Call for Applications: Finance Officer (Consultant)

Deadline for submissions is Friday 26^th January 2024 at midnight (12:00 am) GMT to the following address: adea-applications@afdb.org. The subject of the e-mail should be “Finance Officer”.

The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) is a forum for policy dialogue on education and it is hosted by the African Development Bank in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.  Its vision is to create “high-quality African education and training geared towards the promotion of critical skills for accelerated and sustainable development in Africa”. ADEA’s mission therefore is to “serve as an open and flexible pan-African organization that informs and facilitates the transformation of education and training to drive Africa’s accelerated and sustainable development”. It acts as a catalyst in promoting innovative policies and practices through the pooling of ideas, experiences, learning and knowledge. ADEA’s overall goal is to contribute to empowering African countries to develop education and training systems that respond to their emergent needs and drive Africa’s sustainable social and economic transformation.

ADEA’s main organs are its Steering Committee (SC), Executive Committee (EC), the Secretariat, Inter-Country Quality Nodes (ICQNs) . The Secretariat is the administrative arm that implements the decisions and resolutions of ADEA’s governance entities and oversees the implementation of ADEA’s work program and budget on a day-to-day basis. It also organizes high-level policy dialogues and statutory meetings; manages communications and knowledge; and coordinates the work of ICQNs .

Two pillars guide the implementation of the strategic plan: the Continental Education Platform and the country-based Advisory and Execution Support Services. Both pillars are aligned to the African Union’s Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2016-2025 (CESA 16-25) and the Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 on Education (SDG4).

ADEA’s core business is education development in Africa where it has a continental voice and the capacity to bring together the major players of the continent on policy issues in education. The objective of this position is for the incumbent to provide leadership in budgeting and financial matters to facilitate efficient and cost-effective implementation of ADEA’s core business functions.

Reporting directly to the Executive Secretary, the Finance Officer will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

Budget Planning and Implementation:

• Develop and provide appropriate guidelines to the Secretariat, ICQNs and Task Forces to enable them to prepare detailed annual budgets for their activities.
• Coordinate the preparation of the annual budget, based on ADEA’s integrated work program for the review and approval by ADEA’s Executive Committee and Steering Committee respectively.
• Implement the allocation of annual funds to individual units at the Secretariat, ICQNs and Task Forces according to the approved budget.
• Set up and update ADEA’s budget system within Enterprise Resource Planning/SAP (ERP/SAP), in collaboration with AfDB.
• Monitor ADEA’s overall budget implementation, advice on budget imputation, and issue monthly and quarterly internal reports.

Financial Management:

• Provide necessary advice and guidance to the Executive Secretary, to the Inter-Country Quality Nodes (ICQN) and Task Force staff, and partners on the application of financial rules and regulations.
• Maintain ADEA’s accounts in full compliance with the financial regulations contained in the Memorandum of Understanding which ADEA signed with AfDB.
• Prepare and provide accurate financial accounts for the annual external audit exercise and provide auditors with all relevant information necessary to carry out their assignment.
• Maintain a consistent oversight of ADEA’s income and expenditure in SAP and in bank accounts and ensure correct and up to date accounting.
• Certify payments and debits of purchase orders, liquidation, and obligation processes.
• Certify and monitor payments of invoices, and coordinate disbursements to ICQNs, Task Forces and partners based on contribution agreements.
• Verify financial reports received from ICQNs and Task Forces and partners on disbursed funds; and certify financial reports to development partners and to external auditors.   
• Prepare detailed financial analysis on income and expenditure for the Executive Secretary’s annual reporting to the Steering Committee. 
• Provide relevant financial data, in aid to proposals writing, negotiation and negotiation with donors.

• Hold at least a minimum of a master’s degree in accounting, finance or related discipline and internationally recognized professional certification such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Chartered Accountant (CA).
• Have a minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional work experience in accounting, budget planning and execution, and financial management.
• Must have a deep understanding of accounting principles, financial concepts and transaction processes, and a solid knowledge of internal controls and risk management principles.
• Experience in grants management and an understanding of the kind of reporting required by development agencies and donors.  
• Reliable, trustworthy, and able to present accounting and financial simulations clearly and transparently.
• Ability to articulate a clear strategy for cost effectiveness and for ensuring financial stability in program management.
• Ability to manage multiple and competing demands and priorities as well as capacity to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines.
• Integrity, credibility, diligence, attention to detail and innovativeness, and ability to operate in an automated accounting environment.
• Ability to prepare, present and discuss financial statements is an asset.
• Communicate and write effectively in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Experience in the use of accounting and financial software and Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, etc.) including advanced spreadsheet and database packages are vital while experience with SAP is desirable.

Applications must be sent to adea-applications@afdb.org no later than Friday 26^th January 2024 at midnight (12:00 am) GMT. The subject of the e-mail should be “Finance Officer”.

Due to the high volume of applications, only selected candidates will be contacted through a formal correspondence via e-mail. Please do not contact ADEA or staff members to enquire about the status of your application.

The consultant will be employed for a period of 12 months. Renewal of the contract will depend on satisfactory performance following final evaluation.

Duty Station: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire