Grants Specialist

About ACE Group

ACE Group is a mission-driven consulting and non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating health and social disparities throughout Africa. We employ systems thinking, research implementation, and impact measurement to create scalable and sustainable context-specific solutions. Our expertise spans strategy and systems design, program implementation, monitoring, evaluation, research & learning (MERL), digital innovation, and knowledge translation.

Role Overview

The Grants Specialist will be instrumental in identifying funding prospects, crafting persuasive grant proposals, and contributing to the successful procurement of institutional and donor funding. This position demands superior writing, research, and proposal development capabilities, with an emphasis on transforming technical program concepts into compelling narratives aligned with donor objectives. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with program, research, finance, and leadership teams to secure funding that propels ACE Group's strategic goals and broadens its influence across Africa.

Key Responsibilities

• Grant Research & Opportunity Identification: Proactively identify and track funding opportunities from various sources including bilateral and multilateral agencies, foundations, philanthropic entities, corporate sponsors, and development partners. Conduct thorough donor research to understand their funding priorities, eligibility criteria, and strategic alignment. Maintain and regularly update a comprehensive grants calendar and a tracker for funding opportunities. Provide timely recommendations on emerging funding prospects and current donor trends.
• Proposal Development & Grant Writing: Spearhead the creation of high-quality grant proposals, concept notes, letters of inquiry, expressions of interest, and other funding applications. Develop persuasive narratives that effectively articulate the organization's impact and value proposition. Translate complex technical information into accessible, donor-compliant language while ensuring accuracy. Coordinate input from technical, finance, and operations teams to ensure comprehensive submissions. Verify that all proposals adhere to donor guidelines, compliance requirements, and submission deadlines.
• Donor Engagement & Relationship Management: Assist in nurturing relationships with current and potential donors, foundations, and funding partners. Participate in donor meetings, informational sessions, webinars, and networking events. Prepare donor briefs, capability statements, and organizational profiles to support engagement efforts. Contribute to strategic positioning initiatives aimed at enhancing funding opportunities.
• Knowledge Management & Continuous Improvement: Monitor proposal success metrics and propose enhancements to improve funding win rates. Maintain an organized repository of proposal templates, donor-specific requirements, essential organizational documents, and successful grant applications. Document lessons learned and best practices derived from both successful and unsuccessful funding applications. Contribute to the enhancement of grant development processes, tools, and systems across the organization.

Qualifications & Experience

• Possess a Bachelor's degree in fields such as Public Health, Development Studies, International Relations, Business Administration, or a closely related discipline; a Master's degree is preferred.
• Accumulate a minimum of 4 to 6 years of professional experience in grant writing and business development, specifically within the development or public health sectors.
• Demonstrate a proven history of securing grants from major donors like the Gates Foundation, FCDO, Global Fund, or UNICEF, or provide evidence of leading proposals that reached the final selection stage.
• Exhibit substantial experience in managing the entire proposal development lifecycle, from initial concept to final submission.
• Have prior experience working within health systems, maternal and newborn health (MNH), digital health, or related fields.
• Possess experience working with or within organizations focused on Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).
• Be familiar with the budgeting procedures pertinent to donor proposals.
• Maintain an existing professional network within the donor and development partner community.

Additional Information

Interested candidates should submit their CVs via email to Deborah.udochi@acestrategy.org.