CSSF West Africa Programme Finance Manager at British High Commission

Ref Id: 14/20 ABJ
Grade: C4 (L)
Type of Position: Fixed Term
Duration of Post: 12 months
Start Date: 1 October 2020
Job Category: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Policy & Political roles)
Job Subcategory: CSSF - Conflict Stability and Security Fund

Main Purpose of Job

• The Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) West Africa team, British High Commission Abuja, a rapidly growing team, is looking for a confident and proactive finance and compliance manager to maintain oversight of a £35m p.a. regional portfolio across West Africa.
• The CSSF is an FCO managed global cross-HMG fund which brings together the UK’s contribution to stability, security and defence activities in countries at risk of instability.
• The job holder will work directly to the Head of CSSF West Africa and be based in Abuja.
• She/he will work with a wide range of regional HMG and international actors to monitor, report on and improve financial risk management across the entire portfolio. This will require a range of activities, including establishing and communicating HMG financial processing requirements; strengthening systems to monitor spend and compliance; improving regional financial capacity; providing financial advisory support to programme leads; and leading procurement, due diligence and audit processes directly as appropriate.
• This role presents an exciting opportunity to support UK foreign policy priorities in West Africa by ensuring compliance with HMG financial, risk management and audit requirements.
• The role will appeal to anyone who wishes to apply strong financial, risk-management and stakeholder engagement skills in a fast-moving and challenging context. It will suit someone who has closely managed funds before, ideally in a development programme setting, and has a naturally critical eye when looking at budgets and forecasts.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Maintaining a clear overview of financial and compliance performance across the West Africa CSSF portfolio, proactively ensuring compliance with all financial risk management and audit requirements, escalating any identified risks and identified areas for improvement.
• Leading on providing financial reports to the CSSF Africa Team for the West Africa portfolio, coordinating with each country manager.
• Ensuring programme management cycle principles and best practice are applied to support delivery of projects in line with annual milestones and targets.
• Providing accurate and timely financial and compliance report for the strategy board, presenting information in a clear and accessible way to inform strategic decisions.
• Improving regional capability on finance, procurement and risk management by sharing guidance, tools and training opportunities.
• Providing advice on specific finance, procurement and financial risk management issues across the region.
• Implementing all pre-contract compliance requirements such as due diligence and audit processes are followed to protect programme funds.
• Maintaining and managing relationships with suppliers, implementing partners and programme managers professionally and effectively to ensure value for money, minimising the occurrence of fraud and inefficiencies.
• Proactively facilitating the sharing of information between programme leads, Senior Responsible Officers (SROs) and implementing partners.
• Holding PRISM responsibilities for FCO projects managed.

Note: This role requires the jobholder to have significant experience in financial management but with a programme management background rather than pure finance. The post holder will have a line management responsibility.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• A2L West Africa Programme and Finance Assistant

Requirements
Essential qualifications, skills and experience:

• Qualification: A Bachelor's degree
• Have a strong programme and project cycle management skills and experience. This will include evidence of successful programme/project/other financial management and application of sound procurement principles and financial planning and budgeting.
• Be able to master quickly FCO’s financial and programme management systems.
• Have a strong understanding of systems and tools for financial planning and budgeting, including excel, and financial results monitoring such as use of variance analysis to inform future decision making.
• Be able to constructively challenge existing norms and basis for assumptions, particularly on financial forecasts and budgets.
• Be articulate, competent in drafting high quality written communication, and have excellent attention to detail.
• Be able to engage effectively with technical level staff in government and other donors, build relationships and be able to negotiate with others.
• Have experience of working with commercial suppliers, multi-lateral agencies, civil society, government and development partners to identify problems/obstacles and develop/implement practical solutions.
• The ability to work as part of a team to deliver results, be a self-starter and able to take and see-through delegated decisions.

Desirable Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Financial management qualification
• Conflict/Security programme experience

Required Competencies:

• Seeing the Big Picture, Collaborating and Partnering, Delivering Value for Money, Delivering at Pace.

Starting Monthly Salary
NGN 827,892.98 Gross.

Other benefits and conditions of employment:

• Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):
• There are a wealth of L&D opportunities available through the Diplomatic Academy, as well as lots of on the job learning opportunities, attending CSSF professional development, conferences and training.

Working Patterns:

• Monday - Thursday 8:00 - 4:00, Friday 8:00 - 13:00
• Face to face relationships involved in this role means that a full-time presence in Abuja with periodic visits to other parts of the region is required. Due to COVID-19 the role can be conducted from home but ordinarily, home/ remote working on some occasions would be feasible, but not on a sustained basis.