Project Background

The Feed the Future Policy LINK project strengthens the capacity of local actors and institutions to lead and manage the agricultural transformation process and contribute effectively and collectively to improved, broad-based food security policy outcomes.

Specifically, the program aims to strengthen food security policy systems by investing in and reinforcing productive human and social capital and developing strategic partnerships that help bring these innovations and capacity investments to scale in order to achieve a critical mass of local actors with the ability and opportunity to effect positive policy change through collective action.

Policy LINK’s general approach is grounded in facilitative leadership and collaborative governance, which emphasize engaging stakeholders from civil society and the public and private sectors in consensus oriented decision-making, collaborative problem solving, and adaptive learning. 

Policy LINK in Ethiopia

The Feed the Future Champions for Food Security Activity (C4FS) is a five-year project implemented by DAI USAID’s global Policy LINK program. The overall objective of C4FS is to support the Government of Ethiopia and other policy system actors to navigate from an almost exclusively government-led and government-implemented development paradigm to a multi-stakeholder driven paradigm, where the government provides significant facilitative leadership and an enabling environment, but the private sector and civil society become increasingly strong players with significant policy leadership and implementation roles. C4FS works to support inclusive, multi-stakeholder, evidence-backed, nutrition sensitive food systems policy outcomes.

Position Objectives

The Finance and Operations Assistant will provide support to a range of finance and operational tasks, including preparation and filing of financial vouchers, organization of procurement and administrative paperwork, and assistance with vendor and statutory remittance payments. Additionally, s/he will assist with office operational initiatives/assignments, carrying out quarterly inventory audit and petty cash spot count and managing staff travel advance requests and expense report processing.

S/he will ensure that all transactions are documented in compliance with DAI policies and procedures. S/he will be expected to liaise with the operations and technical teams in the Policy LINK office in Ethiopia as well as with the Policy LINK global team as necessary.

S/he will continually reinforce Policy LINK’s agreed-upon core purpose and principles, and ensure all decision-making is rooted in that purpose and those principles. S/he will contribute to foster a learning environment in which personal and team growth is supported, with a shared understanding that the “team” always comes before the “individual.”

Responsibilities

The Finance and Operations Assistant will be responsible for the following:

Financial Management support (60%):

• Process and follow-up with assigned bank for weekly wire transfers. 

• Upon submission of monthly petty cash fund replenishment requests by the Admin and Logistics Coordinator, review thoroughly and prepare Petty Cash payment vouchers in vFER financial system timely. 

• Maintain the project finance filing system, including invoices, correspondence, backup procurement documentation, and client files. Ensure files are scanned monthly and organized according to project policies for easy reference during internal and external audits.

• Check that financial activities (i.e., payments for goods and services received) are carried out in compliance with project policies as well as local laws.

• Verify, store, and ensure the quality scanning of all payment vouchers in SharePoint. 

• Maintain and file hard copies of verified financial vouchers with “Paid Stamp” properly displayed and other contractual documentations with proper labelling. Manage archive and facilitate ad-hoc archive requests for reference or audit purposes. 

• Prepare withholding tax receipts upon payments and dispatch to the vendor and receive cash receipts. 

• Prepare statutory remittance reports and submit to Finance Specialist for review; liaise with corporate team to report back by designated deadlines. 

• Assist the Finance Specialist on monthly time sheet, payroll, and vendor payments, and bi monthly reports as required. 

• Prepare VAT Refund submission report, submit to Finance Specialist for review and deliver to USAID on monthly basis. 

• Liaise with Ethiopia Revenue and Customs Authority to collect VAT refund cheques and make deposit to the bank; update the VAT tracker sheet. 

• Any other duties as assigned for successful financial management support based on project needs. 

Operational support (30%):

• In coordination with the Administration and Logistics Coordinator, assist in the documentation of receipt of new office inventory, check that proper backup documentation is stored in project management information system, and ensure staff comply with policies on inventory acquisition and disposal.

• Support quarterly audits of office inventory, surprise physical cash count, and reporting to Finance and Operations Director.

• Upon request, assist the Administration and Logistics Coordinator with the monitoring and restocking of standard office supplies and ensure that project staff needs for equipment, supplies, and furniture are met.

• Support communication with the office landlord to manage office facilities maintenance/repair needs.

• Assist with equipment safety/security (including vehicles), reporting incidents to the Finance and Operations Director as appropriate.

• Any other duties as assigned for successful operational support based on project needs. III.

General (10%):

• Upon request, assist the process of periodic audits of finance, procurement, and administration (including vehicle) files on behalf of the Policy LINK Ethiopia team, verifying documentation against the latest checklists/guidance available in the project’s Field Operations Manual 

• As a member of the LINK Ethiopia operations team, proactively flag any recurring operations issues for action by the Finance and Operations Director.

Reporting

• The Finance and Operations Assistant will report directly to the Ethiopia Finance Specialist with a dotted line to Administration and Logistics Coordinator.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• The Finance and Operations Assistant will not have any supervisory responsibilities

Contract Name: USAID/Feed the Future Policy LINK

States: Long Term Technical Assistance

Start Date: on/around April 1, 2023

Supervisor: Finance Specialist, with indirect reporting to the Administration and Logistics Coordinator

Job Requirements

Qualifications Education: 

• A university degree in accounting, finance, business management, public administration, or another relevant field.

Work Experience: 

• 4+ years of relevant work experience on donor-funded programs (USAID preferred), with progressive responsibility in petty cash and inventory and office operational support management.

Skills: 

• Attention to detail.

• Effective communication with colleagues located within Ethiopia as well as in other Policy LINK offices. • Ability to balance competing priorities.

• Agile and willing to accommodate work re-assignments.

• Professional written and verbal proficiency in English and fluency in Amharic.

• Computer-based financial system and SharePoint folder management experience is a plus. 

How to Apply

Policy LINK does not discriminate based on gender.

Please submit applications electronically via this website: CLICK HERE Applications will be considered in the order received until close of business East Africa Time on March 8, 2023.

Candidates will be required to answer certain qualifying questions before uploading their CVs and cover letters to the application form for consideration. Only candidates who are shortlisted for interviews will be contacted.

No email inquiries please