Finance Manager at Smart Africa Secretariat (deadline 31 December,2023)

Finance Manager at Smart Africa Secretariat (deadline 31 December,2023)

Terms of Reference 

Recruitment 

• Position: Finance Manager, DTfA/ WARDIP SOP-1
• Duration: Fixed Term, renewable
• Location: Kigali, Rwanda (flexible)
• Deadline: 31 December,2023 at 5:00 PM Kigali (GMT+2) time

1. Context and Background

Africa is reshaping its narrative from one of poverty to progress, showcasing impressive economic growth, technological innovation, and a young population. Nevertheless, digital transformation faces obstacles such as limited access, insufficient investments, and a digital divide, which also offer opportunities for growth through better accessibility, efficiency, and job creation

The Smart Africa Alliance, established through the Smart Africa Manifesto, is a collaborative effort among African nations, the African Union, the Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the International Telecommunications Union, the private sector, and academic and research institutions. This initiative, driven by African Heads of State and Government, aims to propel sustainable socio-economic development across the continent by leveraging Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to transition Africa into a knowledge-based economy. Originally endorsed by African leaders in 2014, the Smart Africa Manifesto has since garnered the support of 39 African countries, representing over one billion population, with the goal of placing ICT at the core of both national and continental socio-economic development efforts. This involves increasing ICT access, enhancing transparency, efficiency, and openness through ICT adoption, fostering advanced telecommunication technologies, empowering the private sector, and utilizing ICT for sustainable development.

The Alliance promotes digital transformation by building digital infrastructure, supporting entrepreneurship, fostering innovation, developing human capital, driving digitization, and advocating the development of policies and regulations that support the growth of the digital economy and digital technologies. Recognizing the need for strong capacity building efforts to achieve AU’s goals for digital transformation, the Alliance established the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA), adopted during the Smart Africa Alliance ninth Board Meeting Resolution 5, as a vehicle to implement its capacity building and skills development activities across member states, through the establishment of national digital academies.

SADA ensures that policymakers, business leaders, and the wider African population develop the digital skills and knowledge necessary to participate in the digital economy and take advantage of new opportunities. SADA recognized the importance of strong policies and regulations and the need to equip policymakers and regulators to design and implement effective digital policies and regulations. Through collaborative efforts with the World Bank and GIZ, SADA has, in its phase 1, trained over 8000 beneficiaries, out of which over 5000 are Africa’s Policy and Decision makers.  SADA has also implemented National Digital Academies across 12 African countries.

Visit https://sada.smartafrica.org/ for more information about the Smart Africa Digital Academy

2. Digital Transformation for Africa/ Western Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (DTfA/ WARDIP) SOP-1

The DTfA/ WARDIP SOP-1 is a regional project with financing from the International Development Asociaton (IDA) covering two continental entities, AU and Smart Africa, one REC, ECOWAS and four countries, The Gambia, Guinea. Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania. The DTfA/ WARDIP SOP-1 aims to increase broadband access and usage in participating countries and to advance the integration of digital markets in Western Africa.

The project is designed around the three distinct but interconnected layers of the SDM framework. The three market layers are (i) a single connectivity market, removing barriers to regional telecom infrastructure and services deployment; (ii) a single data market, enabling the secure exchange and processing of data across borders; and (iii) a single online market, allowing the access and delivery of public and private services online and digital trade across borders.

At the continental level the project will support AU´s strategic vision of creating an SDM in Africa by 2030 through the development of appropriate policies and regulations for coordinated digital transformation in Africa. A key element will be a comprehensive training program open to policy and decision makers as well as regulators from all countries in Africa to be implemented by Smart Africa through its Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA). The training will ensure that participants are updated on digitalization and address the new policies and regulations underpinning single digital markets, with focus on agile regulation, data economy and green digital. This will also foster common knowledge, competencies, and peer-learning to design and implement digital policies and regulations.

3. The Smart Africa Digital Academy for Policy and Decision makers (SADA-CBDM) – A Subcomponent of the WARDIP-SOP 1 

The subcomponent of the WARDIP-SOP1 project to be implemented by Smart Africa aims at a rapid-scaling of the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) program at both regional and continental levels by leveraging on the existing SADA -CBDM implementation, AReg4DT program, and developing a replicable implementation model that caters for the specific needs and the regional context. The overall aim is to establish a new generation of policymakers and regulators across Africa, who are individually knowledgeable on how to harness the potential of green and inclusive digital transformation through new approaches to policy and regulation, and who collectively contribute to the establishment of a Single Digital Market in Africa. With this aim, the scale-up will reach 30,000 unique policymakers and decision makers from all countries in Africa, with a core group of 5,000 being trained in person towards creating a safe, inclusive and sustainable single digital market for Africa, with a participation level of females at 40%. The use of self-paced learning and train-the-trainer approaches are both aimed at further enhancing the reach of the program to propagate new knowledge and new practices across the entire ecosystem including the private sector, academia and in some cases the general public. 

In line with the vision of Smart Africa, the program aims to provide foundational knowledge and competencies for the current and future digital policy makers to design, draft and implement digital policies and regulations required to promote a vibrant (i.e, competitive), safe, inclusive and sustainable (i.e., affordable and green) digital transformation that will, in turn, foster the creation of a secured Single Digital Market in Africa with focus on Agile regulation, the data economy and green digital.

SADA invites suitably qualified individuals to indicate their interest in ensuring sound financial management, accountability, and compliance with Smart Africa’s guidelines and procedures, as well as the World Bank financing agreement requirements.

4. Duties and Responsibilities 

The Finance Manager will supervise the delivery of the finance team and will oversee the financial management systems, compliance with financial management policies and applicable grant requirements, timely preparation of Management and Donors’ financial reports, and facilitation of timely completion of internal and external audits.

She/He will work under the direct supervision of Head of Finance and Planning and will supervise the Accountant and collaboration with the other support services andand program execution team.

Specifically, this position will cover the following areas of work

• Financial Reporting
  • Review accounting records to ensure adherence to accounting standards, proper account classification and accurate budget allocations.
  • Lead the monthly and year-end accounts closure including required journal entries.
  • Lead the preparation of timely and accurate monthly financial reports and annual financial statements compliant with international financial reporting standards.
  • Ensure timely completion of balance sheet reconciliations, including bank accounts, receivables, payables, deferred income, etc.
  • Review and coordinate timely submission of Management and Donors’ financial reports .
• Compliance and controls
  • Ensure compliance with Smart Africa financial management policies and procedures and with the Donor’s requirements.
  • Monitor the implementation and effectiveness of internal controls.
  • Initiate appropriate revisions and updates to the financial management policies and procedures.
  • Initiate and implement measures for simplification, automation and standardization of financial management processes aiming at efficiency improvement while maintaining effective internal controls.
  • Proactively and advise the Management of any risks which may adversely impact on the internal control environment.
  • Ensure controls over organization’s assets are effective
  • Ensure compliance with applicable laws including tax and social security laws.

• Budget and Treasury
  • Review expenses and payments to ensure they are supported with adequate and complete documentation.
  • Manage expenditure planning and treasury forecasting, including monitoring financial commitments and cash requirements for meeting expenditure plans.
  • Ensure timely and accurate monthly budget absorption reporting and facilitate monthly review and discussion of budget versus actual variance analysis with Project Coordination lead as financial inputs to the grant management and implementation
  • Support the program team in providing input on cost estimates in the process of implementing grants activities.
  • Lead the preparation of donors’ disbursement requests and ensure that appropriate cash balances are maintained to facilitate projects implementation.
  • Prepare operations budget and support in the preparation and development and revisions of budgets
  • Consolidate budget preparations and reporting
  • Ensure VAT tax receivables are collected and reconciled on monthly basis
  • Oversee bank account transactions and negotiate favorable bank fees and rates

• Audits
  • Lead the preparations for the project audits.
  • Be the focal point and liaison person with the auditors for facilitating internal and external audits.

• Other
  • Supervise and provide support to the finance team, including coaching, technical capacity building.
  • Any other duties as assigned by the Supervisors.

5. Position requirements

A. Key Attributes

• Experience in donor grant reporting.
• Integrity
• Confidentiality
• Respect for All
• Team spirit
• Respect for diversity
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks
• Ability to work independently
• Proactiveness and taking initiatives
• Analytical thinking
• Attention to details
• Continuous improvement

B. Experience

• At least 8 years of experience in financial management or financial auditing with in-depth expertise in international financial reporting standards.
• Team management experience and ability to work as a team player.
• Experience in donor grant reporting.
• Experience in using QuickBooks or other accounting software, advanced spreadsheet skills.

C. Education and Training

• A minimum of Bachelor Degree’s degree is required, preferably in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration and related fields.
• Completion of professional accounting certification ACCA or CPA is required

D. Duration of the Assignment

The employment contract is expected to have a duration of three (3) years renewable subject to funds availability and performance.

E. Reporting

The Finance Manager  will report to the  Head of Finance and Planning

F. Location

Kigali, Rwanda.

G. Application Instructions

Candidates should send the following documents to the following email address: hr@smartafrica.org, with mention of “Finance Manager – DTfA/ WARDIP SOP-1” in the subject line:

• A detailed CV
• Copies of academic degree certificates, professional accounting certificate, and other relevant certificates
• A one-page cover letter with a motivation statement in relation to the responsibilities and requirements for this position.

Candidates should send the following documents to the following email address: A one-page cover letter with a motivation statement in relation to the responsibilities and requirements for this position.

The deadline for submitting applications is 31 December,2023 at 5:00 PM Kigali (GMT+2) time.

Only selected candidates for interview will be contacted.

Any late application will be automatically rejected.