Finance and Operations Consultant | Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

JOB TITLE: Operations and Finance Consultant

SUPERVISOR: Regional Director

CONTRACT TYPE: Local

LOCATION POSITION: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

ESTIMATED DURATION: 6 months

Background :

The GHSC-TA Francophone Task Order project addresses the technical assistance needs of USAID, other USG agencies, partner country governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other entities to strengthen commodity management for all elements of health (eg malaria, family planning, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, etc.). GHSC-TA Francophone TO represents a mechanism through which USAID provides regional technical assistance for health products. The technical support focuses on three (03) objectives:

Objective 1: Strengthen supply chain systems in target countries
Objective 2: Improve product safety through collaboration with regional organizations
Objective 3: Support the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).

The Operations and Finance Consultant is responsible for assisting the Regional Director in the development and implementation of management and supervisory systems for project operations and finance. The person will improve operational and financial systems to ensure quality control of the project’s administration and financial needs. The Consultant will assist with coordination, consistency and compliance with US government regulations and Chemonics corporate and field office policies.

Main duties and responsibilities:

The Operations and Finance Consultant is responsible for the following main tasks and responsibilities:

Develop and implement proactive and appropriate financial and operational management systems, in compliance with local laws and regulations, the project office policy manual, and Chemonics’ standard operating and financial procedures according to the FAC (Field Accounting Compliance Manual), as well as USAID requirements .
Submit required administrative and financial reports on time to the Regional Director and to the Project Management Unit (PMU) based at head office.
Contribute to the development of project operational plans, budget development for fiscal year 2025, monthly fund transfer requests, expenditure tracking, and monthly financial projection reporting.
Under the direction of the Regional Manager, streamline the monthly payroll process and perform spot checks to ensure that payroll is processed in accordance with local labor laws and that all applicable benefits and taxes are withheld and remitted to tax authorities, as appropriate.
Ensure the review and approval of payment records that have been made by finance staff for West Africa Regional Office countries (Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Cameroon) on Abacus.
Monitor tax returns and payments to ensure they have been made on time.
Work with finance staff to prepare and maintain files containing financial documentation corresponding to Abacus records.
Provide support for reconciliations of balances on accounts receivable in collaboration with an external accounting firm retained by the project.
Coordinate internal/external audits and ensure timely follow-up of audit findings and recommendations.
Review and provide feedback on staff segregation of duties and advise and recommend best practices to ensure that these actions are properly followed.
Support the Administrative Manager to ensure that office procurement is conducted in accordance with Chemonics policy and procedures and USAID requirements.
Perform other duties as required by the Regional Manager or PMU Head Office.

Deliverables:

Mission report describing the main achievements, challenges encountered, and recommendations for improving the operational and financial processes of the GHSC-TA Francophone Task Order project in Burkina Faso.
Provide reports/updates in control reports on tax returns and payments were made on time.
Provide a balance reconciliation report on accounts receivable in collaboration with the external accounting firm retained by the project.
Resolve internal/external audit findings and update audit findings and recommendation reports.
Review and provide feedback on staff segregation of duties and provide advice and recommendations to ensure that these actions are followed properly.
Other deliverables assigned by supervisor (ad hoc)

Skills and qualifications required

To perform this job successfully, a person must be able to perform each essential task and responsibility satisfactorily. The qualifications listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or abilities required to perform the main duties.

University degree in business administration, accounting or other relevant discipline, or equivalent experience.
At least 5 years’ experience at a senior level in the financial and operational management of complex health or development programs in general.
Experience in managing USAID-funded programs and in-depth knowledge of applicable regulations and requirements required.
Proven leadership and management skills; experience in mentoring and supervising staff at all levels.
Strong analytical and organizational skills, demonstrated by the ability to work independently and as part of a team, assess priorities and manage a variety of activities with attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal communication skills, writing skills and oral presentation skills.
Excellent ability to work with Microsoft Excel, Word and other software. Proficiency in SAGE, ABACUS, or other preferred accounting software.
Experience in developing and maintaining filing and archiving systems, and internal/external audits.
Able to work independently with minimal supervision.
Fluency in French and the ability to communicate and write effectively in English (level 4 out of 5) are required.

JOB TITLE: Operations and Finance Consultant

SUPERVISOR: Regional Director

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Local

POSITION LOCATION: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

ESTIMATED DURATION: 6 months

Context :

The GHSC-TA Francophone Task Order project responds to the technical assistance needs of USAID, other USG agencies, partner country governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and others to strengthen commodity management across all health components (e.g., malaria, family planning, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, etc.). GHSC-TA Francophone TO represents a mechanism through which USAID provides regional technical assistance for health commodities. The technical support focuses on the following three (03) objectives:

Objective 1: Strengthen the supply systems of target countries
Objective 2: Improve product safety through collaboration and regional organizations
Objective 3: Support the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).

The Operations and Finance Consultant is responsible for assisting the Regional Director in developing and implementing systems to manage and oversee project operations and finances. The individual will enhance operational and financial systems to ensure quality control of project administration and financial reporting. The Consultant will assist with coordination, consistency, and compliance with U.S. Government regulations and Chemonics corporate and field office policies.

Main tasks and responsibilities:

The Operations and Finance Consultant is responsible for the following main tasks and responsibilities:

Develop and implement proactive and appropriate financial and operational management systems in accordance with local laws and regulations, the Project Office Policy Manual, and Chemonics standard operating and financial procedures according to the Field Accounting Compliance Manual (FAC), as well as USAID requirements.
Submit required administrative and financial reports to the Regional Director and the Project Management Unit (PMU) based at the head office on time.
Contribute to the development of project operational plans, development of the budget for fiscal year 2025, monthly fund transfer requests, expenditure tracking, and development of monthly financial projections.
Under the direction of the Regional Director, improve the system and timeliness of monthly payroll processing on time each month and conduct spot checks to ensure that payroll is processed in accordance with local labor laws and that all applicable benefits and taxes are withheld and remitted to tax authorities as applicable.
Ensure the review and approval of payment records that have been made by the financial staff for the countries of the West Africa Regional Office (Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Cameroon) on Abacus.
Check that tax returns and payments have been made on time.
Work with finance staff to prepare and maintain files containing financial documentation corresponding to Abacus records.
Provide support for reconciliations of balances on accounts receivable in collaboration with the external accounting office selected by the project.
Coordinate internal/external audits and ensure timely follow-up of controls or audit findings and recommendations.
Review and provide feedback on staff segregation of duties and provide advice and recommendations to ensure these actions are properly followed.
Support the Administrative Manager to ensure that office acquisitions are conducted in accordance with Chemonics policy and procedures and USAID requirements.
Perform other tasks required by the Regional Director or the PMU of the head office.

Deliverables:

Mission report describing the main achievements, challenges encountered, and recommendations for improving the operational and financial processes of the GHSC-TA Francophone Task Order project in Burkina Faso.
Provide reports/updates in control reports on tax returns and payments were made on time.
Provide a report of reconciliations of balances on accounts receivable in collaboration with the external accounting office selected by the project.
Resolve internal/external audit findings and update audit findings and recommendations reports.
Review and provide feedback on staff segregation of duties and provide advice and recommendations to ensure these actions are properly followed.
Other deliverables assigned by the supervisor (ad hoc)

Required skills and qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility satisfactorily. The qualifications listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or abilities required to perform the primary functions.

University degree in business administration, accounting or other relevant discipline or equivalent experience.
At least 5 years of experience at a senior level in financial and operational management of complex health or development programs in general.
Experience in managing USAID-funded programs and in-depth knowledge of applicable regulations and requirements required.
Proven leadership and management skills; experience mentoring and supervising staff at all levels of the organization.
Strong analytical and organizational skills, demonstrated by the ability to work independently and as part of a team, assess priorities and manage a variety of activities with attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal communication skills, writing skills and oral presentation skills.
Excellent working skills with Microsoft Excel, Word and other software. Proficiency in SAGE, ABACUS, or other accounting software preferred.
Experience in developing and maintaining filing and archiving systems, and internal/external audits.
Able to work independently.
Fluency in French and the ability to communicate and write effectively in English (level 4 out of 5) are required.