Senior Grant Operations Architect

Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity; Abu Dhabi Emirate; On-site; AED 320,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Mohamed Bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity is seeking a highly experienced Grant Operations Director to design and lead the organisation's grant operating system—from intake through close-out—ensuring compliance, audit readiness and scalable processes. The role reports to the COO and collaborates with Programs, MEL, Legal Affairs and Audit & Risk Management.

The candidate will establish SOPs, templates and controls, drive data integrity, and build a high-performing grant operations team as the

Qualifications

• 12+ years of grant management experience within a foundation or similar organisation.
• Strong understanding of grant systems, processes and documentation standards.
• Fluency in English and excellent communication with governance bodies.

Responsibilities

• Design and own MBZFH's grant-making strategy and operating model.
• Build and maintain SOPs, templates, workflows and due diligence frameworks for grants.
• Oversee grant intake, eligibility, assessment and funding recommendations with clear records.
• Lead governance processes, thresholds and decision records for grants.
• Ensure documentation, compliance and audit readiness across grant lifecycle.
• Oversee IT-enabled grant management, dashboards and reporting.

Skills

Grant management

Risk management

Donor compliance

Education

Advanced university degree in finance or related field

Tools

Grant management systems

CRM and data systems

Job description

Mohamed Bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity is seeking a highly experienced Grant Operations Director to design and lead the organisation's grant operating system—from intake through close-out—ensuring compliance, audit readiness and scalable processes. The role reports to the COO and collaborates with Programs, MEL, Legal Affairs and Audit & Risk Management.

The candidate will establish SOPs, templates and controls, drive data integrity, and build a high-performing grant operations team as the