Urgent Recruitment at Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) – 3 Positions in Ghana

Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is recruiting to fill the following positions:

1.) Finance and Operations Manager
2.) Local Governance Specialist
3.) Finance Officer

See job details and how to apply below.

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1.) Finance and Operations Manager

Background

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has signed a contribution agreement with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) for a six-year project entitled Partnerships for Municipal Innovation – Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL). PMI-WILL intends to contribute to improved quality of life for women and girls, in particular those from marginalized groups, in Benin, Cambodia, Ghana, Sri Lanka and Zambia. The project will use a two-pronged approach to achieve this goal:

• increasing the participation and enhancing the role of women as leaders and decision-makers in local governance
• increasing the effectiveness of local governments in delivering inclusive, gender-responsive public services.

FCM will implement the project in collaboration with national Local Government Associations (LGAs) in each country, selected local governments/municipalities and other selected partners, including relevant Ministries, CSOs and women’s rights organizations. FCM will mobilize Canadian municipal practitioners and elected officials from FCM’s membership to provide peer-to-peer technical assistance.

The project office will be based in Ghana and covering all target countries, supported by FCM head office in Ottawa, Canada.

Major Purpose

• The Finance and Operations Manager is responsible for the financial and operational management of the project including overseeing financial and operational activities to reduce risk and ensure compliance with GAC, FCM and local procedures and regulations. The position supports the successful implementation of the PMI-WILL project by facilitating the efficient and cost-effective administration of financial and operational functions, providing high quality services and information to stakeholders located in Ghana, the project countries and Canada.

Key Responsibilities

Implement the decentralized PMI-WILL finance and operations management systems and Field Office procedures:

• Adapt the standardized, integrated financial management systems with FCM Ottawa, policies, procedures and internal controls for the Ghana office operations, including the set-up of the office;
• Build local salary scale and staff insurance package based on local practice and GAC regulations;
• Coordinate and seek guidance from Project Director and FCM in drafting all necessary legal documents (such as contracts and lease agreements) and ensure that the developed documents are in compliance with FCM and GAC regulations as well as with the Local Country Laws;
• Adapt the Field Office operations procedures to the local country context.

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Manage the Ghana office operations:

• Responsible for the office administration, IT support, logistics and property management, ensure the best use of project resources as well as strict compliance with FCM and GAC regulations;
• Ensure that administrative records are well organized, maintained and updated;
• Ensure all procurements are conducted in accordance with FCM field office procurement policy;
• Manage local service provider contracts and ensure the effective delivery of services under contract;
• Supervise the implementation and the maintenance of the property inventory database management;
• In coordination with the Operations Manager in Ottawa, responsible for updating safety, security and emergency measures in accordance with FCM Safety and Security Policy and keeping the Field Office manual updated related to Ghana;
• Under the Director’s supervision, ensure that the measures referred to above are clearly explained to staff and visiting partners, including Canadian volunteers, and that they commit to apply them; and
• Ensure that all logistical aspects of the Field Office operations as well as for missions from Canada are looked after and that a schedule of needs and activities is maintained and up to date.

Manage financial aspects of PMI-WILL project:

• Collaborate with the FCM International Programs Finance Team for the preparation of project budget, cash flow projections, monthly, quarterly and annual financial project reports, and provide information on financial issues;
• Submit monthly financial reports and funds transfer requests, with consolidated data from Ghana Field Office and Partners, to HO within the reporting timeline, using the templates provided by HO.
• Ensure application of the appropriate foreign exchange rate to monthly partner financial reports before forwarding to Ottawa
• According to FCM signing authority policy, approve and monitor project related expenditures and partners monthly financial reports consistently with the GAC contribution agreement and Treasury Board guidelines;
• Provide strategic advice to the Project Director on the financial management of the project and the implications of decisions on project;
• Responsible for the financial management of the office, and the interpretation and application of policies and procedures;
• Assist the FCM International Programs Finance Team to liaise with GAC with respect to all financial aspects of project;
• Assist the conduct of external audits: review preliminary audit report and recommendations and collaborate with the FCM International Programs Finance Team for the preparation of preliminary responses for Field Office matters; and
• Develop and deliver financial training sessions to staff and partners and be responsible for the oversight and compliance of partner financial activity.

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Personnel and Human Resources Administration

• Coordinate with FCM’s Human Resources department the recruitment of staff and other human resource management according to FCM established policies and procedures;
• Manage the local hiring process incorporating FCM’s values and procedures;
• Supervise personnel and payroll issues and ensure all related procedures follow the country legislation and FCM Personnel and Finance Policies;
• Keep records of all personnel information; and
• Manage and promote finance and operations staff development through team-building, coaching, mentoring and performance management.

Provide technical assistance to local partners on financial management

• Adapt existing tools and guidelines and provide training, coaching and on-going technical assistance support to local partners to assist them implement PMI-WILL related financial procedures and guidelines; and
• In collaboration with Canadian and local experts, provide technical assistance on financial management to local partners to assess current processes and practices, develop new or improved financial management procedures, to develop funding proposal to higher levels of government or to banks, and implement more transparent financial management practices.

Qualification Required & Experience

Knowledge, Education and Experience

• Strong knowledge in finance and accounting, including budget preparation and monitoring, fund accounting, and preparation and analysis of financial statements and reports. Knowledge is typically acquired through an academic education (or equivalent) in accounting or finance.
• A professional accounting designation (for example: CPA – Certified Professional Accountant, CA – Certified Accountant, CMA – Certified Management Accountant, CGA – Certified General Accountant) or equivalency in Ghana is preferred.
• Ten (10) years’ practical experience in an accounting role with a minimum of five (5) years in a people management capacity, preferably with some experience in an international development organization.
• Demonstrated responsibility for the formal management of the finance and operations staff including determining priorities, assigning work tasks, coordinating processes, providing advice, direction and coaching, ensuring quality of deliverables, and managing performance.
• Excellent computer skills: Word, Excel, Internet, E-mail, Accounting and Financial management reporting software.
• Will be formally stationed in the Ghana office but will be required to make periodic trips to the project countries and/or Canada.
• Requirement to travel several weeks per year, at times to hardship locations.
• All applicants must be residents of Ghana or legally entitled to work in Ghana.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English is required; fluency in French is an asset.

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Please submit your cover letters, resumes and salary expectations prior to the deadline to the following email address:

careers.cisal@fcm.ca

We thank all candidates for their interest; however, we will only contact those selected for an interview. All the applications will be kept on file for six months following the hiring.

Closing Date: 09 December, 2021

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is committed to fostering an organizational culture that embraces equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, where individuals from diverse racial and ethnic identities, nationalities, social economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and physical and mental abilities can thrive and be fully engaged at their best level.

FCM welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process.

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2.) Local Governance Specialist

Background

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has signed a contribution agreement with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) for a six-year project entitled Partnerships for Municipal Innovation – Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL). PMI-WILL intends to contribute to improved quality of life for women and girls, in particular those from marginalized groups, in Benin, Cambodia, Ghana, Sri Lanka and Zambia. The project will use a two-pronged approach to achieve this goal:

• increasing the participation and enhancing the role of women as leaders and decision-makers in local governance
• increasing the effectiveness of local governments in delivering inclusive, gender-responsive public services.

FCM will implement the project in collaboration with national Local Government Associations (LGAs) in each country, selected local governments (LGs)/municipalities and other selected partners, including relevant Ministries, CSOs and women’s rights organizations. FCM will mobilize Canadian municipal practitioners and elected officials from FCM’s membership to provide peer-to-peer technical assistance.

The project office will be based in Ghana and covering all target countries, supported by FCM head office in Ottawa, Canada.

Purpose

• Under the direction of the Project Director and working in collaboration with the other members of the team, the Local Governance Specialist is responsible for program-wide local governance strengthening by ensuring capacity development of LGs/LGAs and improvement of gender-responsive and inclusive service delivery in the project countries.
• Working closely with the Canadian Project Manager, the Gender Specialist, Canadian Municipal volunteers and LGA National Project Coordinators (NPCs), the Local Governance Specialist will support the partner LGAs with planning and implementing the agreed project activities.
• S/he will support the Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Knowledge Sharing strategy, particularly related to Inclusive Service Delivery Initiatives and will contribute to the preparation of project reports.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead in the design and plan the implementation of program-wide Local Governance strengthening particularly for Gender-responsive and inclusive service delivery and improving the enabling environment for inclusive governance in the project countries;
• Provide ongoing technical assistance to NPCs, LGAs, local governments and other partners;
• Work closely with the Canadian Project Manager to guide and support Canadian municipal volunteers and consultants who provide technical assistance to project partners and stakeholders and follow-up on recommendations and commitments;
• Facilitate collaboration between and among NPCs, LGAs and other partners in the planning, design and delivery of inclusive, gender-responsive activities and the exchange of knowledge and good practices between project partners;
• Support the development of methodology and tools for inclusive service delivery and consultation mechanisms
• Assist in the development and management of institutional relations with program partners working at the local, and national level in project countries and with regional and global networks as required;
• Along with the Gender Equality Specialist, contribute to the development of annual planning and budgeting particularly for the gender-responsive and inclusive service delivery objectives of the program and foster collaboration, ensure coherence and build synergy between all project components;
• Coordinate with the PMI-WILL Team and Project Partners to set objectives, collect baseline data, support implementation of activities and measure progress towards objectives;
• Ensure accurate documentation and develop narrative reports on gender-responsive and inclusive service delivery activities in coordination with program staff, including contributing to Knowledge Products;
• Actively support PMI-WILL’s Gender Equality and Environmental Sustainability Strategies and ensure all Local Governance activities include consideration of these cross-cutting themes;
• Represent PMI-WILL in meetings as required;
• Jointly manage and supervise the Ghana program officer, including setting clear objectives, establishing performance standards, and empowering team members to meet program targets;
Perform other duties as assigned by the Project Director that are consistent with the overall scope of the position.

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Qualification Required & Experience

Knowledge, Education and Experience Required

• A minimum of ten (10) years related experience on topics of local governance with a focus on gender-responsive and inclusive governance;
• An advanced university degree in Political Science, Sociology, Development and/or Conflict Studies or related program;
• Demonstrated experience in design, management and monitoring of local public policies or programs and local government capacity development;
• Knowledge of results-based project management principles, and preferably experience working on international cooperation projects;
• Demonstrated understanding of local government legislation, policies and processes in the context of decentralization and devolution of authority;
• Experience in planning, tracking and monitoring of processes and actions of the management of local government development and citizen participation, with emphasis on inclusion of marginalized groups;
• Experience facilitating sensitive inter-cultural dialogue between multiple stakeholders and local government officials;
• Demonstrated experience leading project teams;
• Demonstrated experience working within a team environment;
• High degree of initiative, responsibility, and the ability to relate to people from diverse cultural backgrounds
• All applicants must be residents of Ghana or legally eligible to work in Ghana
• Position is based in Accra, but will require regular travel nationally and internationally.
• Must be legally entitled to work in Ghana without sponsorship

Language Requirements

• Bilingual English/French.

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Please submit your cover letters, resumes and salary expectations prior to the deadline to the following email address:

careers.cisal@fcm.ca

We thank all candidates for their interest; however, we will only contact those selected for an interview. All the applications will be kept on file for six months following the hiring.

Closing Date: 09 December, 2021

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3.) Finance Officer

Background

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has signed a contribution agreement with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) for a six-year project entitled Partnerships for Municipal Innovation – Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL). PMI-WILL intends to contribute to improved quality of life for women and girls, in particular those from marginalized groups, in Benin, Cambodia, Ghana, Sri Lanka and Zambia. The project will use a two-pronged approach to achieve this goal:

• increasing the participation and enhancing the role of women as leaders and decision-makers in local governance
• increasing the effectiveness of local governments in delivering inclusive, gender-responsive public services.

FCM will implement the project in collaboration with national Local Government Associations (LGAs) in each country, selected local governments (LGs)/municipalities and other selected partners, including relevant Ministries, CSOs and women’s rights organizations. FCM will mobilize Canadian municipal practitioners and elected officials from FCM’s membership to provide peer-to-peer technical assistance.

The project office will be based in Ghana and covering all target countries, supported by FCM head office in Ottawa, Canada.

Major Purpose

Under the direction of PMI-WILL’s Finance and Operations Manager based in Ghana and working in collaboration with the other members of the team, the Finance Officer is responsible for carrying out day-to-day accounting functions and providing support for financial management of project activities with accuracy, transparency and due diligence. The Finance Officer will coordinate all aspects of the finance and accounting activities for a specific number of countries in addition to supporting the Project Field Office in Ghana, including, but not limited to: ensuring compliant and timely financial reporting, supporting our LGA partners in the financial aspects of the project, reviewing contractual agreements to ensure compliance with project agreements, and monitoring progress against budgets. The Finance Officer protects FCM’s integrity, reputation and supports FMC’s role as a global leader in international cooperation aimed at strengthening local capacities and enhancing governance.

Key Responsibilities

Accounting duties including accounting system, accounts payable and cash management?

• Ensure that all expenses are properly documented and entered into the accounting system in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles, FCM's policies and donor procedures;
• Ensure?compliance with the provisions and laws of the country related to accounting,?income?tax, social security?and labor?law;
• Make the entry of all expense transactions into the project accounting system on a daily basis and ensure their accuracy and consistency with the supporting invoices, receipts or other documents;
• Ensure complete transparency of all?financial?transactions;
• Verify that?all expenses have been accurately coded to using the program’s Chart of Accounts;
• Conduct the?monthly?closing?and?fiscal year end?closing?into the accounting system;
• Prepare monthly financial reports that are required by the?Finance & Operations Manager?according to the established format and deadlines;
• Ensure that all the documents within the Accounting Department are complete, properly filed, easily traceable and are kept strictly confidential at all times;
• Set up and implement a tracking system to ensure consultants and service providers are in compliance with the commitments detailed in their contracts;
• Manage cash flow for the bank accounts, including funds transferred from Canada;
• Initiate process for payments and?obtains?final approval by the?Finance & Operations Manager?or the Director;
• Provide support to Project staff regarding financial arrangements for business travel (i.e.?advances, mission expenses reconciliation, etc.) and verify that all travel-related expense reports are accurate and properly documented.

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Financial?reports?

• Reviews partner monthly financial reports and forecast;
• Prepare conversion of expenses from local currencies to Canadian dollars for monthly journal entry to the FCM accounting system in Canada;
• Submit the monthly financial?reports and supporting documents?according to?FCM regulations to Ottawa HO;?including general ledger summary sheets, reconciliations, balance sheet, profit and loss and trial balance;
• Produce?monthly financial reports for the Project financial monitoring;?such as?staff?advances?and vendor?payments;
• Guide and review staff and partner’s expense reports and track the monthly submission in due course;
• Update finance templates to be more user friendly to staff and consultants.

Budget preparation?and tracking?

• Under the supervision of the?Finance & Operations Manager,?contribute?to creating the?annual workplan?budget?by?working with?the project?technical staff?to reflect technical activity?estimations;
• Assist in?and prepare?monthly?budgeting and financial planning?to prepare monthly wire and cash flow of project;
• Monitor?the?monthly?financial?expenditures?of?the project activities by tracking?balances?using the pipeline template;
• Perform financial classification?and support technical team in providing activities budget codes to ensure efficient?reporting.

Budget Analysis?

• Analyse financial data?from accounting system?for decision support?for Finance?&?Operations Manager;
• Analyse past?financial spending?trends and?make recommendations for improvements;
• Evaluate financial performance by comparing and analysing actual?cost?with plans and forecasts;
• Utilize the accounting system functions to ease financial reports and data retrieving for efficient?reporting;
• Track project commitments through direct collaboration with the project and admin staff in FO office and partners.

Payroll??

• Prepare the monthly payroll, including preparation and distribution of pay slips and yearly income tax forms;
• Liaise with local governing bodies for effectiveness of scheduled payments (Sales and Income Tax Department, Social Security Corporation and Labour Ministry, etc.);
• Responsible of reflecting income tax and social security laws?amendments on?staff and project?finances.

Other duties?

• Serve as the focal point of contact for the?FCM?external audit,?provide?all?necessary means to?complete?the audit?process in a timely manner;
• Conduct preliminary?review of?audit report?including financial statements, trial balance, cash flow and profit and loss along with audit?recommendations;
• Submit the?financial?annual report to income tax department, if required locally;
• Liaise with bank staff?on wire transfers, checks and bank guarantees;
• Coordinate with vendors, suppliers and consultants regarding payments and supporting documents;
• Provide support in finalising the?residency and work permit?for expats;
• Deliver required financial capacity building?trainings?to?partner?municipalities?related to creating budgets for?initiatives?proposals;
• Provide support in HR related matters?under the supervision of the?Finance & Operations Manager?for the project staff as requested;
• Perform other duties as assigned by the?Finance & Operations?that are consistent with the overall scope of the position.? Duties and responsibilities may be modified or expanded upon at any time as required?for the successful implementation of?the?project.

Qualification Required & Experience

Knowledge, Education and Experience

• A university degree in Accounting
• A professional accounting designation preferred [e.g. Certified Professional Accountant (CPA), Certified Accountant (CA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified General Accountant (CGA) or equivalency in Ghana].
• Five (5) years’ experience as?an accountant?or Finance Officer, preferably?in?an?international non-profit organization.
• Sound experience in computer business applications including accounting software, Quickbooks, MS Applications (Excel, Outlook, Word, Powerpoint, MS Project).
• Strong organization and communications skills.
• Demonstrated experience working within a team environment
• All applicants must be residents of Ghana or legally entitled to work in Ghana.

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Language Requirements

Fluency in English is required. French is considered an asset.

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Please submit your cover letters, resumes and salary expectations prior to the deadline to the following email address:

careers.cisal@fcm.ca

We thank all candidates for their interest; however we will only contact those selected for an interview. All the applications will be kept in file for six months following the hiring.

Closing Date: 09 December, 2021

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is committed to fostering an organizational culture that embraces equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, where individuals from diverse racial and ethnic identities, nationalities, social economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and physical and mental abilities can thrive and be fully engaged at their best level.

FCM welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process.

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