• The.Ismaili Portugal | 21 April 2022 | Portugal

    Recrutamento: Finance Officer

A Central Scholarships Unit encontra-se a recrutar para a posição de “Finance Officer”. Envie a sua candidatura até 24 de abril de 2022.

JOB DESCRIPTION

FINANCE OFFICER

CENTRAL SCHOLARSHIPS UNIT

Central Scholarships Unit

Under the oversight of the Scholarship Advisory Committee (SAC), the Central Scholarships Unit (CSU) directs and oversees the implementation of two global scholarship programmes: (i) Tertiary Scholarship Programme (TSP) and (ii) Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme (AKF ISP). The ISP and TSP, which are available in multiple countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, are awarded to meritorious students who have limited means of financing their undergraduate and post-graduate education. The two scholarships are awarded on a 50% grant, 50% loan basis.

Finance Officer position

The Finance Officer is an essential member of the CSU. The role touches upon all major finance processes of the TSP and ISP. The Finance Officer will need to be a discreet, diligent, and resilient high performer who can collaborate and communicate with stakeholders, primarily volunteers, across multiple geographies, to ensure effective financial management of scholarship programmes. The CSU Finance Officer will report to the CSU Director. While the Director is based in Geneva, Switzerland, alternative locations can be considered for the Finance Officer. The position may require occasional travel to countries where ISP and TSP are implemented, as well as to Geneva.

Main responsibilities

Budget cycle and fund disbursements

  • Analyse country budget submissions and prepare consolidated budgets on an annual basis.
  • Track financial performance against budget on monthly/quarterly basis, and prepare monitoring dashboards with key indicators.
  • Lead award disbursement process (including through verification of student details, preparation of relevant signoffs, etc.).
  • Review and process funding requests against the approved budget, monitor disbursements on an ongoing basis, and identify reasons for variances.
  • Redesign and develop user-friendly budgeting and reporting templates, and review, as needed, on an ongoing basis.

Systems and controls

  • Develop effective working relationships with in-country stakeholders to facilitate review of financial performance against stated budgets/targets
  • Review and enhance record keeping within individual jurisdictions, ensuring that a central repository of data is maintained (student by student), and regular reconciliations are performed
  • Support AKEBs to enhance their financial management of the TSP and ISP at the country level
  • Support the CSU Director in identifying and implementing software systems to make the various operations and processes undertaken by the CSU and the programmes more robust

Loan collections

  • Liaise with AKEBs regularly to track and report on loan collections, as well as to identify challenges and propose solutions to address these.
  • Work with the AKEBs to maintain a robust and clearly documented student/alumni tracker, including updated loan follow up actions and responses.
  • Prepare regular snapshots of the global loan book, and recommend improvements to increase loan collections at the country level.
  • Work with the AKEBs to ensure that all loan collection monies are remitted to AKF Geneva.
  • Support AKEBs to ensure systematic, timely transfer of loan balances to other jurisdictions.
  • Regularly review the service charges applied by countries vis-à-vis inflation and interest rates charged in their individual jurisdictions, and track exchange rate fluctuations.

Other

  • Support the CSU Director in conducting programme orientations, and provide annual training sessions on the financial management aspects of the programmes.
  • Carry out other tasks as may be assigned by the CSU Director.

Profile

  • Minimum of 6-7 years of relevant professional experience and related educational background and/or qualifications (e.g., qualified CPA, CMA, CFA; advanced degree in finance or accounting, amongst others).
  • Demonstrated track record in finance, accounting and/or financial control roles.
  • Practical experience in developing, assessing and tracking financial and reporting processes.
  • Motivated, mature relationship builder who can work effectively across different cultures, countries, levels and functions of the Jamati and AKDN systems.
  • Strong analytical skills complemented by sound, deep expertise in Excel (e.g., knowledge of macros, PowerBI), as well as experience in implementing and managing financial and accounting information systems.
  • Fluent in written and spoken English.

Relationships

  • Report to the Director of the CSU.
  • Develop and maintain global network of working relationships.
  • Work closely with TSP- and ISP-related staff, volunteers and senior leaders in over 20 countries (including: the CSU’s Finance and Loan Committee (FLC), a sub-committee of the SAC; Aga Khan Education Boards (AKEBs); Grants and Review Boards (GRBs); Aga Khan Foundations (AKF); Aga Khan Schools (AKS); amongst other stakeholders at the country or head office level).

Salary

  • Salary and package to attract top candidates.

Application process

  • Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and updated CV/resume by 24th April 2022.
  • Applications (cover letter and CV/resume) should be sent to: [email protected]
  • In your email, please use the following subject line: “Application for CSU Finance Officer”