Job Openings at Palladium Group

Location: North East, Nigeria

Project Overview and Role

• The Finance and Administration Officer is responsible for the day to day running of the office which includes management of the office resources and coordination of all logistical needs, ensuring timely payment of all invoices and expenses for the ECP programme and also responsible for the remittance of all statutory payments at the state level related to both vendors, service providers, staff and consultants.
• The SFAO will directly manage all office support staff and drivers and will work closely with all state team members to ensure the effective delivery of the programme.
• Where required the SFAO will provide support to both Regional Team Leader (RTL) and the State Partnership Facilitator (SPF) to ensure programme activities and financial duties are completed in a compliant and timely manner.
• The SFAO will work closely with the National Finance Manager (NFM) and the National Administration Manager (NAM) to ensure the effective oversight of the programme finances.

Authority levels

• Reporting requirements:
  • The State Finance and Administration Officer reports to the Regional Team Leader
• Line Management:
  • Line management of driver, office assistants and any administrative intern/corper. This includes conducting staff performance management, including mentoring, staff development, approval of timesheets, appraisal, arbitration, and enforcement of discipline.
  • Provide adequate training and mentoring to any junior staff member in basic office administration management to be able to cover (whether individually or collectively) for the SFAO when on leave/out of post ? scope and/or share of duties and responsibility to be defined through written agreement with the RTL.
• Signatory authority:
  • This position has no signatory authority but will be required to work closely with other team members who do have signatory authority and provide them sound recommendations.
  • They will also work as part of the team to ensure that the variance of spend against forecast remains below 2% on a monthly basis, this is achieved by good communication of spend and anticipated spend against forecast to the Finance Officer.
  • The State Finance and Admin Officer is required to inform their line manager if there are any breaks in compliance with financial processes as set out in the programme operations manual.

Relationships

• Teamwork & Mentoring:
  • Familiarise yourself with the ToR of your team leader and all your team members as well as key programme management frameworks: technical, financial and administrative policies and guidelines.
  • Establish a good working relationship with the Regional Team Leader, SPF.
  • Establish working relationships with counterparts in PERL pillars 1 and 3 if relevant
  • Mentor other colleagues and contractors (within and outside of PERL, and across states) ? direct provision of guidance and support, consistent with ECP?s key values/principles. Encourage and nurture interest in programme work shown by direct reports.
  • Actively contribute to Team-Building within the state team ? use of shared mission, vision, values, identity/public profile, use of staff meetings, staff welfare, social events, formal and informal opportunities, etc, to reinforce teamwork. Actively contribute to a positive office culture within the joint Palladium office in your state (if applicable), and collaborate with other programmes to ensure operational synergies. Look out for, highlight and support resolution of internal challenges impacting on team performance.

Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities:

• Establishment & Maintenance of Office Finance and Administration Management Systems (Working with the guidelines developed from the national office and within the programme operations manual)

Primary Responsibility Finance:

• In conjunction with the Regional Team Leader (RTL) set-up and maintain the office safe for secure storage of petty cash and confidential/restricted documents (financial and staff personal) and filing and retrieval systems for all financial records (in soft and hard copy) in compliance with the required programme financial management procedures.
• Act as the main point of contact with a state branch of the mandated bank. This includes responding to any queries from the bank and managing changes in signatories/approval authorities on the ECP account. The SFAO will also act as the main point of contact between the local tax authorities and the programme
• Provide all office staff with practical orientation and ensure adequate understanding of all office financial management systems, procedures and individual responsibilities, and provide them with templates for fund requesting and financial reporting.
• The SFAO will keep up-to-date with the Palladium financial templates as found on SharePoint and ensure that all staff are using the appropriate templates for their requests.
• They will also liaise directly with the National Finance Manager on all issues relating to maintenance and further development of the office financial management systems.
• Supervise all of ECP?s banking transactions in the state.
• Manage petty cash with daily reconciliation
• Ensure that procedures as set out in the programme operations manual are followed for direct payments to non-ECP staff (partners, local TA, suppliers, etc) using electronic transfers when possible.
• Book-keeping of the office imprest account ? draw cheques, monitor repayment of advance, enter data daily into the accounts system, reconcile bank statements weekly against office accounts, and sign off imprest account.
• Prepare monthly financial forecasts and reports for the state, including statements of the office imprest account, make requests for funds transfer from the Abuja office against agreed dates and tranches, provide original supporting documents on expenditure to the Abuja office, maintain copies locally, and provide state level data for the monthly variance report prepared by the Abuja office for the programme.
• Make payment of PAYE for state office staff to state tax authority based on PAYE payment schedule sent from the ECP Abuja office, as well as withhold and remit the WHT of local TA, suppliers, etc, at the defined rate to the state tax authority, and forward the receipt to the payee.
• Respond to any queries and requests from the HOS and NFM relating to financial oversight and quality control of state financial information through the State Team Leader, including participation in any peer review audit and compliance with all external audit requirements.
• Monitor compliance of all office staff with all office financial management procedures and individual responsibilities in accordance with the programme operations manual and Palladium policies and procedures, and report any non-compliance to the Reginal Team Leader for required action.
• Be a member of the ECP State Procurement Committee for specific items and to validate/update preferred suppliers list: review and make recommendations.
• Provide additional support to and oversight of any member of staff (including those from other states or the national office) covering for the RTL on financial management.
• Support RTL, and technical team to guide, oversee, review and advice partners on their financial management of project funds provided by ECP for programme implementation.

Primary Responsibility Administration:

• Office Running: ensure efficient use of all office facilities including vehicles, complaint with ECP policy. Give specific attention to monitoring and analysis of fuel consumption of office vehicles and generators. Oversee housekeeping and stock-keeping of consumable items and ensure necessary supplies are maintained at minimum stock levels, including fuel and provision of staff on front desk/reception duty.
• Structure & Equipment: monitor the integrity of the property and condition of facilities and equipment, inform proprietor of required repairs, oversee/monitor repairs, and ensure asset labelling and asset register/inventory are up to date.
• Vehicle Running: co-ordinate vehicle movements based on the work schedule for the state team, and ensure all transport provisions for the state office are efficient, effective and safe:
• Car-hire: check condition of vehicles, tyres, seat-belts availability of required vehicle documentation, and the standard of driving (with support from the national office for driver training) all meet minimum requirements.
• Office vehicles: check office drivers are meeting the minimum required standards for vehicle maintenance and driving (to be checked periodically by the national office through driver training), and monitor and analyse fuel, and other consumable items, on a regular basis.
• Information Management: ensure effective use of internal information management systems by all state office staff, including use of filing systems, file coding, data protocols, electronic file version control and data back-up, and supervise the provision of local IT support for the state office (in close collaboration with the M&E/KM ICT Specialist).
• HR: support the National Admin Manager in providing inductions/orientations for new state team members, maintain accurate personnel records including timesheets and leave applications. These should be appropriately stored in a confidential manner in an area accessible to the NAM.
• Take minutes of general/operational staff meetings which take place at the state level and ensure that these are circulated to all staff in a timely manner.
• Compile a periodic (monthly/weekly) work schedule for the state team and circulate to all staff (via notice board/e-mail).
• Ensure that Office Health, Safety and Security (OHSS) information is displayed in an obvious position in the office in line with the guidelines laid out in the project operations manual.

State procurement, logistics and security administration:

• Manage the security of the office location, physical structure and alterations, provide oversight of security guards and track vehicle movements, all minimum security requirements as directed by Palladium Nigeria Security Manager and in collaboration with the National Logistics and Security Manager.
• Ensure that the state programme complies with required health and safety standards (fire, personal risk, accident, etc) as defined by Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) contained in the Programme Operations Manual.
• Become well versed in DFID and their assigned procurement agents procurement regulations and systems as defined in the ECP Programme Operations Manual, and basic familiarisation and appreciation of the programme?s financial systems.
• Manage state procurement and contracting of local service providers (in close collaboration with the National Procurement & Security Manager where required) based on the decisions of the ECP State Procurement Committee, of which the SFAO is both a Member and the Secretary.
• Maintain an updated preferred suppliers list (liaise with other programmes and DFID to enable comparative pricing/VfM), and select preferred local suppliers through competitive process, validated by the State Procurement Committee.
• Take stock of all stationary and office supplies and record in the ?stock control book? ensuring that additional stock is ordered as required.
• Liaise with staff with lead responsibility for implementation of specific programme activities to organise logistical support as required, on the basis of agreed work plans and schedules, as endorsed by the RTL through minute?s weekly staff meetings or via e-mail correspondence.
• Provide logistical support to all short-term TA and visitors (local, national and international): arrange ?meet & greet?, hotel accommodation, local travel, etc, through liaison with the National Administration Manager where necessary.
• Liaise with the providers of local facilities (within and outside the state) on behalf of programme staff to secure bookings for hotels, halls, care-hire, etc, for programme events.
• Make payment to the facilities (hotels, halls, care-hire, etc) used for programme events.
• Keep a record of the adequacy of the logistical arrangements for any programme activities / TA inputs, state visits, etc ? particularly where any were inadequate, with reasons and suggested improvements (informing preferred suppliers list), routinely reported to the STL, and copying in the National Administration Manager where necessary. Sort out any logistical problems arising during programme event with the facility managers and staff (back-stopping on accommodation, feeding and transport), and provide reasonable ?customer service? for partners.

State Programme Assistance:

• Support staff with lead responsibility for implementation of specific programme activities to calculate activity budgets (using the ?standard unit costs? spreadsheet in programme strategic planning framework) and to input into state workplans and budgets where required
• Support technical team to access, manage and retire funds for programme activities relating to partners and incidental expenses during and immediately after programme events.

Compliance:

• Other reasonable tasks/amendments to TOR.
• Agree that performance will be assessed based on these Terms of References. Any amendments to these ToRs should be discussed and agreed with your line manager.
• Understand that you will be expected to undertake any reasonable task as requested by their line manager where it is not disruptive to other duties or inappropriate for the level of this position.
• Information Management
• Ensure that familiarity with all DFID and Palladium Policies and procedures and check SharePoint regularly to ensure that any updates are also being implemented in a timely manner.
• Ensure that all work is completed in an accountable and transparent manner, this includes the use of official emails for work purposes, use of personal emails will not be permitted. All work must be saved to the agreed cloud or central server storage systems and not individual desktops or hard-drives.
• In collaboration with the National Finance Manager provide mentoring to the state teams on compliance with the financial aspects of the operations manual and their use of SharePoint.

Requirements
Minimum education and experience required:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business or a related field
• At least 3 years professional experience working in a financial management position
• Experience with DFID or other donors is advantageous
• Proven ability to effectively manage an office
• Line management experience of at least 1 year

Key competencies and professional expertise required:

• Ability to work in a team
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills

Deadline

7 february 2017

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Job Description

• The purpose of the Office Manager role is to support the effective performance, wellbeing and security of V4C staff, the smooth operation and security of the V4C offices, and to ensure value for money in procurement.

Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:

Support the effective selection of V4C staff and consultants, including:

• Coordinating and supporting new staff / consultant selection, including determining selection criteria, preparing vacancy announcements and advertisements, proactively seeking relevant networks from which to source necessary skills, initial filtering of CVs, further short-listing, coordinating skills assessment, obtaining references, carrying out competency based interviews, preparing the interview panel, evaluating candidates, compiling interview results, coordinating due diligence processes, and providing feedback to candidates.
• Completing necessary documentation for new staff including preparation of contracts, entering details on the staff database, facilitating immigration and other official documentation.
• Ensure that thematic leads develop timely, good quality TORs for consultants and short term staff.

Ensure the effective performance and wellbeing of V4C staff and consultants, including:

• Coordinating development and roll out of staff performance measurement process
• Developing a values based induction for all new staff and consultants.
• Co-coordinating the annual staff performance reviews by line managers (initiating, capturing results in staff files, compiling annual performance review summary for submission to Palladium).
• Ensuring probation reviews are carried out within three months of new staff joining.
• Supporting managers with the identification of staff training needs.
• Supporting managers with capability (poor performance) issues.
• Supporting managers with staff grievances.
• Ensuring exit processes are carried out by line managers (including completion of exit checklist forms, return of programme assets, liaising with Deputy Team Leader Operations on exit benefits, and exit interviews to capture key findings / feedback for action and filing) ? including: following up with Output leads on the acknowledgement of resignation letter issued to exiting staff; liaise with the staff and line managers on the completion of the exit checklist form, ensuring that all programme assets are handed over; liaising with the Deputy Team Leader Operations on all exit benefits.
• Designing new staff management systems, as required.
• Providing a practical and comfortable working environment.
• Coordination of contract amendments as required

Lead on personnel administration and maintain accurate personnel records for staff and consultants, including:

• Responsible for updating the Personnel Input Tracker (tracking consultant payments, tracking consultant allocated days, collating and submitting monthly timesheets to Palladium).
• Maintaining offline Tracker Planning (inputting and tracking Terms of Reference (ToR) allocated days.
• Maintaining staff records for new and existing staff (staff contact details, emergency contacts, sickness, health, insurance, leave, maternity, overtime, grievance, capability, disciplinary).
• Maintaining registration of all staff for health insurance, group life insurance, work men?s compensation, NSITF, NHF, and pension
• Regularly updating V4C organogram and contact list
• Issuing new staff with ID cards
• Coordinating and tracking staff time, including a monthly check of timesheets, reviewing and tracking TOIL applications

Ensure the smooth operation of the V4C offices and vehicles, including:

• Ensuring efficient use of all office facilities (vehicle use, fuel consumption, office consumables maintained at minimum stock levels).
• Preparing monthly cash forecasts for office costs (utilities, courier services etc.).
• Approving and ensuring bill payment for all office supplies and services.
• Reviewing office space to ensure its efficient use, identifying and managing move in the event new space is required.
• In liaison with the Office Assistant, collating and maintaining the asset register and providing monthly reports to senior management.
• In liaison with the Office Assistant, providing logistical support for activities in states where V4C has no offices.
• Updating operations manuals and circulating to staff. Ensuring document security (use of filing systems, file coding, data protocols, electronic version control, document and data back-up).

Ensure the safety and security of V4C staff, consultants and visitors, including:

• Liaising with the Palladium Security Manager to keep abreast of relevant security updates to be communicated in V4C state offices.
• As Security Focal Point, carry out duties outlined in the ?Security Focal Point ? Responsibilities? document attached.
• Ensuring all approvals, and necessary pre-visit security forms are completed and given by Palladium Security Manager in advance of ALL travel.
• Making recommendations for improved staff security where necessary.
• Providing security briefing updates for consultants
• Training staff on ?guidelines for conduct? while in the field.
• As Journey Manager for all staff travel, coordinate approval requests, maintaining constant communication with staff to ensure all out of state travel SOPs are strictly followed.
• Designing, implementing, reviewing and ensuring staff compliance with office operations, policies and procedures.
• Developing and maintaining visitors welcome pack concerning safety and security issues in coordination with Palladium Security Manager.
• Completing regular Occupational Health, Safety and Security (OHSS) checks in line with Palladium SOPs
• Liaising with Palladium Security Manager (SM) to ensure that all visitors receive security briefings and are in touch with Palladium SM in case of emergencies
• Liaising with Palladium SM to coordinate security checks and clearance of hotels and programme activity venues
• Ensuring staff from overseas have received all security briefings from Palladium security manager including health preparation.
• Leading on security refreshers and updates when consultants return from overseas.

Ensure the safety and security of V4C offices and vehicles, including:

• Line Management of programme drivers for V4C
• Ensuring vehicle safety and security (vehicle condition checked, driver requirements verified, and fuel).
• Purchasing safety equipment for the office and office vehicle.
• Checking safety equipment in line with required standards, and replenishing as necessary to ensure a safe, healthy working environment.
• Overseeing performance management for drivers including coordinating training and corrective actions for driving infringements.

Ensure value for money is achieved on all V4C office related procurement activities, including:

• Liaising with Palladium projects and Palladium corporate to identify recommended suppliers as well as liaising with DFID and other DFID programmes to compare pricing.
• Support to procurement processes including reviewing and advertising for request for tenders and request for quotations, developing selection criteria and coordinating procurement evaluation panels, coordinating due diligence and reference checks, and preparing procurement recommendations.
• Supporting contracting processes including preparation of purchase orders and local supplier agreements
• Maintaining records of procurement and contracting documentation
• Where charged with this task, ensuring quality of goods and services received, and preparation and processing of invoices
• Developing, and regularly updating, a database of approved suppliers (including hotels, car hire, taxi companies, electricians, plumbers, stationery etc.)
• Leading in all procurement, managing negotiations with hotels
• Collating and analysing information using the ?Internal Quotation and Evaluation? format to identify preferred suppliers, making recommendations for and engaging reliable suppliers via a competitive process based on demonstrable value for money quotes, and demonstrating value for money.
• Developing, managing and overseeing relationships with service providers and suppliers.
• Tracking payments.
• Ensuring a monitoring system is in place for purchases to ensure all service provision is transparent and quality controlled.
• Conducting bi-annual assessment of service providers to ensure V4C continuously obtains best price and value for money.
• Support the Finance Manager in disbursements / financial management as required.

Supervise the Office Assistant, Driver and Cleaner, including:

• Developing team work plans and ensuring individual work plans are developed appropriately.
• Managing on-going performance:
  • Carrying out formal performance reviews.
  • Defining and monitoring achievement towards objectives and tasks.
  • Providing on-going feedback and coaching.
  • Developing action plans to address any gaps in skills, knowledge, motivation or confidence.
  • Managing leave and sickness absence.

Act as the point of contact within the Programme for all matters relating to security. Duties include:

• Distribute all security information and alerts on an as required basis to relevant programme staff.
• Inform the Palladium Security Manager of all security related events taking place locally in a timely and detailed manner and respond to requests for information.
• Provide security related advice to the Team Leader on an as required basis.
• Establish, where possible, a working relationship with the senior staff within the Nigerian Police Force and State Security Service.
• Supervise the conduct of the contracted security company.
• Ensure that movement controls, as described in SOP 15, are observed by programme members.
• Issue and ensure the accountability and serviceability of all security related equipment (First aid boxes, trackers).
• Coordinate the nomination of personnel for security related training.
• Ensure that all programme staff have an up to date copy of Security SOPs.
• Provide a security brief to all new arrivals in the absence of the Security Manager.
• Establish and maintain a professional working relationship with the management and security staff of the hotels that are used by the programme for meeting and conferences, or by visitors.
• Any other reasonable activities determined by the Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader or Finance Manager.

Requirements
Qualifications and / or Experience:

• A graduate Degree in Business Administration, Human Resources or similar.
• 4 to 6 years? experience working in the above field.

Functional Competencies
Demonstrated ability in:

• Managing HR systems, including selection, responding to salary grievances in country, induction, performance management, sickness, grievance, exit interviewing.
• Competency-based interviewing and selection. Implementing best practice recruitment and selection, including carrying out and coaching others in competency based interviewing.
• Developing and implementing HR policies and procedures. Managing personnel records, including personnel database.
• Managing safety and security in line with statutory and company requirements.
• Keeping abreast of anticipated safety and security issues and threats. Complying with and effectively influencing others to voluntarily comply with essential safety and security requirements and SOPs.
• Company vehicle management
• Demonstrating value for money procurement on office services and supplies; cash forecasting.
• Presenting and training
• Coaching and mentoring
• Building collaborative relationships
• Negotiating

Management Competencies:

• Managing Team Performance

Key Knowledge

• Employment law and best practice selection practices.
• Health and Safety at Work law and best practice.
• Palladium policies (security, safety, staff and consultant recruitment, staff leave, sickness, insurance administration, procurement).
• Basic knowledge of national safety and security response procedures (information available from Palladium)
• Understanding of how to work effectively with the Nigerian Police Force and State Security Service and how to benefit from the support available from them would be beneficial.
• Awareness of how to investigate anticipated safety and security issues and threats.