Ref: WCA-CH/VAS/rhv/RECR/003/2019

The World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) is a non-profit, autonomous international agricultural research center with headquarters in Taiwan and regional offices around the globe. WorldVeg conducts research and development programmes to realize the potential of vegetables for healthier lives and more resilient livelihoods.

For more information on World Vegetable Center, please visit our website: https: www.avrdc.org

The Center is seeking a highly motivated and qualified person to manage   finance and administration operations for  WorldVeg’s  West and Central Africa – Coastal and Humid Regions (WCA-CH). The position is based  in Cotonou, Benin and report to the Regional Director. The position is only open to Benin nationals.

The Job:

The Senior Finance and Administrative Officer will contribute to the mission of the regional office by ensuring first-rate performance in the areas of finances, administration and human resources. He/she will assist the Regional Director of WCA-CH in the overall management of the finance,  administrative and human resources functions including all strategic and tactical matters as they relate to budget monitoring and management, procurement, logistics, information technology, day to day relations with host government and host institutions, human resources and contract management, internal and external compliance and reporting, risk management, forecasting needs, donor reporting, and providing support in securing of new funding for the region. Specific roles include but are not limited to the following:

• Fund management: responsible for efficient treasury activities in the region.

o Prepare monthly fund requests to HQ and ensure the follow-up of liquidity replenishment until the bank confirmation. Ensures that the regional, sub-regional offices and regional projects have sufficient funds for their operational activities;

o Monitor monthly cash flow situation, analyze differences between forecasts and observed actuals;

o Keep ageing file on bank cheques and ensures that cheques not being cashed are cancelled;

o Ensure that the petty cash of the regional office and country project offices is kept according to WorldVeg’s regulations.

• Budget management:

o Participate in the development and implementation / monitoring of annual regional budgets;

o Participate in the development of project budgets;

o Ensure monitoring and analyze of activity expenditures, provides reports and forecasts to the RD.

• Project management:

o Assist with development of project budgets, with specific focus on full cost recovery and determining cost effectiveness of prospective service delivery;

o Execute formal review of the financial reports of partners;

o Monitor compliance of staff with timesheet requirements.

• Accounting and financial reporting:

o Monitor banking activities of the region and maintain the relationship with bank administration;

o Control and approve the monthly reports including reconciliations of sub-regional offices accounts with the regional office and HQ accounts;

o Ensure all financial transactions are timely and properly recorded in Maconomy (Center’s ERP software system) as per WorldVeg’s regulations;

o Ensure monthly reconciliations of the bank and (petty) cash accounts;

o Monitor closely the accounts payable and accounts receivables, in particular (travel) advances to staff; ensures that receivables are reimbursed in time; maintains ageing file of advances;

o Review and approve staff expenses claims of the advances received;

o Supervise the financial management in project offices which will require regular site visits;

o Prepare on time project financial reports and sends them for review to HQ.

• Internal control and audit:

o Ensure regional financial, budgeting, human resource and administrative policies and procedures are regularly reviewed, documented, dated and  signed in compliance with internal policies, country-specific laws and donor regulations; participates in the formulation of regional regulations as required;

o Ensure the effective execution of the finance regulation procedure manuals and auditor recommendations;

o When reconciling expenses, ensure that all expenses were authorized and efficiently processed as per Centers regulations;

o Ensure compliance with country legislative requirements for financial reporting and with WorldVeg’s financial regulations;

o Assist the regional director in preparing internal audits of the regional center; help project managers preparing project audits.

• Asset & Inventory:

o Oversee all procurement activities and ensure the purchases are cost effective and the processes are in compliance with Center’s policies and operating procedures; maintains an inventory of all regional assets control and reconciles it with the Maconomy fixed assets list;

o Responsible for the retention and disposal of all financial documents in the region.

• Personnel Administration

o Assist the Regional Director in planning staffing needs, securing required approvals from HQ;

o Directly supervise regional office administrative staff as well as country and project finance and administrative and support staff. Train the administrative, finance and other staff on general administration and financial management matters;

o Facilitate recruitment of local staff- recruitment requests, announcement, organizing interviews, liaison with IITA for issuance of contracts;

o Onboarding- employee documentations, induction of new staff to policies, procedures, and systems;

o Staff information: maintain staff information and provide regular updates to HR at HQ;

o Performance-related: assist the Regional Director in conducting staff performance reviews, salary adjustments and record keeping;

o Salary & benefits – Manage the attendance and payroll of local staff and ensure salaries are calculated correctly and paid on the due dates. Ensure taxes and social security dues are deducted from the salaries and deposited with the respective agencies on time. For applicable countries, work with IITA as host institution to ensure that salaries and benefits are provided timely, and sort out issues that may be raised by IITA or staff.

• Others

o Assist the RD in ensuring compliance with host government agreements, visa for staff and visitors as well as statutory procedural rules and regulations regarding applicable labor laws and provide support during crisis situations;

o Conduct training sessions for all relevant partner organization on administrative/risk management/sexual harassment policies and procedures as may be required;

o Assist the Regional Director as a focal point for risk management, prevention and reporting of sexual harassment;

o Work with the Regional Director of WCA in fostering and cultivating stakeholder relationships at the national and regional levels, as well as assisting in the development and negotiation of contracts. Maintains an overview file of all regional contracts;

o Perform other related duties as assigned by the Regional Director.

Position requirements:

• Minimum of a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance or Accounting or a related field, preferably complemented with a Chartered Accountant status (PCPA or Certified Internal Auditor);

•  A minimum of 3 years’ work experience in accounting/finance within an international environment, preferably an International Agricultural Research Institution (IARC) or international non-governmental organization (NGO);

•  Bilingual imperative proficiency in French and English, with proficiency in proofreading, grammar skills and attention to detail.

• An excellent understanding of Administration and Human Resources functions and practices;

• Familiarity with the Benin and other West Africa countries tax regulations, labour laws and NGO regulatory framework;

• Experience in handling of web-based enterprise resource management systems. Knowledge of and experience in working with accounting software;

• Excellent computer skills in MS‐office applications (Word, Excel, Power point, Access);

• Excellent relationship management, communication/negotiations and liaison skills within medium to large teams and with third parties with the ability to work in a dynamic environment;

• A confident and positive attitude with excellent cultural awareness and sensitivity;

• Ability to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team in a multicultural, multinational environment, and ability to interact effectively with partners as a service provider;

• Strong multi-tasking abilities, interpersonal communication skills, problem solving skills.

The Reward: This is a Nationally Recruited Staff position with competitive pay and benefits. The position is only open to Benin nationals. The initial appointment is for two years and may be extended depending on requirement, funding availability, and performance of the incumbent. The position will be available on or after January 15, 2020.

How to Apply: Applicants should submit a letter of application explaining their suitability for and interest in the position along with their curriculum vitae, a recent passport size photograph, names and addresses (including telephone/fax/e-mail) of three referees, and date of availability. Please send applications stating the job title by e-mail to worldvegbenin@gmail.com before December 10, 2019.