Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that advances lasting solutions to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity. 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.    

EDC is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

Project Description 

The USAID Let’s Read Project is a 5-year, $48.9 million project in the five target provinces of Eastern, Muchinga, Southern, Northwestern and Western Zambia that works to improve reading outcomes for approximately 1.4 million children attending pre-primary (kindergarten) through to Grades 3 and provide professional development for teachers to support reading interventions in Zambian public and community schools.

The Finance and Compliance (F&C Director), working under direct supervision of the Chief of Party will be responsible for providing leadership, technical accounting support, supervision and guidance to the finance team ensuring highest levels of compliance and financial accountability across EDC’s offices in Zambia. With an eye towards efficiency, the Director of Finance & Compliance will continuously seek to streamline processes and identify opportunities to add value to a culture of high performance. S/he will be the custodian of accounting and financial processes to ensure compliance with USAID and EDC policies and the overall financial administration of the project, including: forecasting and tracking field office expenditures, and overseeing daily financial management.

Essential functions include (but not limited to):
Directs and supports the Finance (HQ and field level) staff to manage all financial issues of the project, to improve procedures, increase efficiency and provide the means to accomplish project goals;

• Ensures compliance and adherence to donor regulations and procedures including maintenance of internal controls, accountability of EDC resources for all financial and operational issues;
• Provide oversight for the day to day financial operations for the project
• Monitors project spending, including quarterly analysis to identify over or under spending, bring any issues to the attention of the Chief of Party for action;
• Monitors monthly advance activity to employees and ensures timely liquidation bringing any issues to the attention of the Chief of Party for action;
• Ensure prompt preparation and submission of statutory returns, reports and tax compliance;
• Responsible for ensuring that all employees and vendors are vetted according to EDC policies;
• Serves as a liaison with EDC Home Office Accounting to facilitate financial management
• processes including: contributing to preparation of cost to complete projections, providing
• guidance and oversight on project financial management, and participating as appropriate, in resolution of financial issues;
• Models standards of accuracy, timeliness and adherence to policies and guidelines that enables others to perform with due diligence;
• Manages and supports preparations and successful conclusions of internal and external auditing activities with support from EDC’s Director of Corporate Compliance.
• Reviews management comments for audit reports and work with the Chief of Party and Director of Corporate Compliance to ensure appropriate action is taken to correct audit findings.
• Ensures that finance staff work smoothly with technical teams to accomplish project goals in a manner consistent with policies and procedures; models collaboration with technical leaders;
• Other duties, as assigned.

FINANCIAL REPORTING

• Lead monthly review and analysis of financial reports and reconciliations with attention to how resources can be better allocated to achieve program objectives.
• Establish and /or refine and disseminate policies, systems and practices and provide training and guidance for effective management, disbursement and accounting for all financial resources in line with EDC’s Head Office accounting policies, funder requirements and local law where
• required.
• Oversees work of Senior and project accountants to ensure timely and accurate submission of monthly financial reports to EDC’s Home Office.
• Provide support to costing and budget realignment efforts in collaboration with HO Finance Manager.
• Keep track of accruals and commitments and provide up‐to‐date reports.

MANAGEMENT

• Design and oversee training programs to continuously improve individual and organizational capacity to take on additional responsibility and ensure highest standards of funds accountability, ethics and compliance.
• In coordination with HR department, oversee accurate and timely payroll generation of payroll by our third‐party payroll administration vendor
• Supervises EDC Zambia Finance team of approximately 7 project staff in Lusaka and the
• provincial offices
• Ensures that finance and operations staff work smoothly with technical teams to accomplish project goals in a manner consistent with policies and procedures; models’ collaboration with
• technical leader
• Forms a part of the senior management team along with the Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, Senior Reading Director, and Monitoring and Evaluation /Performance Tracking System Director.

RELATIONSHIPS

• Interfaces with vendors, clients, peer organizations, partners and others; builds positive client, vendor, and funder relations
• Demonstrates diplomacy and leadership to foster an atmosphere of teamwork, productivity, creativity, fairness, equity, and innovation, in support of EDC’s commitment to diversity
• Is responsible for partnering successfully with home office project director as applicable, the Administration and Finance division, expatriate and local staff
• Fosters excellent communications among all parties, including with EDC home office
• counterpart(s)
• Conveys and demonstrates organizational philosophy and values

Reporting and Organizational Relationships:
The Finance and Compliance Director reports to the Chief of Party

The candidate for the position of Finance and Compliance Director shall have at a minimum the following qualifications:

Education:

• Master’s degree (or Bachelor’s degree with professional certification) in business, accounting, finance, international development or other related field with experience working at senior management levels.

Skills and Experience:

• Minimum of 8‐10 years of progressive responsible positions in a large‐scale, nonprofit
• environment with increasing responsibility in accounting and/or financial management,
• including the management and oversight of multimillion‐dollar, USAID‐funded project budgets
• and financial reporting;
• Demonstrated leadership in working with large INGO finance and operations teams involved in a nation ‐wide operations.
• Extensive knowledge of and financial management experience with USAID funded programs
• (experience with USAID contracts preferred);
• Demonstrated and detailed understanding of financial management, accounting principles;
• budgeting and
• Proven ability to manage a team and corresponding workflow.

Language:
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of (and proficiency in) Chinyanja, Chitonga, Silozi, Lunda, Luvale, Kiikaonde and Icibemba languages highly preferred.

Please note: There will be no relocation allowance provided for this position.

Job Closing Date: 27 March 2020

Due to the volume of applications submitted, only finalists will be notified. No phone calls, please.

Applications submitted without a resume will not be considered.

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EDC is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to enhancing the diversity of its workforce and ensuring an equitable and highly inclusive work environment. EDC is a smoke-free workplace, and offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and excellent benefits. Women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.