Finance and Operations Manager at Palladium Group

Job ID: req11730

Overview

• Palladium is recruiting for a Finance and Operations Manager to support the delivery of a programme focusing on the prevention of Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) in Nigeria.
• The position will be based in Lagos, Nigeria with the possibility of travel to project and partner locations (expected to be Edo, Zamfara, Bayelsa and Abuja).

Relationships:
Supervision:

• The Finance and Operations Manager will report directly to the Team Leader.

Direct Reports:

• To be confirmed, but there is a high likelihood of delegation to and organisation of junior staff and regional staff.

Other:

• The Finance and Operations Manager will work closely with the Team Leader based in Lagos, regional programme managers as well as the Project Management team based in Palladium HQ (Abuja or London).

Delegation:

• Responsibility for financial and operations tasks, including recruitment, procurement and management of budgets is likely to be delegated by the Team Leader to the Finance and Operations Manager.
• The Finance and Operations Manager is expected to perform their role autonomously with minimal supervision from the Team Leader and will be able to delegate some tasks to the junior programme staff.  

Duties 
The primary responsibilities of the Finance and Operations Manager, are as follows.:
Financial Management:

• Ensuring compliance with both client and Palladium financial processes and systems
• Preparation of annual client and Palladium forecasts, with regular updates (at least monthly) to ensure minimal variance
• Management of the project bank account
• Preparation of weekly field vouchers and all payment approval documentation
• Preparation of monthly funds transfer requests for Palladium treasury detailing the forecast of expenditure for the month
• Working with the Team Leader to provide the required information for Value for Money reporting.

Human Resource Management:

• Prepare and maintain the fixed-term employment contracts for all project staff
• Prepare and maintain monthly payroll for all project staff, ensuring timely payment and the deduction of appropriate taxes and benefits
• Support the Team Leader in the establishment of the performance management system, and ensure compliance of all line managers with the requirements and timelines of the system
• Keep up to date with changes in local legislation surrounding employment legislation and employer and employee obligations
• Prepare and maintain consultancy agreements for project consultants

Compliance:

• Establish and maintain the project management manual, updating as required to ensure it remains up to date
• Ensure that all payments are made with the correct statutory deductions 
• Ensure that all statutory deductions are remitted to the appropriate authorities within the necessary timeframe
• Oversee the project annual financial audit, including procurement of the audit firm (if requested by the client) and facilitation of the audit process

Contracts Management:

• Prepare and maintain contracts for local suppliers and agents
• Ensure that all contracts are filed and recorded in an auditable fashion
• Work with the Project Associate to ensure that all contracts are approved by Contracts and Compliance before signing, as required 

Procurement:

• Oversee all procurement of goods and services
• Ensure compliance with both Palladium and client procurement procedures
• Establish and maintain the project asset register, ensuring it is up to date at all times and assets are managed and safeguarded appropriately

Office Management:

• Act as the primary liaison point between the landlord and the project
• Ensure that all office supplies are procured appropriately, and accurate stock records are kept for all consumable items

Safety and Security:

• Act as the Project Safety and Security focal point, liaising as necessary with the Palladium corporate security team
• Establish and maintain the project communications tree
• Maintain and update the project safety and security procedures as necessary throughout the life of the programme to ensure the safe and compliant operation of the project

Consultation and communication:
The F&O Manager is responsible for: 

• Attendance and active participation at weekly staff meetings
• Participation in the development of reports and programme documents as required
• Location 
• The post is domiciled in Lagos, Nigeria but will be required to make occasional travel within Nigeria, and possibly internationally.

Required Qualifications
The suitable candidate will meet the following requirements:

• Significant experience in the management of finance and operations within a project or organisation
• Demonstrable familiarity and experience with Nigerian requirements in the management of project finance (tax obligations, contract obligations, etc.)
• Excellent written and spoken English

The following will be considered an advantage:

• Experience of working on a donor-funded international development programme, especially a bilateral programme funded by the UK government.
• Languages skills that may be of use in project locations (Bayelsa, Edo, Lagos, Zamfara).