Finance & Administrative Director

Finance & Administrative Director
Location: Kinshasa, DRC

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) is a global U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) cooperative agreement to introduce and support high-impact health interventions in 27 priority countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with the ultimate goal of ending preventable maternal and child deaths within a generation. The Program is focused on ensuring that all women, newborns and children most in need have equitable access to quality health care services to save lives. USAID’s MCSP supports programming in maternal, newborn and child health, immunization, family planning and reproductive health, nutrition, health systems strengthening, water/sanitation/hygiene, malaria, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and pediatric HIV care and treatment. USAID’s MCSP engages governments, policymakers, private sector leaders, health care providers, civil society, faith-based organizations and communities in adopting and accelerating proven approaches to address the major causes of maternal, newborn and child mortality such as postpartum hemorrhage, birth asphyxia and diarrhea, respectively, and improve the quality of health services, from household to hospital. In the DRC, the MCSP consortium is led by John Snow, Inc. (JSI), which is also the lead technical organization for child health and health information systems (HIS).

The MCSP DRC program works closely with the DRC Ministry of Health (MOH) at the central level to strategically program, plan, coordinate, monitor, and document the scale-up of life-saving, cost-effective and evidence-based interventions to accelerate reductions in maternal and child mortality. Specifically, the program works to:

• Assist the MOH at the national level to strategically program, plan, coordinate, monitor, and document the scale-up of life-saving, cost-effective, and evidence-based interventions, and to accelerate reductions in maternal and child mortality;
• Engage and provide competency-based, on-the-job training to trainers from health professional organizations of pediatricians, nurse midwives, and obstetricians/gynecologists to strengthen their technical capacity for quality in-service and pre-service training for the care of newborns and small babies; and
• Improve child survival by addressing more effectively the three main killers of children under five (malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea), providing WASH and nutrition services, and supporting family planning services in underserved rural communities in Tshopo and Bas-Uele provinces.

Position overview

JSI is seeking a Finance & Administrative Director (FAD) who will be responsible for maintaining and overseeing all accounting, procurement, and financial reporting systems. She/he will work closely with the Chief of Party and Deputy Chief of Party, as well as JSI headquarters (HQ) finance and administration staff, to ensure the program’s compliance with JSI accounting systems and procedures, all relevant USAID rules and regulations, and all financial and legal requirements of the Government of the DRC. With support from the Finance Officer , the FAD will process all payments and advances; oversee the submission of all monthly invoices and cash flow requests to HQ; reconcile bank accounts and advances; maintain all financial and administrative documentation according to local law;  be held accountable for the accuracy and timely submission of all financial reports; and oversee all contracts and agreements with support from the Contracts Officer. This position will be based in MCSP’s Kinshasa office; occasional travel to MCSP’s offices in Kisangani will be required.

The end of the project is March 31, 2019.

Specific duties and responsibilities

• Work closely with MCSP/DRC Chief of Party and Deputy Chief of Party, as well as other program support staff in country and at the headquarters (HQ) level, to ensure overall program compliance with USAID rules and regulations, develop program/activity budgets, prepare financial reports, track program spending; ensure the appropriate and effective use of resources in compliance with USAID rules and regulations, JSI policies, and the law of the Government of the DRC, with minimal risk exposure to the program
• Maintain Human Resource systems and files; ensure compliance with JSI local hire manual and  DRC labor laws.
• Supervise and mentor finance and administrative and contracts program staff in their day-to-day duties, and provide capacity building support to other program staff to enhance their knowledge of USAID rules and regulations. Directly supervise the Finance Officer, Program Assistant, IT Officer, Contracts Officer, two Drivers in Kinshasa, and the Finance and Admin Manager based in the Kisangani office.
• Oversee the development and management of local sub-agreements and consultancy agreements, in collaboration with the Contracts Officer and HQ staff; oversee all local procurements following USAID and JSI policies.
• Oversee the maintenance and security of MCSP’s Kinshasa office and staff, and supervise office administration and all support services to Kinshasa-based program staff
• Be accountable for all program financial,  administrative, and contractual systems in country, including the use of Quickbooks software for program accounting
• Supervise and support the preparation and processing of the monthly field accounts documentation, including QuickBooks vouchers and reconciliation reports; lead the preparation of monthly cash flow requests, working closely with the program’s technical team in country, for submission to HQ
• Ensure that all JSI program spending in country is reasonable, allocable, and well-documented; lead the country program team in monitoring program spending, including by contributing to pipeline analyses
• Play a lead roleand routine progress reports for submission to USAID, working closely with technical and management staff in country and at HQ
• Lead and ensure consistency in effective internal and external coordination and communications at and between the national and provincial levels (in Tshopo and Bas-Uele) on finance, administration, and operational matters as relevant, including by closely coordinating with finance and administrative staff in the Kisangani office
• Oversee the maintenance and security of the program’s inventory
• Supervise the approval and processing of travel advance requests and reconciliations
• Act as the primary point of contact for any internal or external finance and administrative audits or reviews of the JSI/MCSP DRC program
• Proactively identify and respond to any implementation, personnel, and/or other management challenges as they arise, in close consultation with the Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, and HQ as needed
• Lead Project Close out of both Kisangani and Kinshasa offices, while following rules and regulations set in place by USAID for proper close out
• Establish and maintain timely and pro-active communication between field offices and headquarters to maximize operations' effectiveness and cost efficiencies
• Other duties as may be assigned

Minimum qualifications

• Certified accountant with financial management specialization, or equivalent combination of training and experience.
• At least 7 years’ combined experience supporting and providing financial, administrative and human resources oversight to development programs/projects, including in the DRC; demonstrated experience supporting the management of USAID-funded programs/projects
• Proven ability to use standard accounting and spreadsheet software, including Microsoft Excel (knowledge of Quickbooks strongly desired)
• Ability to manage contracts for vendors and consultants; supervising of consultants and their invoices, ensuring timely submission to accounting
• In-depth knowledge of, and experience with USAID and USG rules and regulations, including for procurements, audits and project closeout
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality for all company and staff proprietary matters.
• Proven ability to minimize financial and administrative risk and to ensure accountability in complex, high-risk implementation settings
• Proven leadership, team-building, and mentorship skills, with ability to organize, motivate, and energize teams; previous experience formally supervising other staff is required
• Ability to work in a complex operating environment with demanding deadlines, rapidly shifting priorities, and high expectations for performance
• Excellent strategic planning and organizational skills, including to creatively problem-solve
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and French (Lingala a plus), including strong presentation and facilitation skills
• Ability to interact successfully with other colleagues from different backgrounds and organizations clearly and diplomatically; strong sense of discretion, particularly on confidential/sensitive organizational and human resource matters
• Ability to learn new skills and knowledge quickly to understand the broader context of program management, including the program’s general technical scope of work
• Able and willing to travel within the country when required.
• Applicants must be current legal residents and legally authorized to work in the DRC.

Interested candidates who meet all of the above qualifications should apply by sending a resume and cover letter to mcspdrchr@jsi.com by Friday June 29, 2018. Please include the job title in the subject line.  Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

JSI is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer committed to workplace diversity. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, gender, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual preference, genetic information, political affiliation, or protected veteran status in any employment decisions. M/F/V/D

If you are an individual with a disability, or a disabled veteran and unable to apply online for an available position, you may submit your request for reasonable accommodation by calling Human Resources at 617-482-9485.