Chief Disbursement Controller at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/18/162
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL3
Position N°: 50000789

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for Finance oversees the financial management of the Bank Group
• This encompasses the Bank Group’s treasury activities including borrowings from the capital markets and investment activities; controllership functions including financial reporting and loan administration; strategic resource mobilization and the strengthening of the non-statutory financial resources and instruments; the overall asset/liability management for the Bank Group.

The Hiring Department/Division

• The Financial Control Department of the African Development Bank (The Bank) is responsible for accounting for the financial consequences of the Bank Group’s transactions and decisions, and for the preparation, fair presentation and overall integrity of the internal financial reports and published financial statements
• The department is also responsible for loan administration and accounting and related fiduciary responsibilities, including disbursement of funds to projects and programs financed by the Bank Group
• Lastly, the department provides decision support and expertise in the development and implementation of financial control policies, operational and financial strategies and related information systems.
• The primary objective of the Loan Disbursement Division is to ensure compliance with key fiduciary related articles in the Agreement Establishing the African Development Bank and Fund. Ensure that adequate controls are maintained around the disbursement of Bank Group financed project.

The Position
Under the general supervision of the Manager- Loan Disbursement Division, the Chief  Disbursement Controller is primarily responsible to:

• Maintain the highest standards of internal control in the disbursement management process;
• Ensure the integrity of disbursement data in the Bank’s financial statements; and
• Provide high-level professional advice on disbursement procedures, new initiatives proposed by management and other decision making organs of the AfDB Group.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the general supervision of the Division Manager, the incumbent will perform the following:

• Provide leadership and insight on all aspects relating to Disbursements.
• Develop, maintain and enforce procedures to ensur:
  • High standard of internal controls in all disbursement related processes; and
  • Coherence and integrity of disbursement related data particularly as it impacts the financial statements.
• Develop and maintain short/long-term plan and strategy for completion of process development, implementation timelines and collaborating to ensure operational readiness within the division.
• Contribute to the development of Disbursement training strategy and materials for Bank staff and Borrowers.
• Lead/manage system development activities
• Evaluate existing systems, identify the need for new systems or modifications to existing systems, identify system issues, and resolve issues identified, in coordination with the Information Systems and Technology department.
• Translate business requirements into clear and detailed specifications.
• Serve as the principal liaison between the Disbursement Division and the Bank’s Information Technology Department, particularly on initiatives to continually enhance the efficiency of disbursement processes.
• Review disbursement processes and make proposals for improvements as necessary with the view of driving effectiveness and improving service delivery to clients
• Oversee processing of loan and grant disbursements, contribute to portfolio monitoring and ensure that disbursement arrangements for proposed projects are compliant with ADB disbursement policies.
• Oversee the control authorization and system access to ensure that access rights are given and maintained as per relevant delegation of authority and internal control requirements.
• Ensure that:
  • Returned disbursements are adequately applied and timely reprocessed;
  • Communications via swift with commercial banks and other parties are timely addressed.
• Prepare reports on disbursement activities to Management and the Boards of Directors, as well as verification and exception reports for follow-up by staff in Operations, the Financial Control Department and the Treasury Department.
• Serve as the primary contact person on disbursement harmonization initiatives and activities.
• Prepare or update disbursement policies and guidelines.
• Prepare and assist in the implementation the division training strategy on disbursement practices, procedures and policies to strengthen the capacity of  Regional Member Countries and Bank staff.
• Represent the Disbursement Division on relevant Bank-wide working groups.
• Serve as focal person for all internal and external audit queries as well as internal control issues; and monitor the follow up and implementation of audit and internal control recommendations. .
• Assist the Division Manager on other assignments, as required.

Staff Supervision

• Provide leadership and support to Disbursement Officers and Assistants
• Provide  clear direction to and monitor the work done by Senior Disbursement Controller and Registry Assistants and Archiving Assistants.
• Provide input into the evaluation of Senior Disbursement Controller and Registry Assistants

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold at least a Master's Degree or its equivalent in Finance, or Accounting or Business Administration or related field.
• Have a minimum of seven (7) years of directly relevant experience preferably in accounting in a large organization.
• Familiarity with accounting and financial information systems CML or FI  module of SAP R/3
• Strong quantitative abilities.
• Experience with internal audit and internal control systems and procedures.
• Experience in Financial management and in accounting.
• Familiarity with disbursement processes of the Bank or other International Development Organizations
• Experience with business management systems
• Client orientation.,Team working and Relations, Problem Solving and Innovative

Application of Technical Knowledge and Skills:

• Provides supervision to others in completing their technical tasks
• Called upon for advice and guidance based on expertise gained by working in different countries and organizations
• Contributes advanced knowledge and expertise to different parts of the Department

Client Orientation:

• Proposes effective solutions to staff beyond presenting issues and past challenges
• Assists colleagues adapt to the cultural and business norms of diverse country situations
• Gains respect for the breadth and depth of expertise demonstrated in effectively managing diverse clients and country situations
• Called upon to resolve client situations that may impact ADB's long-term relationship

Achieving Results and Problem Solving:

• Resolves situations where client needs are not being met
• Shares past experiences from different projects, organizations, and countries to help achieve quality results
• Ensures that thorough analysis includes current and relevant factors from different countries and contexts
• Sought out for guidance and experience in overcoming the most challenging situations
• Draws on long-term relationships with stakeholders to help plan for and achieve results

Working Together:

• Addresses team members not contributing to required standards
• Commits to delivering timely and high quality work to assist in the team's success
• Develops and maintains good internal and external peer and senior level relationships
• Helps teams understand common features to build rapport and overcome challenges

Communication and Knowledge Sharing:

• Provides stakeholders with the level and quality of information required to achieve outcomes
• Encourages others to seek long-term solutions to address feedback opposed to focusing on immediate concerns or reactions
• Uses breath of multi-country and multi-client knowledge to equip clients and staff for more effective outcomes
• Designs and implements project and program knowledge and services

Innovation and Change:

• Consistently seeks more effective and practical ways for the Departmental delivery of services, products, and processes
• Proposes new ways to improve the quality and relevance of products and services
• Includes the core benefits and reasons for change when developing comprehensive change roll out plans
• Influences and persuades decision makers by presenting business cases supporting the proposed changes
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French preferably with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Proficient in the use of standard MS Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project Knowledge, SAP.