Yusuf Mark Tony
Abuja
Summary
A multi-faceted, efficient, and reliable professional with over 10 years of experience in finance and grants/contracts management in the development sector. Diversified skill set covering financial management, grants and project planning and administration. Excellent interpersonal and communications skills. Has sound understanding of USAID and other institutional donors’ regulations as well as critical thinking and leadership skills. Has attended as well as facilitated several training workshops on finance and grants/contracts management which aimed at strengthening both the organizational system and specific project staff capacity for smooth project implementation at both local and international levels.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Grants Officer
The Palladium Group
08.2021 - Current
- Company Overview: SCALE PROJECT
- Abuja, Nigeria
- As Senior Grants Officer, I provide an oversight of all grant’s activities, including ensuring efficient and proper controls for USAID grant compliance and reporting; identifying qualified partners and civil society organizations eligible for grants; conducting pre-award assessments; drafting of award documents Negotiation Memo, Grants Agreement, I review Partners budget and ensure all budgeted cost are Reasonable, Allowable and Allocable; coordinating training and grants administration with grantees from start to close out; review and submission of financial reports as required for each grant; and ensuring grantees liquidity for continuous activities implementation
- I collaborate with the technical team in identifying qualified partners and civil society organizations eligible for grants
- I support the complete Grant cycle for solicitation to close out
- I ensure proper due diligence is conducted on prospective grantee to ascertain the grantees capacity to manage donor funds
- I review and assess sub-grantee financial reports, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and adherence to grant terms and analyze sub-grantee financial data to identify trends, variances, and potential issues
- I train prospective partners on budget preparations in line with Palladium and USAID cost principles
- I ensure compliance with donor and organizational policies
- I maintain award information on Palladium Grants Management system (Enquire)
- I track partners’ spendings and ensure forecasts are met monthly, quarterly and annually
- I train the partners on preparing invoices and financial reports in accordance with the award terms and conditions for donor reporting
- I prepare and processes grant applications and oversee grant management and implementation for all project opportunities
- I work with the technical and finance team to prepare modifications on budget revisions for existing awards
- I prepare Budgetary reviews for all sub-awards
- I ensure sub-grantees adhere to financial policies, procedures, and compliance requirements
- I implement grant activities at the state level under the various project components
- I ensure all sub-awards comply with the rules and regulations of governments and other multilateral donors
- I strengthen and maintain the necessary administrative structures and interdepartmental processes to ensure grant transparency, smooth implementation, reporting, requisite controls, and monitoring
- I serve as primary point of contact for post-award grants implementation and ensure that all grant files are complete, accurate, and up to date
- I provide response to all audit queries relating to sub-awards
- I review internal documents and processes for compliance from time to time and provide recommendations for continuous improvement and conduct regular audits and assessments to monitor sub-grantee financial performance
- I follow up with grants officers, advisors and partners and ensure timely submission milestones deliverables
- I manage assigned grant trackers and ensure they are up to date
- These include but not be limited to financial reports tracker, questioned costs tracker, modification tracker, partners subgrant payment and forecast tracker
- In collaboration with Grants Manager coordinate the conduct of Grant Evaluation Committee (GEC) proceedings
- I review and ensure grant management folders for partners are complete and up to date
- I work with the Finance team to ensure that monthly accruals reporting is accurate and complete
- I keep abreast of developments on the GMS as the platform for managing project grants portfolio
- Supervise the grants accountant to ensure timely disbursements of funds to partners and grantees
- I work with the grants officers to ensure that the Grants Management System (GMS) is up to date with relevant information and documentation
- I support the Grants Manager as SCALE focal point for managing GMS requests
- I backstop for Grants Manager in his absence
- I oversee and facilitate all aspects of the grant lifecycle and supervising grants staff; contribute to market research, preparation of Notice of Funding Opportunities, grant design, facilitating evaluation process, pre-award risk assessment, budget development, kick-off meetings, award monitoring, and closeout processes
- I conduct iterative training to ensure that technical staff and grantees understand and adhere to grant policies, procedures, practices, roles/responsibilities, and Palladium’s grants management system
- Analyze activity budgets for allowability, allocability, reasonableness, and consistency; work with program staff to negotiate budgets
- I ensure timely preparation of grant documentation, such as agreements, neg memos, and amendments
- Identify and mitigate financial risks associated with grant implementation and provide assistance and capacity building to grantees as may be required
- I ensure up-to-date and audit-ready grant files
- I participate in the development of the projects annual workplan
- I support the Grants Manager in preparing updates, reports, and analyses regarding the grants program to the Chief of Party, Project Director, and Director of Finance and Administration
- I assist the Grants Manager with updating the grants manual and/or templates based on realities of the project
- I support the Grants Manager in Preparing scheduled and special reports, studies, and analyses regarding the grants under contract program to the management, including USAID
- I review sub-grantees’ liquidation and financial reports and provide summaries to the project’s Grants Manager monthly
- I implement procedures and templates to be used for formulating, negotiating, executing, monitoring, and closing grants according to USAID regulations and the project’s Grants Manual
- I monitor the grantees to ensure compliance with USAID regulations, Grants Manual, and the content of sub-agreement
- Any other tasks as deemed necessary by the Grants Manager
- SCALE PROJECT
- Abuja, Nigeria
Grants Officer
Research Triangle Institute
07.2019 - 07.2021
- Company Overview: EWASH Program, Abuja, Nigeria
- As Grants Officer, in my role as a Grants Officer, my primary responsibility is to support the Grants Manager in overseeing all grant activities, ensuring compliance with USAID regulations, and facilitating efficient grant administration processes
- Specifically, I’m responsible for managing grant databases, reviewing disbursement requests, and developing grant templates to streamline processes
- Additionally, I maintain project tracking tools like the Grant Tracker and monitor project budgets to assess spending trends and provide support to partners to enhance financial management practices
- My role also includes preparing donor reports, participating in project close-out procedures, and maintaining financial records to ensure compliance with regulations
- I coordinate pre-award processes, coordinate execution of award documents, provide guidance to grantees, and lead the sub-award process with local and international partners
- Overall, as a Grants Officer, I play a crucial role in ensuring adherence to donor regulations, effective grant management, and partnership administration within the organization
- EWASH Program, Abuja, Nigeria
Finance & Admin Officer
Pathfinder International
06.2017 - 06.2019
- Company Overview: Abuja, Nigeria
- Finance and Admin Officer, my role involves overseeing financial management and accounting tasks within Pathfinder International organization
- I’m responsible for preparing bank reconciliation statements, coordinating with banks regarding interest rates and exchange rates, and conducting quarterly inventory counts
- Additionally, I manage the reconciliation of property, plant, and equipment records and provide employee benefits burn rate sheets
- My duties include preparing reports for regulatory bodies such as the Tax authorities, processing cash disbursements, and ensuring proper documentation for all transactions
- I’m responsible for managing general journal vouchers and conducting internal project assessments to enhance organizational efficiency
- Furthermore, I review accounting documentation for our partners, perform risk assessments, and review cost structures to develop cost-saving recommendations
- I present findings and recommendations in reports and conduct follow-up assessments to ensure implementation
- Additionally, I provide capacity-building training to project teams to address identified issues
- Abuja, Nigeria
Account Officer
Malaria Consortium
10.2016 - 06.2017
- Company Overview: Sokoto, Nigeria
- As the Account Officer, I collaborate closely with the Finance & Admin Manager to ensure the efficient operation of all finance matters within the organization
- My responsibilities include meticulously inputting and capturing all financial transactions into our accounting system, as well as preparing monthly, quarterly, and yearly budgets
- I also play a crucial role in assisting with performance reports and liaising with Grants & Programs to facilitate grants disbursement
- In addition to these duties, I strategically plan, organize, and manage workload to contribute to monthly financial reporting process accurately and punctually
- I coordinate and support procurement processes, monitor contract implementation, and ensure timely settlement and closure
- My role involves managing invoices for service contracts, monitoring fuel and utility consumption, and meticulously maintaining program inventory and asset management
- Furthermore, as the Account Officer, I’m responsible for resolving financial queries, conducting thorough account reconciliations, and meticulously maintaining various financial and business records
- I’m also tasked with computing payroll-related items and ensuring timely remittances
- Additionally, I oversee external audit processes, respond to management letters, and evaluate office processes to suggest improvements for efficiency
- Finally, I handle tax returns and governmental reports with strict adherence to standards and regulations
- Sokoto, Nigeria
Finance and Admin Assistant
John Snow Inc (JSI)
06.2013 - 03.2016
- Company Overview: TSHIP/MiPP PROJECTS (INGO), Sokoto, Nigeria
- In my role, I provide vital support in reviewing financial reports of grantees, grant statements, and analysis to ensure they align with approved budgets and grant agreements
- My responsibilities will also include meticulously reviewing proposals and grant requests, monitoring outstanding grant proposals, and assisting in periodic reviews of financial records in our state offices
- Additionally, I play a key role in identifying, evaluating, and enhancing internal controls for operational efficiency, while ensuring strict compliance with procurement and expenditure policies
- Furthermore, I’m responsible for conducting pre- and post-payment audits of financial transactions, reviewing budgets and expenditure retirement, and assisting in coordinating external audits
- My duties will also involve verifying store inventories and providing essential capacity building and training to our grantees
- Additionally, I conduct thorough project audits and assessments to ensure compliance and effectiveness, making a significant contribution to the project success
- TSHIP/MiPP PROJECTS (INGO), Sokoto, Nigeria
Education
MBA - Business Administration
NAtional Open University
12.2023
Master’s - health economics
Bayero university
07.2019
Bachelor of Science (BSc) - Accounting
university of maiduguri
12.2012
Senior Secondary School Certificate -
Federal Government college otobi
06.2004
Skills
- In-depth understanding of USAID and other institutional/international donors’ Regulations
- Team player in an international and busy environment
- Knowledge of International funding and humanitarian services
- Ability to train and Mentor staff in financial management
- Planning, Organizing and Prioritizing work
- IT literate (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
- Accuracy and attention to detail
- Experience in working with accounting software such as spreadsheets and QuickBooks Pro
- Excellent oral, written communications, and problem-solving ability
- Cross cultural sensitivity
- Diplomacy and Negotiation Skills
- Ability to interpret financial data and report
Certification
- Dataville Research LLC, Fellow Program Management, 2024
- Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA), 2022
- Institute of Chartered Taxation of Nigeria, Associate Chartered Institute Taxation (ACIT), 2023
Accomplishments
- Successfully paid 27,282 participants during the 2016 to 17 MDA on SMC Unit Aid Mass Drug Administration.
- John Snow Inc Operational Staff of the year for 2017.
- Helped reduce delinquent advances from 90 days to 30 days.
- Successfully maintained a clean record with the review and reconciliation of partner financial reports.
Languages
English
Hausa
Continuousprofessionaldevelopment
- Grant Management Training for Non-Profit Applicants and Recipients, Environmental Protection Agency, 06/2018
- Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management, University of West Virginia Darden School Foundation, 06/2018
Timeline
Senior Grants Officer
The Palladium Group
08.2021 - Current
Grants Officer
Research Triangle Institute
07.2019 - 07.2021
Finance & Admin Officer
Pathfinder International
06.2017 - 06.2019
Account Officer
Malaria Consortium
10.2016 - 06.2017
Finance and Admin Assistant
John Snow Inc (JSI)
06.2013 - 03.2016
Master’s - health economics
Bayero university
Bachelor of Science (BSc) - Accounting
university of maiduguri
Senior Secondary School Certificate -
Federal Government college otobi
MBA - Business Administration
NAtional Open University
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