🇸🇱 Job Vacancy @ Population Services International (PSI) – Director of Finance and Administration

Department: Africa Global Operations/ Impact Malaria

Based in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Reports to the Country Representative

Who We Are

Population Services International (PSI) is the world’s leading non-profit social marketing organization. We are a diverse group of over 5,000 entrepreneurial development professionals located in over 40 countries committed to making it easier for all people to lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire. PSI is using it’s global presence and 50+ years of experience to help reimagine healthcare. We are working to shape market systems, shift policy and funding, and strengthen global capacity to better support consumer empowered healthcare.

Join us!

We are looking for a Director of Finance and Administration to provide overall technical and management leadership, guidance and oversight of the organization’s operations, finance, grants, and contract’s portfolio. She/ he will be the custodian of financial, accounting, IT, branch operations, supply chain, grants, and contracts process to ensure PSI Sierra Leone is compliant with donor and PSI global finance, budget, procurement, grants, and compliance standards and that the processes enable PSI Sierra Leone achieves its strategic priorities. In addition, to strong technical knowledge and experience, the Director of Finance and Administration will be a key leader within the organization whose leadership style should reflect high Emotional Intelligence (EI) and their ability to lead while nurturing talent. The Director of Finance and Operations will be working closely with the Country Representative and Chief of Party for the Impact Malaria Project.

Sound like you? Read on.

Your contribution

Strategic Leadership and Oversight Role

• Provide direction and strategic leadership to the organization’s finance, IT, supply chain, branch operations, grants, and contracts portfolio to ensure that operational processes efficiently support program objectives.
• Ensure that the finance, IT, supply chain, grants and contracts systems and process align with PSI Sierra Leone’s Strategic Plan and priorities.
• Ensure that PSI Sierra Leone policies and procedures align with PSI Global Services Finance, Procurement, Grants and Contracts policies, procedures, and requirements, and proactively identify and manage any potential conflicts to ensure compliance with the necessary regulations.
• Design and maintain internal systems that ensure accurate and timely reporting on financial performance of the organization.
• Consistently demonstrate a leadership style that reflects high emotional intelligence, nurtures talent, and reinforces the right tone at the top of the organization.
• Promote and demonstrate an ethical environment, in line with PSI’s values of honesty and acting with integrity.
• Supervise and provide leadership to PSI Sierra Leone’s Finance, IT, Supply Chain, Branch Operations and Sub-Awards teams.

Financial Reporting and Policies

• Establish and/or refine and disseminate policies, systems and practices for effective management, procurement, disbursement and accounting for all financial resources in line with PSI Global accounting policies, funder requirements and local law where required.
• Work closely with the finance team to prepare submission of monthly financial packages to PSI/W and to ensure complete, accurate and timely recording and reporting of transactions.
• Work closely with the Senior Management team and relevant teams at the PSI headquarters to achieve quality and timeliness in Donor reporting.
• Coordinate with Programs and co-lead monthly review and analysis of financial reports and reconciliations with attention to how resources can be better allocated to achieve program objectives, Budgeting, Financial Analysis and Donor compliance.

Budgeting, Financial Analysis, Compliance

• Lead the annual operating budgeting process.
• Validate monthly common cost analysis and update cost ratios to ensure each donor bears the correct proportion of common costs in line with PSI’s global policy, as applicable.
• Manage the common direct cost budget to ensure efficient and effective use of donor funds to support common direct costs, when necessary.
• Develop, track and review PSI Sierra Leone consolidated budget and departmental budgets in consultation with budget holders and finance team and conduct detailed activity status review and give input to DC and budget holders.
• Prepare and track donor budgets. Prepare modifications and Activity realignments as necessary.
• Monitor performance and efficiency of on-going Donor projects by analyzing country/project monthly spend rates and highlighting possible problem areas.

Technical Support, Audits and Legal

• Support preparation and successful conclusion of internal and external auditing activities.
• Ensure that the PSI Sierra Leone team responds to audit requests on a timely basis, and provides clear, complete, and accurate information to auditors.
• Review management comments for audit reports and ensure appropriate action is taken to correct audit findings.
• In collaboration with PSI Legal Counsel, minimize legal risk to the organization and engage any legal issues confronting the organization.
• Review and test controls to ensure PSI Sierra Leone systems are compliant with PSI Global Services Finance, Grants and Contracts policies, donor requirements, as well as Sierra Leone’s laws.
• Ensure prompt preparation and submission of statutory returns, donor reports and tax compliance.

Operational Management and Administration

• Ensure branch operations, IT, procurement, warehouse, and fleet management activities are delivered efficiently.
• Coordinate with Head of Operations to establish and support suitable accounting, IT, Fleet Management and general administrative systems and personnel in all PSI Sierra Leone field offices.
• Work with Head of Supply Chain to ensure that PSI Sierra Leone’s procurement system is adequately updated in line with PSI Global Procurement Manual and changing funder guidelines.
• Ensure adherence to PSI Global Responsibilities Matrix on Approval limits for Procurement of Goods and Services.
• Conduct quarterly oversight and supervision visits to field offices to review the quality of business operations systems and activities and provide support, when necessary.

Sub-Award and Sub-Contractor Management

• Lead the development and negotiation of sub-award agreements, workplans and budgets.
• Coordinate monthly reporting process from sub-awardees and joint programmatic and financial reports reviews, ensuring that costs are in line with the progress on delivery and implementation and that budget variances explanations are provided.
• Conduct regular sub-award visits / evaluations to verify adherence to contract terms and gauge internal control systems to obtain confidence in the reports submitted to PSI Sierra Leone.
• Design and implement a proactive, rigorous, risk-based and effective sub-awardee monitoring system and approach.
• Contribute to designing the capacity building plan for sub-awardees in financial management, internal control systems, budgeting and forecasting, technical programs implementation and coordinate the provision of trainings when needed
• Lead sub-award closeout in accordance with PSI Sierra Leone policies and procedures.

What are we looking for?

The candidate we hire will embody PSI’s corporate values:

Collaboration: You can work independently but thrive within a team.

Trust: You trust that your manager and team will have your back and care deeply about gaining that same trust from your teammates

Pragmatism: You dive in and maintain momentum even when things are ambiguous, and you do not let perfect get in the way of good enough.

Honesty: You are not afraid to speak up and speak your mind.

Measurement: You set clear and challenging goals and hold yourself accountable to driving measurable results.

Commitment: You are independent and a free thinker, but you’re ready to buy in to the direction of the team and commit to its success.

The basics

• Bachelor’s degree or Advanced degree in Finance, Accounting or related field.
• Professional qualifications like ACCA, CIMA, CPA preferred.
• At least 8 years post qualifications experience in general management, financial management and at least 5 years of experience with donor-funded projects at a senior management level required.
• Working knowledge of integrated, accrual-basis accounting systems such as QuickBooks Enterprise, Lawson, or another ERP. Advanced computer skills, with strong Office 365 skills preferred.
• Have demonstrated grants management experience and in-depth understanding of current donor rules and regulations. Experience working with USAID, DfID, KfW and other international donors.
• At least 3 years of experience living or working in a developing country and working experience in challenging environments in Africa will be an added advantage preferred.
• High level of written and verbal communication skills. Written and verbal fluency in English required.
• Exceptional quantitative data analysis skills.
• High emotional intelligence, people management and interpersonal skills; High level staff management and leadership skills.
• Ability to work in a diverse cultural environment with multiple stakeholders (including Ministry of Health authorities (MoH), beneficiaries, implementing partners, program staff, donors)
• References will be required.
• The successful candidate will be required to pass a background check.

What will get us excited (personal and management characteristics)?

• Successful candidates will be customer service oriented, exhibit excellent communication and interpersonal skills; have proven problem solving ability; be able to work efficiently and quickly under pressure; be able to prioritize and perform multiple tasks; and have the ability to work with minimal supervision and follow through on assignments. Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated experience in international health and development issues, and technology innovation.
• Be self-starter, effective team player and demonstrated verifiable result-oriented track record. Act with urgency for continuous improvement and with a bias towards action; promote development of breakthrough solutions; embrace and advocate innovations that improve results; aggressively promotes the need for breakthrough improvements.
• Acting with Long Term Perspective: Take actions today to build a strong foundation for future success, identify and take advantage of emerging opportunities, keep PSI Sierra Leone’s long-term goals in mind when addressing short-term issues and problems.
• Adaptive and flexible in approaches to work, comfortable with changing approach based on the evidence of what works.
• Passionate about learning, documenting, and sharing what does and does not work.
• Proven ability to develop routines to manage large workloads and organize work efficiently.
• Ability and desire to coach and transfer learning capacity to partners and program staff.

Is that really you? And are you interested?

Please submit your application letter, accompanied with your CV (including three referees) and copies of your certificates to the address below:

The Country Representative

Population Services International (PSI)

3 Fadika Drive

Freetown

Or email the application to the following email address: [email protected]

**The deadline for the submission is 5PM on the 15th of September 2023.

PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of actual or perceived race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, family status or responsibilities, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions or breastfeeding, genetic information, amnesty, veteran, special disabled veteran or uniform service member status or employment status.