Job Description

Post Number
5285
Faculty/Department
University of the Western Cape -> Finance & Services -> Grants & Contracts
Type of Position
Permanent - Full Time
Length of Contract Period
Location
Main Campus - Bellville, WC ZA (Primary)

Closing Date
25/11/2025

Role Clarification & Key Performance Areas

The Grants & Contracts Manager is a management role responsible for the comprehensive financial and administrative oversight of all donor-funded grants and contracts, from award notification through project closeout.


Reporting directly to the Director: Financial & Management Accounting, the incumbent will ensure stringent compliance with donor and state regulations and university policies, while providing expert strategic guidance and operational support to budget owners, project staff, and senior university leadership. The successful candidate will possess a deep understanding of complex donor and state funder requirements (e.g., EU, Welcome Trust, Gates Foundation, NRF, DSI, MRC, WRC etc.), exceptional financial management and leadership skills, and a steadfast commitment to fostering a compliant, efficient, and high-performing research environment.


The candidate is responsible for the management of grants and contracts that include the following:


Budgetary control and overview. Reporting, internal and external. Fostering relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Writing and implementation of policies. Alignment of business processes to support policies and procedures. Highlight areas of concentration of risk. Audit compliance. Management of the department. Management of finances and reporting. Facilitation and enabling of transactions and business processes.

The candidate will deal with all financial and management accounting, Grants and Contracts policy compliance, system support, staff training and development; and related matters of donor-funded grants and contracts.

Minimum Requirements

BCom Accounting Honours degree or equivalent NQF Level 8 Completed SAICA articles 5 years management experience

Skills and competencies :

MS Word (including creating templates, using tables etc.); MS Excel (non-negotiable) including developing reports, using lookups and pivot tables; and an e-mail and scheduling application (preferably G-mail) Experience with Infor LAN or any other ERP system will be a distinct advantage Planning and work scheduling of multiple requirements in this sector Up-to-date knowledge of applicable Statutory and Legislative requirements Analytical, financial and operational thinking Building interpersonal relationships Communication Planning and organising Adaptability/ flexibility Managing and working in diverse teams Written communication In your application, you are encouraged to highlight your strengths and include anything else you deem exceptional and outstanding to be considered by the selection panel. In addition, please attach a cover letter motivating your suitability, a detailed curriculum vitae including contact details of three referees, and your highest qualification to your online profile.
To be considered for this vacancy, you must click on the Apply for this Job link below or apply directly via UWC Careers at https://uwc.hua.hrsmart.com/hr/ats/JobSearch/viewAll. For any queries, please contact the Human Resources Department at +27 21 959 4063/9763/9708/3551/3756 or email: e-recruitment@uwc.ac.za.
DISCLAIMER: By applying for the position, you consent to the University sharing your application, including curriculum vitae, with University stakeholders to process the application. In line with the University's commitment to diversifying its workforce, preference will be given to suitably qualified applicants in line with our Employment Equity Targets. The official retirement age at UWC is 65 years. The University reserves the right to not make an appointment, make an appointment at a different level, seek additional candidates and may conduct competency assessments.