Director of Operations & Finance - LHSS Colombia

Job Description

Job Summary

Abt Associates seeks a qualified Communications and Documentation Specialist for the USAID-funded Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS): Health Communities Activity. Health Communities will support the Government of Colombia (GOC)’s efforts to achieve a financially sustainable integration of Venezuelan migrants into the Colombian health system. To this end, the activity will provide assistance to strengthen the governance and implementation capacity to all levels of the health system to respond to the health needs of migrants and receptor communities, support the government to develop new mechanisms to sustainably finance health services for migrants as part of their integration into the health system, and provide assistance so that the migrant’s receptor communities have access to quality health care. The four main objectives of this activity are to provide assistance to the Ministry of Health of Colombia (MSPS) to: 1) strengthen governance and implementation capacity to respond to the needs of migrants and receptor communities; 2) sustainably finance the provision of health services for migrants and receptor communities; 3) increase access to high quality, appropriate health care services for migrants and receptor communities; and 4) strengthen the health system to respond to current and future shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health Communities will be a 4 year program, based in Bogota, Colombia with other territorial offices.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide managerial and operational support and advice to the Chief of Party, by overseeing project finance and accounting, operations, grants management, IT and human resources and ensuring compliance with USAID regulations;
• Lead and oversee development of annual budgets, financial reports, compliance documentation, and other deliverables, ensuring all are on time and of high quality;
• Prepare annual site office revenue projections and work with supportive staff to update budget tracker forecast on a monthly basis. Track actuals, accruals and commitments against approved budgets to ensure project activities remain on budget. Advise COP and home office of any changes in projected spending.
• Ensure preparation of accurate financial reports, and monthly cash fund’s request in close coordination with Chief of Party and Technical Team.
• Oversee all project procurement and inventory tracking, establish country-specific procurement guidelines and standard operating procedures
• Manage and supervise project financial, grants, administration, and operations personnel
• Troubleshoot to prevent and resolve potential problems related to operations and finance and review outputs for quality control;
• Manage the financial operations and financial reporting of the country program, providing guidance, training and technical assistance to financial and non-financial management personnel.

• Provide ongoing financial administration to the project, ensuring headquarters approvals are in place for all applicable procurements, consultant agreements, and vendor invoices.
• Manage the timely submission of the monthly field expenses (ROV) to the headquarters office.
• Serve as the project’s contact with the client on finance and administrative issues, participating in discussions on contract issues and actions, and following up on client requests and concerns.
• Support the development, execution, and management of subcontractor and consultant agreements.
• Inform and maintain Project Operations Analyst and Finance Manager at Headquarters updated on all contractual, financial and legal issues affecting the project
• Perform random audits of inventory to make sure inventory reports prepared by operations team are always accurate and up to date.
• Oversee Human Resource activities affecting the project including but not limited to the hiring, termination, benefit tracking and legal disputes affecting current and former site office personnel.
• Other duties as assigned

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Public or Business Administration, Finance, or a related field
• At least 10years of experience managing grants or contracts for private sector, universities, international NGOs or other organizations with similar scopes of work
• Experience and knowledge in fiscally and operationally managing all aspects of at least one large multi-million US dollar contract funded by an international donor required, USAID experience highly preferred
• Demonstrated skilling in organizing, tracking, and monitoring resources and establishing priorities
• Strong oral and written communication skills in Spanish and English are required

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree and 10-12 years of experience OR the equivalent combination of education and experience

About the Organization

Abt Associates is a global leader in research, evaluation and program implementation; driving innovation and measurable impact for more than 50 years. What sets us apart is our evidence-based and multi-disciplinary approach to solving tough challenges in health, social and environmental policy and international development.

Specific areas we work in include:

• Health
• Education and workforce development
• Climate change and the environment
• Food security and agriculture
• Housing and communities
• Survey and data collection

Abt is a mission-driven company with a staff of 2,600. Our focus is on using evidence and cutting-edge methods to improve the lives and economic well-being of people worldwide.