Finance Officer (III)

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) seeks to recruit a Finance Officer (III) who will be responsible for providing finance and administrative support to the assigned Country Director and staff.

AGRA is an African-led institution that actively supports the drive towards inclusive agricultural transformation and sustainable food systems. We do this by empowering the continent’s 33 million smallholder farming households to transform their agriculture from a struggle to survive to profitable businesses. The continent’s farmers regularly face challenges, and we aspire to provide uniquely African solutions that respond to their agricultural and environmental challenges, leading to increased harvests for reduced hunger and more income.

Working in alignment with the development priorities of our focus countries, we enable farmers to access improved and high-yielding seeds, gain knowledge on sustainable farming, and linkages to profitable markets.

In our work, we aspire to build the alliances, partnerships, and networks required to drive an inclusive agricultural transformation. We work with our partners to create an equitable youth-friendly environment that harnesses the youth dividend on the continent to drive growth and facilitate open employment opportunities for young women and men. We achieve our key objectives through a focus on the following four areas of intervention:

Implementing Our New Strategy Through People

People are the heart of our organization and remain the true drivers of our delivery and our impact. We work with incredible people and partners who have roots in farming communities across the continent combined with an inclusive and diverse workforce from over 24 nationalities. Our commitment to a call to action goes beyond ourselves as we arise to catalyze African Food Systems transformation by being Deeply collaborative, Executing Excellently, Sincerely Constructive and Increasingly Entrepreneurial aligned with our values of (I-RISE; Integrity, Respect, Innovation, Stewardship and Equity).

We are, therefore, looking for people who are passionate about Africa to join our innovative, growing, and multidisciplinary team. Together, we can grow Africa’s food systems improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Want to join us?

An important component in the market development for FL-RS is the provision of smart subsidies that benefit smallholder farmers through availing more affordable products and services. AGRA will (partially) procure FL-RS for further distribution of the FL-RS to smallholder farmers. To ensure impact delivery, the smart subsidies will only be released upon delivery of FL-RS to eligible farmers.

The role will focus on implementing the financing models and improving the bankability and performance of the MSMEs including cooperatives, youth groups, and other market actors. Additionally, the role will focus on stimulating private sector investment and innovation by addressing systemic barriers to finance and business support services, to achieve commercial viability, sustainability, and impact at scale. The role holder will work to strengthen the enabling environment for inclusive finance, foster commercially viable delivery channels for FL-RS, and facilitate sustainable partnerships that reduce market inefficiencies and promote long-term competitiveness across the value chain.

Role Summary:

S/he will be responsible for providing leadership and direction, as well as day-to-day management of the finance and administration function of Ethiopia. On financial functions, she/he will be responsible for coordinating and supporting the development and monitoring of budgets and forecasts, liaising with the ILRI and Nairobi finance units to support timely processing of financial transactions, maintaining of a healthy balance sheet, providing audit support and aligning of processes and procedures. Working closely with the Grants Officer, s/he will also support grants monitoring and evaluation processes and efficiently manage the flow of grants as per donor rules and regulations and in compliance with AGRA’s internal policies and processes to achieve the set turnaround times.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Develop and maintain financial analysis and reporting activities for assigned country.
• Prepare finance reports and account reconciliation reports according to company policies on a periodic basis.
• Identifies and resolves invoicing issues, accounting discrepancies and other financial related issues for the assigned country.
• Supports the annual financial audit processes through the preparation of standard reports as well as other custom reports as requested within the legal and regulatory requirements.
• Initiates and manages the assigned country budgets and forecasts in line with AGRA policies and respective donor restrictions.
• Maintains an updated fixed asset register and coordinates the annual verification as per the set policies and procedures.
• Provides oversight of any staff providing financial and admin support in the countries
• Creates finance journal entries as required for the assigned country.
• Leads in the management of account payables and receivables activities for the assigned country.
• Collaborates with the finance and HR teams in preparation of financial reports and statements for the assigned country.
• Aligns and reconciles countries and regions monthly general ledger balance, invoices and credit card statements
• Sets guidelines to ensure maintenance of the general and subsidiary ledgers.
• Plans and prepares tax documents for timely filing of company tax.
• Organizes and maintains all countries and regions financial records and files as per the company policies.
• Organizes the administration processes for all payroll activities as well as oversees vendor payments etc.
• Plans for all bill payments and customer invoicing as per the deadlines with the countries and regions.
• Sets ways to streamline/improve the processes and procedures for operational efficiency of finance reporting and budgeting systems within the assigned country.

Academic and professional qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting and/or Finance or related field.
• Relevant professional certification or CPA certification is advantageous

Experience:

• Severn years’ of professional experience in accounting, finance, or financial monitoring
• Experience in working with similar organizations or institutions will be an added advantage.
• Thoroughly familiar with and experience in working with finance regulations and reporting standards and requirements

Skills:

• Knowledge of global, country/government accounting standards
• Assess Grant Documentation: Ensure that all grant and contract documentation assembled by program staff is complete, accurate, and complies with AGRA and donor policies and procedures.
• Assess Grant Documentation: Ensure that all grant and contract documentation assembled by program staff is complete, accurate, and complies with AGRA and donor policies and procedures.
• Strong analytical, data mining ability
• Understanding of auditing techniques to help ensure countries and regions financial operations remain in compliance.
• Computer proficiency in spreadsheets, presentations and reporting software
• Ability to work independently in a diverse environment
• Evidence of the practice of a high level of confidentiality
• Strong ability to influence positively both upwards and downwards
• Proven leadership ability to develop, and empower employees to achieve their best with a team approach
• Deep understanding of the financial environment within which AGRA is operating
• Highly organized, results and detail orientated with a very hands on approach
• Excellent leadership, organizational, and problem solving/decision making ability Intelligent, motivated self-starter with a strong work ethics

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Grade: HG15

Minimum Base Salary: USD1,271 per month.

Terms of appointment: These are National Staff (NS) positions, initial appointment is for two years with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and the availability of funding. The ILRI remuneration package for nationally recruited staff in Ethiopia includes a very competitive salary and benefits such as life and medical insurance, offshore pension plan, etc.

Skills Required:

• Accounting / Finance