Grants Officer

This is a one-year Fixed Term Contract role

Position is hybrid in Cape Town or remote other areas of South Africa

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) seeks a Grants Officer to support its fiscal sponsorship program. The Grants Officer will be responsible for the day-to-day administration and coordination of the program, working with internal teams, sponsored organizations, and external partners. The position supports effective management of funding, agreements, financial activities, reporting, and compliance requirements, helping ensure that program activities are accurate, organized, and completed in a timely manner. The position also offers opportunities to contribute to institutional process improvement and other initiatives as capacity allows.

Role and Responsibilities

Fiscal Sponsorship Program Management & Administration (90%)

• Oversee the day-to-day administration of our fiscal sponsorship program, ensuring effective coordination and timely completion of all related activities.
• Serve as primary point of contact and coordination for sponsored organizations, implementing partners, donors, consultants, and relevant internal stakeholders.
• Coordinate procurement process and credit card expenses related to the project and ensure all costs are in accordance with the organizational policies.
• Coordinate application reviews, conduct due diligence, and prepare supporting documentation, recommendations, and approval memos.
• Coordinate the onboarding of sponsored organizations, grantees, contractors, and other partners, including the collection, review, and upkeep of required documentation.
• Administer incoming donations and funding, outgoing grants, contracts, payments, and related transactions in accordance with applicable agreements, funding restrictions, policies, and procedures.
• Coordinate donor administration and communications, including donation tracking and allocation donations, gift acknowledgements, tax receipts, grant notifications, and other related correspondence.
• Monitor project budget, funding allocations, expenditures, and financial commitments, including variance analysis and reconciliation and provide appropriate follow up.
• Maintain accurate and complete program records, agreements, documentation, and tracking systems.
• Prepare and coordinate financial, grant, donor, and compliance reporting, including internal financial reporting and contributions to broader institutional reporting.
• Track contractual obligations, deliverables, compliance requirements, and key deadlines, identifying matters that require further review or follow-up.
• Develop and implement program policies, procedures, guidelines, and service standards.
• Identify and support improvements to processes, workflows, and internal controls, including improvements that may benefit institutional operations.

Special Projects & team Support (10%)

• Support special projects and undertake other administrative and operational responsibilities, as assigned and subject to institutional priorities and available capacity.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• University degree in a relevant field or equivalent work experience required.
• 2+ years of relevant experience in grants administration, nonprofit operations, financial administration, project coordination, or related area.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to independently manage multiple activities, competing priorities, and deadlines.
• Strong understanding of budgeting, financial reporting, restricted funds, internal controls, and organizational compliance.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to review financial information, reconcile records, identify discrepancies, and recommend appropriate solutions.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, accountability, and maintaining complete records.
• Clear and effective communicator both verbally and in writing, with an ability to effectively coordinate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Suite (Excel, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Word), Adobe, and comfortable working in related business applications, financial systems, databases, and tracking tools.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, identify issues, and adapt to evolving priorities and processes.

If you have one or more of the following, we are especially interested in hearing from you:

• Experience with grant agreements, restricted funding, donor administration, or financial reporting.
• Familiarity with nonprofit compliance requirements or fiscal sponsorship arrangements.
• Experience working in global team environment.

At IFAW, we aim to create and foster a workforce that reflects and contributes to the diverse, global community in which we work to improve the lives of both animals and people. We are dedicated to fostering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion so we actively encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds.

Hiring range is R302,900 - R360,000

Closing date for receipt of applications: 20 November 2026