Administrative & Accounting Officer at The West African Power Pool (WAPP)

Location: Cotonou, Benin
Department: Office of the Secretary General
Position Type: International Recruitment
Contract Type: Fixed-Term Appointment (FTA) (24 months)    
Reports to: Secretary General
Subordinates: N / A

Job Overview

• In its quest for appropriate solutions to the human resources qualification and knowledge management issues of its member utilities, the WAPP Secretariat collaborated with the governing bodies of the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE) based in Paris, France in view of the establishment of the CIGRE West Africa National Committee (CIGRE-WANC) and thus placed the WAPP in a sustainable dynamic capacity building members.
• Subsequently, the WAPP Secretariat received financial support from the World bank through the Sub-Saharan Africa Solar Power Development Project - Phase 1 (SAHEL) to assist in the creation and implementation of CIGRE WANC. On August 26, 2020, the CIGRE Board of Directors officially recognized the creation of CIGRE WANC.
• In order to operationalize its office based in Cotonou (Benin), The CIGRE WANC Secretariat intends to recruit an Administrative and Accounting Officer who will essentially be in charge of the day-to-day operations of the CIGRE WANC and act as an interface between the members and the CIGRE central office in Paris.

Job Summary

• The Administrative and Accounting Officer shall be responsible for the smooth running of the CIGRE WANC office and act as an interface between the members and the CIGRE central office in Paris.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities
The main tasks of the Administrative and Accounting Officer are as follows:

• Assist the CIGRE WANC bodies in the preparation of statutory meetings;
• Get acquainted with the management and functioning of the NCDB database (statutes, rules);
• Maintain the database of CIGRE members in West Africa both on the CIGRE website (intranet) and in the local office;
• Take stock of dues, follow up with members for payment of their dues and ensure the transfer of part contributions to be paid to the Central Office;
• Keep up to date the list of focal points for collective and individual members;
• Respond to questions and requests from members; 
• Manage the schedules and deadlines of meetings and events of the CIGRE WANC;
• Plan and coordinate administrative procedures: (membership - renewal - updating of membership data);   
• Assist the CIGRE WANC bodies in the recruitment of new members and in the organisation of national representation and contributions to the Sessions; 
• Remind and steer the CIGRE WANC bodies towards the activities of the work programme, in particular the appointment of members to the Study Committees;
• Assist the CIGRE WANC bodies in the organisation of CIGRE WA events and meetings of the study committees & working groups within the country or region;
• Develop and implement a communication plan to promote the CIGRE WANC in the West African region and among financial partners;
• Prepare minutes of meetings and addresses/speeches of the governing bodies of the CIGRE WANC;
• Prepare periodic (monthly, bi-annual & annual) CIGRE WANC activity reports; 
• Maintain up-to-date information on the communication media of the CIGRE WANC, including its newsletters and website; 
• Manage and report on the external solicitations of the CIGRE WANC, in particular those from Members and Technical and Financial Partners;
• Advise the Secretary General and the Treasurer on all administrative and accounting matters required by them;
• Under the supervision of the Treasurer, keep an account book of the income and expenditure of the CIGRE WANC office;
• Prepare press releases/documents for information and publication to internal and external parties; and  
• Perform of any additional tasks as may be assigned by the Secretary General or the Treasurer.

Academic & Professional Qualifications Required
Education:

• Higher Education (BAC+5 equivalent of a Master’s Degree) in Management, Economics, Business Law or any other related Degree.

Years of Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in similar positions are required.
• Experience in the electricity sector and in a similar position in West Africa with a regional or international organization would be an advantage.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:
Administrative Management:

• Requisite know-how in the follow-up of letters and administrative files;
• Organisational capacities in planning and implementation of work programmes and budgets;
• Ability to set up and manage a scoreboard for monitoring activities;
• Sound knowledge in the administrative management of goods and materials; 
• Requisite external relations management capacities (suppliers, members, partners, sponsors, chartered accountants, auditors, banks, social organisations, insurance companies, etc.).

Accounting and Financial Management:

• Ability to prepare an Annual Work Programme and Budget (AWPB) and monitor its implementation;
• Ability to keep an account book of income and expenditure;
• Requisite editorial skills to prepare financing and sponsorship applications/paperwork;
• Ability to monitor cash flow.

Editorial and Verbal Communication:

• Ability to communicate in a concise and clear manner;
• Good listening skills, ability to interpret other people’s messages correctly and ability to respond appropriately;
• Ability to draft and edit documents, minutes and reports of statutory meetings (General Assemblies, Boards of Directors, Working Groups, etc.);
• Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to draw conclusions and make recommendations;
• Demonstrate tact, discretion, ethics and open-mindedness in sharing information and informing stakeholders.

IT Skills:

• Very good knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, power-point, Publisher, etc.) and Internet research and video conferencing tools (teams, GoToMeeting, zoom, etc.).

Languages:

• The incumbent must have an oral and editorial proficiency in English or French with a good working knowledge of the other language. A linguistic proficiency test in both languages shall be conducted before selection.

Contracting Information and Application Process
Particular Conditions of Work:

• Possible extended working hours.

Remuneration

• This position is funded by a World Bank Grant for a period of two (2) years. The successful applicant shall therefore be offered a Fix-Term Contract of twenty-Four (24) months with a probationary period of six (6) months and shall be subject to the availability of funds.
• The compensation packages are competitive comparable to those offered by similar regional/international organizations.