COMESA - Financial Analyst (FA)

The Inter-Regional Coordinating Committee (IRCC), on behalf of COMESA, is looking for a : Accounts Officer (AO) Post Level : GS9 (IRCC Salary Scale) Terms of service : Fixed Term appointment Duration of appointment : One year, renewable yearly, and NOT TO EXCEED 27 JULY 2014 Duty Station : IRCC Secretariat, COMESA, Lusaka, Zambia Entry date : on, or as soon as possible as from, 1 Sep 2011. Vacancy Notice No. : IRCC/2011/05 Eligibility : Natural persons eligible under Annex IV of the ACP – EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement . See also Annex A2b of the EU practical Guide1 to Contract procedures for EU external actions Deadline for application : 22 August 2011 (17h00 Lusaka time) General The FAA will work under the overall supervision of the Coordinator and Head of IRCC Secretariat based at the COMESA Secretariat and in consultations with the COMESA Budget and Finance Director who is the (IRCC Imprest Accountant) and the COMESA Internal Audit function. Duty StationThe FAA will be based at the IRCC office in COMESA Secretariat with frequent missions to the region and occasionally to the European Union. Main portfolio responsibilities : Financial management of the IRCC support programme, including budgeting, procurement and contracting and report thereto Assist in Financial forecast and monitoring of the overall ESA-IO Regional indicative Programmes with inputs from the different ROs and the EU Delegations, and maintain an early warningsystem to alert on variances compared to forecasts , on deadlines ( d+3, end of operationalperiods, end of closure periods, end of contracts, PE replenishments, etc ) Assist in programme identification and formulation in IRCC workshops regarding the financialimplementation modalities (both EDF project approach and Contribution Agreement approach) Maintain information base on financial situation and execution of other regional envelopes suchas SADC and intra-ACP financing , and relevant EU Call for Proposals Design and mobilize Training for IRCC office and other ROs project offices in project financialsystems and computerized accounts complying to EU / EDF requirements Supervise the IRCC accounts officer for the daily bookkeeping and records management for IRCC accounts.

Duties
The FAA will be responsible for the following duties: Maintain and develop contacts with the European Commission Delegations and RegionalOrganisations on all aspects of financial budgeting and follow-up of the EDF programmes Act as the IRCC office depository on all EU / ACP legislation, practical guides, financial rules and regulations regarding EDF, and keep management informed on changes; establishinformation/training material thereto for capacity building of ROs on EU/ACP and EDF Rules andRegulations Assist in design of financial setup and budgets and financial implementation modalities in theframework of IRCC workshops on programme identification and implementation (AAP) andensure due diligence thereto by IRCC Assist in consolidation of follow-up on the EDF commitments and forecasts at RIP level, RO levels, Programme levels, etc Prepare budgets for IRCC meetings and conferences, assist in negotiating contracts with IRCC service providers, IRCC conference venues and conference service providers Field missions to ROs and projects to inform on financial forecast and execution as part of the IRCC programme monitoring mandate Assist to undertake research and reporting on topics related to the IRCC Aid Effectiveness Task Force in matters of improving regional aid delivery mechanisms Assist in preparation and submission of financing requests under “All-ACP” funds and other EU financing instruments Support administration of IRCC in the staff remuneration functions (drawing up and update lists of staff and their remuneration), the inventory ( prepare and keep updated the inventory of IRCC Secretariat’s materials and equipment and, distinctly those inventories financed by the project or programme, inclusive of transfers from earlier programmes), and procurement (maintain updated list of all procurements (local consultations and tenders under the programme estimates) and contracts (supply and services) issued under PE). Assisting in Information, Communication and Visibility (ICV) of the IRCC activities Servicing the external auditors for IRCC Programme Estimate audits and assist with audits of other EDF programmes under the ESA-IO RIP; Perform any other cognate tasks or duties assigned by the IRCC Coordinator or ASG-P COMESA Qualifications and Experience : Degree in accounting , economics or full ACCA (or equivalent) or a comparable academicqualification or comparable professional experience At least 7 years experience in fields and assignments relevant to the post with responsibilitypositions on financial and administrative management of donor projects ( over EUR 5million Minimum 5 years of experience in financial and contractual management and audit, especially with EDF funded projects over EUR 3 million Very good knowledge and recent practice of 9th and 10th EDF financial rules and regulations and the EU Practical Guides to contracts and programme estimates Extensive practice and knowledge of computerized accounting systems with emphasis on SARA and Sun accounting systems Regional experience in the Eastern and Southern Africa – Indian Ocean region or ACP countries is desired, previous experience with NAO or RAO office is an advantage Proven experience of working in a team demonstrating professional facilitation, mentoring and advisory skills Proficient knowledge of standard computer software (MS word, Excel , powerpoint) and project accounting / management software Language : Fluent in spoken and written English with good reporting, interpersonal and communication skills; Good working knowledge of French will be an advantage. RemunerationThe indicative ALL-INCLUSIVE annual salary at IRCC P1 level at single rate (no dependents) ranges from US$ 48 945 to US$ 58 881. The exact positioning on the scale is determined solely by the Contracting Authority based on a set of factors including the number of years of qualified specific experience. For primary dependents annual allocations are as follows : - US$ 300/child US$ 413 for spouseo US$ 4950/child enrolled full-tile in an educational establishment Due to constraints under the EDF financing made available for this post the maximumremuneration may not exceed the equivalent of EUR 4 191.- per month under the EDF IRCC PE funding. No other remuneration or allowances are foreseen. How to ApplyCandidates are invited to fill , in their own handwriting, the application form available on the COMESA website under Opportunities>>Job Application format Candidates will submit, in a single envelope, the application form, together with a Motivation Letter, such that they are received before 22nd August 2011 at 17.00 hours, EITHER by recorded delivery (official postal service) OR hand delivered (including courier services) to : The IRCC Coordinator IRCC COMESA, Comesa Centre, Ben Bella Road PO Box 30051, 10101 Lusaka, ZAMBIA. The envelope should carry the following information: The address for submission as indicated above; The reference code of the Vacancy Notice No. The words \\\"Not to be opened before the short-listing session\\\" The name of the candidate Additional information Applicants will be contacted only if they are short-listed and/or under serious consideration Applications received after the deadline will NOT be accepted. A written test may be held for some positions. Reference materials including candidate\\\\\\\'s own work and material may be used if properly cited. It is expected that commencement of contract and work should start on, or as soon as possible as from, 1 September 2011. The post(s) will be funded from resources of the 10th European Development Fund under the the IRCC Support programme (financing decision no. FED/2009/021-403), signed between the EU and COMESA. The funding will be channeled -through annual programme estimates and successive renewals of the post until the 27 July 2014 is therefore subject to such funds being made available in due time.