Overview:

Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) is currently recruiting a Director of Finance and Operations to serve as the primary financial officer of a large portfolio of projects with multiple funding streams, including private foundations and USAID. Reporting to the Chief of Party (COP) and Country Representative, this position is responsible for the following:

Ensures that financial functions support the timely and effective implementation of the program’s technical scope of work;

Ensures that resources are allocated and used in compliance with agreement requirements of various donors, applicable regulations of the Ethiopian and U.S. governments (USG), and appropriate policies and procedures of the Johns Hopkins University (JHU);

Will be responsible for comprehensive financial, operations and administrative oversight of all projects;

Shall be the link between the COP and various project departments and staff in terms of meeting financial and logistic requirements for managing the project office and all field programs.

Will lead and supervise the project Finance and Operations team including Administration, Human Resources, Security and Information Technology (IT).

In addition to this, the Director of Finance and Operations will provide oversight and support to all administrative and operations functions (including human resources) of the project.

Duties and Responsibilities (other duties may be assigned):

Finance

1. Ensure the completeness, accuracy, timeliness, adequacy and appropriateness of all financial transactions and related support and ensure all financial transactions meet audit standards.

2. Lead and develop annual workplan program budgets with teams and monitor expenditures and variances for multiple projects.

3. Establish and implement systems for budget management and train appropriate staff on these systems.

4. Ensure field office compliance with financial and contractual management systems as per USG, JHU, and CCP requirements.

5. Manage and process payroll for all CCP-Ethiopia staff; remit tax deducted from staff salaries (PAYE) and Withholding Tax to Ethiopia Revenue Authority, and prepare tax returns as per USAID and CCP requirements.

6. Monitor the opening, operation and closing of regional bank accounts, if any.

7. Work with the CCP-Ethiopia Country Representative/Project Chief of Party in the preparation of financial tracking systems for programs and activities, based on work plans and budgets.

8. Monitor local Ethiopia bank account and foreign currency denominated account (USD) and conduct reconciliations and transfers for the approval of the COP.

9. Supervise the Operations Manager and Finance team in petty cash disbursement and management; maintain security and accountability of petty cash.

10. Supervise the Finance team in disbursements of funds to recipients.

11. Monitor the Local Ethiopia account and the Foreign Currency Denominated account (USD$) making reconciliations

12. Supervise and approve all duties and responsibilities of the Finance team, including:

a. Proper processing and recording of invoices, check requests, and disbursements (domestic and international) on a daily basis

b. Distribution/reconciliation of financial advances

c. Preparation of financial reports and documentation required/requested by donors or CCP headquarters (HQ) office in Baltimore, MD USA

d. Preparation of local consultancies and purchase orders

e. Preparation of local financial reports and liquidations

f. Oversee and reconcile all travel budgets and compliance with USG or other sponsor’s funding requirements

g. Supervise the reconciling of per diem and travel for CCP staff and consultant on various projects

13. Monitor and correct, when needed, financial data captured by QuickBooks.

14. Prepare QuickBooks files and send it, along with hard copies of supporting documents, to the Remote Imprest Fund Administrator at HQ office in Baltimore, MD.

15. Review payroll and Imprest information to ensure that in-country disbursements are consistent with employment related documentation such as employment contracts and Statements of Benefits and Allowances (SOBA) and conform to local requirements.

16. Provide routine reporting updates to disbursement reports, contract status sheets, administrative updates, and monthly activity reports. Meet at least monthly with program/project manager(s) to discuss current financial report.

17. Support program and technical staff to ensure resources are used efficiently and to accurately account for expenditures.

18. Participate in meetings with donors when requested.

Operations

1. Assist program staff in Ethiopia to understand and implement policies, procedures, systems, and tools for operational excellence and compliance.

2. Assist in the development and monitoring of project startup and closeout plans. Maintain systems to track the status of those plans. Assist program teams to utilize those start-up and closeout system tools and identify for senior managers key challenges in startup and closeout.

3. Manage implementation of operational policy and procedure. Once policies, procedures, and plans are approved and implemented, monitor operations to ensure compliance.

4. Assist staff with implementation of regulatory and financial requirements to include adherence to JHU’s policy manual, country specific manuals, and host country requirements. Monitor sponsored programs for compliance and adherence to policy.

5. Ensure staff orientation to compliance procedures, such as procurement, and certify that staff are oriented annually.

6. Present information and respond to questions from program teams, HQ, sub-recipients, vendors, independent contractors (ICs), donors, host government officials, and other external parties.

7. Ensure projects close out smoothly by assisting with lease terminations, property dispositions, bank account closings, and financial settlements.

8. Assist program teams, the HR and the Finance Departments to ensure that overseas operational documentation is developed, implemented, and followed appropriately per JHU and sponsor guidelines. This includes assistance with ensuring processes are followed for development or updating of local in-country Personnel Policy Manuals and Emergency Plans. For emergency plans, maintain updated contact information monthly. Assist where necessary in coordinating emergency response.

9. For non-standard purchases, which represent the vast majority of CCP purchasing activity, ensure that program staff understand and comply with all JHU Purchasing and donor requirements concerning vendor selection criteria and price justification.

10. Work with program teams to ensure that finance and administration procedures are implemented in a timely and thorough manner. Assist them to implement those procedures where appropriate.

11. Monitor and initiate required annual audits and complete financial reports in a timely manner.

12. Ensure routine sub recipient monitoring and performance certifications by COP. Implement the JHU sub monitoring procedures to include bi-annual detailed review of sub-recipient expenditures.

Sub Award Management

1. Design and implement a proactive, rigorous, risk-based, and effective sub-awardee monitoring system and approach.

2. Coordinate monthly reporting process with sub awardees and joint programmatic and financial reports reviews, ensuring that costs incurred are in line with the progress on delivery and implementation, and budget variances explanations are provided.

3. Conduct regular sub award site visits/evaluations to verify adherence to grant terms and gauge internal control systems to obtain confidence in the reports submitted.