The Africa Youth Climate Fund (AYCF), a flagship initiative of the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO), is hiring a Grants and Operations Manager to lead the full grants lifecycle and strengthen the operational systems behind its youth-for-youth grantmaking model.
AYCF exists to redistribute climate finance power to young African climate leaders, and this role is designed to ensure that this mission is operationally real, ensuring that grants actually reach youth-led organizations efficiently, transparently, and with the institutional support needed to manage that funding responsibly.
This is a senior, full-time remote position, and it's the third AYCF leadership role posted alongside the Programs and Community Support Manager and the Communications and Youth Engagement Officer, all under the same August 7 deadline.
Key Details
- They are looking for someone to fill a role that's based in Africa and can be done from home.
- The deadline to apply is Friday, August 7, 2026, at 10:00 PM GMT, so don't wait too long.
- The pay is pretty good, between $2,700 and $3,000 per month, depending on how much experience you have, where you live, and a few other factors.
- This is a one-year contract, but it could be renewed if you do a great job and we have the money to keep you on.
- You'll be answering directly to the Director of AYCF, so it's a pretty important position.
Eligibility Requirements
- Candidates need a master's degree in International Development, Public Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Law, Project Management, Nonprofit Management, Climate Finance, Philanthropy, or a related field.
- A bachelor's degree with substantial, progressively responsible experience in grants management, fund operations, or institutional systems may be considered instead of a master's.
- Professional certification in grants management, procurement, risk management, or nonprofit operations is listed as an added advantage rather than a requirement.
- When it comes to experience, AYCF is looking for someone with 5 to 7 years of experience in managing grants, which includes things like grant operations, program administration, and making sure everything is compliant. This experience should be in areas like development, philanthropy, humanitarian work, or climate sectors.
- Candidates must possess professional knowledge of grant process entirely. This involves designing and soliciting grants, doing due diligence, contracting, making sure everything is compliant, reporting, and finally closing out the grant. It's not just about being good at one part of the process, but being able to manage the whole thing.
- Also, the candidate should have experience managing programs that are funded by big institutions and making sure that these programs comply with the rules and regulations of these donors.
- Another key thing is that the person should have a track record of creating policies and systems that actually make the organization work better.
- AYCF is looking for someone with a lot of experience in grants management and a proven ability to manage complex programs and improve organizational effectiveness.
What the Role Covers
This role covers six main areas that are all connected, with different amounts of time spent on each one. The biggest part, taking up 30% of the time, is Strategic Grant-Making and Grant Operations. This involves creating and constantly improving the systems used for giving out grants, managing the whole process from start to finish, and acting as a secretary to the committees that review grants.
Another 20% of the time is spent on Operations, Compliance, and Risk Management. This means making sure the internal controls and procurement processes are strong and follow the hosting policies of GAYO, as well as keeping track of potential risks in areas like operations, compliance, and finance.
Grantee Onboarding, Grant Compliance, and Operational Support (20%) covers walking grantees through their contractual obligations, reporting schedules, and safeguarding requirements, while working closely with the Programs and Community Support Manager to ensure grantees get real support without compromising accountability.
The remaining functions, Financial Coordination and Grant Accountability (10%), Organizational Planning, Performance, and Reporting (10%), and Leadership, Team Coordination, and Continuous Improvement (10%), round out a role that touches nearly every operational system AYCF runs on, working closely with GAYO Finance, Operations, HR, and the Program team throughout.
It's important to point out that this role is not about being in charge of finances for AYCF. Instead, the focus is on making sure all the paperwork for programs, grants, and money is accurate, complete, and ready for audits. This is more about coordinating and keeping an eye on things, rather than directly managing the finances.
Required Documents
- To apply, please put together a cover letter that's only one page long, explaining why you're interested in the opportunity and what you've achieved that makes you a great fit.
- Also, include your most up-to-date CV. Then, combine these two documents into one PDF file, making sure it's no bigger than 10MB.
Application Process
- Prepare your one-page cover letter and CV
- Merge both into a single PDF under 10MB
- Complete the application form in full and accurately at forms.gle/GEefdUUPZeDUgNBN9
- Make sure to get your submission in by Friday, August 7, 2026, at 10:00 PM GMT.
- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
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Major Considerations
GAYO is looking for someone who can balance two big things: making sure our systems run smoothly and follow the rules, and being a passionate advocate for our unique approach to giving grants. Their approach is all about making funding accessible, trusting the people we give to, and putting real power in the hands of young people.
If you're applying, you need to be able to talk about both the technical side of grant management and how you truly believe in their mission. It's not just about having experience with grants, but about really getting why we think youth-led organizations can make a big difference in climate finance if we give them the right tools and trust them to make decisions.
Having a background in a grant-making organization, or something similar like a fund that brings money together from different places, is definitely a plus, but it's not a must-have.
So, if you've managed programs that are funded by donors and you're good at making sure everything is done correctly and you can build strong systems, you could still be a strong candidate, even if you haven't worked directly in a grant-making institution before.
Should You Apply?
This role is perfect for experienced professionals who have spent around 5 to 7 years or more overseeing the entire grants process and making institutions run more smoothly. They're especially looking for people with a background in climate finance, philanthropy, or helping organizations led by young people or community groups.
However, if you've only worked on one part of the grants process, like writing proposals or doing financial reports, this might not be the best fit. That's because they need someone who has experience with the whole grants lifecycle, from start to finish, and can handle both grantmaking and operations at the same time.
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