TITLE:                      Finance and Administration Director

BAND:                       TBD

REPORTS TO:         Deputy Director

LOCATION:             Washington, DC

OVERALL DESCRIPTION: The Finance and Administration Director manages all aspects of the RESPOND Project's finance, administrative, and contractual functions.  He or she works with the Director and all members of the Management Team and MSH/Boston to ensure that the Project utilizes effective project information and tracking systems including financial and contractual data and other information.  He or she supervises finance and administrative staff including oversight of those in regional and country offices, and provides for their training.  In partnership with other project senior managers, the F&A Director provides counsel and analysis in support of the decision making process. He or she ensures coordination with the Business Information System (BIS) at MSH/Boston and financial and management systems of the other partners of the consortium. He or she supports the financial and administrative components of institutional development of other counterpart organizations as part of the project's implementation.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

• 1. Provides support to the Director and other key personnel regarding Project financial management issues ensuring compliance with requirements of the Cooperative Agreement and other governing policies and procedures.

• 2. Develops, and assures compliance with project administrative policies and procedures in headquarters, regional offices and country offices in compliance with MSH and USAID regulations and in coordination with Consortium member practices.

• 3. Participates actively in strategic and operational planning to ensure strategies and activities to be carried out at all levels are consistent with project resources and procedures. In relation to these functions, ensures that project financial, administrative and contractual information is maintained and easily accessible.

• 4. Supports the Director and Deputy Director in regard to budgetary and contractual issues related to multi-donor funding, cost sharing, establishment of regional and country offices, sub-contracts and CA coordination.

• 5. Works closely with MSH/Boston Finance Office staff and Director of Administrative Services ensuring that adequate financial control procedures are followed by the Project in accordance with established policies and procedures, and maintains compliance with administrative requirements of the Cooperative Agreement (# TBD).

• 6. Collaborates with personnel in MSH/Boston and other projects to establish finance, administrative and contractual systems that make maximum use of common resources.

• 7. Responsible for budgets and financial forecasts as needed. Responsible for the annual office and project budget submission to the Deputy Director, the MSH/Boston Finance Office and Consortium Management Group.

• 8. Responsible for the complete maintenance and timely closing of the Project BIS and its respective modules on a regular monthly basis. The responsibility includes completion of requisite control account reconciliations, including the timely follow-up and clearing of individual reconciling items and the timely transmission of month-end financial data, as required, to MSH/Boston Accounting.

• 9. Ensures the timely receipt, accrual, review, and processing of Partners' billings. Interfaces directly with partners' financial personnel with respect to questionable charges and variances between actual and budgeted line-item costs.

• 10. Analyzes periodic financial reports prepared by MSH/Boston Finance Office, prepares internal financial management reports as appropriate and requested, and interprets results and their impact for regular monthly reviews with senior managers of the project.

• 11. Does research and provides training regarding implementation and compliance issues in general areas of finance, contracts, and grants administration to staff and partners at all levels of the Project as necessary.

• 12. Supervises and/or monitors performance of finance and administrative staff including those in regional and country offices.

• 13. Performs other duties and specific projects as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 1. CPA, CMA or MBA preferred; BS in accounting with equivalent relevant experience may be acceptable.
• 2. Extensive accounting experience with significant direct supervisory experience.
• 3. Extensive knowledge of and experience with U.S. Government regulations; direct USAID experience preferred.
• 4. High degree of personal and professional integrity.
• 5. The commitment and ability to excel in a fast paced environment.
• 6. Strong organizational and communications skills (oral & written).
• 7. Fluency in English required; fluency in French, Spanish, or Portuguese desirable.
• 8. Technical competence in accounting theory and practice and in the use of information technology (especially accounting applications) including proficiency in MS Office 97 or higher applications.
• 9. Self-starter with demonstrated ability to work with teams and in concert with non-financial professionals.

Management Sciences for Health is an equal opportunity employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental handicap, or status as a disabled or Vietnam Era veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.

To apply for this position, please visit the Employment Opportunities section of our website at