Finance and Operations Officer D-tree International

Finance and Operations Officer

Reports to: Zambia Director (with dotted line to global support finance team)

Location: Lusaka, Zambia

Start Date: March or April 2022

Who we are

D-tree International is a global digital health organization dedicated to ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality primary healthcare in underserved areas. We do this by working with governments to design, build and deploy digital tools for frontline health workers that improve their ability to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care. D-tree engages with governments to develop a shared vision for the potential of digital health, demonstrates the effectiveness of digital systems to improve health outcomes, and accompanies governments to scale these digital systems nationally and institutionalize them within their broader health systems.

For over 15 years, D-tree has worked in countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa with governments and NGO partners on a wide range of digital health programs focused on improving the quality of healthcare delivery. In Zambia and Malawi, we have worked to strengthen the quality of HIV service delivery using digital tools on USAID and PEPFAR-funded programs. In Tanzania, we are working with the Ministry of Health and local partners to develop a digitally enabled primary health care program to strengthen the quality of maternal, child and adolescent care. In Zanzibar, D-tree has worked hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Health to bring the government’s first national digital community health program to national scale, supporting every household in Zanzibar.

As our portfolio of digital health programs continues to grow, we have an opportunity to expand our engagement in Zambia to support HIV service delivery and prevention at the community level and build relationships with the national government to support to the broader primary health system. This is an exciting opportunity to help expand D-tree’s work by establishing a D-tree office in Zambia and working with a small team to support the implementation of government-aligned digital health systems to improve access to quality healthcare in Zambia.

Who you are

We are seeking a Finance and Operations Officer based in Lusaka to support the establishment and management thereof for all financial, operational, logistical and human resource functions of D-tree as we establish an office and organizational presence in Zambia. This is an exciting opportunity for an individual with exceptional attention to detail, initiative, and interest in supporting the growth of an organization dedicated to improving the quality health care for underserved communities.

This is a new position that will be responsible for all financial, operational, compliance and administrative aspects of a growing portfolio of programs in Zambia.  You will be responsible for managing all aspects of the country office of Zambia’s accounting and financial systems to ensure adherence to D-tree policies and procedures, including ensuring proper controls are in place, facilitating smooth operational and financial processes that align with D-tree’s Tanzania and Malawi programs, and enabling accurate and timely reporting to management staff as well as external stakeholders of D-tree.

You will work closely with the Zambia Director and Program Manager (also new positions in Zambia) as well as the global support team based in the US to lead the management of D-tree Zambia’s financial, accounting, and administrative tasks. You must be equally comfortable working with in person and remote teams to enhance policies, procedures, guidelines and practices to ensure proper stewardship of donor assets.

Key Responsibilities include:

Financial and Accounting Management:

• Establish and ensure integrity of petty cash, mobile money account/s, and bank accounts (may include coordinating establishment of said accounts during country office launch)
• Manage daily Zambia accounting and financial functions including: timely recording and filing of back-up documentation, cash management and banking details
• Manage Zambia cash flow and forecasts (including preparation of monthly cash request to US office) and ensure that the country office, its partners and vendors receive funds in a timely manner
• Manage monthly payroll run for Zambia national staff and all statutory and supplemental payroll filings
• Ensure timely completion of monthly transaction logs and appropriate backup to support monthly close within 8 to 10 days of month end
• Perform monthly general ledger accounting reconciliations and analysis ensuring accuracy of ledger and month end reporting in accordance with GAAP, international accounting standards, organizational policy and donor regulations
• Assist with preparation of donor financial reports as requested
• Coordinate and manage in-country annual financial audit with global support team assistance and when required manage donor compliance audit/s and pre-award reviews;
• Assist global support finance team with annual audit preparation schedules (for the organization’s consolidated audit in the US)
• Oversee all aspects of procurement to ensure they are aligned with D-tree’s policies, including: selection of appropriate competition method, negotiation of cost, issuance of purchase orders and vendor contracts, integrating purchases into inventory tracking system as appropriate, and monitoring fixed assets for Zambia
• Creation and maintenance thereof of Zambia Finance & Operations Manual and supplemental guidelines in consultation with global support team to ensure alignment with organizational practices.

Human Resources and Operational Compliance:

• Coordinate general office operations:  supply and equipment purchasing, office establishment and maintenance thereof and tracking existing or new vendor agreements and /or leases as appropriate for operations
• Ensure adherence to D-tree financial and HR policies/procedures as well as local employment laws;
• Stay abreast of GAAP, International Accounting Standards and NGO compliance in Zambia and set up systems and actualize a plan for adherence to ensure D-tree remains compliant
• Stay abreast of relevant laws in Zambia and contribute to plans that enable the organization to stay compliant with all D-tree operations. This includes laws related to taxation, labor, NGO and foreign company branch compliance, etc.
• Set up and manage benefits for Zambia staff including but not limited to staff health insurance, pension and worker’s compensation, etc.
• Manage employment contract annual renewals together with the Director and global support team HR Manager
• Electronic and physical file management (HR, Accounting, Inventory, Consultant Contracts, Lease/Vendor Agreements)
• Assist with coordination of recruitment and onboarding activities for Zambia as necessary

Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

What we are looking for

We are looking for motivated, passionate individuals who are willing to wear multiple hats and do what it takes to make our projects succeed. The following attributes are a general overview, but we will consider individuals who do not meet all of the details below if you have the right skill set and attitude.

Basic requirements

• At least 5 years of financial management experience with global organization/s in a mid-level position
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred (accounting, business management, public administration or related field)
• Strong Quickbooks and/or other accounting software knowledge and experience
• Experience in a project-based non-profit sector that requires financial tracking and reporting for separate donors across multiple funding sources (USG, multilateral, private foundation)
• Exposure to and in depth understanding of institutional donors’ rules and regulations in relation to program funding mechanisms, procurement, compliance, and reporting
• Exposure to and experience establish operations in Zambia desired
• Advanced proficiency in MS Office – including Word and Excel.
• Excellent English verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and proactive work style

Desired characteristics

• Accountability & Reliability – Takes ownership and responsibility for decisions, actions, and results; delivers on commitments. Demonstrates honesty, integrity, and good judgement.
• Initiative – Must display a sense of urgency to effectively and efficiently complete a varying workload in a timely manner. Can initiate actions independently, handles unexpected situations, and volunteers to assist others.
• Problem Solving – Ability to proactively identify issues, think critically, and take action by analyzing all the information skillfully to persistently purse positive outcomes. Uses sound judgment about when to take action and when to seek guidance.
• Compliance & Quality – Must ensure accuracy, meet established deadlines of work, produce a quality product and show commitment to continuous improvement efforts.  Ability to learn, interpret, and comply with all organization policies and procedures.
• Collaborative –  Has a strong work ethic. Brings a track record of working effectively with various and diverse individuals and groups, and a willingness to actively listen and invite different views and opinions across all levels of the institution to build alignment in support of a common goal.

Salary Range:

$15,500 to $26,600 annual salary inclusive of all cash compensation (equivalent – to be paid in Zambian Kwacha:  264,000 to 453,600 ZMW)

Note: Starting salaries typically fall in the lower half of the salary range; however, they are ultimately determined by the scope of the position, the candidate’s relevant experience, and internal equity