Position: Resource Management Assistant
Application Deadline: September, 04/2023
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org
Regional Context
The Africa Eastern and Southern (AFE) Region is committed to helping Africa realize its considerable development potential, with a focus on employment generation. The core values guiding our work are a passion for our mission of sustainable poverty reduction with keen attention to quality and transformative impact, putting the needs of the client at the center of all our activities, trust and respect as a common currency, intellectual rigor and curiosity, honesty and integrity, teamwork, openness to learning and the courage to admit we do not always have the answer.
Africa Eastern and Southern (AFE) has offices in 26 countries and is a vibrant and changing environment for development work. The last two decades of democratic elections and, in some countries multiparty systems have created a greater openness to pro-poor reforms. A vibrant civil society has become increasingly vocal on policy issues, and African citizens are more and more holding politicians accountable for their actions (although there are variations across countries). Regional institutions, such as AU/NEPAD are applying peer pressure on national leaders to improve their performance.
While the overall business climate in Africa is the weakest in the world, several countries—including some fragile states—have made great strides in improving their environment for business. What is emerging, as a result, is a growing region, with setbacks from time to time, that is increasingly seen as a destination for investment as much as for aid; and one where leaders are increasingly willing to address problems of poor governance that harm development effectiveness.
The Africa Eastern and Southern (AFE) Region seeks to seize this opportunity to better support our clients in realizing the ambition of eradicating extreme poverty and boosting prosperity.
Unit Context
Sitting within BPSOU, the Resource Management Unit of the Africa Region (BPSAF) is responsible for business planning, budgeting, work programming, deliverables reporting, and financial reporting for all the departments in the World Bank Eastern and Southern Africa Region and Western and Central Africa Region. In addition, in-country offices, BPSAF staff performs accounting, payment processing, cash management and administration functions. Overall, BPSAF ensures that each department maintains cost efficiency and effective controls over all financial transactions and provides support for effective management and monitoring of deliverables. Building on WFA’s recent Quality Assurance Review and the Scorecard report.
The Resource Management (RM) Assistant position is based in Addis Ababa, Country Office within the Country Department covering Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Eritrea. The RM Assistant will handle accounting, resource management, internal controls, and administration for the country office though support to other countries is also possible when the need arises.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The RM Assistant works independently under the oversight of the Country Director, the Operations Manager, and the CO RM Officer under the overall supervision of the Sr. Resource Management Officer and HQ-based Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). The RM Assistant’s functions range from primary responsibility for accounting transactions and vendor payments to performing compliance reviews and reporting to central control units, to setting/streamlining procedures in the office while ensuring appropriate controls are in place and supporting and advising staff on a host of RM topics. Also, the RM Assistant plays a key role in the administration and dissemination of RM policies of the Bank. The RM Assistant is expected to deliver quality work, striking a balance between RM technical excellence and client focus. The incumbent must have strong teamwork within and outside the unit, and the ability to work independently on RM projects with other members of the broader RM team. Initiative and excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and interpersonal skills are a must.
The key accountabilities of the RM Assistant are as follows:
Financial Accounting and Reports:
Processes accurately and promptly all accounting transactions, including payroll, operating expenses, procurement, travel, consultant payments, vendor payments, chargebacks and other office running expenses.
Processes transactions in the Asset Management module for office inventory.
Maintains accounts reconciled at any given point in time.
Regularly reviews the open items, and accounts, and resolves any outstanding items within the WFA-mandated time frames (mainly, 15/30/60 days).
Maintains relevant documents and invoices systematically to fully support the accounts.
Performs Bank account reconciliation and reviews cash flow and replenishment needs.
Submit Monthly Statement of Reconciliation (MSR) reports within the Institutional deadline (within 10 days after the close of the month).
Assists in planning and monitoring budget and expenses linked to country office work program.
Provides references to Bank financial and administrative policies and procedures in administrative expense-related subject areas.
Monitors operating expenses and highlights potential issues.
Monthly reviews of exception reports and takes corrective actions (such as missing time, SOE; exceptions, overtime, open purchase orders, etc.).
Ensures compliance with institutional and regional policies and guidelines.
Generates a variety of standard and customized financial/accounting reports.
Interacts with clients both inside and outside the Bank, e.g., staff, consultants, vendors, etc., to effect timely payments and resolve accounting-related issues.
Accounting Controls:
Maintain consistency in the application of accounting rules and procedures, including safeguarding cash and checks.
Ensure that all transactions have been duly approved and supporting documents have been initialed prior to processing.
Review general ledger accounts regularly to ensure accurate posting
Review PeopleSoft submissions.
Ensure correct GL accounts are used in processing transactions.
Monitor operating expenses and highlight potential issues.
Ensure the year-end accrual policy is 100% implemented.
Reviews follow-up and resolves issues noted in all internal control review exercises reports issued by Accounting Department (accounting scorecard and QAR, Country Office field Visit).
Follow up on audit and COSO recommendations that relate to the accounting function.
General Administration:
Handles local purchasing of supplies, equipment, and contracts for services.
Maintains and updates records and reports on the status of inventory and physical assets.
Handles a variety of general office administrative matters and other ad-hoc duties as required (e.g., travel, security, workshops, and conferences, etc.).
Provide guidance to less experienced staff.
Provide information and assistance on benefits policies and related issues (e.g., financial assistance loans, dependency allowance, medical benefits, overtime pay).
Process short-term consultant contracts in accordance with guidelines.
Selection Criteria
Minimum Education/Experience:
Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business, Finance, or other relevant discipline; or Non‐relevant bachelor’s degree plus one of the following: (1) CIMA Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting; or (2) ACCA Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business; or (3) equivalent country‐level accounting certificate.
Minimum Years of Relevant Experience:
Demonstrated expertise in handling transactional-level financial/accounting works.
Demonstrated expertise in financial reporting, budget planning and monitoring, and internal control.
Demonstrated competency in people relations.
Competence in the use of MS Office software such as (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
Good working knowledge of financial systems, such as, SAP.
Language skills: Proficient in French and English with the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing in both.
General Competencies
Integrity and Independence: Prepare accurate reports, ensuring that pertinent facts are fairly presented, and shares information freely.
Statutory and other Stakeholder Reporting: Can produce pro-forma financial statements and reports; familiar with disclosure requirements and accompanying notes, and management and auditor's reports.
Internal controls and corporate procedures: Can analyze data and business processes to determine the viability of controls and procedures and identify any issues or areas of risk.
Governance: Able to interpret the fundamental resource management requirements of a client's governing structures and to provide basic budget analysis.
Planning and Budgeting: Can produce standard reports and budgets and analyze budget information; understand the entity's funding structure and sources.
Performance Evaluation and Reporting: Able to determine the information needs of users and present information that supports management decision-making.
Management Information and Tools Design: Able to analyze management information needs, accurately define requirements and ensure the quality of information produced.
Financial Strategy: Understand what impacts the strength and integrity of the entity's income statement and balance sheet, and the Bank's lending products and basic pricing structures.
Tasks and Workflow Management: Has excellent workflow management and task organization skills; able to take responsibility for all aspects of coordination of the workflow of assigned responsibilities.
Transactions Processing and Quality Control.
How to Apply
Register using THIS LINK
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity,
