Job Vacancies at Christian Aid – 2 Positions
Christian Aid is recruiting to fill the following positions:
1.) Chief of Party
2.) Finance & Operations Manager
See job details and how to apply below.
1.) Chief of Party
Role purpose
To lead, manage and deliver a highly complex and strategic USAID funded Civic Engagement in Local Governance for Accountability (CELGA) activity for a consortium led by Christian Aid. The Chief of Party is responsible for providing leadership in project implementation and delivery of desired results in accordance with the cooperative agreement, USAID rules and regulations, and Christian Aid policies. The role holder will lead the project management team ensuring responsiveness to the donor and other stakeholders, provide high-level oversight ensuring the project resources are allocated and used effectively and in a manner that makes maximum contribution to project objectives. S(he) will engage in work planning, resource allocation, granting, monitoring and evaluation, research, performance management, communication and new business case development.
Monitoring
Effective project management in liaison with implementing partners ensuring quality controls, accountability, and compliance within the framework of the cooperative agreement, USAID’s rules and regulations, and Christian Aid policy and procedure for all project tasks.
Effective risk management including proactively identifying any risks, issues, and capacity gaps and effectively manage them or seek support for solutions.
Successful representation of Christian Aid and the project’s best interests to government officials, other partners and USAID in Sierra Leone
Effective people management ensuring highly skilled staff are recruited, properly inducted, empowered to provide leadership and decision-making within a team setting, and effectively managed to perform to a high standard and meeting their objectives.
Role agility
Expected travel per annum
Over 75 days
On call/unsocial hours Yes
Surge capacity for emergency responses Yes - could be required to to travel for more than 75 days p.a. and for a period of up to 3 months but for no more than 6 months p.a. with no less than one month’s interval between postings unless in extreme circumstances.
In order to respond to ever changing demands within the environment, Christian Aid operates within an agile framework (both in workforce and operational) that requires from all employees, a high level of responsiveness and adaptiveness to processes and structures making flexibility and a project based working approach the norm. To sustain this system, managers may/will agree further details of specific tasks and duties as part of the performance agreement. Any reasonable duty may be assigned that is consistent with the nature of the job and its level of responsibility, and employees may be required to change the focus of their role from time to time.
Role context
The Chief of Party is a key position for directing and managing a multi-million USAID CELGA activity in Sierra Leone. S/he has the overall responsibility for coordination of all project activities and staff and will have the principle responsibility for representation of the project to USAID local and regional mission and to key stakeholders including Government of Sierra Leone officials, partners, among others.
Increase effective and informed citizen and civil society participation in local government and political processes, and
Bolster the capacity of local governance institutions to provide critical services and be more transparent in their processes.
The Chief of Party is based in Sierra Leone, Freetown and is responsible for running the Management Unit and providing high-level leadership and oversight.
Role requirements
Relationships
External Holds primary day to day in country relationship with the USAID and partners alongside the Sierra Leone Country Manager who holds the primary contractual relationships on behalf of Christian Aid. Maintains and proactively builds relationships with other relevant external stakeholders including the government. The role holder will coordinate technical work and ensure support for activities and implementing partners. Establish scopes of work for consultants, subcontractors, and short-term technical assistance; identifying capacity gaps in programmatic areas which will require additional technical expertise, capacity improvement, and personnel.
Internal The role holder will report to the Country Manager and equally maintain direct and close liaison with various Christian Aid teams including the contracts and compliance, finance, internal audit, communications, programme funding, and policy teams.
Decision making
Budgetary/savings responsibility The post holder is required to make decisions relating to the leadership and management of the team, decisions will range from recruitment to day to day line management to ensuring the team is working towards the cooperative agreement’s strategic focus and impact with each individual satisfactorily contributing. Responsibility for overseeing overall budget, monitoring expenditure, and evaluating impact. Responsible for agreeing and overseeing Service Level Agreements and contracts with resource organisations.
Click here to enter text. Outline the level of authority and accountability in decision making, what resources is the post holder responsibility for? Frequency of decision making?
Analytical skills
Highly complex work involving a number of different factors or facets that relate both to own area of work and is likely to have cross-functional implications. Expected to take account of the wider and longer-term consequences of own and other’s ideas, recommendations and decisions and take the strategic view at all times. Risk assessment is an important part of developing the solutions to problems that arise. Innovation is fundamental to developing solutions to emergent problems, barriers and challenges in a way that ensures targets are met.
Responsible for evaluating and documenting progress, managing design and evaluation teams, evaluating sub-contractors’ activities through consultative meetings and site visits, working out solutions to keep the activity on track and providing overall guidance and direction focusing the team on achieving agreed targets and communicating long-term strategic objectives;
Responsible for creating and managing a performance monitoring and evaluation program including data gathering, trend analysis, project milestones and effective preparation of written project reports to USAID, stakeholders, Sierra Leone Country Programme and HQ.
Developing self and others
Continuously look for opportunities for self-development. Give and receive honest and open feedback in a timely manner.
Number of Direct reports TBC
Overall people management responsibility TBC
The role has direct responsibility for managing staff under this activity. The role has direct responsibility for developing, coaching and motivating colleagues in the team including those who report in through others. Ensures optimal management of staff performance within Christian Aid’s policies and systems using the performance agreements, performance reviews and development of performance improvement plans where necessary
Role related checks
Child protection clearance Not required Counter terrorism screening Required
Person specification
Applied skills/knowledge and expertise
Essential
•At least five years of experience as a COP, Programme Manager, Team Leader or a senior project position of activities of similar scope and complexity.
•The candidate shall have at a minimum a Master’s Degree in social sciences, public health, management, business administration, or a related field.
• Demonstrated state-of-the-art experience as senior staff in governance and accountability programmes.
•strengthening; quality improvement/quality assurance; M&E; and operations research.
•At least five years demonstrated experience and skills in partnership building, especially with the Government, donors, private sector, NGO and local community organizations.
•Experience in program management and administration, financial management, award compliance and sub award management, and tracking activity performance and costs.
•Strong management and communication skills, strategic vision, leadership qualities, professional reputation, ability to create synergies where applicable, interpersonal skills, and written and oral presentation skills to fulfil the diverse technical and managerial requirements of the activity description.
•Professional level of oral and written fluency in the English language
•Strong writing and communication skills.
Experience as Chief of Party on USAID projects
Extensive knowledge of USAID rules and regulations, management and reporting procedures and systems along with strategic program planning, management, supervision and budgeting expertise
Digital/IT competencies required
Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Intermediate
Web content design & development
Intermediate
Internet based collaboration tools and video calling
Intermediate
Social Media
Intermediate
Data Visualisation
Advanced
DATE CREATED
10/09/2021
Further details of specific tasks and duties will be agreed with the line manager as part of the performance agreement. Any reasonable duty may be assigned that is consistent with the nature of the job and its level of responsibility.
This role profile is not prescriptive; it merely outlines the key behaviours the role-holder requires to be successful in the role; the key behaviours and responsibilities are subject to change. Any changes will be made in consultation with the role-holder.
You will be expected to abide by the Code of Conduct, policies and procedures within Christian Aid which may be updated from time to time.
You must empathise with the aims, beliefs and values of Christian Aid as it seeks to work on relief, development and advocacy for poverty eradication.
How to apply
For more information on application procedures, visit Christian Aid website on http://www.christianaid.org.uk job and follow the steps to apply online. Please note: Hard copies of application will not be accepted.
Please forward any queries you have regarding this vacancy on email to:
sierra-leone-info@christian-aid.org
Closing date for application is 5th October 2021
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
2.) Finance & Operations Manager
Role purpose
To manage the finance and operations functions in the implementation of the USAID Civic Engagement in Local Governance for Accountability (CELGA) activity. To be responsible for effective financial management including the preparation of financial plans and reports, supporting and building the financial capacity of staff and facilitating external, internal and donor audits. The role will also ensure excellent operational and contract management to enable strong delivery of the programme. This role may also include supporting or managing partner financial capacity, managing the compliance function, managing the administrative function, providing tier 1 HR, providing tier 1 IT and providing tier 1 health & safety, but this will depend on operational arrangements and other roles in the country programme and the region
Key outcomes
All financial returns reports and reconciliations are accurate and submitted for processing in a timely fashion.
Senior Management provided with the necessary financial information to enable them to make decisions regarding strategy and plans.
Local budgets, donor funded programmes, commercial contracts and appeal funds are managed, reviewed regularly and corrective action taken as necessary.
Christian Aid and donor financial policies and procedures are complied with and any issues arising from non-compliance dealt with swiftly and efficiently.
Internal, external and donor audits are supported and any actions dealt with.
Financial training needs of local Christian Aid and consortium staff are addressed.
Effective procurement and management of external suppliers working to agreed service level agreements or contracts.
Effective programme/contract delivery with impact in line with agreed outcomes of the programme Log frame and contract.
Highly effective and efficient grants management service provided to programme partners
Operational capacity around business systems, IT and facilities delivered to a high standard
Staff recruited, inducted & managed to perform to a high standard to meet their objectives.
Role agility
Expected travel per annum
Over 75 days
On call/unsocial hours Choose an item.
Surge capacity for emergency responses Choose an item.
In order to respond to ever changing demands within the environment, Christian Aid operates within an agile framework (both in workforce and operational) that requires from all employees, a high level of responsiveness and adaptiveness to processes and structures making flexibility and a project based working approach the norm. To sustain this system, managers may/will agree further details of specific tasks and duties as part of the performance agreement. Any reasonable duty may be assigned that is consistent with the nature of the job and its level of responsibility, and employees may be required to change the focus of their role from time to time.
Role context
The Finance & Operations Manager is a key position for overseeing all aspects of a multi-million USAID funded CELGA activity in Sierra Leone. S/he has the overall responsibility for administration and financial management, including accounting systems, budgeting, expenditure tracking, financial reporting and human resources for Christian Aid as the Prime.
The goal of the Civic Engagement in Local Governance for Accountability (CELGA) in Sierra Leone is 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 specific objectives of this activity are to:
Increase effective and informed citizen and civil society participation in local government and political processes, and
Bolster the capacity of local governance institutions to provide critical services and be more transparent in their processes.
The Finance & Operations Manager is based in Sierra Leone and reports to the Chief of Party.
Role requirements
Relationships
External Maintains and builds relationships with USAID and senior officials in Government Authorities and other relevant external agencies
Internal Close liaison within the USAID teams and with various Christian Aid teams including the Sierra Leone country office, Finance Division, Internal Audit, Communications Division, Programme Funding Division and Programme Performance,Consortium partners and Local implementing partners teams etc.
Decision making
Budgetary/savings responsibility Click here to enter text. Outline the amount of budgetary/savings responsibility this role is accountable for.
Leadership in liaison with the Chief of Party and overall operational management of dedicated programme. Manage the finance function and make decisions in all financial areas. Lead and facilitate annual statutory and donor audits as required, implement audit recommendations and advise on implementing any audit recommendations within partner organisations. Manage the implementation of new financial systems and processes in line with Christian Aid overall corporate requirements. Financial training needs of staff are identified and addressed. Lead procurement process in country.
Analytical skills
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to evaluate problems and make decisions on a routine basis.
Interpreting large amounts of data. Reporting trends and outcomes. Multi-tasking and planning multiple strands of work
Developing self and others
Number of Direct reports TBC
Overall people management responsibility TBC
The role has direct responsibility of managing staff under this activity. The role is responsible for training team members and partner staff in Finance & operations and USAID granting and finance due diligence guidelines and needs to keep abreast of evolving changes in due diligence, financial and operational policy frameworks for the project.
Has direct responsibility for developing, coaching, technical support and motivating colleagues/project team members, including those who report through others to bring the standards of the Finance and operations up to those expected by Christian Aid and the Donor. Will monitor performance review and development planning and activities within the function to ensure that best practice is being met. Continuously look for opportunities for self-development, gve and receive honest and open feedback in a timely manner.
Role related checks
Child protection clearance Not required Counter terrorism screening Required
Person specification
Applied skills/knowledge and expertise
Essential
A Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, Finance or related field relevant to the position requirements.
At least 10 years of experience in financial management for large complex activities, of which at least five years were working in the field of international development.
Prior experience in operations, procurement and grant management policy and practice.
Professional level of oral and written fluency in English language.
Prior experience managing USG activities preferably of similar scope with an excellent grasp of USAID Financial policies and requirements.
Professional level of oral and written fluency in English Language
Project cycle management expertise
Desirable
A master’s degree in Finance and Business Administration.
Understanding of partnership approach to international development
Network and alliance building
Digital/IT competencies required
Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Intermediate
Web content design & development
Intermediate
Internet based collaboration tools and video calling
Basic
Social Media
Intermediate
Data Visualisation
Advanced
DATE CREATED
14/09/2021
Further details of specific tasks and duties will be agreed with the line manager as part of the performance agreement. Any reasonable duty may be assigned that is consistent with the nature of the job and its level of responsibility.
This role profile is not prescriptive; it merely outlines the key behaviours the role-holder requires to be successful in the role; the key behaviours and responsibilities are subject to change. Any changes will be made in consultation with the role-holder.
You will be expected to abide by the Code of Conduct, policies and procedures within Christian Aid which may be updated from time to time.
You must empathise with the aims, beliefs and values of Christian Aid as it seeks to work on relief, development and advocacy for poverty eradication.
How to apply
For more information on application procedures, visit Christian Aid website on http://www.christianaid.org.uk job and follow the steps to apply online. Please note: Hard copies of application will not be accepted.
Please forward any queries you have regarding this vacancy on email to:
sierra-leone-info@christian-aid.org
Closing date for application is 5th October 2021
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
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