Director of Finance, Operations and Administration - USAID Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI)

  • Full-time

Company Description

Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity, with a focus on vulnerable and under-served populations. Since 1958, we have been a leader in designing, implementing, and evaluating powerful and innovative programs in more than 80 countries around the world.

EDC promotes equity and access to high quality education and health services and products that contribute to thriving communities where people from diverse backgrounds learn, live, and work together. We support an inclusive workplace culture that embraces many perspectives and broadens our understanding of the communities we serve, enhancing and enriching our work.

The goal of the Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI) project is to improve the quality and relevance of teacher preparation in Egyptian public universities so that current and future primary school teachers have enhanced skills to increase student learning and advance the Ministry of Education and Technical Education’s (MOETE) reform. The activity will achieve this goal through the following results:

- At least 7,500 pre-service teachers in undergraduate programs at Faculties of Education in five Egyptian universities have the skills and knowledge to apply practice-based, experiential teaching methods in the classroom.
- 5,000 in-service teachers in postgraduate programs at Faculties of Education in 15 Egyptian universities apply practice-based, experiential teaching methods in the classroom.
- 50 Government of Egypt personnel from the MOETE, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR), and the Supreme Council of Universities demonstrate improved capacity to jointly plan, manage, and adapt teacher education.

Job Description

The Director of Finance, Operations and Administration (DFOA) will be responsible for overseeing the overall financial management of the TEI project, as well as managing the Procurement, HR, Office operations, and Security team. The DFOA will report to the Chief of Party. This is full-time position based in Cairo, Egypt (no relocation allowances are provided for this position). The start date is immediate.

Essential functions include (but not limited to):

FINANCE

- Direct and support the finance and grants management teams to manage all financial issues of the project, to improve procedures, increase efficiency and provide the means to accomplish project goals.

- Provide oversight for the day- to-day financial operations of the project office.

- Monitor project spending, including quarterly analysis to identify over- or under-spending, bringing any issues to the attention of the Chief of Party for action.

- Ensure timely preparation and submission of statutory returns, reports and tax compliance.

- Work closely with the Senior Accountant to ensure all employees and vendors are vetted according to USAID and EDC policies. 

- Serve as a liaison with EDC U.S. Home Office Financial Analyst to facilitate financial management processes including contributing to preparation of cost to complete projections and budget realignments, providing guidance and oversight on project financial management, and participating, as appropriate, in resolution of financial issues.

- Ensure compliance and adherence to both USAID and EDC regulations and procedures including maintenance of internal controls, accountability of EDC resources for all financial issues.

- Manage (with support from EDC’s Director of Corporate Compliance) external financial audits and ensure that management responses and corrective actions are implemented in a timely manner.

- Oversee work of project accounting team to ensure timely and accurate submission of monthly transaction reporting to the Home Office, including preparation of wire transfer requests.

- Keep track of accruals and commitments and provide up-to-date reports as needed.

- Ensure that accounting staff work smoothly with technical teams to accomplish project goals in a manner consistent with policies and procedures, model collaboration with technical leaders.

- Design and oversee training programs to continuously improve individual and project capacity and ensure high standards of accountability, ethics and compliance.

- Other duties, as assigned. 

PROJECT OPERATIONS / ADMINISTRATION

- Direct and support the Procurement, HR, office operations and security teams.

- Ensure procurement, logistics and property are managed and administrated in accordance with EDC and USAID policies, rules and regulations.

- Regular planning and coordination with the technical teams so project operations can support deliverables and activities.

- In consultation with the COP and other relevant staff members, ensure that the EDC Policies and Procedures manual is updated as needed, sound human resources management is practiced in accordance with Government appropriate laws, USAID as well as EDC rules and regulations. 

- Work with HR team to ensure that the scope of work for jobs are accurately prepared, classification of posts are worked out as required, personnel practices, like hiring, employee entitlements, training, performance evaluations, and contracts are conducted and performed in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures.

- Write and develop materials needed for effective operations. Recommend efficiency improvements or future focus areas. Ensure quality assurance of operational functions and associated materials

- Coordination with home office points on contact on HR, procurement, IT, and operations

- Other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications

- Master’s degree in business, accounting, finance, international development or other related field.
- Minimum 8 – 9 years of progressively responsible and directly relevant experience in accounting and/or financial management, including the management and oversight of multimillion-dollar, USAID-funded project budgets and financial reporting.
- Extensive knowledge of and financial management experience with USAID-funded programs.
- Demonstrated and detailed understanding of financial management and accounting principles. 
- Proven ability to manage a team and corresponding workflow.
- Proficiency with QuickBooks accounting system or similar software required. 
- Proficiency with MS Word and MS Excel required. 
- Knowledge of Egyptian labor and tax laws.
- Must be able to work within a cross cultural setting, negotiate diplomatically, and function well under pressure. 
- Detail-oriented and organized.
- Fluency in Arabic and English is required. 

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.