Director of Finance and Administration, Climate Change Mitigation through Sustainable Land Use

Counterpart International is seeking a qualified Director of Finance and Administration to contribute to the anticipated USAID-funded activity “Climate Change Mitigation through Sustainable Land Use,” which aims to promote sustainable livelihoods and advance natural climate solutions in areas affected by deforestation and land degradation through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction and mitigation efforts. The Director of Finance and Administration will be responsible for all aspects of financial and administrative management and compliance, as well as coordination of financial processes with program activities. The director should have experience in the areas of financial management, accountability, negotiations, auditing, as well as USAID rules and regulations governing financial and administrative management and oversight of programs. The position will report to the Chief of Party of the project.

Responsibilities

• Establishing and overseeing financial management systems, procedures and controls.
• Reviewing Counterpart Field Finance Operations Manual, Procurement Manual, Grants Manual, Accounting QuickBooks Manual and other relevant documents.
• Working with the U.S. office to develop and implement the Field Human resources Manual and update it as necessary.
• Providing regular training to financial and administrative staff on tools, policies, and procedures.
• Ensuring that recruiting processes are consistent and streamlined; establishing filing system to hold all records relating thereto (maintaining electronic and hard copy files).
• Overseeing development of key Human Resources policies and ensuring their adherence to Ecuador’s labor laws.
• Providing oversight on the procurement processes and ensuring all service providers’ agreements and contracts are up to date.
• Establishing, collecting, examining, and analyzing records, policies, operating practices, documentation, and transactions; preparing and presenting audit reports.
• Recommending opportunities to strengthen the internal control structure and assisting with corrective action planning.
• Managing program budget and overseeing all financial and grants disbursements and procurement to ensure compliance with USAID regulations and Counterpart International policies.
• Coordinating monthly requests for funds, based on budget and cash flow projections, to ensure the project has all necessary funds for operations.
• Supervising day-to-day operations of the Finance, Grants, IT, Procurement, and HR teams.
• Monitoring program burn rate and supporting the development of pipelines, burn trackers, accruals, and spending projections.
• Overseeing payroll procedures for national staff; monitoring employee timekeeping.
• Preparing monthly financial reports, ensuring all vouchers are uploaded to records repository and overseeing QB database.
• Overseeing the inventory of the program equipment according to the regulations of Counterpart International.
• Supervising VAT reimbursements and exemptions.
• Providing training and technical assistance in financial management to local sub-grantees.
• Assisting with preparation of financial reports to USAID.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• A university degree in finance, business administration, or related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of progressive financial and grants management experience in international development projects.
• Proven experience of managing the finances of large ($20M) projects.
• Proven experience handling administrative procedures and compliance, including procurement, logistics, security, and human resources management
• Knowledge of Ecuadoran financial and accounting requirements.
• Demonstrated knowledge of USAID and other USG rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Knowledge of MS Word, Excel, and QuickBooks accounting software.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, oral, and written communications skills.
• Demonstrated supervisory and leadership skills, ability to work well in a team environment.
• Professional written and oral fluency in Spanish and advanced proficiency in English.
• Local candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.