Finance & Administrative Specialist at DAI

Background

• The purpose of the five-year (2020-2025) “State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness” (“State2State” or “S2S”) Activity is to increase the accountability, transparency and effectiveness of selected state and local governments (LGAs) in Nigeria.
• This will be achieved by: strengthening governance systems (with a focus on public financial management [PFM] and procurement, as well as monitoring and evaluation) related to the delivery of services in key sectors (basic education, primary health care, and water, sanitation and hygiene [WASH]); increasing government responsiveness to citizen needs and priorities; and improving government and civil society capacity to manage conflict (through work on prevention, mitigation and reconciliation with the same sectoral partners, not stand-alone assistance to the police or judiciary).
• State2State will achieve this purpose by facilitating the strengthening of subnational governance systems in a sustainable manner, supporting the efforts of local reformers and building on locally derived solutions including, to the extent possible, reforms already working in other parts of Nigeria.

Position Objectives

• The Finance & Administrative Specialist position will manage the state finance/accounting and administrative activities in Akwa Ibom.

Responsibilities

• The Finance & Administrative Specialist will prepare relevant reports;
• Ensures that all states transactions follow DAI/USAID standards, regulations and policies;
• Manage the states administration processes;
• Collates financial and technical reports; ensures timely and accurate financial reporting, aligned with technical outcomes.
• S/he will be responsible for providing the Senior Accounting Manager and the Accountant with the appropriate financial and operating information as necessary;
• Allocate project funds among the states various program activities;
• Work closely with other departments in the state on problems involving accounting systems and financial planning.
• The incumbent will help establish and maintain adequate system controls to protect against financial misstatement, in accordance with applicable government accounting and administrative regulations; will support the Federal level in coordinating the state annual and other financial audits - including preparation of supporting schedules and information - respond to auditor questions and consolidate report formats;
• Manage all banking activities including withdrawals, deposits, and preparation of all bank payments and checks.
• S/he will record all financial transactions in Field Accounting System (FAS) on daily basis;
• Ensures accurate and timely processing of invoices, advances and reimbursements, checks, and wire transfer payments; upload the expenses into Oracle based on DAI’s schedule;
• Performs monthly bank reconciliations and routinely monitors bank account balances.
• This role will work with the Accountant to approve and distribute travel advance amounts based on S2S’s travel advance policy;
• Audits travel requests and expense reports for accuracy and compliance;
• Follows procedures to ensure accurate and timely payment and reconciliation of travel advances, reimbursements for staff and partner travel;
• Reviews and monitors outstanding advances report by paying close attention to advances that have not been settled after 30 days of issuance.

Reporting:

• The Finance & Administrative Specialist will report to the State Team Lead and coordinate closely with the finance and administrative team in the main office (Bauchi)

Line Management:

• The Finance & Administrative Specialist will supervise the Administrative Assistant and Drivers in Akwa Ibom.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, or other relevant field is required. An advanced degree is preferred.
• At least 8 years of experience in finance and accounting. Previous experience working on US Government funded projects is highly preferred.
• Strong training, communications, and personnel management skills.
• Previous supervisory experience is highly preferred.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Women and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.