Project Administrator at COOPI Cooperazione Internazionale

COOPI Cooperazione Internazionale, is a humanitarian, non-confessional and independent organization founded in 1965 in Milan, Italy. For more than 50 years we have been dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and to supporting populations affected by wars, socio-economic crises or natural disasters in their path to recovery and sustainable development, by making use of the professionalism of local and international operators, and through our partnerships with public and private bodies and civil society organizations.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Project Administrator

Location: Damaturu, Yobe
Type of contract: Fixed Term Contract
Duration: 12 months renewable
Starting Date: ASAP

Context and Background

• Since the declaration of state of emergency in the Nigerian federal States of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, the escalation of the Boko Haram insurgency has led to multiple displacement crises, with communities fleeing their area of origin to take refuge in camps or host communities.
• In 2014 there was a substantial increase in violence related to Boko Haram and the counter insurgency operations, consequently creating acute and largely unmet humanitarian needs, as IDPs are cut off from their homes and livelihoods, basic services, kinship and social ties.
• In September 2014, COOPI began operating in north eastern Nigeria in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the insurgency, established its operation in Bauchi State and later expanded to Yobe State considering the heightened presence of IDPs in the LGAs of Fika, Damaturu, Potiskum, Geidam and Yunusari.
• Recently, COOPI initiated a Food Security and Nutrition intervention in Kaga LGA (Borno State) and establishes a presence in Maiduguri to launch an Education and Protection projects. COOPI is currently operating in 5 LGAs in Yobe State, reaching about 25,000 individuals among IDPs and host communities with a multi-sectoral intervention covering nutrition, food security and child protection.
• COOPI has recently developed a cash & voucher based response system in Nigeria to address the food insecure communities while integrating this approach with a nutrition component – community outreach, referral system, IYCF campaign and appropriate therapeutic services addressed to malnourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
• Given the unfolding large scale emergency in the north eastern Nigeria, COOPI plans to scale up its current operations in Yobe state and reach newly accessible areas, in addition to areas receiving Nigerian returnees from Niger, with its multi-sectoral services including food security, cash transfer programming, nutrition and protection.

Role Purpose

• He/she ensures the correct administrative-financial management and the sustainability of both the Area Coordination and the Field offices depending from it, by contributing to the preparation of the coordination and projects’ budget, to the final balances control, and by monitoring the correct predisposition of all financial reports, in compliance with COOPI and the donors’ procedures.

Responsibilities

• Planning and coordination budget control: He/she prepares, in collaboration with the Area Coordination, and regularly verifies the budget performance for all costs related to the Area Coordination. He/she monitors the sustainability of the Area Coordination and the field offices under its responsibility, and verifies the correct attribution/distribution of fixed costs to the projects.
• Budget preparation and projects’ economic-financial control: He/she participates to the project budget finalization in conformity with the Country Coordination planning; in collaboration with the Project Managers, the Project Administrators and the Area Coordinator. He/she regularly identifies the economic and financial engagements necessary for carrying out the project activities.
• Financial Management: He/she manages the bank accounts, supervises and controls the bank operation in the area, in collaboration with the Country Coordination: he/she monitors the donors’ funding for the projects (anticipations and tranches reception); he/she ensures the correct and regular control of the project’s funds; he/she monitors the bank transfers reception for dispatch to the projects.
• Projects’ economic-financial monitoring: In collaboration with the Project Managers and/or Area Administrators and the Head of Mission/Area Coordinator, he/she regularly verifies the projects’ economic-financial performance: final balance, expenditure excess, expenditure projection, financial forecast for the activities’ carry out.
• Financial reporting and auditing : He/she finalizes and controls all intermediate and final financial reports to be transmitted to the donors, before transmitting them to the central headquarters; He/she ensures the collection, filing and control of all projects’ vouchers; He/she supports the Administrative Coordinator n the preparation and carry out of audits in the area, and transmits all projects’ related documents to the Country Coordination.
• Local staff management and local and expatriate staff administration: He/she manages and supervises the administrative staff at work in the Area Coordination; He/she trains the Field offices/Project Administrators under the responsibility of the Area Coordination and regularly monitors the work (remotely or through on field missions); He/she supervises and controls all contracts, salaries and verifies the respect of COOPI standards.
• Procedures: He/she provides technical support to the Project Managers and to the Project Administrators/Area Administrators for a correct application of COOPI and the donor’s administrative procedures in goods, staff and services purchases.
• Data elaboration and transmission: He/she regularly produces and transmits to the Country Coordination all information and data requested by the Milan’s Headquarters and data related to the final balance, according to the planned schedule.
• Administrative documents filing: He/she ensures the correct filing of the area’s administrative documents (coordination and projects), in compliance with the organization’s procedures.
• Institutional relations: in cooperation with the Area Coordinator and the Administrative Coordinator, he/she manages all relations and related bureaucratic practices, with public administrative agencies in the country (work inspectorate, taxes general Directorate, banks etc.) and with the administrative-financial offices of the donors’ decentralized delegations.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years’ relevant work experience in large organizations.
• At least 3 years’ work experience in a similar role within a international non-governmental organization (NGO), donor or multilateral agency.
• Substantial experience working with International NGO’s, UN agencies and networking and negotiating with authorities.
• Very strong financial analysis skills and an extensive practical experience working with financial tools, highly proficient with excel such as using pivot table, developing macros, etc.
• Ability to motivate and guide staff working in a complex conflict environment, preferably experience from an African context. Previous experience in Nigeria is an advantage.
• An excellent interpersonal skills (Good analytical, negotiation, advocacy and communication skills) and demonstrated ability to establish effective team and external relations
• Experience with capacity building of national staff.
• Ability to work under pressure in a rapidly changing and sometimes insecure environment
• Excellent English language skills both written and spoken are essential.
  

Application Closing Date
18th December, 2017.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online