Grants Manager

Doctors Without Borders is looking for a Grants Manager to support the Morobe Cancer Initiative in Papua New Guinea

Duty station: Lae, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea Duration: 12 months Line manager: Cancer Initiative Coordinator Functional manager: Project Finance Coordinator at HQ

Job purpose

Under the supervision of the Cancer Initiative Coordinator, and in collaboration with MoPHA, the Technical Working Group, MSF technical and finance teams, and external partners, the Grants Manager leads the resource mobilization function of the Morobe Cancer Initiative. The incumbent is responsible for the full grant cycle, from the identification and analysis of funding opportunities, through proposal development, to grant management and donor reporting, and establishes the systems and tools that enable national institutions to engage with institutional donors to international standards. The assignment is structured in two phases: an initial development phase focused on donor analysis, systems, and a pipeline of fundable projects, followed by an engagement phase focused on converting that pipeline into secured grants and sustained relationships. Read more here: Regional Vacancies \| Doctors Without Borders APAC

Reporting and working relationships

The Grants Manager reports to and works under the direction of the Cancer Initiative Coordinator, who provides line management and sets the technical and strategic priorities against which funding is mobilized. Functional management on grants and finance matters is provided by the OCP Project Finance Manager of Morobe project. As the initiative is developed live and continues to evolve, the position is strategic rather than a discrete support function and depends on a close, cooperative partnership with the Cancer Initiative Coordinator, with whom the incumbent works in continuous co-development of the funding strategy. The Coordinator leads engagement with senior political and institutional counterparts, while the Grants Manager owns the initiative's operational and working-level donor relationships. Both tiers serve a single, shared strategy.

1. Funding environment and donor intelligence

• Conduct and continuously update donor mapping and analysis across the initiative's priority areas, maintaining a living picture that evolves with its changing technical priorities, from screening and diagnosis to treatment, supplies, and infrastructure
• Identify and analyze calls for proposals and funding opportunities from bilateral, multilateral, foundation, and private donors, and maintain a centralized database aligned with the initiative's priorities
• Maintain funder intelligence, drawing on MSF regional and APAC networks and established relationships to understand donor priorities, decision-making, and engagement pathways

2. Proposal and grant development

• Translate the initiative's technical priorities into well-structured, competitive proposals and concept notes, in coordination with MoPHA, the Technical Working Group, and MSF technical and finance teams, so that partner institutions own and can implement them
• Lead the preparation of proposals, concept notes, logical frameworks, budgets, and annexes, ensuring alignment with donor requirements and managing submission timelines
• Develop cost and cost-effectiveness evidence that strengthens applications and informs MoPHA's budget planning, and ensure proposals align with the initiative's monitoring and evaluation (MEAL) framework

3. Grant management and reporting

• Develop and standardize narrative and financial reporting tools and templates that meet donor requirements and can be adopted by national institutions
• Manage donor reporting obligations, preparing progress and final reports to the required standard and deadlines, and maintain complete, transferable grant documentation

4. Donor engagement

• Own and manage the initiative's operational and working-level donor relationships through timely, professional communication and follow-up
• Prepare the Cancer Initiative Coordinator for high-level donor engagement, including briefing notes, talking points, and supporting documentation, and follow up to convert engagements into funding
• Coordinate donor visits and meetings, including field visits by donors to observe the initiative, and develop donor-facing communication materials to support resource mobilization

5. Local capacity and sustainability

• Support the institutions that hold grants on behalf of the initiative, including MoPHA and the Cancer Relief Society, to receive, administer, and account for funds, strengthening their compliance and administrative capacity
• Build the grant development, management, and reporting capacity of national counterparts, working toward the transfer of the function to local staff over time

Key deliverables

• A maintained donor mapping and funder intelligence database, and a prioritized funding pipeline aligned with the initiative's priorities
• Standardized proposal, budget, and reporting templates for use by the initiative and its partner institutions
• High-quality proposals and concept notes submitted, and timely, compliant donor reports
• Cost and cost-effectiveness evidence supporting priority applications and MoPHA budget planning
• Strengthened grant-holding and reporting capacity within national institutions, including a local counterpart engaged in the function

Education

• University degree in international development, public health, public administration, business administration, communications, or a related field. An equivalent combination of qualifications and professional experience may also be considered

Expérience

• A minimum of three years of relevant professional experience in grant development or resource mobilization
• Demonstrated experience developing and submitting proposals to institutional or government donors, including logical frameworks, budgets, and reports
• Experience engaging institutional donors relevant to the region (e.g. KOICA, JICA, EU, DFAT, foundations, privates or UN agencies) is highly desirable
• Experience in the health sector is highly desirable, and experience in health system strengthening is a distinct advantage

Skills and competencies

• Excellent research, analytical, and persuasive writing skills, with the ability to synthesize technical information into compelling proposals
• Strong command of logical frameworks, indicators, and results-based reporting, with attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple deadlines independently
• Sound interpersonal and relationship-management skills, with cultural sensitivity and the ability to work within a Papua New Guinea-led partnership
• Ability to work in a complex, evolving, resource-constrained environment, and willingness to travel within Papua New Guinea and regionally as required
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Languages

• Fluency in English, written and spoken, is required

How to apply

• The vacancy closing date is: 11 October 2026
• This vacancy is open to Local and International Applicants
• By applying to this position, the applicant confirms they have read, understood and agreed to fully comply with MSF Charter and MSF Behavioral Commitments and Data Privacy Policy
• In line with MSF’s Safeguarding Principles, successful candidates undergo a rigorous vetting / screening process that includes background checks and self-declaration
• If you recognize yourself in this profile, we welcome you to apply directly via the application link

Information

The protection of your personal data is important to MSF. By submitting your application, you consent to MSF using your personal data only for the recruitment process to have all the information and documents necessary to proceed with the recruitment, validation of your application and selection of the most suitable candidate. Your personal data will be treated confidentially. MSF will not use your personal data in any other way not foreseen for purposes of recruitment. MSF is an equal opportunity employer and does not charge any application/ recruitment fee. Lately, MSF is a civil society initiative that brings together individuals committed to the assistance of other human beings in crisis. As such MSF is by choice an association. Each individual applying for MSF roles does it out of conviction and is ready to uphold the values and principles of MSF.