Role: Grants Associate
Organisation: SEARCH
Location: Gadchiroli, Maharashtra
Reporting to: Deputy Director and Team Leader – Grants Management
About SEARCH
SEARCH is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working in Gadchiroli, one of the poorest, semi-tribal districts of Maharashtra, about 1,000 km from Mumbai.
Vision: Aarogya-Swaraj – “People’s health in people’s hands”. SEARCH empowers individuals and communities to take charge of their own health and thereby achieve freedom from disease as well as from dependence. Inspired by the life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, and equipped with medical training in India and subsequent training in public health and research at Johns Hopkins University, the doctor couple Dr Abhay Bang and Dr Rani Bang founded the Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health (SEARCH) in 1986.
Mission: Service, training, empowerment and research in the health of communities, as expressed in the name SEARCH.
Key Responsibilities:
Proposals and planning:
• Support the drafting of new proposals, concept notes, MoUs, annual action plans, work plans and project budgets, coordinating with Team Leads and relevant departments.
• Assist in preparing the Annual Plan and Work Plan of the Grants Administration Department.
• Prepare and submit monthly MIS reports and monthly work plans.
Donor reporting and compliance:
• Assist in drafting and compiling narrative and quantitative reports, and support the timely preparation and submission of financial and utilisation reports to donors, in line with approved reporting calendars.
• Coordinate with programme teams, support departments and the Accounts/Finance team to collate accurate programmatic, outcome and financial data for donor reporting and compliance.
• Prepare and process grant modifications, extensions, amendments and compliance requirements, ensuring alignment with donor guidelines and internal approvals.
• Support donor compliance, audits and internal reviews as required.
Records and systems:
• Maintain comprehensive, up-to-date grant and project records, including agreements, amendments, correspondence and reporting documentation across all phases of the grant cycle.
• Maintain and regularly update the grants database and tracking systems.
Donor engagement and visibility:
• Draft and circulate official correspondence with donors and other stakeholders.
• Support the planning and coordination of donor visits, including preparing agendas and presentations and follow-up documentation.
• Undertake field visits as required to deepen programme understanding and support reporting.
• Identify suitable awards, recognitions and fellowship opportunities and coordinate nominations for SEARCH.
Other:
• Carry out any other grants-related responsibilities assigned from time to time.
Qualifications and Experience:
• Education: Postgraduate degree in Public Health, Social Work, Development Studies, Public Administration, Management, Finance, Economics or a related field. Graduates with relevant experience may also be considered.
• Experience: 2–5 years in grants management, donor reporting, proposal development or programme coordination in a non-profit, development-sector, academic or research organisation.
• Knowledge: Basic understanding of grant cycles, donor compliance, budgeting and utilisation reporting.
• Coordination: Experience of working with multiple internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Communication: Strong written English; ability to draft reports, proposals and official correspondence.
• Technical skills: Good working knowledge of MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and of database or MIS systems.
Preferred Candidate Profile:
• Marathi-speaking candidates and candidates from the Vidarbha region are preferred.
• Willingness to relocate and work from Shodhgram, Gadchiroli.
• Passion for the development sector and for contributing to community health.
• Adaptability to rural living and commitment to learning and growing with the organisation.
Terms and Conditions:
Salary: Commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Accommodation: Provided on campus as per need (single or family).
Leave: 16 days summer vacation, 7 days Diwali vacation, 7 casual leaves and 12 public holidays per year.
Probation: One year.
How to Apply
Send your application to hr@searchforhealth.ngo with the subject line “Application for the post of Grants Associate”. For further details, visit www.searchforhealth.ngo.