Company Profile

WASCAL is a leading academic and trans-disciplinary research organization serving policymakers in West Africa with science-based advice on adaptation to climate change of land use and management. It cooperates with many agencies and universities in the region, providing a knowledge platform of excellence for its partners. WASCAL is linked closely with other international organizations in its mandate zone.

Job Description

Job Summary: 
The Director of Finance and Administration of WASCAL will be a strategic collaborator and reporting to the Executive Director (EO). The successful candidate will be a hands-on and participative manager and will develop and lead an internal team to support the areas of Finance, Business planning and Budgeting, Human Resources, Administration, and Information Technology for the organisation. 

The Director of Finance and Administration will play a critical role in collaborating with the senior management team in strategic decision making and operations to enhance its quality programming and build capacity. 

Key Responsibilities: 
Organisational Infrastructure 

• Ensures that management and operational policies and procedures are in place to ensure that operational activities are efficient and in-line with approved budgetary allocations, and meet the vision, strategies and objectives of WASCAL Governing Board, and respect all legal. ethical, and Employment Standard requirements 
• Establish and implement internal control system, finance policies and procedures, administrative and IT systems to ensure that the organisation's day- to-day operational activities are efficient and effective, and are in-line with approved strategic initiatives and budgetary allocations 

Financial Management  

• Oversee and lead annual budgeting and planning process in coordination with the ED; administer and review all financial plans and budgets; monitor progress and changes and keep senior management abreast of the organisation's financial status. 
• Oversee all financial. project/programme and grants accounting, and develop, implement, adhere to and monitor compliance with internal financial controlling systems to ensure that the organisation is protected from risk. 
• Develop, analyse and present financial reports in an accurate and timely manner; collate financial reporting materials for the ED and management team, the Governing Board and all donor segments .. 
• Manage organizational cash flow and forecasting. 
• Implement a robust contracts management and financial management/ reporting system; ensure that the contract billing and collection schedule of country contributions is adhered to and that financial data and cash flow are steady and support operational requirements. 
• Update and implement all necessary business policies and accounting practices; improve the finance department's overall policy and procedure manual. 
• Coordinate and lead the annual audit processes. liaise with external auditors and the Finance/Audit Committee of the Governing Board; assess any changes necessary. 
• Trains, supports, monitors and evaluate the ability of the managers and directors to manage budgets 
• Effectively prepare, communicate and present the critical financial matters to the Governing Board in due time. 

Administration, Human Resources and IT 

• Supervise the development and administration of Human Resources. including the maintenance of updated HR system. training and enhancing professional development, compensation and benefits, performance evaluation for all categories of staff. 
• Supervise and ensure that recruiting processes are consistent and streamlined, 
• and oversee staff development needs to maintain the quality of the management. 
• Establish, coordinate and manage comprehensive administrative system and ensure that procedures and policies are well communicated to all staff, and thoroughly monitored and evaluated. 
• Oversee administrative functions as well as facilitate to ensure efficient and consistent operations as the organisation scales. 
• Work closely and transparently with all external partners, including donors, third-party vendors and consultants. 
• Supervise support staff at the WASCAL Headquarters and the Competence Centre 
• Performing other duties as required by the Executive Director 

Required Skills or Experience

• Minimum of a BA, ideally with an MBA/ CPA or related degree; Qualified member of an accountancy body or holder of equivalent qualification 
• PhD or Masters' Degree in one of the following or related fields: Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, International Business or Economics 
• At least 7-10 years of overall professional experience; ideally 6+ years of broad financial and operations management experiences. in accounting. budgeting. payroll and procurement of goods and services. 
• Strong financial and computer skills MS Office. SAGE accounting software and other internationally accepted accounting software packages 

Special Requirement 

• Experience in similar position with non-governmental organisation and/or international organisation preferred 
• A track record in grants management 
• Commitment to training programmmes that maximize individual and organisation goals across the institution, including best practices in human resources activities  
• A successful track record in setting priorities; keen analytic, organisation and problem-solving skills. which support and enable sound decision making through the Executive Director. 
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate. and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders and donors. 
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility. and dedication to the mission of WASCAL and commitment to good governance 
• Perfectly bilingual - English/French 
• Willingness to travel