Background
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. The program in Ethiopia was launched in 2009 providing assistance to refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced as well as host communities. Currently, the main emphasis of DRC Ethiopia’s activities is the provision of shelter, WASH, delivery of NFIs, and livelihoods interventions to refugees in the camps along Ethiopia’s borders. DRC Ethiopia is growing, however, and is also undertaking programming to respond to mixed migration and to the needs of IDPs. Combating sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and promoting child protection among people on the move are additional areas of concern and activity. DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti currently maintains offices in Addis Ababa, Jijiga, Dolo Ado, Gambella, Shire and Djibouti.
Purpose
The position as Head of Finance and Administration in any DRC operation is a cornerstone in keeping up the high quality in DRC’s operations. DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti’s HoFA will be directly responsible for ensuring that DRC programs in the country operate in accordance with DRC’s operational standards as expressed in the DRC Operations Handbook and other guidelines in the DRC Accountability and Quality Management system (ref. Operations Handbook chapter 3 and related tools as well as parts A, B, C & D of the handbook) as well as the rules set forth by the DRC Regional Office in Nairobi.
The HoFA will play a significant part in qualifying and implementing initiatives coming from the global and regional DRC organisational development and financial accountability initiatives. DRC Ethiopia’s HoFA will report to the Country Director and be part of the senior management team. Will oversee the Finance and Administration department for the entire country operation, including all support services (finance, administration, human resources, logistics, and procurement) in the country office and the field offices, overseeing a staff of more than 20 people. The HoFA will ensure timely and appropriate communication with Area and Project Managers concerning all issues related to finance, administration, human resources, logistics, and procurement, and work proactively to resolve differences and prioritize time-sensitive issues. The HoFA receives technical support from the Finance Department and the Operations and Policy Support Unit in DRC’s Regional Office in Nairobi and Headquarters in Copenhagen. The HoFA will support the Country Director and the Senior Management Team of DRC Ethiopia in liaising with donors and government officials, especially as relates to issues of compliance, registration, and audit.
Key responsibilities
The specific duties of the DRC Ethiopia HoFA will encompass the five key areas of: Administration (including IT), Human Resources, Finance, Procurement and Logistics. Overall the HoFA will be responsible for the following:
- Engagement with the senior management team, meeting regularly to discuss organisational concerns/issues
- The existence and maintenance of an accurate and timely Management Information System. This includes, among other things, overall planning, budget and control of expenditures for shared operational costs, but also coordination of budgeting and expenditure related to programme implementation.
- Supervision, audits and controlling and implementation of corrective actions related to the DRC standards for operations. This includes, among other things, supervision of all financial reporting and financial procedures, including the monthly schedule for financial reporting to RO and HQ, donor reporting and audits, cash flow and liquidity management, legal framework and reporting relations to national authorities.
- Ensuring that the monthly accounting process (cashbook) is done within the set deadlines, send to RO and HQ and that the quality is up to DRC’s standards.
- Training and training needs assessments as part of improving compliance with DRC standards. This includes on-the-job training, instructions and relevant follow up measures, as well as the design and conduct of more topic-bound training sessions.
- Systems development and roll out of systems already developed in close cooperation and coordination with RO and DRC’s headquarters. This includes tools for monitoring shared expenditures, donor co-funding and decentralised book keeping and grants management systems.
- Ensure that all administrative and legal-related systems are accurate and maintained. This includes ensuring that local human resources related procedures are in line with the local labour law; ensuring that the expatriates receive all necessary paperwork to work in Ethiopia, including business visas as well as work and residence permits, receive driver’s licenses, and are registered with the appropriate offices; assisting in keeping the organization’s registrations in country and the regions in which it works up-to-date with the federal and local governmental authorities; and making sure that the 70/30 program/administration division of budgets required by Ethiopian law is rigorously adhered to.
- Support the deployment of expatriate staff members, especially as regards travel, housing, and Country Office compliance with the DRC Terms of Expatriate Employment.
- Provide technical support to all of the areas under the HoFA’s supervision, specifically finance, administration, human resources, logistics and procurement.
- Work to build the capacity of finance and administrative staff members throughout the DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti operation through frequent in-service training sessions and mentoring support.
- Direct supervision and management of staff in the relevant areas of responsibility. This will include regular team meeting and strong follow up of objectives set for the staff under direct supervision.
- Mapping of the main areas of non-compliance with DRC’s administrative and operational standards in the operations, which includes identification of the sources/reasons of non-compliance, solution to improve the system and communication with the senior management team.
- Provide strategic financial and operational analyses as part of regular assessment of programme and organisational health. Supervise monthly preparation of financial analyses,
- Developing a compliance improvement plan for addressing the issues of non-compliance including identification of priority issues, measures such as training or extended supervision to address them, organisational adjustments necessary, and development of new or application of already existing systems/tools which can support the implementation of the standards.
- Identifying gaps in 70/30 rule implementation and developing systems to ensure compliance with the 70/30 rule.
- Ensuring all expatriate staff members have proper permission to work and reside in Ethiopia.
- Guaranteeing that DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti country and field offices, as well as any guest houses, have an appropriate, functioning physical plant and provide a safe working (or living) environment conducive to promoting DRC’s mission to aid displaced persons.
- Streamlining and harmonizing logistics and procurement procedures across all of DRC Ethiopia/Djibouti’s offices.
- Ensuring that the Key Performance Indicators are sent to RO within the set deadlines
- Any other duties as agreed with the Country Director.
Reporting Arrangements
This Head of Finance and Admin reports to the Country Director.
Qualifications
- Post graduate degree in Financial/Business management, Public Administration, Social Sciences or other relevant fields. Addition Professional qualification such as ACCA or CPA is desired.
- 8 years INGO or other international agencies experience in finance and operations management in international humanitarian set up, including demonstrated ability to set up operational management systems in a large programme and direct experience of delivery of humanitarian programme in an emergency response.
- Extensive experience in financial reporting and knowledge of major donor rules including UNHCR, UNICEF, OCHA, WFP, ECHO, EC, DFID, DANIDA and USG.
- Proven experience in managing large budgets for multiple donors.
- Proficient in standard computer applications and various accounting and financial management software. Good knowledge Navision financial software will be an added advantage.
- Strong accounting and analytical skills and well developed knowledge of GAAP.
- Strong experience in guiding, couching, capacity building and motivating country programme staff and partners.
- Ability to plan and prioritize tasks in order to achieve desired results in a multiphasic environment with a very high workload.
- Professional, courteous and able to work with abroad spectrum of people.
- Previous DRC experience is an asset.
- Previous experience in Ethiopia is an asset
- Excellent communication skills in English is required. Fluency in French language is a strong advantage.
- Flexible, enthusiastic and willingness to learn from others.
Conditions
Contract: 2 years’ contract dependent on both funding and performance. Salary and conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Global Expatriates (available at www.drc.dk under Vacancies). This position is graded as A9.
For qualified National staff the terms of employment will be in accordance with DRC terms for National staff
Availability: Immediately
Duty station: Addis, Ethiopia, with frequent travel within the region
How to apply:
Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV and cover letter explaining their motivation and why they are suited for the post.
under vacancies no later than 6 June 2017.
More Information
- Job City Addis Ababa
