Title: Finance and Operations Manager

Reporting to: Country Representative, Senegal

Location: Dakar, Senegal

Assignment length: One year; renewable by mutual consent and funding availability

Position description

This position is based in the Population Council Senegal office (PC Senegal). The Finance and Operations Manager (FOM) shall report to the Country Representative (CR) and will provide focused assistance to Council’s efforts in Senegal and to any other emerging opportunities in the Francophone West African region as well. The FOM will oversee the financial and operational components of PC Senegal and its projects, by ensuring compliance with PC and donor policies and procedures for financial management and accounting, procurement, personnel, and other operational matters. He/she will be responsible for tracking compliance in budgeting, operations, and resource allocation, timely and accurate financial and narrative reporting to the CR. S/he will be required to proactively seek approaches to make PC Senegal more effective and to promote efficient use of resources. S/he will also oversee the management of contracts, sub-awards, travel, consultants, risk mitigation, and duty of care. The manager will be required to collaborate with PC Inc. Finance, HR, and Administration departments to ensure compliance, including accuracy and timeliness in the submission of deliverables, annual program budget development, operations, and sub-award administration.

Responsibilities

Financial Administration

• Manage the overall operational aspects of the organization and ensure compliance with existing policies as well as donor policies and procedures in areas such as grants and contracts, financial management, human resources, procurement, and information technology.
• Prepare the monthly expense report in - the financial software. Review monthly expense reports with Country Representative prior to sending to headquarters.
• Generate timely monthly, quarterly, yearly, and project-specific financial reports in compliance with the relevant accounting standards and donor requirements.
• Design, monitor and implement systems of internal control that safeguard Council’s assets and lead the process of implementing financial accounting procedures.
• Strengthen internal controls and financial management; coordinate, follow-up and monitor country office audits.
• Oversee recording of financial transactions and allocation of project costs.
• Ensure cost effective and efficient procurement of goods and services in accordance with donor and Council procurement procedures.
• Ensure timely payment of local contractors and service providers.
• Review and analyze staff travel expense reports, consultant payment requests, and travel expense reports for accuracy and admissibility.
• Monitor bank accounts and bank reconciliations; maintain effective liaison with official bankers.
• Generate periodic project/in-houses’ financial updates.
• Prepare annual program plan budget (PPB) in collaboration with the Program Financial Manager(s), and provide technical assistance to program staff, program coordinators and Officers during proposal budget development.
• Supervise handling of petty cash and associated reporting.

Human Resources Administration

• Formulation, interpretation, and implementation of personnel policies & procedures for the national staff, ensuring compliance with Country law.
• Payroll preparation, computation of income tax and pension contributions of national staff.
• Prepare monthly tax declaration for local staff and local non/resident consultants.
• Maintain compulsory social security and Health insurance for local staff: Make regular payment to appropriate agencies and follow-up with them for any changes related to local staff, sick & maternity leaves, resignation…
• Update monthly pension (Length of Service funds) spreadsheet for each individual and reconcile with Insurance Pension statement. Send to NY once per six months.
• Assist with recruitment of local staff including preparation of staffing requests and appointment records, employment contracts, and benefits enrollments.
• Assist with recruitment and ensure timely payment of consultants, interns, and other temporary human resources support.
• Prepare application for entry/re-entry permits for submission to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and deal with all matters pertaining to staff immigration and customs clearances.
• Maintain up-to-date personnel files/records; provide timely staffing reports and other information to U.S. headquarters/IP management colleagues as requested.
• Support processing of annual performance appraisals.
• Maintain effective liaison with local legal advisor to provide timely and accurate advice on tax, labor and other related legal issues and compliance with national laws.
• Collaborate with U.S. headquarters’ HR Manager/IP management in various areas including periodic review and revision of personnel policies, procedures and benefits, participation in salary and other surveys, and administration of Associate allowances.

Office Administration and Operations

• Collaborate with Country Representative to implement and monitor compliance with Council administrative and operations policies.
• Procure office equipment, supplies and services in accordance with the Council’s procurement procedures and monitor inventory of all Council equipment.
• Ensure upkeep and functionality of country office infrastructure and equipment.
• Ensure effective liaison with landlord and local suppliers.
• Maintain comprehensive records regarding all leases, contracts and agreements made with local suppliers and landlord and any other legal documents that relate to PC Senegal office.
• Oversee administrative supervision of support staff (e.g., accountant, driver, receptionist, IT support etc...) and ensure the coordination of their workload within the office.
• Ensure continuous, courteous coverage of reception area and office phone.
• Assist in the administration of workshops and seminars as needed.
• Liaise with all divisions in the New York office and with other PC offices as required.
• Compile, centralize and address the needs of the different programs.

Donor Submissions and Management of Grants

• Review and analyze financial requirements of each project/proposal to ensure best and accurate cost estimates.
• Monitor and manage sub-grants/subcontracts grants.
• Assist program staff in complying with donor submissions guidelines.
• Collaborate with appropriate Program Financial managers on donor budgets in consultation with program staff and share with appropriate colleagues for review/approvals.
• Preparation of periodic financial updates for program staff members.
• Prepare and review donor financial reports for the office in collaboration with Country Representative.
• Track donor report submission schedules and ensure timely and accurate reporting.

Qualifications

We understand that there are many paths to acquiring expertise and experience and strong candidates may not have every qualification listed here. We encourage applications from individuals with diverse and/or nontraditional backgrounds who bring passion, skills, and experience in many or most of these areas.

1. Master’s degree in accounting or finance or economics

2. 8 years’ post-qualification experience in finance or accounting

3. Certified Public Accountant (CPA-K)/ Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Demonstrated experience building strategic and sustainable partnerships with both internal and external stakeholders.

4. Demonstrated understanding of current and future donor landscape for research preferred.

5. Experience working with large grants and management of different donor-funded projects

6. Demonstrated ability to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of scientists and operations colleagues, and ability to work independently and within a complex, international organization.

7. Experience working with and implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

8. Strong organizational and team-building skills, attention to detail, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively and produce under a heavy workload with competing priorities.

9. Must have demonstrated the ability to work in complex and multi-cultural environments and manage diverse teams to deliver impact within agreed timelines.

10. Ability to manage tight deadlines and deliver high volumes of work with minimal supervision.

11. Demonstrated ability to work closely with colleagues in the development of various proposals and with various types of sources.

12. Expertise with MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint); accounting software, payroll management systems & web-based communications platforms. Advanced Excel skills is highly preferred.

13. Effective planning and project management skills.

14. Strong interpersonal skills with high integrity and honesty.

15. Good analytical, numerical, and problem-solving skills.

16. Proficiency in written and oral French. English language skills would be an added value

Salary and Benefits

Salary range between 19,331,280 FCFA and 21,821,010 FCFA annually, depending on knowledge, skills, and experience. Excellent benefits package includes medical and life insurance available immediately upon hire; retirement plan with employer contribution equal to 15% of monthly salary after one year of employment; generous annual and sick leave; and paid parental leave. We strive to provide an environment of professional growth and development.

Submission and Deadline

Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Please attach your CV and Cover Letter in Word or PDF format, addressed to The Country Representative Population Council Senegal, Dakar, Senegal, and submit your application to: recrutement1@2t-s.com and copy to: info.senegal@popcouncil.org with the subject heading: PCSENDECPO.

Application deadline: May 31, 2023

The Population Council is an international, nonprofit, nongovernmental institution that seeks to improve the well-being and reproductive health of current and future generations around the world and to help achieve a humane, equitable, and sustainable balance between people and resources. The Council conducts biomedical, social science, and public health research and helps build research capacities in developing countries. Established in 1952, the Council is governed by an international board of trustees. Its New York headquarters supports a global network of country offices. We are seeking an individual to fill the position described. If you know of a qualified candidate or are interested in this position, please apply at: http://www.popcouncil.org/employment/index.asp.

The Population Council provides equal opportunity; it does not discriminate against any person regarding age, color, creed, national origin, disability, political belief, veteran status, religion, marital status, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Decisions on employment are based on an individual’s qualifications as related to the position for which they are being considered. The Council especially encourages applications from members of underrepresented groups including but not limited to Black people and people of African descent, Indigenous people, people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, including people who identify as transgender, nonbinary, or gender expansive, people with disabilities, first-generation college graduates, and those from communities with the most to gain from expanded access to sexual and reproductive health services and information and quality education. The Population Council is international in the composition of its board of trustees and its staff, as well as in the nature and deployment of its activities.