Samiha Ali
Dhaka
Summary
Senior Grants Manager with 8 years of experience in development and humanitarian programming, specializing in grant management and resource mobilization. Secured over USD 100 million in funding and managed USD 17 million across complex portfolios with donors including ECHO, EU, DFAT, FCDO, BPRM, GAC, SV, DANIDA, UN agencies, USAID, and SIDA. Skilled in proposal leadership, donor compliance, reporting, and cross-functional coordination. Holds a Master's in Development Studies from BRAC University, combining strong analytical, communication, and strategic planning capabilities to deliver high-quality, impactful development programs.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Grants Manager
International Rescue Committee
Dhaka
12.2023 - Current
- Grant management of 17 million USD grant portfolio, for >10 major institutional and UN donors, including the ECHO, DFAT, FCDO, UNFPA, BPRM, Sida, Stichting Vluchteling (SV), Islamic Relief USA, and USAID.
- Supervise the Grant and Compliance Manager, delegating tasks and monitoring performance to meet project deadlines.
- Monitor and manage grants throughout their lifecycle, including Project Opening Meetings, monthly implementation reviews, budget vs. actual analysis, and Project Closing Meetings.
- Ensure adherence to donor regulations and IRC procedures, providing technical mentorship to MEAL and operations staff to maintain compliance in operations, implementation, and reporting.
- Maintain accurate grant tracking and reporting using management systems such as Box and OTIS.
- Coordinate report compilation workflows and report edit, compilation and donor submission.
- Develop concept notes and proposals, coordinate cross-functional contributions, and ensure cohesive submission of narrative, budgets, and Logframe.
Deputy Manager-Programme and Partnership Development
ActionAid Bangladesh
Dhaka
12.2022 - 11.2023
- Secured approx. 100 million USD funding from various bilateral and multilateral donors and regional organisations, including but not limited to ECHO, EU, DANIDA, Government of the Netherlands, Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), GiZ, UNFPA, Levi Strauss Foundation, European Climate Foundation, Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA), Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), SIDA etc.
- Lead the development, review, and consolidation of high-quality proposals, coordinating narrative, budgets, and logical frameworks with Programme, Finance, and MEAL teams to ensure costeffectiveness and program quality. Maintain grant tracking databases and internal toolkits, identify and analyze funding opportunities aligned with AAB’s strategic priorities
- Supported donor mapping and partnership development with INGOs, local NGOs, academic institutions, and technical partners. Facilitate proposal development workshops and provide guidance on Go/No-Go analyses, needs assessments, risk assessment, and stakeholder analysis.
- Oversaw the full lifecycle of grants and projects at AAB, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and organizational policies through the Contract Management System. Facilitated project inception and closing workshops, quarterly Project Management Forum meetings, and cross-departmental coordination to disseminate compliance requirements, provide technical mentorship, and promote cross-learning across strategic priorities. Maintained accurate project documentation and support monitoring and evaluation visits to implementation sites.
Officer-Programme and Partnership Development
ActionAid Bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh
10.2020 - 11.2022
- Led propsal development workshops and assisted proposal development and grant writing for major instituional donors.
- Coordinated donor reporting, ensuring timely, high-quality submissions that meet donor requirements in collaboration with Programme and MEAL teams. Represent AAB in external donor communications and events, support relationship-building with donors, consortium members, and NGO partners, and maintain reporting calendars and donor call databases. Ensure systematic record-keeping, distribution of grant documentation, and coordination of report compilation workflows for review by senior leadership.
- Monitored adoption of the Contract Management System and ensure regular updates of project and contract information to maintain institutional knowledge. Oversee data migration of current and past project documents, maintain PPD information management dashboards and Project Manager’s Toolkit, and support the development of databases for donor scoping to contribute to fundraising strategy and donor acquisition planning.
Research Associate
BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health
Dhaka
02.2018 - 09.2020
- Conducted qualitative data collection, entry, and cleaning, and perform basic coding and analysis using Atlas.ti and NVivo to generate actionable research insights.
- Contributed to writing journal articles, donor reports, blogs, and proposals, and lead the BRAC JPGSPH webinar series, managing panelist liaison and cross-departmental coordination for timely execution.
- Contributed to conceptualizing, developing, and writing research proposals, including coordination of a GCRF-funded project with 11 international partner institutes.
- Supported research design by conducting literature reviews, developing questionnaires, and adapting Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools for informal settlement settings.
- Coordinated field research logistics, maintain liaison with community gatekeepers, CBO focal points, and local influencers, and ensure active stakeholder engagement throughout the research process.
Education
M.D. - Development Studies
BRAC University
Dhaka, Bangladesh06.2021
Bachelors - Biological Science
Asian University For Women
Dhaka, Bangladesh12.2017
Skills
- Grant Management
- Proposal Development and Resource Mobilization
- Strategic Leadership and Collaboration
- Compliance monitoring
- Donor relationship management
- Project management
- Cross-functional coordination
- Stakeholder engagement
- Systematic documentation
- Effective communication
- Meeting deadlines
- Critical-thinking
- Technical report writing
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Non-profit organization knowledge
Languages
English
Proficient (C2)
C2
Bengali
Native
Native
Affiliations
1. How to prevent and address safeguarding concerns in global health research programmes:practice, process and positionality in marginalized spaces
Aktar, Bachera, Wafa Alam, Samiha Ali, Abdul Awal, Margaret Bayoh, Ivy Chumo, Yirah Contay et al.
BMJ Global Health Journal
2. Impact of COVID-19: Lived Experiences of the Urban Poor in Slums during the Shutdown
Sabina Faiz Rashid, Bachera Aktar, Nadia Farnaz, Wafa Alam, Samiha Ali, Farzana Mansoor Imran Hossain Mithu, Ateeb Ahmed, Abdul Awal
BRAC JPG Research Brief
Aktar, Bachera, Wafa Alam, Samiha Ali, Abdul Awal, Margaret Bayoh, Ivy Chumo, Yirah Contay et al.
BMJ Global Health Journal
2. Impact of COVID-19: Lived Experiences of the Urban Poor in Slums during the Shutdown
Sabina Faiz Rashid, Bachera Aktar, Nadia Farnaz, Wafa Alam, Samiha Ali, Farzana Mansoor Imran Hossain Mithu, Ateeb Ahmed, Abdul Awal
BRAC JPG Research Brief
Certification
Ahmad Reshad Hamza
Grants Coordinator
International Rescue Committee
Email: AhmadReshad.Hamza@rescue.org
Grants Coordinator
International Rescue Committee
Email: AhmadReshad.Hamza@rescue.org
Timeline
Senior Grants Manager
International Rescue Committee
12.2023 - Current
Deputy Manager-Programme and Partnership Development
ActionAid Bangladesh
12.2022 - 11.2023
Officer-Programme and Partnership Development
ActionAid Bangladesh
10.2020 - 11.2022
Research Associate
BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health
02.2018 - 09.2020
M.D. - Development Studies
BRAC University
Bachelors - Biological Science
Asian University For Women