Director of Finance - USAID Feed the Future Nigeria Agriculture Extension and Advisory Services Activity (AEAS) at Winrock International

Background

• The USAID Feed the Future Nigeria Agriculture Extension and Advisory Services Activity (AEAS) is a five-year project implemented by Winrock International. It focuses on sustainable agricultural extension services in Nigeria.
• The overall objective of the AEAS activity is to expand access to agro-inputs and services while disseminating extension messaging to at least 2 million smallholder farmers in Nigeria.
• By leveraging the facilitative market systems approach, the project aims to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience, particularly in Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Niger states.  

Position Summary 

• The Director of Finance provides oversight and oversees all financial accounting services for the AEAS project.
• The Director reports directly to the AEAS Chief of Party and coordinates with relevant Winrock home office staff and the Regional Office in Nairobi.
• This position involves supervising up to four employees and maintaining Winrock’s financial integrity, preparing financial reports in accordance with international accounting standards, and ensuring compliance with local government regulations, Winrock policies, and donor requirements.
• This senior management role is based in Abuja and reports directly to the Chief of Party. Must be a Nigerian national or Nigerian resident.  

Responsibilities

• Responsible for overseeing and maintaining internal controls over the receipts, disbursements, and management of Winrock resources in compliance with Winrock and USAID rules and regulations.  
• Administer the financial system to ensure the Project’s finances are maintained in an accurate and timely manner. This includes reviewing reports generated from QuickBooks ensuring transaction descriptions, GL codes, project codes are accurate. 
• Oversee and institutes quality control/assurance processes of all accounting records, including travel advances and all invoices, and assure proper allocation of expenditures to funding source and expense categories. 
• Ensure implementation of processes for accurate and timely payments of vendors and other services or goods in accordance with USAID and Winrock policies and procedures. 
• Oversee the development, monitoring and analysis of activity and project budgets that allow accurate projection of expenditures and comparisons of actual and budgets. 
• Responsible for managing cash and cash requirements, and affecting the transfer of project funds to field accounts based on forecast and funds request to ensure fund availability at all time. 
• Review all vouchers prepared by the finance team (disbursement, receipt, and general journal vouchers) for expenditures and ensures that expenses are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the project.  
• Ensure the timely and accurate submission of the weekly and monthly reporting package to Winrock’s Regional and Home offices, in accordance with Winrock and USAID contractual requirements; responsible for ensuring timely resolution of review feedback/comments; accurate and complete uploading of financial documents to Official Project Filing System in SharePoint. 
• Produce quarterly budget projections and reports for submission to USAID.  
• Manages banking relationships ensuring bank account signatories are in accordance with Winrock's corporate banking policies approved by the Board. 
• Advise project leadership and home office staff on financial health through the provision of regular and timely financial expenditure reports. 
• Manage internal and external audits, including donor-audits; ensuring financial files and support are available during annual audits; ensures audit findings are resolved in a timely  
• Ensure consistency and compliance with Winrock standard operating procedures, policies, and accounting principles, and USAID rules and regulations.  
• Ensure compliance with taxation and other local laws and regulations. 
• Liaise with the COP to ensure the project needs are being met in terms of accounting, contracts, and human resources. 
• Provide direction, coaching and quality control to finance team members, ensuring coordination, communication and efficiency optimization within the team.   
• Attendance to monthly regional meetings of finance community of practice  
• Other Duties and tasks as assigned by the Chief of Party 

Requirements
Educational Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field (a master’s degree preferred). 

Work Experience:

• Experience working with organizations with a strong culture of financial discipline and compliance, with strong financial systems and processes in place. 
• Must 10-15 years’ progressive experience in all aspects of financial management. 
• At least 5 years’ leadership experience providing supervision and quality control to finance teams on complex, multifaceted USAID funded programs.  
• Proven experience providing mentorship, capacity building and performance improvement guidance to finance, operations, and technical team members on financial processes and compliance.  
• Demonstrated track record of enforcing internal controls. 
• Experience creating, instituting, and adapting workflows and processes to optimize financial performance. 
• Experience leading seamless coordination and communication between technical, procurement, grants, logistics and finance teams on financial matters. 
• Expert-level understanding of bookkeeping and accounting; and strong understanding of local labor and taxation laws, local compliance and reporting requirements. 

Skills and Knowledge:

• Proficient user of Quick Books or similar accounting platforms 
• Strong analytical, communication, and leadership skills. 
• Fluency in English 
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities 
• Strong Interpersonal skills and working in a multicultural environment.