Summary

Save the Children is seeking a Director of Finance and Administration (DFA) for the anticipated five-year USAID/Côte d’Ivoire Strengthening Primary and Community Health Care Activity. This activity will strengthen primary and community health care systems in collaboration with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire.

The DFA oversees all financial management, internal controls, and financial compliance aspects of the program in accordance with USAID guidance and regulations. This individual will provide financial and operational management to ensure the best use of resources by preparing sound budgets, monitoring project expenses, and providing accurate and timely financial reports for donors. The position will be based in Abidjan for the five-year period of performance.

This position is contingent upon donor approval and funding.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Review and consolidate monthly financial reports to ensure accuracy and to provide regular feedback to senior management.
• Ensure all financial plans, invoices, reports, and other financial documents and transactions are accurate, timely, and consistent with Save the Children and USAID guidelines and regulations.
• Prepare and monitor budgets to ascertain that spending occurs as planned and that variances are anticipated, noted, and corrected; ensure that key program personnel are aware of budgetary resources and can monitor their respective budgets.
• Prepare quarterly reports, consolidated annual fiscal reports, cumulative life of project report, and any other required donor submissions.
• Verify that appropriate segregation of duties exists to ensure effective support of field operations and to protect the integrity of the country office finance and administrative operations.
• Perform financial review of purchase requests, purchase orders, and payment requests to ensure compliance with Save the Children’s policies and procedures and USAID grants and contracts requirements.
• Oversee sub-grant monitoring and compliance including organizational assessments, review of financial reports/advance requests, and financial tracking; develop sub-grant monitoring plans; and perform and document compliance visits.
• Supervise the finance and operations staff, conducting performance evaluations and revising job descriptions as necessary. Develop the capacity of the team and facilitate their professional growth.
• Provide capacity building in financial and operations management to local partners and government stakeholders.
• Prepare and revise finance and operation guidelines to ensure adherence to Save the Children and USAID requirements.
• Encourage a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Coordinate external audits for USAID and implement systems to ensure proper accounting and closing of the award’s books, including the financial data of the core team.
• Enhance sub-grantees’ financial management through training and capacity strengthening programs, and ensure they manage their sub-awards according to USAID rules and regulations.
• Update all local partners on OMB revisions that may affect sub-award implementation.
• Liaise with the country office HR Director to incorporate staff development strategies and performance management systems into the team-building process. Establish and monitor a results-based system.
• Collaborate with the Country Finance Director to ensure efficient budget management, compliance with national rules and regulations, strengthen the capacity of technical finance staff, and participate in the country’s annual budget preparation.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, business administration, or other relevant field; professional qualification/certification in accounting and graduate degree is desired.
• Minimum of seven years of experience managing finances for USAID-funded projects; in-depth knowledge of USAID financial management rules and regulations.
• Proven ability to prepare budgets and donor financial reports.
• Strong analytical, leadership and interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in team situations.
• Experience as a coach/mentor to train staff and develop financial skills of colleagues.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and French.
• Knowledge of the political, social, and cultural context of Côte d’Ivoire.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond. As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.