Location: Kampala, Uganda
Position Category: Local hire, paid in country
Posting Date: 12/19/2024
Deadline Date: 01/08/2025
Starting Date: 01/20/2025
Salary: Commensurate with experience and location.
Description
World Education, a division of JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI/WE) is dedicated to improving people’s lives around the world through greater heath, education and socioeconomic equity for individuals and communities, and to providing an environment where people of passion can pursue this cause.
JSI/WE is seeking a Compliance and Audit Manager for a five-year USAID funded Targeting the Learning Crisis (TLC) Activity in Uganda, which aims to create sustained, measurable improvements in development outcomes in Basic Education through Targeted Instruction for foundational skills, a learner-centric pedagogy that reorganizes math and reading instruction based on children’s actual learning levels, rather than on the prescribed grade-level syllabus. The Activity seeks to implement cost-effective, sustainable, and impactful programming, centered around Targeted Instruction pedagogy for P3-P5, Targeted Instruction and other evidence-based approaches for P1-P2, and evidence-based early childhood education for pre-primary years, in order to significantly improve math and reading learning outcomes for Ugandan primary students.
The Compliance and Audit Manager is a full-time position based in Kampala. S/he will work closely with the Director of Finance & Operations, finance and operations staff to ensure that Activity policies and processes are understood and consistently implemented and documented by staff in Kampala and regional office. The Compliance and Audit Manager will primarily serve in an internal auditing function for the project, ensuring that activities and payments are properly supported and verified and working to mitigate against fraudulent activity and also lead investigations into any suspected and/or reported fraudulent activity on the project. S/he will report to the Chief of Party.
Responsibilities
- Ensure thorough familiarity with JSI/WEI manuals, resources, and policies and procedures;
- Ensure policy and procedure manuals are up-to-date, issued and signed off on by staff (liaising with HR or other counterparts);
- Work closely with the Director of Finance & Operations to review and update, as necessary, fraud mitigation systems at the central and regional levels;
- Coordinate roll out of any policy updates or process clarifications in coordination with Director Finance & Operations, including fraud prevention, operations, and finance policies;
- Conduct trainings and/or technical assistance for staff and TLC sub-partners in JSI/WEI policy, fraud and ethics reporting, finance and operations, donor rules and regulations;
- Routinely travel to the regional office to ensure that policies and procedures are understood and consistently applied and documented, and conduct random spot check verifications on activities and beneficiary payments;
- Review/spot check TLC files to ensure project documentation meets JSI/WEI and donor requirements;
- Identify key areas of risk within the project and propose appropriate controls to mitigate the risks.
- Ensure that there is risk register for the project, updated and monitored on a regular basis.
- Ensure management is regularly updated on compliance issues and make recommendations on areas that need to be strengthened to improve compliance and mitigate fraud
- Communicate compliance/audit findings by preparing compliance/audit reports; discussing observations and recommendations with relevant auditees and report significant issues to senior management
- Assist in the preparation and conduct of regular internal audits of financial transactions and program activity delivery, make recommendations to the Chief of Party and implement follow-up actions
- S/he will be responsible in assisting and facilitating the home office and external audits in the field. Conduct special/investigations/ reviews as requested by senior management and provide reports thereafter.
- Lead process of completing annual file checklist;
- Periodically travel to TLC activities sites to assess status of JSI/WEI and TLC sub-partners’ support including spot checks of ongoing activities;
- Periodically verify payments to vendors, participants, and beneficiaries of TLC;
- Liaise with staff to identify any bottlenecks or process improvements possible within JSI/WEI policy;
- Participate in training activities for staff and Partners;
- Ensure that in his/her line of duty, s/he is aware of child safeguarding principles and guidelines and apply it in your day-to-day roles as you interact with communities and children.
- Ensure promotion of and monitor the compliance of staff and Partners on safe child practices and mitigation, prevention, and reporting of violations of children; and
- Carry out other tasks as assigned by the Chief of Party.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required in Management, Finance, International Development, or related field; Master’s preferred;
- Minimum six (6) years’ experience with fraud mitigation, internal auditing, and compliance of donor-funded projects;
- Minimum seven (7) years’ experience in financial management and/or operations on USG-funded projects;
- Ability to travel to regional Activity sites, on short notice, to conduct random spot checks and verifications of activities and beneficiary payments;
- Demonstrated experience applying US Government rules and regulations in their work;
- Experience with USAID Contracts and USG acquisition (FAR) rules and regulations is an added advantage;
- Demonstrated competence to assess priorities and manage a variety of activities in a time-sensitive environment and meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality;
- Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to implement procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members;
- Ability to work independently, take initiative and manage various activities in a team setting with minimal supervision;
- Strong time management/task prioritization skills;
- Experience with QuickBooks accounting system desired;
- Excellent oral and written English communication skills; and
- Computer literacy required (especially Excel, MSWord and Windows).
JSI/WE is committed to protecting the populations we serve from exploitation, sexual abuse, child abuse and child neglect. We are a child-safe organization and the safety and wellbeing of children is a priority of our organization, as is the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse in any form. We have zero-tolerance for such behavior and we will take every measure to prevent such incidents. We have robust recruitment procedures to ensure that all staff are suited to work with the communities served by our programs.
Deadline for receiving applications is Wednesday 8th January 2025. Applications my close earlier as we are shortlisting on a rolling basis.
Interested candidates should submit their resumes and cover letters online by 01/08/2025.
