Director - Budget & Treasury at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Director - Budget & Treasury

Location: Abuja
Grade: P3/P4
Status: Permanent
Department: Finance
Directorate: Budget & Treasury
Division: Budget & Treasury
Institution: Community Court of Justice
Line Supervisor: Commissioner, Finance

Role Overview

• Under the supervision of the Commissioner for Finance, the incumbent shall coordinate and supervise the production of quarterly cash flow projections, analysis of advances and related reports on timely basis as well as the Reconciliation of Bank Accounts on a monthly basis.

Role and Responsibilities

• Supervise the production of quarterly cash flow projections, analysis of advances and related reports on timely basis as well as the Reconciliation of Bank Accounts on a monthly basis.
• Manage and ensure the performance of all activities relating to disbursements such as payroll, payments of internal and external vendors, management and payments for contracts, monitoring and management of banking relationships;
• Establish, implement and monitor financial controls, which would include approvals and authorization and a review of all financial processes and financial systems in conjunction with the Commissioners and Departmental Heads.
• Supervise the preparation of Annual Budget Circular for the ECOWAS Community, Annual Budget for the ECOWAS Commission and the Consolidated Budget of the ECOWAS Community.
• Supervise the preparation of Budgetary Control Statements for circulation to management
• Manage all cash management functions including cash concentration, wire transfers, accounts funding; ensure adequate liquidity for working capital needs and invest short-term excess cash.
• Provide leadership in the management of Community Levy funds and arrange for the performance of all financial activities relating to the proper financial management of all incomes received from the Member States.
• Oversee cash management, banking and financial institution relationships, negotiate bank and service fees, implement new bank technologies, products and services to improve cash cycle and simplify Commission’s operations.
• Oversee the supervision of personnel of the Directorate, which includes work allocation, training, and problem resolution; evaluate performance and make recommendations for personnel action.
• Serve on Committees which would recommend or approve, coordinate and implement changes or make improvements in fiscal controls, policies, procedures as well as financial, administrative and human resource management systems.
• Serves as the Business Process Owner for these areas of responsibility (Disbursement, Budget, Treasury & Community Levy)
• Ensure full use of ECOLink by all Divisions and supervise the preparation of key reports from the System to highlight the benefits derived from the System.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, policies and procedures.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration or Finance, or equivalency in the same disciplines from a recognized university;
• 12 years of professional experience in managing finance and budget operations in international or multinational organizations, and in the formulation of new strategies/approaches to complex financial management or accounting, including 6 years of relevant international work experience and 5 years at a supervisory level;
• In-depth knowledge of International Public Service Accounting Standards budgeting, fiscal management skills and commercial acumen; expert knowledge of corporate reporting, sustainable management accounting, financial management, audit assurance and taxation;
• Demonstrated job knowledge and expertise (theoretical and practical) through ongoing professional development with professional body membership and international certifications such as ACCA, CIMA, etc. would be an added advantage;
• Knowledge of financial and budgetary principles and practices, budget development and financial administration of resources and ability to develop budgetary policies, formulate new strategies/policies/programmes and technical approaches to budgetary matters and procedures.

Age Limit:

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS Key Competencies:

• Senior leadership experience in establishing strategic partnerships, working collaboratively and building consensus with multiple internal and/or external stakeholders on complex issues in a multi-disciplinary governmental or international organizations;
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political and social state/trends of member states, as pertains to own scope of work;
• Exhibit consistency on actions, values, methods, confidentiality, ethics, measures, principles, expectations and outcomes which connotes a deep commitment to do the right thing for the right reason, regardless of the circumstances;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Heads of Institutions, elected officials and statutory employees to facilitate compliance, build engagement, resolve conflicts and obtain support for change;
• Ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner;
• Ability to promote a culture where people hold themselves personally accountable for results;
• Ability to provide leadership, management, and technical oversight for all project activities and program deliverables in accordance with ECOWAS legal and administrative practices and standards;
• Ability to conduct periodic reviews of staff performance in keeping with the ECOWAS performance management system and to mentor staff to ensure high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity, and teamwork;
• Ability to oversee project management, internal controls and stewardship of financial resources and to address issues in a confident and capable manner whilst making decisions that exemplifies impartial and non-partisan decision-making.
• Ability to exercise the initiative and resourcefulness necessary for simultaneously addressing a variety of stakeholder needs, pursuing multiple tasks and achieving positive outcomes;
• Ability to create synergies with client groups and others to achieve objectives in setting and monitoring service standards and indicators;
• Ability to motivate and engage others in promoting or adopting best practices in client services ;
• Ability to identify and improve services and client interactions through appropriate networks and to create innovative ways of addressing these in an accountable and transparent manner.
• Knowledge of anti-discriminatory/human rights regulatory environment and ability to advance strategies to foster an inclusive working environment and healthy organization respectful of cultural diversity and gender equality and  free from harassment and discrimination;
• Understanding of diverse cultural views especially within West Africa, being sensitive to group differences, gender issues and ability to contribute to, advocate for, and/or develop policies which are gender sensitive  and responsive to various cultures;
• Ability to foster a diverse and inclusive interactive work environment that can effectively bring together a wide spectrum of ideas and experiences to solve problems, develop projects/programs and improve results;
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
• Ability to remain objective in managing conflict regardless of cultural differences /positions, gender differences, and encourage other staff to overcome cultural and gender bias and differences.
• Understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, workplace culture and dynamics;
• Ability to apply knowledge of ECOWAS legal framework, strategic priorities and operational standards to develop/modernize policies and programs and/or to implement policies and programs in a sustainable and effective manner;
• Well-developed business, social and political acumen, demonstrating a strong commitment to the vision and mandate of ECOWAS coupled with a broad knowledge of the economic, political and social situations and trends in member states;
• Sound judgment and decision-making skills on matters relating to policy and strategy development important to the realization of the ECOWAS mandate and the improvement of outcomes for member states.
• Ability to analyze reports as well as socio-economic and institutional dynamics  and recognize areas of potential obstacles or challenges and develop innovative solutions or alternatives to address barriers and achieve strategic/operational priorities;
• Ability to anticipate and interpret the effects of environmental changes (social, economic and political),and its impact  and make  recommendations;
• Ability to identify/address strengths and weaknesses, stimulate creativity, reduce resistance to change and improve the achievement of strategic objectives;
• Ability to make prudent decisions relating to the management of human, financial and material resources.
• Ability to actively listen and understand perspectives of others to make informed assertions, decisions or recommendations;
• Ability to build multiple external collaborative relationships to support strategic and operational objectives; identify the key issues and accommodate the key players with well thought out communication and stakeholder management plans;
• Ability to communicate with clarity and conviction, make compelling presentations which promotes new insights, ideas and perspectives and a better understanding of issues and challenges;
• Exhibit active listening skills to encourage stronger communication amongst team members, to show care and make them feel valued and to  drive employee engagement in all institutions and agencies;
• Excellent negotiation and conflict management skills focusing on building and nurturing effective and collaborative relationships;
• Proficiency in information communication technologies(ICT);
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Ability to prepare plans, set clear objectives in a consistent manner and have effective oversight of performance management practices to ensure that goals and standards are met;
• Ability to set effective goals/results and manage change in a manner that demonstrates resilience, composure and a positive outlook in an environment of uncertainty and ambiguity;
• Ability to enable the development of organizational and individual talent throughout the implementation of strategic, operational, programme, project and individual plans;
• Ability to implement plans, mobilize/engage people, identify critical success factors, mitigate risks, monitor indicators and feedback, initiate corrective measure and build capacities for sustainability;
• Ability to institute rigorous monitoring, and evaluation practices and to learn from setbacks and mistakes to ensure continuous improvement.

Supervising:

• Principal Accountant - Budget &Treasury
• Principal Accountant - Disbursement
• Principal Accountant - Community Levy

Remuneration
Annual Salary: UA 81,435.54 / USD 128,488.99

Application Closing Date
26th September, 2019.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should download the Application Form below, fill it out correctly; attach a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Motivation to: [email protected] using the "Job title" as the subject of the email.

Click here to download Application Form (Ms Word)

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