Grants Junior Officer, Partnerships For Forests

Working closely with the Grants Fund Manager and Grants Fund Senior Officer, the Grants Junior Officer will support grant administration, financial monitoring, compliance, due dilligence and reporting, while providing practical support to grantees and project teams. The role may also provide Project Officer support to selected grants or investments and contribute to wider Global Grants priorities as required.

The role is offered full time (40 hours) based in our London or Bristol office. It is expected the person works from the office at least 3 days per week.

We have flexible working conditions to enable our staff to balance their work and home commitments.

About Palladium
Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 3,200 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.

Programme Context
The second phase of Partnerships for Forests (P4F) is one of the flagship programmes in the Climate and Environment practice area at Palladium. Building on the strong foundations of P4F (which ran from 2015 to 2024), the second phase will catalyse investment into inclusive, sustainable businesses, that support growth and livelihoods, and protect and restore forests, ensuring that value flows back to forest-based communities and smallholder farmers across the tropical belt. The programme will operate in five globally important forest regions: East Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, West Africa and Central Africa, with a strengthened focus on the latter in this new phase of operations. In addition, we have a cross-cutting portfolio for global/multi-region opportunities. In all regions, the programme aims to foster long-term sustainability, prosperity and resilience in local economies.

P4F will run for 5 years and started 1 February 2025. Depending on performance and subject to funding, the programme may be extended for a further 5 years (up to 2035). The second phase of P4F is funded by the UK government and is one of several activities that sit within the broader Investments in Forests and Sustainable Land Use (IFSLU) Programme.

Primary Responsibilities
Key responsibilities and tasks may include, but are not limited to:

Grant Management and Compliance

• Support the preparation, administration and ongoing management of grant agreements, ensuring compliance with programme procedures and donor requirements.
• Maintain accurate grant records, including agreements, budgets, disbursements, milestones and reporting requirements.
• Review financial and grant reporting, undertake compliance and data-quality checks, and follow up on discrepancies or required actions.
• Support grant payment, disbursement, change request and approval processes.
• Conduct and refresh due diligence assessments and support procurement, contracting and other grant compliance requirements.
• Support internal, external and project-level audits, including document collation, follow-up actions and periodic assurance checks.
• Identify implementation or compliance risks and escalate issues requiring further review.

Financial Monitoring and Programme Reporting

• Support the monitoring of grant commitments, forecasts, drawdowns, disbursements and expenditure.
• Coordinate and quality-assure financial information from relevant teams and grantees, supporting programme forecasting, invoicing and financial reporting.
• Contribute accurate and timely grant information to programme dashboards, quarterly and annual reporting, and other management information requirements.
• Support budget development and review with grantees and project teams, ensuring budgets are realistic and aligned with agreed activities.

Grantee and Team Support

• Provide practical guidance to grantees and project teams on grant management, financial reporting, procurement, compliance and other programme requirements.
• Act as a point of contact for grant-related queries, working with regional and global teams to resolve issues and strengthen consistent grant management practices.
• Support capacity building, field visits, spot checks and other assurance activities where required.
• Contribute to improvements in grant management systems, tools and processes.

Project and Portfolio Support

• Support the Global Grants Fund team with the coordination and management of the Crosscutting Portfolio and other Global Grants priorities as required.
• Where required, act as a Project Officer for selected grants or investments, supporting project coordination, relationship management, due diligence, budgets, reporting and contract changes.
• Provide broader grant management and administrative support across the programme where required, including supporting new Project Funding mechanisms or portfolios.
• Any other tasks requested by your Manager.

The role may include national and international travel.

Reporting Lines
The role will report directly to the Grants Fund Manager.

You will work closely with the Global Senior Grants Officer and the Risk & Grants Lead. As part of your role focuses on the Crosscutting portfolio, you will also work with the Global Portfolio Manager and Global Project Officers.

• Basic understanding of how to conduct analysis and interpret qualitative and quantitative data.
• Eagerness to learn and develop skills in grant management.
• Interest in gaining knowledge of financial management tools and grant management systems.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse groups.
• Proficient in written and spoken English.
• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• The right to work in the United Kingdom without sponsorship.

Desirable

• Any experience or coursework related to grant management, project management, or financial administration.
• Familiarity with financial management tools and grant management systems.
• Awareness of grants management within donor-funded programs (e.g., FCDO, USAID, EU).
• Familiarity with UK FCDO policies and compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of local languages in the region is an added advantage.
• Understanding of donor-funded projects, especially in development or conservation sectors.
• Use of project management software, including Monday.com
  

Key Attributes

• Strong organisational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail.
• Adaptable and open to new ways of working.
• Ability to manage time effectively and handle multiple priorities.
• Comfortable working both independently and as part of a team.
• Interest or experience in environmental, forestry, or climate-related programs.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made during the recruitment process (due to disability, neurodiversity, or for any other circumstance), please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.