Director of Finance and Operations | Yaounde, Cameroon | 2023

Chemonics seeks a Director of Finance and Operations (DFO) for the anticipated $35 million USAID Cameroon President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Activity. The Systems to End the Malaria Burden through Meaningful Engagement-II (SEMBE II) activity aims to advance the goals of PMI and the Cameroon National Malaria Control Program, which are to reduce deaths, reduce disease and reduce transmission to accelerate malaria elimination in Cameroon**.** The DFO will be responsible for all finance, administration, and operations functions necessary to implement the project activities in Cameroon. In addition, he/she will be responsible for assisting the Chief of Party with the development and implementation of management systems and supervision of project operations and staff.

Responsibilities include:

• Support the achievement of the overall project goals as required to ensure project performance
• Manage program accounting and country-level financial reporting including drafting all budgets. Manage bank accounts including bank reconciliations. Provide financial analysis for project leadership and USAID. Prepare and submit monthly accounting reports to headquarters and respond to questions from the headquarters accounting unit and project management unit
• Manage operations and finance personnel
• Support the office manager as needed with recruiting, hiring, developing project policies and benefits, as well as managing leave, performance assessments, and separations
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies and client regulations, (e.g. Field Office Guide to Field Accounting and Compliance, Field Office Procurement Handbook, Personnel Policy Manual, FAR, AIDAR, etc.), and make recommendations on strengthening procedures
• Assist Chemonics headquarters teams with data requests and new requirements. Identify operational weaknesses on the project and request assistance when necessary
• Manage project office procurements and ensure compliance
• Serve as acting chief of party for all operational tasks during chief of party’s absence
• Supervise the issuing of checks of payment for processed transactions, the logging of payments, and the distribution and/or mailing of checks to the appropriate vendor
• Supervise the accountant’s entry of expenses into ABACUS (Chemonics accounting system) and provide supporting documentation for expenses entered
• Collect and review employee expense reports for accuracy
• Supervise the establishment and maintenance of transparent and audit-proof record keeping systems per Chemonics’ policies
• Analyze and streamline processes in the project office, provide training and capacity-building to project staff on an ongoing basis on project administration and implementation
• Serve as the project office focal point for all security matters, including ownership of and updates to the field security manual, liaising with the security management unit, ensuring security protocols are followed, reviewed, and implemented in the project office, and practice drills to ensure staff are familiar with evacuation and other procedures in the event of an emergency
• Other duties as assigned by the chief of party

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, project management, economic development, health, or related discipline required; advanced degree preferred
• Minimum of ten years of professional experience, with experience managing large-scale, complex contracts preferred
• Demonstrated experience managing international teams and supervising administrative, finance, and/or operations staff
• Thorough understanding of donor requirements and how to apply them to contract and project management, with preference for USAID experience
• Demonstrated skillset in financial management and operations procedures and policies, procurement, subcontracting, client relations, compliance, and human resources
• Demonstrated resourcefulness in problem solving and initiative to learn new skills
• Familiarity with Chemonics’ systems and processes preferred
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Fluency in English and French required

Location of Assignment:

This is a long-term position for the life of the contract based in Yaoundé, Cameroon, with intermittent local and international travel as needed.