Financial Management Specialist at IITA - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture

Ref: DDG-P4D/TAAT/PMU/FMS/04/18
Location: Ibadan

Program Summary
The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) is a program initiated by the African Development Bank (AfDB) as part of its Feed Africa Initiative. The main objective of the program is to improve the business of agriculture across Africa by raising agricultural productivity, mitigating risks and promoting diversification and processing in 18 agricultural value chains within 8 Priority Intervention Areas.

The program will be implemented by IITA in close collaboration with other CGIAR Centers, FARA, AGRA, national agricultural research and extension systems and private sector partners. It will involve close partnership between the AfDB and other developmental partners such as the World Bank, BMGF, USAID and others. This position shall be part of the Program Management Unit (PMU) team.

The PMU will oversee day-to-day implementation of project fiduciary and administrative activities; organize the transfer of project resources to the institutions leading the commodity value chains; coordinate the compilation and review of reports from value chains and enablers for submission to the Bank; and elaborate/implement administrative and financial management guidelines/template to be used across.

Position Responsibilities
Main Responsibilities:

• To lead in all areas of financial management with the goal of ensuring that adequate fiduciary safeguards are maintained to assure accurate, reliable and timely financial reporting for the TAAT Program. The Financial Management Specialist (FMS) will be the head of financial management and shall have the overall responsibility for implementing and managing the agreed program FM arrangements as well as supervising all accounts staff of the PMU.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Overall lead for the program in the areas of budgeting, accounting, implementing internal controls, financial reporting and treasury management, and ensuring compliance with approved procedures.
• Lead the budget preparation process and present the program budget to the Program Steering Committee (PSC) and IITA.
• Manage budget execution, and controlling expenditure, to ensure that activities executed are in line with the approved budget and within the budgeted expenditures.
• Monitor budget execution and progress, including input to progress reporting for the program.
• Ultimate responsibility for the preparation of quarterly interim unaudited financial reports, as well as the annual program financial statements.
• Lead the development and regular update of the Program Financial Procedures Manual (PFPM) to standardize and streamline financial management practices within the program.
• The PFPM will also contain the relevant accounting policies and standards to be followed in the preparation of the program financial reports.
• Develop and implement business process improvement where appropriate, including computerization and automation of accounting and reporting.
• In conjunction with vendor, ensure the provision of training to project FM staff on any installed software, to assure its proper and beneficial use. Determine the software modules to be operationalized and ensure their satisfactory performance.
• Develop and implement appropriate treasury procedures, to ensure that the program never runs out of
• funds in the Special Account, and Counterpart Funds Account.
• Ensure that advances are justified in line with Bank rules, and monthly bank reconciliations are performed timeously for all program accounts, checked for accuracy, and reconciling items followed up promptly.
• Supervise all staff and activities of the program financial management unit, provide career guidance to staff, and conduct performance reviews (measuring subordinates’ performance against agreed targets at agreed intervals).
• Liaise with the internal/external auditors and follow up any audit queries or recommendations.
• Support the procurement process by reviewing and monitoring, in conjunction with the procurement specialist and the program coordinator, the FM aspects of procurement of goods, works, and services in accordance with the agreed procurement rules.
• Assist in field monitoring of program activities and help track physical progress of projects against their expenditures.
• Carry out any other duties as assigned by the Program Coordinator or the IITA Director of Finance.

Educational Qualifications and Experience

• A qualified accountant with full membership of an internationally recognized accounting professional body such as CA, CPA, ACCA, CGMA.
• Possess a minimum of ten (10) years of post-qualification experience of which four (4) years must be in a similar position preferably working on donor funded projects.

Core Competencies

• Have familiarity with usage of accounting software in recording, processing and preparing financial reports.
• Have sound knowledgeable of IPSAS, IFRS or local accounting standards that comply with IPSAS or IFRS requirements, and application of those standards in practice.
• Have extensive experience in planning, budgeting budgetary control, and financial reporting.
• Possess knowledge and experience of donor disbursement procedures and justification practices.
• Possess good people management skills, interpersonal relationship skills, honesty and the ability to communicate fluently in English with some working knowledge of the French language.
• Must be a team player and have the ability to meet deadlines.
• Must be prepared to undertake extensive field visits in support of implementation.
• Knowledge of Oracle accounting system will be an added advantage.

Remuneration
Competitive remuneration package paid in U.S. Dollars.