Senior Associate, Grants & Contract Management

Aceli Africa is a market catalyst that unlocks private sector lending for agricultural enterprises. Drawing upon new data that explains the credit gap for small- and medium-enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture sector, Aceli offers financial incentives to a marketplace of 50+ commercial banks and innovative finance companies to share in the risk and defray the high transaction costs of lending to agricultural SMEs.

Since launching in 2020, Aceli has mobilized $600M in lending to 8,000+ agricultural enterprises providing market access for 2.9M smallholder farmers across Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. With access to finance, agri-SMEs, more than 60% of which are accessing loans for the first time, are growing at an annual rate of 20%+, increasing their purchases from farmers, and creating more jobs. Building on learning to date, Aceli plans to mobilize $2 billion in financing for agri-SMEs and improve livelihoods for 5 million farmers and workers by 2030.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff and working closely with Aceli's Finance, Operations, and Fundraising teams, the Senior Associate will oversee grants and contract compliance, ensuring that contracts, subawards, and donor agreements adhere to Aceli's policies and procedures, donor requirements, US nonprofit regulations, and industry best practices. The role will also be responsible for maintaining the registrations of Aceli US, a 501(c)(3) legal entity, and ensuring ongoing compliance with applicable federal and state requirements. The Senior Associate will be expected to work collaboratively across teams, exercise a high degree of autonomy, and take ownership of key operational and compliance responsibilities.

The ideal candidate will have experience in US nonprofit (501(c)(3)) operations and compliance, including managing international donor funding. They will bring exceptional organizational skills, a creative and collaborative approach to problem-solving, and a strong interest in continuous learning and developing expertise in nonprofit compliance.

Key Responsibilities

1. Contracts, Procurement & Subawards

• Lead Aceli’s procurement function to make sure procurement meets donor and grant requirements, and advise staff and partners on contract management

• Draft and negotiate contracts, and ensure full contractor compliance with Aceli's policies, procedures, and donor requirements within Aceli's delegation of authority, with legal review as needed.

• Conduct pre-award risk assessments and other due diligence (such as sanctions, debarment, anti-money laundering, and know your customer (KYC) checks) on subrecipients, and tailor subaward agreements to the level of risk and donor requirements.

• Monitor subaward progress and financial reporting, and manage subaward closeout.

• Maintain complete, well-organised files for all contracts and subawards within Aceli’s current contract management system.

• Train Aceli team on procurement and compliance requirements

2. Donor & Grant Compliance

• Provide documentation and support for donor due diligence assessments and grant / annual audits.

• Track and fulfill donor reporting and compliance requirements across Aceli's grant portfolio, including providing development support on narrative and financial reports

• Maintain Aceli's International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) publication and dashboards in line with donor transparency requirements.

• Guide staff and partners on donor requirements and Aceli's policies and procedures, using sound discretion and with the support of the Finance, Fundraising, and Operations teams and the Chief of Staff.

3. Aceli US Registrations & Corporate Compliance

• Prepare, file, and maintain the federal and state registrations and compliance documents for Aceli US, Aceli's 501(c)(3) legal entity.

• Track US federal and state nonprofit compliance requirements and filing deadlines, and coordinate with the Finance team and external advisors to meet them.

4. Systems & Records

• Implement and monitor systems for tracking and storing procurement documentation, contracts, donor awards, and deliverables, particularly focused on automations of workflows.

• Maintain Aceli's grants and contracts records, keeping data accurate, workflows current, and documentation up to date.

• Analyze trends and patterns in compliance processes and propose new or improved procedures.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in nonprofit operations, grants management, contract management, or compliance.

• Working knowledge of US 501(c)(3) nonprofit compliance requirements.

• Familiarity with subcontracting, procurement, and subawards under agreements funded by foreign governments, particularly European bilateral donors (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FCDO, Swiss Development Cooperation, Norad, etc), and private foundations.

• Experience managing compliance and reporting requirements for international donor funding.

• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with a proven ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make sound assessments quickly and identify the best course of action.

• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.

• Team-oriented and proactive, able to move fluidly between collaborative and independent work and to work effectively with minimal supervision.

• Demonstrated ability to work with teams spread across multiple continents, cultures, and time zones

Preferred

• Experience working with partners and implementers in East Africa.

• Familiarity with US government grant and contract requirements, including the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200).

• Experience with Airtable or similar database tools.

• Interest in and commitment to international development and agricultural finance.

Aceli is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are required to be authorized to work in the US. Please share an updated CV and cover letter by November 27, 2026. Applications without a Cover Letter will not be considered.