COOPI Cooperazione Internazionale, is a humanitarian, non-confessional and independent organization founded in 1965 in Milan, Italy. For more than 50 years** we have been dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and to supporting populations affected by wars, socio-economic crises or natural disasters in their path to recovery and sustainable development, by making use of the professionalism of local and international operators, and through our partnerships with public and private bodies and civil society organizations.
Context and background
Since the declaration of state of emergency in the Nigerian federal States of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, the escalation of the Boko Haram insurgency has led to multiple displacement crises, with communities fleeing their area of origin to take refuge in camps or host communities. In 2014 there was a substantial increase in violence related to Boko Haram and the counter insurgency operations, consequently creating acute and largely unmet humanitarian needs, as IDPs are cut off from their homes and livelihoods, basic services, kinship and social ties. In September 2014, COOPI began operating in north eastern Nigeria in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the insurgency, established its operation in Bauchi State and later expanded to Yobe State considering the heightened presence of IDPs in the LGAs of Fika, Damaturu, Potiskum, Geidam and Yunusari. Recently, COOPI initiated an assessment mission in Borno State and establishes
a presence in Maiduguri to launch operations in the most affected area of the Lake Chad crisis. COOPI is currently operating in 5 LGAs in Yobe State, reaching about 25,000 individuals among IDPs and host communities with a multi-sectoral intervention covering nutrition, food security and child protection. COOPI has recently developed a cash & voucher based response system in Nigeria to address the food insecure communities while integrating this approach with a nutrition component – community outreach, referral system, IYCF campaign and appropriate therapeutic services addressed to malnourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Given the unfolding large scale emergency in the north eastern Nigeria, COOPI plans to scale up its
current operations in Yobe state and reach newly accessible areas, in addition to areas receiving Nigerian returnees from Niger, with its multi-sectoral services including food security, cash transfer programming, nutrition and protection. Furthermore, COOPI plans to set-up operations to extend its humanitarian services to affected populations in Borno state, including the capital Maiduguri and newly accessible areas in the state, where the most vulnerable populations are stuck with insufficient basic services to respond to their immediate needs in a dignified manner.
OBJECTIVES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION
We are looking for a highly qualified Country Administrator with overall responsibility for supervision, management and quality implementation of all aspects of COOPI financial and administrative operations in Nigeria. The Country Administrator will be part of the senior management team and is expected to contribute to the future strategic development and professional dynamics of COOPI in Nigeria.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Safe and bank account management: He/she ensures the correct management of the safes and the project’s bank accounts, by directly managing or by regularly controlling the project accountant, if available.
Accountancy management: he/she ensures the correct project accountancy and all accountancy documents filing. He/she does this by monitoring the accountants or by directly performing the accountancy, in case there was no accountant.
Administrative management: In collaboration with the project manager he/she verifies the correct administrative management of the projects (contracts, goods and services purchase, calls for tenders etc.) in compliance with COOPI and the donor’s procedures (ECHO, UNICEF, FAO, AICS, USAid/OFDA). He/she ensures the correct filing of all project’s administrative documents.
Expenses planning and monitoring: In collaboration with the Project Manager (and the logistician if present) he/she makes the project’s financial planning. He/she monitors expenses, in accordance with the budget. He/she provides the accountancy data to the Project Manager so as to allow him to monitor and plan the expenditures and to request funds.
Contract modifications and administrative documents: He/she collaborates with the Project Manager in the elaboration of contract modifications (including the budget), and in the preparation of all necessary projects documents.
Financial reporting: In coordination with the Head of Mission and with the Project Manager he/she prepares the intermediate and final financial reports for the projects under his/her responsibility.
Budget preparation: Support the Head of Mission and Project Managers in budget preparation as well as proposals development.
Staff management: He/she plans the work, supervises, and collaborate to train the staff of the project’s accounting-administrative area upon request by the Head of Mission. Upon request her/she collaborates to staff evaluation activities. She/he will be the focal point of the complaint mechanism and the code of conduct
Procurement: He/she provide technical oversight to the procurement process and ensure proper supply chain management procedures are in place and that standard logistics and related administrative systems are established and implemented within COOPI country programme.
About you
To be successful in this role you must have:
- Minimum of 5 years’ relevant work experience in large organizations.
- At least 3 years’ work experience in a similar role within a international non-governmental organization (NGO), donor or multilateral agency.
- Substantial experience working with International NGO’s, UN agencies and networking and negotiating with authorities.
- Very strong financial analysis skills and an extensive practical experience working with financial tools, highly proficient with excel such as using pivot table, developing macros, etc.
- Ability to motivate and guide staff working in a complex conflict environment, preferably experience from an African context. Previous experience in Nigeria is an advantage.
- An excellent interpersonal skills (Good analytical, negotiation, advocacy and communication skills) and demonstrated ability to establish effective team and external relations
- Experience with capacity building of national staff.
- Ability to work under pressure in a rapidly changing and sometimes insecure environment
- Excellent English language skills both written and spoken are essential.
Duty station: Abuja (this is a non family duty station)
Area of intervention: Northern states of Yobe and Borno
How to apply: all applicants should send a cover letter and an updated CV no longer than four pages, both in the same language as the vacancy note. Your CV should also include contact details of three professional referees.
More Information
- Job City Abuja
