Creative Associates International is recruiting to fill the following positions:

1.) Chief of Party
2.) Finance Manager, CIT
3.) Deputy Chief of Party
4.) Grants Manager, CIT

Background:

Creative Associates International is a dynamic, fast-growing global development firm that specializes in education, economic growth, democratic institutions and stabilization. Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has a field presence in more than 25 countries with a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, among others. Since its founding in 1977, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.

See job details and how to apply below.

1.) Chief of Party

Creative Associates seeks a Chief of Party (COP) for a USAID-funded project, that seeks to strengthen the social contract between local governments and citizens in Sierra Leone by fostering increased accountability of local-level decision-makers to citizens on issues of importance to the community. The primary objective of the CELGA program will be to (1) increase effective and informed citizen and civil society participation in local government and political processes, and (2) bolster the capacity of local governance institutions to provide critical services and be more transparent in their processes. The COP provides overall technical and administrative leadership and expertise for the project’s activity as well as serves as the primary liaison with USAID and host government on management and technical matters.

The COP will report directly to the Project Director at headquarters and will supervise various project staff.

• Oversee the overall management and implementation of project activity;
• Supervise activity implementation and ensure the activity meets stated goals and reporting requirements;
• Actively engage key civil society and sub-national governmental stakeholders and other USAID-funded implementing partners;
• Actively identify issues and risks related to program implementation in a timely manner, and suggest appropriate program adjustments;
• Produce and oversee production of deliverables related to media reporting, CSO administrative skills, improve local government transparency and service delivery
• Oversee the coordination of local partners as well as sub-recipients and sub-grantees;
• Facilitate and support partnerships, collaboration, and collective action between a diverse group of local stakeholders;
• Mentor and coach staff to support their professional development and application of skills and knowledge to succeed in their roles;
• Interact with numerous Government of Sierra Leone institutions and senior-level government officials; and
• Manage a diverse team to deliver impact within agreed timelines.

Qualifications

• An advanced degree in business administration, economics, communications, international development, social sciences, or a related field
• At least 10 years of general experience with at least 5 years in relevant management, supervisory, senior technical role leading programs/projects of similar scope and scale;
• At least five years of experience in the governance sector in Sub-Saharan Africa, preferably in Sierra Leone;
• Demonstrated experience in management and oversight of programs that are of a similar scope, size, and complexity to this activity;
• Demonstrated experience in the governance sector in Sub-Saharan Africa is required, with a focus in project designs, USAID’s Local Systems Framework, public service delivery, civic engagement, government accountability, gender empowerment, and electoral-support activities;
• Experience with adaptive management approaches and overseeing M&E activities on donor-funded projects
• Demonstrated experience coordinating across various key stakeholders such as local CSOs and government officials; and
• The candidate must be professionally proficient and fluent in written and spoken English.

How to Apply

Qualified and interested individuals should click on the button below to apply.

2.) Finance Manager, CIT

Position Summary:

Creative Associates seeks a Finance Manager for an anticipated donor-funded project in Sierra Leone. that seeks to strengthen the social contract between local governments and citizens in Sierra Leone by fostering increased accountability of local-level decision-makers to citizens on issues of importance to the community. The primary objective of the CELGA program will be to (1) increase effective and informed citizen and civil society participation in local government and political processes, and (2) bolster the capacity of local governance institutions to provide critical services and be more transparent in their processes. They will provide overall financial management and oversight for the project and will work closely with the Chief of Party (COP). This position will also be a liaison with the Home Office to ensure full compliance with regulations and policies with regard to implementation of effective internal controls.

Reporting & Supervision:

The Finance Manager will report to the COP.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain financial management and accounting control systems for program expenditures;
• Ensure that the project meets all donor contractual requirements and complies with donor policies and regulations;
• Receive and account for all funds for the project (performing weekly and monthly cash checks);
• Liaise between Creative Associates' field and headquarters offices;
• Participate in ongoing analysis, forecasting and review of project expenses;
• Participate in budget planning and realignments as required;
• Track the transfer of funds between headquarters and the field office, and manage accounting and finance records of in-country expenses, including developing spreadsheet programs for tracking and monitoring all financial project activities, and maintaining spreadsheets with current project expense data;
• Provide Project Director/HQ updates on the status of fund requests and work with Finance and Contracts (F&C) in Washington, DC to ensure the timely transfer of funds;
• Submit wire transfer requests for field offices to F&C for processing;
• Process check requests and wire transfer requests for payments to vendors in compliance with contract requirements;
• Review and process invoices and in-field fee payments in accordance with Creative accounting procedures and contract policies;
• Work closely with field-based subcontractors to ensure budgets, projections, and invoices are completed according to Creative/USAID policies and procedures;
• Manage personnel and payroll office staff and procedures;
• Maintain project financial and contractual files;
• Develop financial procedures manual;
• Provide financial management and systems training for project staff;
• Maintain a database of accounting documents, in both electronic and hard copy;
• Consolidate accounting data into a monthly return to be forwarded to Headquarters in paper and electronic copies;
• Prepare the requisite financial documents and vouchers;
• Draft quarterly and annual financial reports on financial status of project expenses and budget information and forward to F&C for review and approval by the Controller;
• Coordinate with USAID regarding the management of U.S. dollars and local currencies;
• Ensure monthly field expense reports;
• Travel to field offices when necessary; and
• Other related duties as assigned.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• M.S. degree in accounting or financial management desired; B.S. degree with at least three (3) years of experience required;
• Previous financial management of a donor-funded project in Sub-Saharan Africa;
• Public or private sector management, financial analysis, cost accounting and relevant experience preferably in developing countries;
• USAID grants management experience a plus;
• Demonstrated capacity to supervise a complex financial management or general ledger system; and
• The candidate must be professionally proficient and fluent in written and spoken English.

Local candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Position contingent upon donor funding.

Creative Associates International Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Disability/Veteran.

How to Apply

Qualified and interested individuals should click on the button below to apply.

3.) Deputy Chief of Party

Creative Associates seeks a Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) for a USAID-funded project, that seeks to strengthen the social contract between local governments and citizens in Sierra Leone by fostering increased accountability of local-level decision-makers to citizens on issues of importance to the community. The primary objective of the CELGA program will be to (1) increase effective and informed citizen and civil society participation in local government and political processes, and (2) bolster the capacity of local governance institutions to provide critical services and be more transparent in their processes. The DCOP provides technical leadership and expertise for the project’s activity as well as serves as a key liaison with host government and key non-governmental stakeholders on technical matters.

The DCOP will report directly to the Chief of Party in Freetown and will supervise various project staff.

• Oversee the technical implementation of the CELGA program;
• Supervise activity implementation and ensure the activity meets stated goals and deliverables;
• Actively engage key civil society and sub-national governmental stakeholders and other USAID-funded implementing partners;
• Expertise in one or both of the following key objective areas: (1) Improving citizen and civil society participation in local government and political processes or (2) Improving capacity of local governance institutions to provide services.
• Actively identify issues and risks related to program implementation in a timely manner, and suggest appropriate program adjustments;
• Produce and oversee production of deliverables related to media reporting, CSO administrative skills, improve local government transparency and service delivery;
• Oversee the coordination of local partners as well as sub-recipients and sub-grantees;
• Facilitate and support partnerships, collaboration, and collective action between a diverse group of local stakeholders;
• Mentor and coach staff to support their professional development and application of skills and knowledge to succeed in their roles;
• Interact with numerous Government of Sierra Leone institutions and senior-level government officials; and
• Manage a diverse team to deliver impact within agreed timelines.

Qualifications

• An advanced degree in business administration, economics, communications, international development, social sciences, or a related field; or an undergraduate degree with additional professional experience to the minimum years requirements below.
• At least 8 years of general experience with at least 4 years in relevant management, supervisory, senior technical role leading programs/projects of similar scope and scale;
• At least 5 years of experience in the governance sector in Sub-Saharan Africa, preferably in Sierra Leone;
• Demonstrated experience in the governance sector in Sierra Leone is required, with a focus on public service delivery, civic engagement, government accountability, gender empowerment, and electoral-support activities;
• Demonstrated experience coordinating across various key stakeholders such as CSOs and sub-national government officials; and
• The candidate must be professionally proficient and fluent in written and spoken English.

How to Apply

Qualified and interested individuals should click on the button below to apply.

4.) Grants Manager, CIT

Position Summary:

Creative Associates seeks a Grants Manager for an anticipated donor-funded project in Sierra Leone that seeks to strengthen the social contract between local governments and citizens in Sierra Leone by fostering increased accountability of local-level decision-makers to citizens on issues of importance to the community. The primary objective of the CELGA program will be to (1) increase effective and informed citizen and civil society participation in local government and political processes, and (2) bolster the capacity of local governance institutions to provide critical services and be more transparent in their processes. The Grants Manager will provide oversight of the grants management process. They will provide administrative and technical support to the Chief of party and staff on the design of grant applications, guidelines, and regulations for USAID grants.

Reporting & Supervision:

The Grants Manager will report to the Chief of Party.

Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities:

The Grants Manager will have principal responsibility for:

• Providing oversight to grantee selection process, conducting vetting and preparing grantee documentation;
• Overseeing implementation of grants from pre-award to post-award stages;
• Ensuring compliance with Creative’s grants policies as detailed in the Field Manual and the project’s Grants Manual;
• Leading the grants management team to serve as a central point of grant activity coordination and facilitation;
• Coordinating the issuance of awards and maintaining contract documentation through the development and upkeep of a small grants database; and
• Preparing scheduled and special reports, studies and analyses regarding the small grants program.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in management, financial analysis, accounting or relevant subject area required; Master’s degree preferred;
• At least six (6) years’ general work experience preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa; minimum of four years managing USAID grants;
• Previous experience overseeing USAID grants and solid understanding of USAID regulations and procedures pertaining to grants management necessary;
• Understanding of budget and cost control management essential;
• Demonstrated ability to perform complex tasks and to prioritize multiple projects;
• Ability to analyze technical and cost proposals and prepare reports and recommendations on whether applicants should be funded;
• Finance management experience a plus;
• Ability to analyze budget line items for compliance with budget guidelines; and
• The candidate must be professionally proficient and fluent in written and spoken English.

Local candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Position contingent upon donor funding.

Creative Associates International Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Disability/Veteran.

How to Apply

Qualified and interested individuals should click on the button below to apply.