Back Finance and Administration Manager

*Applications to be submitted in English*

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is seeking a Finance and Administration Manager to support GAIN in setting up its new country office at Benin. This role will be offered on a 3 years’ fixed-term contract, subject to availability of funding. You will be based in Cotonou, Benin.

About GAIN

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with both governments and businesses, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people. In particular, we aim to make healthier food choices more desirable, more available, and more affordable. GAIN’s mission is to advance nutrition outcomes by improving consumption of nutritious and safe food for all people, especially the most vulnerable to malnutrition.

About the Role

Reporting to the Country Director, Benin, the Finance and Administration Manager will be a key position in the Benin country office. This position is expected to provide essential administrative, governance, financial, HR, IT and internal control services to the program operations whilst ensuring compliance with GAIN policies, systems and procedures. You are expected to be both responsive and proactive to operational requirements with an ability to plan the work of program support.

The postholder will ensure compliance with external requirements, such as local laws and regulations and donor, partner, service provider and vendor contractual obligations. You are responsible for safeguarding GAIN’s interest in these transactions and interactions, providing effective first level stewardship of GAIN’s assets, resources, staff and premises. You will provide support to the Country Director, staff and consultants in maintaining good relationships with external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities include;

• Making sure all GAIN standard operating procedures are rolled-out and implemented in Benin
• Ensuring that all translated documents are fit for purpose and are properly aligned with GAIN’s policies and standards.
• Leading and managing office administration functions and establishing systems and processes for the smooth functioning of the country office
• Overseeing the proper upkeep and maintenance of office premises and working facilities like telephone system, photocopying machines and furniture to provide the best possible physical environment for staff to discharge their duties
• Supporting strengthening internal governance including legal matters such as registration and coordinating and liaising with various government and local area authorities for statutory and legal compliances as per local law
• Ensuring that administrative, budgetary, procedural and accounting controls evolved are actually complied with and to improve them with time in accordance with HQ’s guidelines.
• Supervising Finance section and ensuring financial transactions are recorded in line with GAIN norms and standards in timely fashion. Maintaining financial records including ledger, journal, petty cash and cash books and bank details. Managing receivables and payables in line with GAIN guidelines. Preparing cash flow and fund flow statements for review
• Overseeing monthly closing, ensuring all transactions for the month are recorded accurately and deadlines set by GAIN headquarter are met.
• Ensuring accurate and timely release of salary and other payments to staff. Overseeing the changes in salary and maintaining the consistencies with HR records at headquarter
• Supporting Country Director on preparation of program budgets, analysis of grants and expenditure and developing suitable MIS (Management Information System) in coordination project managers
• Ensuring the availability and accessibility of updated HR Manual to all staff in the state/program office and responsible to clarify any point contained in the manual as and when required by any member of staff, where necessary taking the help of GAIN HQ
• Arranging on-the-job or off-the-job training where appropriate. Ensuring staff is fully equipped with the skills required for performing jobs assigned to them. Developing training plan on an annual basis and factor inputs from annual appraisals to ensure that opportunities are made available to them.
• Reviewing job descriptions for all program support staff in line with the current requirements of the organization. Ensuring a work plan with measurable indicators for measuring performance mutually agreed upon between supervisors and supervise based on their JDs.
• Ensuring compliance of GED (Gender Equity and Diversity) and Anti-Harassment Policies of the mission
• Ensuring stable and responsive Networking (Local and Wide Area) environment with the adherence to security standards for Network and user authorities
• Supporting the program team to develop best practices on budgets and grants management that can attract potential donors.
• Visiting the field and partners to analyse reports and financial statements and providing them and program team technical support on effective use of resources.

About You

The ideal candidate will have solid experience in a managerial position, including supervision of other staff. You should have ability to plan and organize a substantial workload that includes complex diverse tasks and responsibilities. Candidate with experience working in a start-up office is highly desirable.

You should possess basic command of written and spoken English, Urdu and a regional language. Candidate should have strong leadership skills, including the ability to supervise and motivate staff effectively and ability to coach, mentor and provide guidance to supervised staff.

The postholder should have knowledge and skills on introducing and implementing GED (Gender Equity and Diversity) principles. Degree level in Management with specialisation in Business, HR and IT or relevant field. Candidate with professional accounting qualification is highly desirable.

About our Offer

The starting salary on offer for this role is from XOF 13’757’676 – XOF 15’741’420 (gross) per annum, depending on experience.

GAIN has a fair and competitive salary structure that allows for annual progression subject to good performance. In addition, GAIN offers a total of 37 days holiday per year (including annual leave, public holidays and additional office closure days), an attractive pension scheme and competitive insurance cover including health, travel and life assurance.

We are committed to the health of our staff, especially in these challenging times, and have developed a programme of wellbeing that includes flexible working, additional leave allowances, wellbeing days, mindfulness coaching and access to independent and confidential counselling.

GAIN also has a strong commitment to professional development. We will support you to grow in your career through both formal and informal training, and are committed to providing opportunities through internal recruitment, secondments and promotion. All of this is delivered in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Our Working Culture and Environment

We provide a flexible working environment that includes a combination of home and office working opportunities through our global hybrid working policy. This encourages our staff to have a healthy work-life balance and increases staff motivation, enriches employee wellbeing, and improves performance and productivity.

All of our positions are based in one or more of GAIN’s designated offices as stated on our job advertisements. Successful candidates will be based in one of GAIN’s country offices and must have the existing right to live and work within a reasonably commutable distance of the relevant city / cities in which the role is advertised. Please note, that GAIN does not sponsor working visas and relocations.

GAIN reserves the right to withdraw an offer of employment for candidates who are considered to ineligible under the above conditions during or after the recruitment process.

Applicants must be currently based in the Cotonou, Benin region to be eligible to apply for this position.

This advert closes on 8th February 2023. Early applications are encouraged. GAIN reserves the right to close this advert early should we receive suitable candidates ahead of the closing date.

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition is committed to equality of opportunity and creating an inclusive environment where diversity is valued. We are keen to reflect the diversity of our society at every level within our organisation and therefore welcome applications from talented and committed people from all backgrounds, representing the diverse societies we operate in.