Job Vacancies at Options Consultancy Services Limited

We are a global team of experts and innovators tackling some of the world’s most pressing health challenges. We work with leaders and change makers around the globe to bring health strategies to life. We provide ideas, advice and technical know-how that enable our partners to build a path to lasting change.

With 30 years’ experience in global health, we collaborate with our partners to explore existing evidence, combine expertise, scale up ideas and co-create solutions that accelerate change. This includes collaborating on policy design, managing initiatives, building powerful coalitions and galvanising social movements. Our impact is felt across whole communities, with a focus on women, girls and those who have been marginalised.

As part of MSI Reproductive Choices, all our profits go back into supporting MSI’s own mission of children by choice, not chance.

We believe in a world where everyone can access the high-quality health services they need, without financial burden.

E4A-MamaYe (E4A) fosters sustainable local advocacy partnerships which bring together disparate actors to share information and navigate political processes and interests to make health systems accountable to women's needs.

Position

The E4A-MamaYe project team at Options seeks a Project Director who is committed to making health systems more accountable and responsive to women’s needs through grassroot advocacy partnerships. We are looking for someone to lead this innovative project in a way that is transformative, sustainable and upholds its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

The summary purpose of this role is to:

• Provide high-level technical expertise and inspiration across the programme to guide effective implementation and ensure activities lead to outputs, outcomes and impact.
• Advance the project’s reputation as an agile program by enhancing visibility with target audiences. Including uptake of the project’s Global Public Goods.
• Manage, mentor, coach and support a multi-expert, diverse project team in a way the keeps them motivated and encouraged to think out-of-the-box in order to deliver maximum impact.
• Expand the project technical and geographic reach by attracting new donors

Requirements

To be successful in this role:

• Visionary and inclusive leader who is committed to making health systems more accountable and equitable, so that they provide quality RMNCH and FP services for women and children.
• Experience of developing and maintaining close working relationships with clients and partners, and demonstrable experience of winning new business.
• Experience leading multi-country and multi-disciplinary teams
• Strong communication and knowledge sharing skills

Other information

• As an equal opportunity employer, Options Consultancy Services is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage or civil partnership. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified candidates from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join Options Consultancy Services.
• Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and post holders to share this commitment.
• We seek people who are pro-choice and believe in the right to access comprehensive SRH services
• We seek people who share our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion and who are committed to furthering anti-racism within the aid and development sector.
• We strongly encourage nationals of countries in the sub-Saharan Africa region to apply.

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Job type: Permanent
Department: Finance, Management Services
Reporting to: Head of International Finance
Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week
Liaison with: Programme Management, HR, Legal & Overseas Finance Teams

Main Purpose of the Job

• The primary responsibility is to provide financial management services, assurance and monitoring on designated Options’ programmes and will take the lead on project related financial reporting from Host Agencies and Key Suppliers and Options Overseas Offices.
• The post also manages various financial processes within designated programmes working alongside the Programme Manager.

Main Duties

Project Finance:
You would be working closely with the Project Management team and project finance staff based overseas, in managing project finances to include:

• Managing the client invoicing process to ensure invoices are produced and sent to the client in good time and to standards set out by Options and that of the client.
• Ensure that bespoke client contractual financial requirements are adhered to on each designated programme by all Options staff.
• Ensure all costs and income are correctly accounted for each month and programme trackers are reconciled to SUN.
• Foster relationships with overseas Finance Managers to ensure they are working in line with the Options Finance Manual, including quality assurance of their monthly returns.
• Ensure that each Options office has a functional Finance Manual.
• Monitor programme financial performance against approved contract budgets as well as Options budgets / forecasts ensuring contractual requirements are met.
• Complete monthly financial variance analysis in addition to the PM variance analysis.
• Produce budget / forecast jointly with the PM on a biannual basis.
• Produce programme financial reports for the client jointly with the PM and provide finance sign off to ensure reports reconcile to the accounting system and in line with the client’s requirements.
• Full audit and uploading of all monthly financial returns from overseas offices and selected key suppliers including full monthly reconciliations of all Options overseas bank and cash accounts and key supplier balances back to the accounting system with exchange differences realised.
• Provide monthly financial reviews to PM’s discussing major variances and agreeing / suggesting corrective action.
• Undertake financial audit visits to Options overseas offices and key suppliers, as required. Work with local staff to agree corrective actions and monitor progress thereafter.
• Contribute to Options Due Diligence for major suppliers.
• Provide adhoc financial advice / audit to projects, as required.
• Conduct audit review on Options overseas Offices (likely 2 per year).

General Financial:

• With the PM, complete the recharge tracker for team member recharges on a monthly basis and upload and reconcile to the accounting system.
• Maintain Q & A reports and update management reports as necessary to the adapting needs of the business.
• Maintaining IATI data for selected Options programmes
• Produce the year end audit schedules for designated programmes, including payroll schedule, deferred / accrued income schedule, fixed asset schedule, accrual schedule.
• Responsible for financial compliance of overseas office openings and closures.
• To take the Finance Department lead for named activities agreed with the Director of Finance.
• Contribute and maintain the Options Finance Manual.
• Ensure Programme Managers are fully aware and trained in Options financial procedures.
• To alert Senior Programme Manager and the Director of Finance where there are on-going concerns on programme financial management.

Person Specifications
Qualifications:

• In depth experience of supporting client focussed projects, preferably in international development (Essential)
• In depth experience of project / programme focussed budgeting and accounting (Essential)
• Experience of Sun and Vision (or eq accounting system) (Essential)
• Experience of creating financial reports from SUN / Q&A covering programme level through to Management Account Level (or eq accounting system) (Essential)
• Experience of project management in consultancy/NGO/small business environment (Essential)
• Experience working in an international organisation with multiple sites (Essential)
• Experience working in Finance in an overseas location (Desirable)
• Experience of new office set up in an overseas location (Desirable)
• Knowledge and Skills
• Advanced IT proficiency including financial software, Excel and Word (Essential)
• Excellent organisational skills (Essential)
• Excellent team player and ability to work using own initiative (Essential)
• Ability to mentor and support non-financial staff with complex financial scenarios (Essential)
• Is able to display sound judgement and decision-making skills (Essential)
• Knowledge of large institutional donors and their operational and reporting requirements (USAID, EC, DFID etc.) (Essential)

Other Requirements:

• Pro-choice (Essential)
• Commitment to equal opportunities (Essential)
• A commitment to the programme’s and Options’ principles of Safeguarding, Do No Harm, and to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (Essential)
• Fluency in written and spoken English (Essential)