Grant Manager (m/f/x)

Berlin

Blue Action Fund

BLUE ACTION FUND is searching for a:

Grant Manager

• REPORTS TO: Programme Director
• LOCATION: Berlin
• SALARY: Competitive
• CLOSING DATE: 4 January 2026
• START DATE: As soon as possible
• CONTRACT: Full time preferred, part time arrangement of minimum 80% negotiable. Fixed term contract for 2 years. An extension of the contract may be considered subject to funding and operational requirements.

ABOUT BLUE ACTION FUND

Blue Action Fund (hereafter ‘Blue Action’) is a foundation financed with public funding from Germany, Sweden, France, Norway and Ireland as well as the Green Climate Fund that seeks to conserve marine biodiversity for future generations and to improve the lives of local people today. We pursue that mission by making targeted grants to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in the Global South. The projects we support work on marine protected areas (MPAs) and their buffer zones, targeting the most sensitive coastal waters of Africa, Latin America and Asia/Pacific, and focus on measurable outcomes in two areas:

• Newly established or better managed MPAs or networks of MPAs, as well as Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) which result in conservation of biodiversity;
• Enhanced livelihood conditions in coastal communities.

Our grant-awarding process is based on Calls for Proposals. Since Blue Action’s creation in 2016, we have launched several Calls for Proposals and signed more than 30 grant agreements. Blue Action is looking for a Grant Manager to support with the administration and management of its growing grant portfolio and optimally support to its Grant Programme with legal expertise.

THE ROLE

This position offers the opportunity to administer, manage and drive a growing grant portfolio of marine conservation projects in developing countries within one of the leading organisations funding marine protected areas globally. Based in Berlin, you will independently manage several grants in close cooperation with Blue Action’s Programme Team and Management Board. As key contact person for several grantees, you will be responsible for reviewing payment requests and technical and financial reporting by grantees, scheduling and commissioning external reviews by evaluators, conducting due diligence checks, ensuring proper documentation and communication about the grants as well as providing general support to the grantees to comply with funding requirements throughout the entire grant cycle. Furthermore, you will assist grant applicants with the application process that includes the development of Full Proposals and finalisation of grant agreements. Depending on your qualification and experience with legal topics, your role may also involve reviewing contracts with funders, grantees, consultants and service providers as well as supporting the Programme Team and Management Board on legal topics. Within a small team you should be ready to support other tasks that might need to be addressed.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Key contact person for grantees to support throughout the whole grant cycle including the application process, development of Full Proposals, finalisation of grant agreements as well as implementation and closing of grants.
• Ensure that grantees meet Blue Action’s expectations and requirements by e.g. monitoring deadlines for reporting, reviewing and assessing reports, managing payments requests etc.
• Ensure or contribute to ensuring compliance with Blue Action’s policies, such as procurement policy and Blue Action’s Environmental and Social Safeguard policies.
• Conduct due diligence checks on potential grantees (signature verification, exclusion of terrorism lists, financial due diligence, etc.).
• Maintain and update grant database.
• Initiate and oversee external consultancies for technical and financial reviews of grants.
• Assess potential extensions and revisions of grant agreements and elaborate proposals for consideration of the Management Board.
• Support grants’ communications, e.g. through Grant Fact Sheets, filing of photos and videos and other communication-related tasks.
• If requested, support the development of Calls for Proposals and the appraisal of grant applications and Full Proposals.
• If requested, assist the development of administrative and operational procedures for the Grant Programme and the office.
• Any other tasks as requested by the Executive Director and Programme Director.

Depending on qualification and experience:

• Contribute to the improvement of contract templates (e.g. grant agreements, consultancies), as well as conduct legal reviews of external agreements received from funders or other partners.
• Support the Programme Team and Management Board on legal topics

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

All candidates for the position must provide evidence of the following:

• At least 5 years of experience in grant or project administration and management.
• Bachelor’s degree (minimum requirement) in a relevant discipline, such as law, public administration, environmental studies, marine biology, international development, etc.
• Experience in the field of development cooperation and/or nature conservation in the Global South.
• Understanding of various stakeholders such as grantees, project stakeholders and donors, and passion for the demanding and multi-faceted work in marine conservation and development.
• Experiences in navigating complex setting to bring different colleagues and stakeholders behind proposals and secure approval by leaderships.
• Excellent language skills in English (both oral and writing). Please note that English is the working language of Blue Action.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office apps.
• Adaptability to frequently changing project requirements and needs.
• Ability to travel to project countries.
• A work permit for Germany

Desirable additional qualification:

• Experience in handling legal topics with the ability to provide practical, hands-on advice.
• Working with NGOs and/or public funders.
• Additional language skills (Spanish, Portuguese, French).

ABOUT YOU

You are an energetic, self-starting individual who is able to work independently and within a small team. You are detail-oriented and process-minded but are also flexible enough to enjoy working on new topics. You may come from the NGO, foundation, public administration or private sector, but you should have extensive experience in grant/project administration and management and ideally with experience in legal topics. You are comfortable working in a small organisation, in a diverse team and have a hands-on mentality. Your key partners are situated around the globe and require excellent skills of remote and intercultural communications. You are very well-rounded and have a passion for learning and doing new things. You are ambitious, creative, helpful, and have a good sense of humour. You have written and spoken fluency in English. You are able to travel nationally and internationally.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Expressions of interest should be submitted electronically, in English. Please include in a single pdf document:

• A letter of motivation (not more than one page) indicating your salary expectations, potential starting date and two references,
• Curriculum vitae.

Please send the entire application to jobs@blueactionfund.org, indicating in the subject line [Your name] Grant Manager. 

Deadline: 4 January 2026.

We anticipate having first virtual interviews with selected applicants between 26 January and 4 February and in-person interviews in Berlin on 12 and 13 February with final candidates.
We kindly request all applicants to refrain from contacting Blue Action team members via LinkedIn or other social media channels.