Company Profile

Job Description

Strengthening Regional Peace and Stability in West Africa Program
 

Project Background
The Strengthening Regional Peace and Stability (SRPS) in West Africa Program is a five-year, USAID-funded program implemented by DAI. The program supports the efforts of West Africans to address the risks of instability from democratic backsliding and from conflict, and prioritizes targeted governance, conflict and violence prevention, peacebuilding, and preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) interventions across the region. The program will engage with regional partners and with governments that demonstrate commitment to power-sharing and resource redistribution, both of which are crucial for reducing exclusion, violence, and conflict. Program interventions will address causes of fragility, and focus on good governance approaches, conflict prevention and response, and P/CVE interventions across select target countries in the Sahel and coastal West Africa.

Objectives of the assignment
The Finance Manager will manage all activities related to finance according to DAI’s policies and procedures. He/she will directly supervise the Accountant, support accounting processes and ensure compliance of all related activities.

Tasks & Responsibilities
The following comprise main responsibilities of the Finance Manager:

• Supervises the Accountant in all finance and accounting related activities.
• Analyzes activity burn rate to identify bottlenecks and areas to improve.
• Reviews the bi-monthly finance reports for presentation to the COP, DCOP-Operations, and Home Office (HO).
• Ensures all financial reports are submitted to DAI headquarters in accordance with the DAI monthly finance calendar.
• Reviews the process of CCN salary calculations and disbursements.
• Oversees the employees’, grantees’ and other vendors’ advance payments and settlements.
• Oversees the relationships with the local bank.
• Oversees the process of reconciling local cash accounts.
• Makes sure the activity accounting is provided with clearly auditable and tracible electronic and physical filing systems.
• Reviews findings of regular financial file audits to ensure compliance and identify areas for improvement.
• Approves payments in accordance with the activity Schedule of Authority.
• Reviews and approves all financial operations with regards to reasonableness, allocability, and allowability, adhering to DAI policies, contractual terms, and other applicable rules and regulations.
• Advises activity leadership and HO on financial matters.
• Oversees and monitors use of company accounting systems (vFER/FAS), cloud software for backup documentation, DAI’s project management system (TAMIS), etc.
• Trains finance staff in any financial system knowledge gap.
• Responsible for the activity compliance with Ghanaian tax codes, and the tax codes of the field offices in target countries, including timely submission of required reports and data to the authorities.
• Sets up and supervises the activity tax exemption process according to the bilateral agreement provisions.
• Coordinates all tax exoneration documents, other tax exemption documents, and reimbursement of local taxes documents, if needed, with the Accountant.
• Serves as back up accountant when applicable.

Required Skills or Experience

• A minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible finance and accounting experience in terms of the job tasks and responsibilities outlined above; USAID-funded activity experience is a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Accounting, or similar area; master’s degree preferred.
• Excellent knowledge of MS Excel as well as electronic communications programs required.
• Excellent English reading, writing, and listening skills. Fluency in French a plus.
• Strong knowledge of Ghanaian Tax Code and/or DAI systems.
• Self-motivation and guidance; demonstrated initiative and self-motivation in handling all assigned tasks required.