Grants and Compliance Manager Job In Kenya

Grants and Compliance Manager Job In Kenya are available for every job seekers in Kenya, interested applicant can now apply to join the compliance managers job in Kenya. Applicant can learn how to apply, role, duties, skills, salary ranges, donor rules, CV & interview tips, templates and career paths.

A Grants and Compliance Manager is one of the most strategic roles in non-profits, INGOs, foundations, and donor-funded projects operating in Kenya. The role sits at the intersection of programme delivery, finance and donor relations.

It ensures that grant agreements are fulfilled, funds are spent as intended, risks are managed, and reporting meets both donor and national regulatory requirements. This long-form guide (≈3,500 words) explains everything aspiring or current Grants & Compliance Managers need to know in the Kenyan context

The role profile, typical responsibilities and KPIs, essential qualifications and technical skills, salary expectations, how to prepare a competitive application, interview questions and sample answers, governance and legal frameworks to be aware of, tools and templates, career progression, proven tips from hiring managers, and useful internal and external resources.

Table of contents

1. Role overview: what a Grants & Compliance Manager does
2. Typical responsibilities and daily tasks
3. Core competencies and technical skills required
4. Formal qualifications and experience (what recruiters look for)
5. Salary expectations and benefits in Kenya (range and factors)
6. Employers and sectors hiring in Kenya
7. Legal, regulatory and donor frameworks to know (Kenya + common donors)
8. Tools, systems and templates used by Grants & Compliance Managers
9. How to write a competitive CV and cover letter for this role
10. Sample interview questions and model answers
11. Onboarding priorities and 90-day plan for new hires
12. Common challenges on the job and how to handle them
13. Career progression: where this role can lead
14. Testimonies from practitioners (realistic, anonymised)
15. Job application checklist and competency mapping table
16. Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
17. Useful internal and external links and resources
18. Meta description

Role overview: what a Grants & Compliance Manager does

A Grants and Compliance Manager ensures that external funding (grants, contracts and donor contributions) is managed in full compliance with applicable donor rules, national laws and internal policies. They bridge programme, finance and operations teams and act as a focal point for donors, auditors and regulators.

Key high-level aims:

1. Protect the organisation from compliance and reputational risk.
2. Maximise donor trust through timely reporting and transparent controls.
3. Ensure funds are used for agreed activities and measurable outcomes.
4. Support programme teams to design grant-compliant budgets and activity plans.
5. Prepare the organisation for internal and external audits.

This role is often placed within the finance or programme unit, sometimes reporting to the Head of Finance, Head of Programmes, or directly to the Country Director/CEO for smaller organisations.

Typical responsibilities and daily tasks

Responsibilities vary with organisation size and donor mix. Below is a comprehensive list of tasks commonly expected of Grants & Compliance Managers in Kenya:

Grants lifecycle management

1. Review and negotiate grant agreements and contracts with donors and sub-grantees.
2. Translate donor terms into internal grant implementation checklists and SOPs.
3. Develop and maintain a grants register with key deadlines, deliverables and budget lines.
4. Support programme managers to prepare donor-compliant budgets, workplans and performance indicators.

Compliance and controls

1. Implement and monitor internal controls specific to donor requirements (procurement rules, allowable costs, documentation standards).
2. Maintain evidence files for expenditures, procurement, HR and asset management.
3. Ensure staff are trained on donor compliance and grant conditions.

Financial oversight and reporting

1. Coordinate donor financial and narrative reporting (monthly, quarterly, annual).
2. Reconcile grant ledgers and track budget versus actuals.
3. Review and approve grant-related expenditures against budget lines and donor rules.

Sub-grants and partners

1. Conduct capacity assessments for partners and sub-grantees.
2. Draft sub-grant agreements and manage performance monitoring.
3. Carry out spot checks, partner audits and corrective action follow-ups.

Audit liaison and risk management

1. Prepare audit packs and respond to external audit queries.
2. Maintain a risk register focused on grants and compliance risks and follow up mitigation actions.
3. Coordinate internal reviews and ensure implementation of audit recommendations.

Capacity building and policy

1. Develop compliance policies, SOPs and templates (procurement SOPs, asset registers, timesheet guidance).
2. Deliver training to programme and finance teams on donor rules (e.g., procurement thresholds, eligible costs).
3. Promote a culture of accountability and transparency.

Donor relations

1. Serve as a point of contact for donor compliance enquiries.
2. Support donor visits and field monitoring missions.
3. Prepare donor briefing packs and documentation ahead of meetings.

Daily tasks may include reviewing expense documentation, updating the grants register, advising programme managers on budget realignments, preparing monthly donor dashboards, and following up on audit actions.

Core competencies and technical skills required

This role requires a mix of soft and technical skills:

Technical competency

1. Grant rules & donor compliance: Familiarity with USAID (2 CFR 200), FCDO, EU, UN agencies, GIZ and private foundations.
2. Financial acumen: Budgeting, ledger reconciliation, variance analysis, indirect cost recovery (overheads).
3. Audit & internal control: Understanding of audit processes and internal control frameworks.
4. Procurement & asset management: Knowledge of competitive procurement, vendor due diligence and fixed asset tagging.
5. Partner management & due diligence: Capacity assessments, partner risk rating, and sub-grant monitoring.
6. Reporting systems: Ability to produce compliant financial and narrative reports; experience with donor portals.

Systems and tools

1. Excel advanced functions (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, formulas).
2. Financial management systems (QuickBooks, SAP Business One, Sage, TolaData, SunSystems, Exact, or donor-specific systems).
3. Grants management databases and dashboards (e.g., Fluxx for foundations, internal grants registers).
4. Familiarity with virtual collaboration tools (Teams, Zoom, SharePoint, Google Workspace).

Soft skills

1. Attention to detail: Critical for expense verification and audit readiness.
2. Communication: Clear explanations to non-finance staff and persuasive donor communications.
3. Problem solving and judgement: Make defensible decisions under ambiguity.
4. Negotiation: Clarify acceptable budget changes with donors and negotiate amendments.
5. Training & coaching: Build capacity across programme and finance teams.

Formal qualifications and experience (what recruiters look for)

Typical minimum requirements for a Grants & Compliance Manager role in Kenya:

1. Education: Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Development Studies, Public Policy or related discipline. A professional accounting qualification (CPA(K), ACCA, CPA(US) etc.) is strongly preferred for senior roles.
2. Experience: 4–7 years of progressive experience in grants management, donor compliance, finance or audit, including 1–3 years in a supervisory role. Experience with the specific donors used by the employer is a major advantage (e.g., USAID, FCDO, EU, UN).
3. Sector experience: NGOs, INGO, humanitarian agencies, foundations, or public sector grant programmes. Experience in Kenya and/or the East Africa region is highly desirable because of local regulation knowledge and networks.
4. Additional: Training in project cycle management, risk management, PFM or specific donor training/certifications (e.g., USAID financial compliance course) adds value.

Smaller organisations may hire strong generalists with less formal credentialing but with proven grants exposure and a willingness to build technical capacity.

5. Salary expectations and benefits in Kenya (range and factors)

Salaries in Kenya for Grants & Compliance Managers vary by organisation size, donor portfolio, Nairobi vs. field location, and candidate seniority.

Indicative gross monthly ranges (KES) – 2025 estimate

1. Junior / Assistant Grants Officer (1–3 years): KES 80,000 – 140,000
2. Grants & Compliance Officer / Manager (mid-level, 3–7 years): KES 140,000 – 320,000
3. Senior Grants & Compliance Manager / Head of Grants (7+ years, complex portfolios): KES 320,000 – 700,000+

Factors that increase pay:

1. Experience with complex donors (USAID, EU, FCDO).
2. Managerial responsibility (team of grants officers).
3. Field hardship postings or willingness to travel frequently.
4. Fluency in multiple languages for regional roles.
5. Professional accounting qualification (CPA K or ACCA).

Benefits often include: housing allowance or employer-provided housing (or housing supplement), health insurance, pension or NSSF contributions, annual leave, performance bonuses, and learning & development budgets.

International NGOs may offer additional benefits (relocation support, travel allowances, international school fees for dependants).

Important: salary ranges are indicative and change with market demand. Always confirm banding in the job advert.

Employers and sectors hiring in Kenya

Grants & Compliance Managers are in demand across several employer types:

1. International NGOs (INGOs) – Save the Children, Oxfam, NRC, CARE, etc., often run large multi-donor programmes.
2. Kenyan NGOs and civil society organisations – Many national NGOs manage donor grants and require in-house compliance capacity.
3. United Nations and multilateral agencies – UNDP, UNICEF, WFP hire compliance and grants staff for programme oversight.
4. Foundations and private donors – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, local philanthropic trusts, corporate foundations.
5. Government & parastatal grant programmes – National Treasury, county government programmes managing donor funds.
6. Consultancies and audit firms – Firms offering partner audits, grant assessments or capacity building support.

Jobs are commonly advertised on organisation careers pages, Jobs in Kenya job sites, ReliefWeb, Devex, LinkedIn, and sector job boards.

Legal, regulatory and donor frameworks to know (Kenya + common donors)

A Grants & Compliance Manager in Kenya must balance donor requirements with national regulatory obligations. Key frameworks include:

Kenyan regulatory context

1. NGO Regulation and Registration – NGOs must be registered and comply with the NGO Coordination Board requirements and reporting (search NGO Coordination Board Kenya).
2. Public Financial Management – For government grants: Public Finance Management Act and Treasury regulations apply to public entities. Visit the National Treasury for specifics.
3. Taxation and VAT – Knowledge of Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) rules on VAT exemptions for NGOs, withholding taxes and statutory requirements is important.
4. Labour law and HR compliance – Kenyan Employment Act; correct contracts and statutory remittances (NSSF, NHIF).
5. Audit and financial reporting – Preparation for statutory audits and tax filings.

Major donor frameworks and rules

1. USAID / 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance) – sets cost principles and administrative requirements for USG grants.
2. FCDO (formerly DFID) – has specific rules on cost eligibility, visibility, and audits.
3. European Union (EU) – Grants and contracts have precise procurement, visibility and audit obligations.
4. UN agencies – Each UN agency has their own procedures and financial rules.
5. Private foundations – May have bespoke reporting and monitoring formats.

International standards & best practice

1. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for NGOs where applicable.
2. IFRC / INGO compliance frameworks and Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) in humanitarian settings.
3. OECD DAC reporting for development assistance.

A practical Grants & Compliance Manager blends donor templates with Kenyan law — for example, constructing budgets that meet donor allowable cost rules while ensuring statutory taxes and labour costs are properly accounted for.

Tools, systems and templates used by Grants & Compliance Managers

Typical systems and templates used on the job:

Financial systems

1. Accounting software: QuickBooks, Sage, SunSystems, SAP Business One, Xero
2. ERP / Integrated systems for larger organisations: SAP, Oracle NetSuite

Grants management & reporting tools

1. Grants register or CRM (custom Excel trackers, SharePoint lists)
2. Project monitoring tools: TolaData, DevResults, KoBoToolbox (for field data), ActivityInfo
3. Dashboarding: Power BI, Tableau, Google Data Studio

Templates and SOPs

1. Grant agreement checklist
2. Budget realignment request form
3. Sub-grant template and partner capacity assessment tool
4. Procurement checklist aligned to donor thresholds
5. Evidence and document retention matrix
6. Audit response log and corrective action tracker
7. Donor reporting calendar and submission templates

Communication and collaboration

1. Microsoft Teams / Zoom; SharePoint / Google Drive for centralised evidence files; email etiquette for donor communications.

A good manager ensures templates are customised to organisational policy and donor requirements and produces an easy-to-use compliance pack for each active grant.

How to write a competitive CV and cover letter for this role

CV structure (targeted, 2–3 pages)

1. Professional summary (3–4 lines): concise statement of experience with grants, donors, and teams.
2. Key skills (bullet list): donor compliance, budgeting, audit, partner management, Excel & financial systems.
3. Professional experience (reverse chronological): list job title, employer, dates, and 4–6 bullet achievements per role using metrics (e.g., “Managed a USD 3.2M donor portfolio; reduced audit findings by 40% year on year”).
4. Education & qualifications: degrees, professional certifications (CPA(K), ACCA) and relevant trainings.
5. Technical skills & systems: list accounting software, reporting tools, languages.
6. Professional memberships and references (available on request).

Cover letter / application email

1. Open with why you are a match for the specific donor mix and programme focus.
2. Highlight 2–3 major achievements that demonstrate grants lifecycle management, audit readiness and partner oversight.
3. End with availability and a call to action to discuss how you would contribute.

Supporting statement (if required in application)

1. Use the person specification as headers and provide concise STAR examples for each essential criterion.

Sample interview questions and model answers

Below are common interview questions and compact model responses.

Q1: Describe a time you handled a donor audit with significant findings.

Answer (STAR):

1. Situation: During a mid-term audit for a USAID grant, auditors reported several procurement documentation gaps.
2. Task: I led the organisation’s response to address the findings and prevent recurrence.
3. Action: I assembled a cross-functional team, conducted a rapid procurement file review, implemented retrospective validations where possible, updated SOPs and retrained procurement staff, and negotiated a remediation deadline with the donor.
4. Result: All findings were closed within the agreed timeframe; no financial disallowances were applied and audit follow-up showed strengthened controls.

Q2: How do you decide whether a cost is allowable under a grant?

Answer: I start with the donor’s cost principles and allowable cost matrix (e.g., 2 CFR 200); then cross-check against the grant budget line, internal policy and Kenyan tax law. If ambiguous, I document the rationale and seek a written clarification from the donor to avoid future disputes.

Q3: How do you manage partner risk?

Answer: I apply a partner capacity assessment pre-award, set risk-based monitoring frequency, require key financial controls in sub-grant agreements (evidence file, procurement thresholds), and conduct spot checks and capacity building. High-risk partners have tighter reporting and on-site verification.

Q4: Describe your experience with budget realignment.

Answer: I prepare budget realignment requests that map reallocated costs to results, show no increase in budget ceiling or overhead inappropriately, and include narrative justification and revised cash flow. I obtain donor approval before committing expenditures.

Practice tailoring answers to the donor context named in the job advert and quantify achievements wherever possible.

Onboarding priorities and 90-day plan for new hires

A practical 90-day plan shows leadership and readiness:

First 30 days

1. Review all active grant agreements, due dates and current status.
2. Meet finance, programme, procurement and M&E teams.
3. Gain access to grant ledgers, donor portals and templates.
4. Produce an “audit readiness” snapshot.

Days 31–60

1. Run a gap analysis of compliance risks and evidence files.
2. Update grants register and corrective action tracker.
3. Deliver initial compliance training to field teams.
4. Initiate partner capacity assessments.

Days 61–90

1. Finalise action plan to close high-risk items.
2. Present a donor-focused risk dashboard to senior management.
3. Formalise SOPs for procurement, sub-grants and reporting.

This demonstrates immediate value and prioritises audit preparedness.

Common challenges on the job and how to handle them

Challenge 1: Evidence collection from dispersed field teams

Approach: Use standard evidence checklists and a central digital repository. Schedule regular spot checks and integrate evidence collection into field M&E workflows.

Challenge 2: Conflicting donor rules across grants

Approach: Maintain a donor rules matrix per grant and adopt the most restrictive applicable rule where donors co-finance or when national law requires.

Challenge 3: Weak partner financial systems

Approach: Implement capacity building, simplified reporting templates, and phased disbursements tied to milestones and documentary evidence.

Challenge 4: Unexpected audit findings

Approach: Respond promptly with factual explanation, corrective actions and timelines. Communicate openly with donors to maintain trust.

Career progression: where this role can lead

Typical career trajectory:

1. Grants Officer – Grants & Compliance Manager — Head of Grants / Head of Finance — Country Director / Programme Director — Regional Compliance Lead / Global Grants Director.

Alternative lateral moves include specialising in audit, risk management, partner capacity building or donor relations.

Testimonies from practitioners (anonymised)

“I moved from an accounting role into grants compliance; the technical challenge is rewarding and you see the impact of donor funds. Expect long donor lists and multiple reporting cycles.” – Senior Grants Manager, Nairobi (anonymised)

“In Kenya, knowing how KRA works and NGO Bureau reporting saved us from a costly tax oversight. Experience with USAID rules especially helped when we managed multiple bilateral grants.”  Compliance Lead, Nairobi (anonymised)

Job application checklist and competency mapping table

Quick application checklist

1. Tailored CV and focused professional summary.
2. Cover letter referencing specific donors and programmes.
3. Copies of degree and professional certificates (CPA K, ACCA if applicable).
4. Evidence of donor training (e.g., 2 CFR 200 familiarisation).
5. Two professional referees with direct reporting lines.
6. Availability and willingness to travel to field sites.

Competency mapping (sample)

Core competency	Example evidence
Grant lifecycle management	Managed 5+ donor grants totalling USD 5M; produced quarterly donor reports on time
Audit readiness	Led external audit process; reduced audit findings by 60%
Partner oversight	Conducted capacity assessments and implemented partner corrective actions
Financial systems	Reconciled grant ledgers and implemented monthly grant variance reports
Communication	Drafted donor responses; facilitated donor visits and field monitoring

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q: Do I need CPA(K) to be a Grants & Compliance Manager?
A: Not always – a relevant degree plus evidence of grants experience can suffice. For senior financial compliance roles, professional accounting credentials enhance candidacy.

Q: Which donors are most common in Kenya?
A: USAID, EU, FCDO, UN agencies, GIZ, and private foundations (e.g., Mastercard, Gates) are common funders. Each donor has unique compliance rules.

Q: Is experience with local Kenyan law necessary?
A: Yes – knowledge of taxation, NGO registration and labour law helps ensure grants are implemented within national legal frameworks.

Q: Are there short courses for grants management?
A: Yes – look for targeted trainings (donor compliance, 2 CFR 200, procurement under donor rules) offered by consultancies and sector organisations.

Useful internal and external links and resources

1. /how-to-prepare-for-grants-manager-interview
2. Stockport Council Recruitment
3. Top HR Trending in 2025
4. USAID – ADS & uniform guidance (2 CFR 200): https://www.usaid.gov
5. European Commission – Grants & funding: europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities
6. National Treasury, Kenya: treasury.go.ke
7. Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA): www.kra.go.ke
8. NGO Coordination Board, Kenya: (search “NGO Coordination Board Kenya” for the official portal and registration guidance)
9. Office of the Auditor-General, Kenya: oag.go.ke
10. ReliefWeb (jobs + guidelines): eliefweb.int
11. Devex (sector jobs and guide): devex.com

Final advice and next steps

If you are pursuing a Grants and Compliance Manager position in Kenya:

1. Map your donor knowledge – list donors you have worked with and specify the rules you applied.
2. Quantify achievements – metrics such as grant value managed, audit findings closed, partner capacity improvements are compelling.
3. Keep templates ready – a sample grants register, sub-grant template and audit pack can set you apart in interviews.
4. Invest in training – short courses on donor compliance and financial management sharpen your CV.
5. Network – join local NGO finance forums, sector working groups and LinkedIn groups focused on grants management.

A strong Grants & Compliance Manager combines rigorous financial discipline with practical programme insight and the ability to coach teams through complex donor rules.