·   FINANCE & ACCOUNTING OFFICER

ROLE OVERWIEW

Under the supervision of the Chairman, the incumbent shall be responsible for planning, co-coordinating and directing the Institutions Administration, Human Resources, Finance and support services.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

•        Ensure the planning, coordination and control of the activities of the Directorate;

•        Manage staff organization and discipline including attendance, leave roster, writing schedule of duties, recruitment of staff in liaison with ECOWAS Commission and ERERA Regulatory Council;

•        Assist in the formulation, implementation and review of administrative policies, procedures and decisions of ERERA.

•        Assist in the implementation of ECOWAS financial regulations and procedures;

•        Manage the organization of the postage and postal services of the organization;

•        Ensure the preparation of the budget of the organization;

•        Ensure donor fund management and reporting;

•        Ensure smooth operation of the ongoing administrative functions including work environment, space, equipment and information retrieval system;

•        Assist in identifying the operational needs and develop and support the implementation of the organisation’s Annual Procurement Plan;

•        Collate input for the different divisions of ERERA and formulate  the  budget and work programme, and monitor unit’s budget and programme of work;

•        Monitoring payments to vendors and individual contractors for services rendered;

•        Coordinate shipment/freights, customs clearances and the preparation of all related  documentation;

•        Supervise other Administration, Human Resources and Finance staff;

•        Provide information to staff regarding office administration procedures, processes and practices;

•        Ensure the implementation of all the initiatives that will enable a rational management of the material, human resources (logistics and procedures);

•        Ensure the preparation of objective, accurate, coherent reports in conformity with ECOWAS/ERERA Rules and Regulations;

•        Ensure the efficient reporting of actions implemented and results to the Chairman;

•        Ensure coherence of the actions and activities implemented with specific objectives of the Directorate and the general objectives of the Institution;

•        Define the main orientations of controls and indicators to be put in place, as well as the framework for reporting to the ERERA Council;

•        Advise the Chairman on issues regarding staff suitability for appointments, welfare and discipline and other type of staff movements; management of staff relations, trends and developments in the areas of material, financial and human resources;

•        Execute any other duty as might be assigned by the supervisor.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

·         Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Administration and Finance, Business Administration, or in a similar discipline from a recognized University.

·         10 years of professional experience in procurement, human resources, administration, managing finance and budget operations in an international or multinational organizations including 5 years at a supervisory level;

·         Knowledge of ECOWAS financial regulations and procedures and an ability to apply them;

·         Demonstrated ability to provide technical advice on a broad range of administrative, financial and accountancy  areas;

·         Demonstrated knowledge in network development to support financial data.

AGE LIMIT

Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS KEY COMPETENCIES

·         ability to lead in assigned programmes and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfilment of the organization’s mandate;

·         ability to lead by example and organize teamwork to encourage cooperation to achieve targeted results, champion and build momentum for change and to bring about employee engagement; develops and implements internal controls for pilot program to manage potential barriers to implementation;

·         ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner;

·         excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity, confidentiality and displaying due regards for internal controls of rules, delegations and transparency;

·         ability to bring together complementary skills/expertise, assess individual contributions and recognize/address accomplishments and shortcomings in a manner that brings continued success to the organization;

·         knowledge of program management at the level usually acquired from a certification in program management.

•        ability to research benchmarks and trends to bring about the best recommendations for the development and improvement of programs/projects that will best serve the community/organization;

•        well-developed networking and interpersonal skills to seek feedback, information and data from a network of professionals from multiple countries/sectors/organizations and to identify and prioritize the most critical community requirements;

•        ability to manage and co-ordinate client management initiatives and make recommendations;

•        ability to develop and implement best practices in client services;

•        ability to develop and implement stakeholder management plans, programs and initiatives to obtain buy-in on new initiatives, to better understand dissenting views, to obtain resources and to increase perceptions of success.

•        ability to be diplomatic, tactful and respect of other people from varied backgrounds, understanding diverse cultural views especially within West Africa with the ability to convert diversity into opportunities to improve program/operational outcomes;

•        ability to create a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths bringing together innovative practices;

•        ability to remain objective in managing conflict regardless of cultural differences /positions, gender differences, and encourage other staff to overcome cultural and gender bias and  differences;

•        ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;

•        ability to serve the interest of culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities and persons with disability without prejudice and bias.

•        understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute and lead effectively;

•        knowledge of the ECOWAS mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political and social situation and trends in member states, as pertains to own scope of work;

•        knowledge of ECOWAS best practices, program management approaches and research techniques to lead and/or contribute to the development or assessment of programs, projects or initiatives;

•        knowledge of the  ECOWAS rules and procedures in order to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others and assess performance.

•        ability to analyze a situation by using indicators to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in making  decisions;

•        ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the cause of problems, consequences of alternative causes of action, potential obstacles and ways to avoid the problem in the future;

•        ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms  to explain recommendations and conclusions aimed at solving problems or improving operations/programs/projects;

•        ability to develop new insights into situations, apply innovative solutions to problems and to design new methods of addressing issues or disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable or no longer effective.

•        ability to communicate with impact, clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner conveying credibility & confidence when making presentations, setting expectations and explaining complex issues;

•        ability to listen intently and correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately;

•        accomplished technical writing and editing skills;

•        exhibit active listening skills to encourage stronger communication amongst  team members, to show care and make them feel valued and to  drive employee engagement in all institutions and agencies;

•        ability to give constructive feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance;

•        proficiency in  information communication technologies(ICT);

•        Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.

•        organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs in line with result based management approach;

•        ability to set effective goals and targets for self, others, and the work unit and adjusting work or project priorities in response to changing circumstances;

•        ability to use participatory approach in project planning and identify gaps affecting the achievement of program/project expectations and to design and implement intervention plans required to build the desired task;

•        ability to implement rigorous monitoring and evaluation practices and to set in place regular reporting schedules relevant to key outputs;

•        ability to plan, organize, control resources, and to comply with  policies, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.