Director, Finance & Operations

This role was posted on June 19, 2024. Please note that we will review applications on a rolling basis.

The Role

At Last Mile Health (LMH), we are all stewards of our reputation and our resources. Do you have experience leading project budget development and expenditure monitoring, including timely preparation of high-quality forecasts, pipelines, and financial statements?  If so, you may be our next Director, Finance & Operations for the upcoming USAID-funded Community Health Activity (CHA) follow-on.

Last Mile Health is seeking a Director, Finance & Operations for an expected 5-year, estimated $10 million -$24.999 million Community Health Activity (CHA) project in Liberia. The purpose of this USAID-funded Community Health Activity (CHA) will be to result in, achieve and/or deliver: 

1. Increase access to quality health, nutrition, and surveillance services.  (↑ Access)
2. CHAs can confidently provide quality services including diagnostic services through robust supervision and training. (↑ QoC)
3. New approaches to messaging around nutrition, family planning, immunization and other MCH services using the required tools and supplies. (↑ SBCC messaging, tools and supplies for FP, vaccines and MCH)
4. Community Animal Health Worker (CAHWs) capacity increased for early detection and reporting of priority diseases. (↑ One health capacity and ↑ disease notification)
5. Provide Support to the Government of Liberia’s National Community Health Assistants Program through capacity building of key program units and County Health Teams and personnel. (↑ systems/HRH building for NCHAP and CHTs)
6. Provision of stipends to Community Health Assistants (CHAs), Community Health Promoters (CHPs), and Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs). (↑ Payment platforms/systems for community health)

The Director, Finance & Operations has primary responsibility for overall financial management and administration of the activity, working with project leads to ensure the effective use of resources to achieve project objectives on time and in compliance with USAID rules and regulations. S/he will provide strategic, analytic, and tactical leadership to ensure that all financial and contractual obligations of the award are met. The successful candidate will report to the Chief of Party/Project Director and provide oversight for financial planning, analysis, monitoring, and reporting, subaward management, and systems and processes to ensure operational integrity and adherence to relevant administrative and compliance standards.

We are looking for an incumbent with experience in USAID relationship-management, large portfolio financial assurance, large complex grants administration, and pedigree in single entity and consortium structure compliance processes.

This position is project-funded, located in Monrovia, Liberia, and is open to both Liberian nationals and International Candidates. This position will be hired on a fixed-term contract and is contingent upon a successful award.

What You’ll Do

Financial & Operational Management & Reporting

• Provide leadership for the successful start up and close out of project operations, including but not limited to banking, operations and logistics, and staff administration.
• Lead project budget development and expenditure monitoring, including timely preparation of high-quality forecasts, pipelines, and financial statements. With the project team, establish and conduct regular and timely budget variance and other financial review processes to ensure proactive identification and mitigation of poor performance and other risk
• Develop and maintain appropriate and cost-effective systems, processes, and controls for cash management, vendor payments, and budgeting to properly disburse, account, budget, and report funds.
• Ensure completeness of financial, procurement, and HR records retention and security. Communicate and present critical financial matters to senior leaders as needed in a timely manner.
• Oversee timely and accurate preparation, review, and submission of financial and other compliance reports to LMH’s global team and USAID
• Oversee the tracking of subaward budget execution, financial reporting, and compliance with all applicable rules and regulations, deploying financial and operations support to subaward partners in alignment with needs.
• Coordinate and lead annual audit and/or other review processes and ensure that all corrective actions are implemented as agreed.
• Supervise, mentor and train relevant staff ensuring team members have the appropriate skill levels for their positions and are developing to their full capacity. 
• Conduct trainings for other personnel as needed, on efficient, effective financial and internal control systems, budget analysis, and policy and procedure awareness and compliance.

Compliance policies’ development, cascade, and risk management

• Assess and strengthen or develop policies and procedures to ensure efficiency, quality, and all resources are in place, adhered to, and in compliance with local laws, donor rules and regulations.
• With country and global leadership, assess adherence to relevant compliance policy-needs and internal system controls. Conduct regular central and field level checks for relevant policy compliance.
• With country leadership, maintain and update the in-country risk register, working proactively to identify, Isolate, mitigate, manage, and prevent live and potential operational risks, including fraud, bribery, and corruption
• Contract and manage local individuals/organizations for identified tasks according to donor and agency procedures; negotiate consultancy agreements, provide training and/or develop capacity of local partners.
• Keep up to date with USAID regulations and communicate relevant changes to staff and partners, ensuring links with HQ in terms of global USAID compliance policies and updates on regulations.

What You’ll Bring

• Degree(s) in grants management, accounting, business administration, public health, or another related field.
• Additional post-graduate certifications (CIMA, ACCA etc.) and charters.
• Progressive years of  experience in managing risks and compliance for large donor portfolios (USAID preferable).
• Previous experience as lead in Finance and Operations/Admin on a USAID project  DCOP, Director Finance and Operations/Admin on a USAID project is an advantage.
• Experience in delivering quality oversight of USAID acquisition or assistance awards.
• Experience in local partner, consortium partner oversight and financial and Operations management are key.
• Proven years of senior management experience.
• Senior Management- level experience to include contracts oversight, budgets holding responsibility, fundraising, operations, and finance management.
• Experience in the charity sector and/or in low-resource, post-conflict, or other challenging environments.
• Familiarity with finance management tools and systems and ERPs including MRPs (monthly reporting packs), MERs (month end reviews), SUN systems, ORACLE, MATE, Infor BI.
• Knowledge of supply chain, IT, HR and vehicle management systems Netsuite, SLITE, Slack, Terramar, tracpoint etc.
• Demonstrated management and organizational skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
• Strategic and innovative thinker with proven ability to communicate a vision.
• Excellent IT, interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated financial skills: budget monitoring and financial reporting.
• Demonstrated problem solving skills: providing solutions to challenging situations.
• Demonstrated management skills in emergency situations.
• Ability to communicate complex ideas with others.
• Ability to learn and apply new skills and techniques on the job.
• Ability to work effectively with others in a cross-cultural environment, as a leader and influencer.

You’ll Impress Us If

• You have worked in Africa leading  Finance and Operations in USAID projects.
• Work experience in Liberia is a plus  
• You can work well independently and with little supervision 

Compensation information

At Last Mile Health, we strive to reward our employees equitably and transparently. This means that we pay our employees based on a clear and consistent methodology and without regard to identity or personal relationships. We have made this model fully transparent so that everyone has access to all information related to compensation. We hope this helps you better understand Last Mile Health’s values and commitments to our employees. We look forward to answering any questions you may have during the hiring process.

Before applying to this role, please take a moment to learn more about our approach to compensation and how compensation works in each of the countries where we operate. Please find the link to our compensation model and benefits overview below:

OVERVIEW OF LAST MILE HEALTH’S COMPENSATION MODEL

Compensation for this position:

The Band for this position: LBR-4

TheLiberia salary range for this role is $51,623 to $73,691 USD dependent upon experience doing an equivalent role. Please note that the compensation is subject to statutory taxes. 

For International staff, the salary range is an annual gross of $81,623 to $103,591 USD depending upon experience doing an equivalent role. Please note that compensation is subject to statutory taxes. 

Benefits for this role will be within and in accordance with USAID salary bands, allowables and parameters. Specifics of this will be transparently communicated to candidates who are shortlisted for this role and in line with our compensation policies. 

About Last Mile Health

Last Mile Health partners with governments to design, scale, strengthen, and sustain high-quality community health systems, which empower teams of community and frontline health workers to bring life-saving primary healthcare to the world’s most remote communities. LMH is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, visitwww.lastmilehealth.org.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at LMH. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status