting, compliance, reporting, amendments, and close-out.
• Proven experience managing institutional donor-funded programs and ensuring compliance with donor regulations and contractual requirements.
• Experience developing and implementing organizational policies, standard operating procedures, and operational systems that improve institutional effectiveness.
• Demonstrated experience establishing or strengthening grant management systems, internal controls, and compliance frameworks.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and working across program, finance, and operational functions.
• Experience supporting organizational planning, performance management, and institutional growth.
• Demonstrated experience preparing high-quality donor reports, management reports, and Board papers.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience working within a grant-making institution, intermediary fund, community foundation, philanthropic organization, or pooled funding mechanism.
• Experience supporting youth-led organizations, grassroots organizations, or locally led development initiatives.
• Experience working with international climate finance mechanisms or environmental funding institutions.
• Experience in establishing digital grants management systems or organizational information management systems.
• Experience supporting organizational audits, compliance reviews, and institutional risk management processes.

Technical Competencies

Grants Management and Grant Governance

• Comprehensive understanding of the full grants lifecycle and internationally recognized grants management practices.
• Strong knowledge of donor compliance requirements, grant agreements, fiduciary standards, and risk management.
• Experience designing and improving grant-making policies, operational procedures, and grant administration systems.
• Ability to coordinate competitive grant calls, proposal review processes, due diligence, grant contracting, and compliance monitoring.
• Strong understanding of equitable, participatory, and trust-based grant-making approaches.

Operations and Organizational Management

• Demonstrated ability to strengthen organizational systems, internal controls, and operational procedures.
• Experience overseeing procurement, administration, logistics, records management, and organizational compliance.
• Strong understanding of organizational governance, policy development, and institutional effectiveness.
• Ability to improve operational efficiency through process improvement and systems thinking.
• Experience managing organizational risk and ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

Financial and Compliance Management

• Good understanding of grant budgeting, financial monitoring, and donor financial compliance.
• Ability to interpret grant agreements and monitor financial performance against contractual obligations.
• Experience coordinating grant audits and supporting financial accountability processes.
• Strong appreciation of internal control systems and financial stewardship.

Strategic Planning and Performance Management

• Experience supporting strategic planning, organizational performance monitoring, and operational reporting.
• Ability to develop performance indicators, dashboards, and management reporting systems.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex information and support evidence-based decision-making.

Core Competencies and Skills

Strategic Leadership

• Ability to think strategically and translate organizational priorities into effective operational systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving capabilities.

Planning and Organization

• Exceptional planning, coordination, and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and consistently deliver high-quality outputs within tight deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail while maintaining a focus on strategic objectives.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong report-writing, documentation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to communicate complex operational and compliance requirements clearly and effectively.
• Strong relationship-management skills and the ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.

Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills

• Strong analytical and critical thinking abilities.
• Ability to identify operational risks and develop practical solutions.
• Capacity to analyze policies, procedures, and organizational systems to improve performance and compliance.

Digital and Information Management

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Experience using grants management systems, project management platforms, or enterprise information systems is an advantage.
• Ability to leverage digital tools to improve operational efficiency, reporting, and collaboration.

Personal Attributes

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate:

• High levels of integrity, professionalism, and accountability.
• Commitment to transparency, ethical stewardship, and responsible resource management.
• A proactive, solutions-oriented, and continuous improvement mindset.
• Excellent judgment and discretion when handling sensitive organizational information.
• Adaptability and resilience in a dynamic and fast-growing organization.
• Strong commitment to youth leadership, locally led development, climate justice, and equitable access to climate finance.
• Ability to foster an inclusive, collaborative, and respectful organizational culture.
• Passion for strengthening African youth leadership and transforming climate finance to better serve young people and grassroots organizations.

Equal Opportunity Statement

AYCF is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We strongly encourage applications from young professionals, women, persons with disabilities, and individuals from underrepresented communities across Africa. Recruitment and selection decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and alignment with AYCF's values and mission.