Finance and Corporate Services Manager |PIE
· Short term role, based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
· Commencement: 13 September 2022
· Duration of Contract: 18 Months
· Open to all applicants
About the Program
The Partnerships for Improving Education (PIE) Program is an 8-year, Government of Australia (GoA) investment to support the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG) improve the delivery of access to and quality of education for the children of PNG. From 1 July 2022, the program will be implemented in three phases:
· Inception Phase – six months.
· Phase 1 – 4.5 years with an independent review at 3.5 years;
· Phase 2 – three years.
The program will start with a focus on early grade education working at the national and sub-national level in four target provinces. Through facilitating, testing and monitoring innovative ways to address priority challenges related to access and retention, and the upgrading of skills of elementary teachers, the Program will seek to influence policy and systems-based change to improve learning outcomes for girls, boys and children with a disability in the early grades. After three years, broader adoption/adaptation in other provinces could commence thereafter depending upon interest and absorptive capacity. On this basis, the investment may directly engage with eight to ten provinces over its lifetime.
The expected end-of-investment outcomes (EOIO) for the PIE investment are:
· Targeted Outcome 1: More children (girls, boys, and children with disabilities) in the early grades enrol and stay in school in selected provinces using replicable and sustainable approaches
· Targeted Outcome 2: Targeted provinces are using sustainable and replicable
approaches to support improvements in the quality of teaching and learning in the early grades
· Enabling Outcome 3: Evidence of systemic change within the education sector that improves the delivery of early grades education
About the Opportunity
The Finance and Corporate Services Manager is responsible for the effective delivery of the program through ensuring all operational aspects are established and implemented effectively and efficiently, utilising the corporate services team model of integrated support and ensuring operational processes are continually developed and improved.
The Finance Corporate Services Manager forms part of the PIE Executive Leadership Team and will ensure PIE operations functions and individuals integrate and work collaboratively
Key Responsibilities
The Finance and Corporate Services Manager will oversight a range of resources and functions. These include:
People and Culture (HR):
· All HR matters for PIE staff in accordance with Abt Corporate and DFAT policies.
· Support PIE’s Senior People and Culture Coordinator with HR management activities.
Logistics, Operations and Security:
· Oversee PIE operations and security requirements for PIE program staff in Port Moresby and sub-national locations, these being: Sandaun, Central, Enga Provinces and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
· Coordination of all missions, reviews, evaluations, technical working groups and conferences as required.
· Manage relevant service agreements for the delivery of all corporate services, including for example, fleet management, ICT, security and transport.
Financial Management
· Prepare annual budgets under the guidance of the Team Leader with the support of the PIE finance team.
· Ensure the preparation of accurate activity and monthly budgets, forecasts and variance reports in line with corporate and project requirements.
· Actively participate, as part of the Corporate Services Division, to ensure all Head Contract requirements are met with regards to financial, operations and project reporting, including milestones.
· Oversight grants financial activities ensuring tranche payments are paid in accordance with grant deeds and client approvals.
· Undertake complex financial analysis for the PIE team and provide specialist advice on financial management issues in compliance with Abt Associates policies.
· Ensure program areas are responsible for preventing fraud and reporting instances to senior management when suspected.
· Work closely with program teams to ensure Commonwealth procurement requirements are met.
· Oversee ongoing updating of financial, travel and payroll procedures for PIE in line with Abt Associates policies and manuals, including the Operations Manual, Finance and Procurement, Travel and Payroll manual and assist in the ongoing development of all manuals, policy and procedures.
· Provide regular client reporting in accordance with the requirements of the client as outlined in the head contract and other ad hoc financial reports as requested.
· Reconcile monthly reimbursable and non-reimbursable financial transactions on NetSuite for invoicing purposes
· Review monthly reimbursable invoices for head office finalisation.
· Prepare and ensure milestone fee (management) invoices for Abt are raised when due or immediately as soon as a milestone is achieved
· Submit monthly reimbursable and periodic management fee invoices to DFAT on a timely manner along with Financial Annex
· Participate in monthly client Finance Forum and provide timely updates on financials, grants payments and reimbursable cash flow projections. Work closely with the client to ensure cash flow projections are updated and monitored.
· Ensure that Travel activities are recorded completely and efficiently in the Travel Tracker by the PIE team, so an accurate Travel Statistics Report is provided
· Actively maintain and update Finance, Travel and Payroll procedures and chapters in the Operations Manual
· Communicate with stakeholders on accounting and process matters.
· Support the implementation of the Value for Money Framework based on clear and understood benchmarks and performance standards, including as identified in the Performance Assessment Framework.
· Establish and maintain effective network links and relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
· Liaise with Head Office Finance Staff as required.
General Program Management and Corporate Responsibilities
· Contribute to PIE progress reporting requirements, including providing data and information to component programs for their reporting requirements.
· Establish a robust risk management framework that ensures both compliance and strategic risks are identified and managed and support implementation through partnership protocols and risk frameworks.
· Effectively track and manage key PIE and component program milestones and risks.
Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion Mainstreaming
· Demonstrate leadership support for the implementation of key diversity and inclusion policies, including:
- Gender Equality Policy.
- Respect at Work Policy.
- Flexible Work Policy.
- Paid Parental Leave Policy.
- Compensation Policy.
- Leave Policy.
· Continuous Improvement: Monitor evidence of what works to promote greater gender equity and social inclusion and ensure evidence translated into changes in implementation.
· Other duties as required.
Key Deliverables
· Provide technical advice to corporate services team and finance and grants teams on all aspects of contract management with particular oversight
· Manage the effective delivery of operations systems and processes that enable the delivery of high quality, responsiveness and flexible programming
· Work with teams to ensure all programmatic, corporate risk and fraud issues are proactively identified, reported, and managed following corporate and DFAT policies and procedures
· Effective management of the operations team and relationships with other Abt managed program in PNG and in Brisbane Corporate Team
· High level responsiveness to AHC issues and requests
Key working relationships
· Team Leader
· PIE corporate services team program staff
· Sub -national Managers
· MERL Lead
· AHC counterparts
· Abt PNG corporate services staff
· Abt PNG Operations Leads/ Corporate Services Lead
About You
For applications to be considered, a response to the key selection criteria below must be provide;
· Demonstrated experience (10+ years desirable) in leading, managing operations teams (including HR, finance, logistics) for large, complex programs within an international development would be an asset.
· Ability to deliver strategic leadership and provide support to operational Managers on service delivery issues to ensure the effectiveness of operational planning, decision making and meeting deliverables.
· Demonstrated experience managing extensive budgets, contributing to the financial planning and monitoring processes, ideally on a donor funded program.
· Demonstrated ability to operate with innovation, adaptability, flexibility, and resilience to accommodate change in a complex, uncertain, high-energy environment – such as PNG or a comparable experience.
How to Apply
Please submit your application online; attach your cover letter and CV as a single document, addressing how you meet the Key selection criteria of this role.
We welcome and thank all applications; however only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Closing Date: Tuesday, 13 September 2022
Abt Associates is a mission-driven, global leader with a proven track record in complex program implementation in the international development sector. We offer bold solutions and technical excellence in Health, Economic Growth, Governance, Research & Evaluation, Environment & Energy, Gender Equality & Social Inclusion. Working with our many partners, we have driven measurable social impact for more than 55 years, to achieve our mission of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide. We operate in remote and challenging environments and employ more than 3,700 staff in over 50 countries. For more information about us and what we do, visit our website at www.abtassociates.com
Equity
Abt Associates values individuality and celebrates difference with a strong commitment to diversity, equality, racial equity, gender, and disability inclusion. We strongly encourage people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply for this position. We offer flexible work arrangements and a culturally safe environment for staff members from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Safeguarding
We are deeply committed to safeguarding, to protect and prevent harm and abuse to individuals we work for and who work for us. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. We will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, child abuse, sexual abuse or exploitation in any form, and expect everyone to be treated with respect and dignity.
