Mauritania – Country Administrator At COOPI – International Cooperation

COOPI is looking for a Country Administrator in Mauritania

In 2019, COOPI launched its first business development project in the southeast of Mauritania, 18 km from Bassikounou, in the Hodh El Ghargui region, where the Mbera refugee camp is located. Through this project, COOPI contributed to strengthening the economic autonomy of refugees and the host population , by offering competitive goods and services, creating sustainable jobs and improving the technical capacity of producers, through development at different levels of the value chain. The programs are part of two main sectors such as economic development (Hod El Chargui, Nouakchott, Guidimakha and Assaba regions) and rural infrastructure development (Hod El Chargui) with a significant environmental and agroforestry component in Guidimakha, Assaba, Nouakchott. The promotion of food security, development of value chains, rehabilitation of infrastructure, conflict prevention and participatory planning, disaster risk reduction and employment are the main areas of intervention of COOPI to strengthen the resilience of local communities. The donors currently financing COOPI are the G5 Sahel Facility Foundation, WFP and UN Agencies .

Job Objective

The Country Administrator ensures the proper administrative and financial management and sustainability of the country. He is responsible for the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the information sent to the headquarters.

Responsibilities

REPRESENTATION

• Manage, for their part of competence: relations and administrative work with public and administrative bodies of the country and with the administrative and financial offices of decentralized donor institutions. Relations with consortium partners; relations with local project partners;
• With mission leader, be responsible for signing the organization’s accounts ;

DEVELOPMENT

• Assist the Head of Mission in updating documentation, tools and procedures for the management of local staff;
• Support economic and financial planning , development and sustainability of the mission;

MANAGEMENT

• Prepare the country’s budget in collaboration with the head of mission;
• Monitoring country viability and appropriate allocation of fixed costs;
• Check budgets for new projects in accordance with planning and sustainability;
• Periodically identify economic and financial commitments for the implementation of project activities;
• Monitor the economic and financial management of projects on a monthly basis: budget status, expenditure prospects, financial forecasts for the implementation of activities;
• **Monitor donor funding for project implementation (**advances and grants), update information to be sent to headquarters and propose priorities for financial reporting;
• Finalize and verify interim and final financial reports to be submitted to donors, before forwarding them to headquarters;
• Ensure the correct archiving of the country’s administrative documentation (central and peripheral level) in accordance with the organization’s procedures;
• Support and advise project and coordination managers as well as administrators and monitor the correct application of COOPI and donor administrative procedures;
• Verify the sustainability and good management of assets belonging to COOPI in cooperation with the country’s logistics function;
• Prepare the audits carried out in the country and send to the headquarters the documents relating to the projects to be audited in Italy;
• Ensure, through periodic checks, the documentation of training provided on the prevention of violations of the code of ethics, the LEFP and illicit behavior;
• Ensure the proper functioning of the various regional bases and coordinations in the country, including by carrying out on-site verification missions;
• Periodically supervise the work carried out by expatriate and national staff ;
• Provide ongoing training for local administrators and accountants (coordination, bases and projects);
• Transfer of administrative skills to non-administrative staff within the framework of “on the job” activities (project, program, mission managers);
• Staff evaluation.

Candidate profile

Essential

• Higher education (bachelor’s degree) or equivalent with experience in the field of economics and finance;
• Certified experience of at least 5 years , acquired in the economic-financial sector, in administrative coordination within international cooperation organizations;
• Good knowledge of the procedures of the following donors: PAM, and UN Agencies ;
• Good knowledge of the French language ;
• Excellent knowledge of Office;
• Excellent organizational skills ;
• Ability to work in a team and achieve goals;
• Ability to establish positive relationships with colleagues;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment , under pressure and in difficult security contexts;
• Ability to go beyond the simple task assigned;
• Motivation to work in a non-governmental organization while respecting its principles and values.

Desirable

• Have already worked in Africa and/or in conflict/post-conflict contexts
• Knowledge of the Italian language
• Previous experience with COOPI

COOPI reserves the right to close a recruitment before the deadline of the announcement. Please note that only pre-selected candidates will be contacted. Interviews will take place continuously and the position will be closed as soon as it is filled, thank you for your understanding.

COOPI Cooperazione Internazionale is an Italian secular and independent humanitarian organization that fights against all forms of poverty to improve the world. Founded in 1965, COOPI is today present in 33 countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East, with emergency and development projects carried out by expatriate staff – on average over 240 people per year – and national staff. The main institutional donors are the European Union – ECHO and INTPA – USAID, UN agencies, the Italian government, local authorities and other European governments.