Senior Grant Manager, AIHSS2

Senior Grant Manager, AIHSS2 

• Commencement: September 2026 

• Up to 31 March 2028 

• Port Moresby based, Papua New Guinea

• Open to PNG nationals only

About the Program 

The Accelerated Immunisation and Health System Strengthening Program, Phase 2 (AIHSS2) is a 4-year program (2024–2027) funded by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. AIHSS2 aims to increase access to quality and affordable health services and strengthen health systems. AIHSS2 provides support to Provincial Health Authorities (PHAs) and Bougainville Department of Health (BDoH) to improve the reach of routine immunisation (RI) services and increase immunisation coverage of target populations.

About the Opportunity 

The Senior Grant Manager will work closely with the Lead to:

• Manage end-to-end grant management effectively and efficiently for a number of grant agreements across the AIHSS2 provinces;

• Support grantees (PHAs, BDoH and Implementing Service Providers (ISPs) to meet identified targets and goals as per their grant agreements; 

• Manage the relationship with grantees and support them to monitor and manage the grant, program implementation, risk management, and reporting requirements, including facilitation of targeted technical capacity support as needed; and

Work collaboratively and cohesively with broader Abt work units including but not limited to, Grants, Legal, Compliance and Safeguarding teams.

Key accountabilities

The Senior Grant Manager will be responsible for but not limited to the following:

Grant Management: 

• Manage and monitor grantees effectively against grant agreements to ensure activity implementation aligns to agreed workplan, key deliverables and milestones, budgets, risks, and transition;

• Manage and monitor risks and mitigation strategies, including regular updates to the risk register to ensure any risk or emerging issue is proactively identified, reported, and managed following Abt policies and procedures; 
• Schedule and chair monthly grantee progress meetings to monitor implementation progress, risks, challenges, bottlenecks and provide meeting summary notes to the Lead;
• Attend internal meetings with the Abt PNG Grants and Operations team to monitor status of deliverables, financials, and compliance;
• Manage and support the grantees to ensure high-quality and timely reporting, communications; and
• Coordinate and ensure activities such as travel, trip reports, workshops, briefings, and presentations are delivered effectively and efficiently and demonstrate value for money (VFM).

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build and maintain open, productive, and outcome-oriented relationships with key internal and external stakeholders including, donors (DFAT, MFAT, Gavi), GoPNG (NDoH, Department of National Planning and Monitoring (DNPM)), grantees (PHAs, BDoH and ISPs) and technical partners (WHO, UNICEF, World Bank)
• Prepare documentation for meetings, presentations and workshops in coordination with other Senior Grant Managers and the Lead;
• Participate, contribute, and facilitate various internal and external AIHSS2 meetings;
• Attend relevant external health related events as agreed by the Lead; and
• Support grantees to access technical assistance, training and capacity building support from AIHSS2 technical partners.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL): 

• Monitor grantee progress against the AIHSS2 MEL Framework and ensure reporting against program indicators;

• Support grantees on MEL and reporting requirements and strengthen grantee capabilities in this area, in close collaboration with the AIHSS2 MEL Specialist; 

• Complete provincial monitoring visits to monitor grantee progress and submit a field trip report within one week of trip completion;

• Participate and contribute to AIHSS2 MEL planning, strategy and review sessions, as requested by the Lead; and

• Contribute to the development of AIHSS2 donor reports and ad-hoc reports.

Public Financial Management (PFM):

• Monitor progress and report on PFM corrective action plans (CAPs) for transition provinces in collaboration with the respective grantees and Expanded Program of Support for the HSIP (EPSHSIP) team; and 

• Support grantees to recruit, mobilise and onboard critical gap roles as per the CAP process (and approved by the Lead), including the transition to PHA/BDoH structure.

GEDSI:

• Support grantees to understand and apply GEDSI approaches in program delivery in collaboration with the AIHSS2 GEDSI Specialist;

• Ensure grantee workplans and progress reporting include GEDSI components and are prioritised.

Transition:

• Contribute to the development of the AIHSS2 Sustainability and Transition Plan, in close collaboration with the Lead and Transition Support Manager; and 

• Monitor and report grantee transition progress against grantee workplans and the AIHSS2 Sustainability and Transition Plan.

General:

Any other duties as required by the Lead.

Key deliverables

The expected outcomes are:

• Effective end-to-end grant management and support provided to grantees to deliver against grant agreements, workplans and budgets;
• Effective risk management regular reports provided using the AIHSS2 Risk Register; 

• Monthly grantee progress meetings conducted and minuted;

• Provincial monitoring visits conducted (at least six-monthly) and trip reports submitted within one week of trip completion;

• Punctual attendance, participation, contribution, facilitation and efficient secretariate support at required meetings, presentations, workshops, and events;

• PFM, GEDSI and Transition activities monitored, reported, and delivered as per agreed plans;

• Timely and quality submission of grantee and donor reporting; and

• High level responsiveness to GoPNG, donors, grantees and other key stakeholders.

Working Arrangement and relationships 

The Senior Grants Manager will report to the Program Lead, AIHSS2 and will have working relationships with:

• Abt PNG Grants, Safeguarding, Finance, Operations and Legal Teams;

• Grantees: PHAs, BDoH and Implementing service providers; 

• GoPNG: NDoH, DNPM;

• Donors: DFAT, MFAT, Gavi; and

• Technical Partners: WHO, UNICEF, World Bank.

About You 

For applications to be considered, a response to the key selection criteria below must be provided. 

• A relevant post graduate qualification in Public Health or related field.

• More than 6 years of work experience in program and grant management roles in the international or community development, humanitarian, or health-sector programs.

• Strong demonstrated understanding of the end-to-end grant management cycle including a demonstrated understanding of GEDSI principles and how they apply to aid programming and evaluation.

• Strong demonstrated understanding of monitoring, evaluation and program performance including demonstrated experience reporting qualitative and quantitative progress against the monitoring and evaluation framework.

• Excellent analytical and writing skills including the preparation of donor and government reports and briefs for internal and external stakeholder audiences.

• Experience in broad coordination and facilitation and capacity building to internal and external stakeholders.

• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation and relationship management skills with proven results in working with external stakeholders, and officials to achieve outcomes.

• Demonstrated understanding of the PNG Health sector. 

   

How to Apply

• Applicants must strictly address the Key Selection Criteria (About You) in his/her cover letter when submitting his/her application online, along with his/her CV as a single document. 

• Applications must be submitted personally by individuals only. Any applications submitted by a company or organisation will not be accepted. 

• The successful applicant will be engaged through an employment agreement determined by Abt.

Due to the high volume of applications received, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Closing Date:  Friday 31 July 2026 (Midday, local time) #LI-AUSBRIT

Abt Associates is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse workforce. Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits. Local candidates strongly encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer: Abt Associates will never ask candidates for money in exchange for an offer of employment.

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