Finance and Admin Manager - Skills for Prosperity at Palladium Group

Ref.: req8032

Project Overview and Role
Global Prosperity Fund’s ‘Skills for Prosperity’ is a £75m DFID programme, which seeks to improve the cost-effectiveness, access, quality, relevance and equity of skills through innovative approaches in 9 Middle-Income Countries around the world, including Nigeria.  

In Nigeria, the Skills for Prosperity (S4P) country programme will work in six targeted states to:

• Improve access to quality Higher Education and TVET for youth and young women, with a focus on improving access to and the quality of apprenticeships, and supporting training institutions to deliver demand-driven, competency-based training,
• Strengthen education-to-employment linkages, and
• Build the capacity of training institutions to improve outcomes for vulnerable women and people with disabilities.
• Apprenticeships, training, and capacity building interventions will focus on identified high growth sectors of the economy (Agriculture/Agribusiness/agro-allied industries; Creative and Entertainment, and Information and Communications Technology sectors).
• S4P aims to directly benefit 6,000 youth and women in targeted states of Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Edo, Benue and Lagos.
• We are looking for talented individuals with a relevant track record, and interest or experience in the private sector and skills training. Most of all we are looking for team members with the drive to tackle new and complex challenges and work with us to learn, adapt and deliver sustainable benefits for Nigeria.
• As well as a competitive salary, bonus and benefits, we are an outgoing, creative, and supportive team and offer a personally and professional rewarding environment above all.

Scope of Work:

• Oversee all financial management including forecasting in country expenditures, funds transfer requests, payment approval and documentation and preparing weekly financial reports
• Ensure that all financial transaction are done with integrity and cost effectiveness, and are necessary for the purpose of achieving the programme goals
• Implement and fine-tune financial policies and procedures to ensure effective and proper control of all resources for the successful, timely and on-target delivery of project outputs and milestones, in close collaboration with the Team Leader
• Manage quarterly financial forecasts for DFID, and Lead preparation of Value for Money (VfM) calculations for quarterly reports
• Maintain overview of project expenditure against project work plans and budgets, variance analysis
• Oversee due diligence and financial compliance monitoring associated with contracting of and payments to suppliers and sub-contracts
• Oversee project procurement, negotiating competitive prices and obtain and review all logistic related invoices from vendors
• Make regular financial risk assessments – especially of liabilities, as part of regular monthly programme risk assessment
• Coordinate internal and external programme audits
• Compliance with relevant financial management policies and procedures
• Development, maintain and improve office management systems (e.g. trackers, electronic filing structure, contracts files) as necessary
• Tracking of inputs and deliverables of local consultants and other contractors
• Ensure that the consultants, subcontractor and programme files and database are kept up to date and are managed effectively
• Establish and ensure that IT systems are in working order and problem solve where necessary
• Manage programme assets in line with DFID requirements
• Other tasks as determined by Team Leader

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrable and extensive experience in financial management, accounting and administration for large donor-funded programmes  
• Demonstrated leadership in managing programme operations
• Knowledge and understanding of professional accounting principles, theories, practices, and terminology (private sector, governmental, and non-profit) and ability to understand accounting practices and procedures, to analyse data, narrative reports, and workload flow charts
• Knowledge and understanding of professional contracting principles, theories, practices, and terminology (private sector, governmental, and non-profit)
• Experience and understanding of DFID financial rules and regulations
• Able to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with managers, colleagues, and clients
• High computer proficiency, particularly in the Microsoft Office suite and accounting software programmes.
• Attention to detail and ability to effectively and efficiently perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities often within a required timeframe.
• Ability to respond and adapt quickly to changing requirements and competing demands