Senior Compliance Officer

Career Stream:                                    Professional

Career Level:                                        Professional Level 4

Department:                                        Grants, Contracts & Compliance

Job Family:                                            Grants & Contract

Job Sub-Family:                                    Prime Award Management

Location:                                               United Kingdom

Workplace Designation:                    Fully Remote

Duration:                                              Fixed -term (9 Months)

Funding:                                                100% Direct

Reporting to:                                        Director of Grants, Contracts & Compliance

Salary:                                                    £41,000 - £53,400

Supervisory Responsibilities:            1-3

GENERAL FUNCTION

About Internews

Internews works globally to ensure people everywhere can access trusted, quality information that empowers participation, accountability, and healthier, more informed communities. For more than 35 years, in over 100 countries, we have strengthened local media, supported civil society, and helped millions of people access crucial information across issues such as health, governance, conflict, and the environment.

We are an international nonprofit with administrative hubs in California, Washington DC, London, and Paris. Our teams represent a wide mix of backgrounds, identities, cultures, and lived experiences. We actively foster an environment rooted in dignity, belonging, justice, and flexibility.

About the Role

We are seeking a high-performing, experienced, and self-directed compliance professional to provide maternity cover within the Grants, Contracts & Compliance (GCC) department.

This role requires someone who operates with excellence, independence, and sound judgement from day one—a person who is confident navigating complex donor rules, shaping risk‑mitigation strategies, and leading award management processes without needing extensive onboarding. We are seeking an experienced practitioner with proven applied experience, rather than a purely theoretical background.

You will oversee the full lifecycle of European donor‑funded awards, ensuring rigorous contractual and regulatory compliance across Internews. Working closely with colleagues across Programmes, Finance, and Global Development, you will help maintain a culture where doing things right is prioritised over shortcuts.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise with major European donors (European Commission, Sida, FCDO), a proactive mindset, and the ability to lead, train, and influence teams across the organisation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES include the following, with other duties upon request: 

 

Compliance

• Review and approve proposal budgets for assigned funding opportunities.
• Review donor agreements and ensure terms are acceptable; support the Director of GCC in strengthening organisational risk‑mitigation practices.
• Advise staff on Internews’ internal and donor rules across the project cycle.
• Work with Programme Officers and cross-functional teams on effective project start‑up, including inductions, adapting award procedures/templates, and ongoing staff training; conduct country visits when required.
• Collaborate with Finance to support successful programme audits.
• Maintain and update organisational data on institutional donor platforms (e.g., EU Transparency Register, IATI).
• Develop and maintain training materials and guidelines for at least one major donor; provide expert compliance guidance across GCC.
• Deliver inductions and training for new and junior GCC staff.
• Set up and maintain complete and up‑to‑date award records in line with donor and Internews requirements.

Development

• At proposal stage, review and approve teaming agreements and NDAs with bid partners.
• Review and approve donor budget submissions, ensuring accuracy, consistency, compliance, and adequacy.
• Coordinate pre‑award due diligence for prospective donors.
• Review and negotiate donor agreements and modifications, managing associated risks.
• Establish and maintain proposal, award, and contract records within the award management system, including significant data entry.

Procurement Management

• Advise staff on procurement requirements and maintain internal records for procurements under awards.
• Support development of compliant procurement plans.
• Lead and administer higher‑value procurements, including negotiating contractor terms.
• Draft and execute sub‑contracts and amendments in full compliance with donor and Internews policies.
• Troubleshoot contractual issues, prepare termination notices, and manage related risks.
• Prepare procurement documentation for audits and serve as point of contact for procurement audit processes.
• In all duties, uphold Internews’ Core Values and demonstrate commitment to fostering a culture of Belonging, Dignity, and Justice.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Line‑manage GCC staff when assigned.
• Deputise for the Director of GCC as required.
• Lead award management for flagship programmes and advise programme teams and partners on donor compliance, budgeting, and agreement management.
  
   

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required

• University degree in a relevant field or equivalent lived/professional experience.
• Extensive senior-level experience in award management within an international nonprofit or international development organisation.
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience interpreting and applying donor rules and compliance requirements (especially European Commission, FCDO, and SIDA) in real project implementation contexts.
• Proven experience managing procurements and negotiating contracts, including drafting and executing agreements and amendments in compliance with donor and organisational requirements.
• Experience preparing procurement documentation for audits and managing procurement‑related risks.
• Demonstrated experience troubleshooting compliance, contractual, and financial issues, and advising programme teams on practical solutions.
• Experience assessing and managing compliance and contractual risks across the project cycle.
• Experience using award management systems or structured grant/contract databases, including maintaining accurate award records and donor‑required data.
• Native-level proficiency in English (written and spoken).
• Strong writing and editing skills, with prior experience producing key work outputs such as proposals, budgets, reports, and trainings.
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, including diplomacy, negotiation, cross-team collaboration, donor communication, and discretion with confidential information.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities, with a demonstrated track record of applying critical thinking to complex compliance or award management challenges.
• Excellent time‑management and organisational skills, including the ability to handle shifting priorities in a fast‑paced or complex operating environment.
• Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively within multicultural and remote teams; demonstrated leadership capacity.
• Flexibility to manage periodic shifts in workload and working hours.
• Experience mentoring or training staff on compliance, procurement, or donor‑related procedures.
• Experience leading cross‑functional processes involving both programme and operational teams.

Preferred

• Prior experience living or working in a global majority country/region
• Proficiency in Russian (written and spoken).
• Experience with EU/UK‑funded projects (e.g., EC, FCDO) in complex environments.
• Experience developing internal policies, guidelines, or training materials related to compliance, procurement, or award management.
• Familiarity with Internews’ operating environment, systems, or organisational approaches.

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Vacancy Timeline:

Deadline for applications: 21 April 2026 (Note: This is a rolling recruitment process candidates might be invited for interview before the deadline)

MISCELLANEOUS:

Candidates must submit a succinct cover letter of no more than 2 pages explaining how they satisfy the requirements of the role, and a CV highlighting relevant experience. Successful candidate will also be asked to provide three professional referees, one of whom must be from their most recent employer.

The above noted job description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that may be assigned but rather to give the associate a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of their position. As the nature of business demands change so, too, may the essential functions of this position.

This position will be located in the United Kingdom and therefore, a successful applicant must both be present in the UK for the duration of the assignment and be able to demonstrate their Right to Work in the UK in order to commence employment.