Grant Operations Manager

Creating meaningful impact requires more than funding alone. It takes strong partnerships, thoughtful governance and people who can turn ambitious ideas into lasting results. On behalf of the IKEA Foundation, we are looking for a Grant Operations Manager who will play a key role in ensuring that the Foundation's international grant portfolio is managed with the highest standards of operational excellence, accountability and collaboration.

Working closely with colleagues, partners and communities across the globe, you will help enable programmes that contribute to tackling climate change and improving livelihoods for the many people. This is a unique opportunity to combine analytical thinking, operational excellence and stakeholder management in a role where your work directly supports initiatives that create lasting social and environmental impact.

Organisatie

The IKEA Foundation is one of the world's largest philanthropic foundations, committed to creating a better everyday life for people and the planet. Following the introduction of its renewed strategy, the Foundation has shifted from a thematic structure towards five geographical regions: South America, Africa, India, Southeast Asia and Global Programmes.

Unlike the Programme teams, which are organised geographically, Grant Operations Managers work across all regions and maintain a diverse portfolio of approximately 20–25 grants at any given time. In this role, you collaborate closely with colleagues across Programmes, Finance, Legal and Operational Excellence.

Positie

As Grant Operations Manager, you are responsible for ensuring that grants are operationally sound, appropriately governed and successfully delivered from initial assessment through to closure. Rather than focusing solely on financial control, you oversee the complete operational lifecycle of complex international grants, balancing operational excellence with pragmatic decision\-making and strong partner relationships.

Your responsibilities include:

• Managing the operational execution of grants throughout the entire grant lifecycle, including partner assessment, contracting, disbursement, reporting, amendments and grant closure.


• Performing operational due diligence and partner assessments, identifying operational, compliance and reputational risks while applying proportionate judgement based on the specific context of each partner and programme.


• Supporting partner onboarding and acting as a trusted advisor, helping partners understand governance requirements, operational processes and reporting expectations.


• Monitoring grant implementation, reviewing financial and operational reporting, coordinating audits where required and ensuring funding is released responsibly throughout the grant lifecycle.


• Identifying, documenting and escalating operational risks while contributing to practical mitigation measures that support successful programme delivery.


• Maintaining complete, accurate and audit\-ready documentation, ensuring consistency across processes and supporting organisational learning and continuous improvement.

Profiel

You combine strong operational discipline with excellent interpersonal skills. You enjoy working in an international environment where collaboration, cultural awareness and thoughtful decision\-making are essential. You are able to balance governance with pragmatism and feel comfortable advising both internal stakeholders and external partners.

Besides this you bring:

• A bachelor's or master's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or a related discipline.


• Several years of relevant experience in grants management, finance, business control, audit, corporate finance, consulting or another role involving complex operational processes and stakeholder management.


• Experience managing end\-to\-end operational processes involving assessments, contracting, monitoring, reporting and issue resolution.


• Strong analytical skills combined with sound judgement and a structured, pragmatic approach to problem solving.


• The ability to build trusted relationships with colleagues and external partners across different cultures and organisational contexts.


• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and verbal.


• The right to work in the Netherlands, either through a valid working permit or without the need for employer sponsorship.

Equally important is your motivation. We are looking for someone who is inspired by the Foundation's purpose and who wants to use their professional expertise to help create positive social and environmental impact.

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