Fanta – 2 Ghana Vacancy: Finance Associate

FANTA-2 is managed by the Academy for Educational Development in Washington, D.C. FANTA-2 works to improve nutrition and food security in countries through the support of the U.S. Agency for international Development (USAID). Fanta – 2 Ghana recruits Finance Associate

Job Description

FANTA-2 is seeking a Finance Associate to support the financial, operational, and administrative management of Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), Nutrition and HIV, Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN) and any other FANTA-2 activities in Ghana. The Finance Associate will be responsible for assisting FANTA-2 Ghana team in planning, developing, implementing AED financial policies and procedures, and maintaining systems to track and manage the financial status of CMAM, Nutrition and HIV, and MCHN activities through development and maintenance of budgets and field imprest reporting. In addition, the Finance Associate will be working closely with AED HQ project staff to ensure timely and cost-effective management, administration, and execution of FANTA-2 activities.

Essential Job Functions:

Prepare, reconcile, and manage reports and transactions. This includes creating vouchers for all transactions, ensuring that required documentation is attached and appropriate approvals are obtained, allocating costs to expense and funding categories, reconciling bank statements, and correctly entering transactions and liabilities into QuickBooks
Prepare expense reports to clear advances and seek reimbursement for FANTA-2 program costs
Prepare all checks and present to the CMAM and Emergency Nutrition Specialist for final authorization
Ensure that imprest and expense reports are submitted to AAED HQ accurately, completely and on-time; provide feedback on reports submitted and communicate with HQ on pending issues to ensure the satisfactory availability and effective accounting of all funds
Prepare cash projections and wire transfer requests for imprest replenishment and advances to the field; work closely with the CMAM and Emergency Nutrition Specialist with regard to field expenditures, budget and cash-flow
Administer all payroll processes to include payment of local staff and payment of all payroll taxes and benefit entitlements in accordance with Ghana’s labor laws; maintain up-to-date records of payment or witholding of all payroll taxes and benefits for each employee
Negotiate and implement local procurement activities for all FANTA-2 activities in Ghana; ensure that all solicitation and procurement actions adhere to USAID, AED, and in-country regulations and procedures
Provide the CMAM and Emergency Nutrition Specialist and AED HQ project team with financial information as required, maintain an effective, accurate, and current financial filing system to include vendor files, bank statements and imprest reports
Make payments to participants and vendors during workshops and trainings at national and regional levels, as needed
Document cost-share information and maintain the cost-share tracking system, including submission of reports as part of monthly financial reporting; support the CMAM and Emergency Nutrition Specialist in maintaining a cost-share projections database
Work with the CMAM and Emergency Nutrition Specialist to develop, update and monitor activity budgets
Recommend or develop improved financial procedures and internal paper-flow
Participate in and contribute to cluster and project-wide work planning and reporting; complete other tasks as needed
Perform other related duties as required

Required Skills or Experience

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, commerce or related field
Four years of relevant experience with a Bachelor’s degree OR equivalent combination of education and experience
Knowledge of financial reporting, accounting software (QuickBooks) preferred, accounting principles and financial controls
Field experience or experience working with field-based activities
Knowledge and experience with AED and USAID regulations and procedures strongly desired
Experience working with and supporting project teams and collaborating to resolve problems
(Must) be able to use/perform the following: Computerized accounting, MS Word, Excel at a highly proficient level. Experience with QuickBooks strongly preferred
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills; conceptualize, perform , and apply mathematical skills; and develop and maintain financial systems
Willingness to take initiative and responsibility for the financial management or project components
Strong budget preparation skills, with high level of accuracy, organization, and attention to detail
Must be capable of multi-tasking, establishing priorities and meeting tight deadlines consistently
Ability to learn and apply new skills and knowledge with training. Ability to face challenges with optimism
Ability to work independently with strong decision making skills and within a team setting, with limited supervision
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work well, especially under pressure with project staff, clients, and vendors. Ability to interact with a variety of people of diverse backgrounds
Fluency in English; both verbal and written

How To Apply

All applications must include curriculum vitae, a cover letter explaining your interest in the position, and details of three referees. Please email your application, referencing “Finance Associate”, to [email protected]

Offer valid till: 21 Mar, 2011