Administrative & Finance Assistant at USAID

Position description

Based in Bauchi, Nigeria, the Administrative and Finance Assistant will serve as a core member of the MCSP/Nigeria Immunization program’s finance and administration team for program activities not only in Bauchi, but also at the national level (in Abuja) and in Sokoto. Under the supervision of the Bauchi-based Finance and Administration Director, the Administrative and Finance Assistant will provide administrative, logistical, and financial support critical to ensuring the successful implementation of MCSP’s RI strengthening program assistance to the Bauchi and Sokoto state governments. This position

will work closely with the Finance and Administration Manager Director, and with the rest of MCSP’s finance and administration team across Abuja, Bauchi, and Sokoto, to ensure MCSP/Nigeria’s compliance with JSI accounting systems and procedures, USAID rules and regulations, and all financial and legal requirements of the Government of Nigeria. The position will also involve providing programmatic support particularly to technical staff, and particularly in Bauchi. 

Roles and responsibilities

Based in MCSP’s office in Bauchi, the Administrative and Finance Assistant will work under the supervision of the program’s Finance and Administration Director to:

Support the development and maintenance of an administrative system for monitoring and tracking program implementation per program deadlines as needed

Establish and maintain MCSP’s filing system for programmatic documents and correspondence, including records on progress and activity reports, financial and human resource-related records, and other documents

Support the procurement and maintenance of project inventory according to USAID and JSI rules and regulations

Organize travel logistics for program staff, including booking of accommodation, arranging per diem where necessary, and checking with hotels to ensure that no participant leaves unsettled bills

Prepare meeting venues, equipment, and materials; participate in internal team meetings and external meetings as appropriate, and record and distribute meeting minutes as needed

Working with MCSP’s Abuja, Bauchi, and Sokoto finance and administration teams, play a lead coordinating role for the preparation of monthly cashflow requests for submission to home office

Support establishment and maintenance of MCSP’s financial systems, including the use of Quickbooks software for project accounting

Assist technical staff to compile, edit and review project and technical reports and publications, and support the development of MCSP reports, workplans, and other documents for USAID submission as needed through coordination, editing, formatting, and/or other assistance

Assist in payments and advances; overseeing the submission of all monthly invoices and cash flow requests; support processes to reconcile bank accounts and advances, and to process, monitor, and update program staff advances

Support the Finance and Administration Director in processing monthly accounts and reporting to the home office

Maintain Bauchi office petty cash and prepare petty cash journal for the monthly closeout of field accounts

Develop and maintain MCSP administrative and logistical support systems, guidelines, and tools

Assist staff with preparing official correspondence, photocopying, and carrying out other administrative tasks as required

Provide additional support for program and financial activities as needed 

Qualifications

Minimum of Bachelor-level education in business management, public administration, finance or other relevant social sciences

Minimum of three years of relevant work experience in management, administrative, or project/program implementation support, including at least two years working with an international development organization

Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines and adapt to shifting priorities 

Good prioritization, creative problem-solving, and analytical skills; ability to work under pressure with diverse colleagues who have different strengths and varied support needs, and with flexibility, diplomacy, and poise

Demonstrated experience developing and/or tracking budgets and managing project finances, including managing procurement processes (including working with vendors), handling financial transactions, and processing invoices

Commanding knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as accounting software such as Quickbooks

Strong interpersonal communication and writing skills

Strong, energetic team player

Ability to work at both the macro and micro levels with strong organizational skills

Knowledge of/interest in the health sector and routine immunization a plus

Fluency in spoken and written English; working knowledge of Hausa or another local dialect a strong asset

Previous work experience implementing USAID programs preferred

Able to periodically travel to Abuja and Sokoto to support MCSP operations as needed