Finance and Operations Director

Position: Finance and Operations Director

Maximum Level of Effort: Full-time LTTA

Period of Performance: USAID Approval – End of Project

Base Of Operations: Skopje, North Macedonia, or Remote in Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, or Montenegro

Positions Reporting: Chief of Party

Project Background:

The USAID Bureau for Europe and Eurasia (E&E), through its Technical Support Office, Economic Growth Division, is establishing the Advancing Commerce, Connectivity, and Exports Leading to Economic Readiness for Accession to the EU “ACCELERATE”. The purpose of this Activity is to mobilize enterprise-driven solutions that increase trade and investment in the Europe and Eurasia region, with a focus on enhancing economic readiness for accession to the European Union (EU).

The Activity aims to strengthen markets in the E&E region by developing new trade and investment relationships, particularly between the U.S. and the E&E region and achieve development outcomes across all sectors in line with USAID's Private Sector Engagement Policy. ACCELERATE will focus on four main objectives:

• Improved trade facilitation both within the E&E region and with the EU
• Increased access to finance by way of introducing regional alternative financial products and services
• Increased support to the public and private sectors to comply with EU requirements and standards
• Increased support to stakeholders to improve investment transparency so that investments have a greater development impact.
  
  
  

Role ’s Purpose:

The Finance & Operations Director is a key member of the project’s senior leadership team, responsible for overseeing and managing ACCELERATE’s financial and operational performance, as well as contributing to overall project management and strategy. The Finance & Operations Director ensures that ACCELERATE’s financial and operational systems effectively enable ACCELERATE staff to carry out the project’s activities to meet or exceed client expectations and program performance. They will lead ACCELERATE’s project accounting, financial reporting, procurement, and administrative compliance within the contractual and organizational requirements of USAID and DAI. The Finance & Operations Director serves as a key point of contact for USAID’s Contracting Officer (CO) and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). They are expected to communicate directly with the client on contractual matters, compliance, and financial reporting in coordination with the Chief of Party. The Finance & Operations Director will ensure financial integrity, accuracy, and timely reporting at a project, activity, and task level with significant partnership from technical leads and Chief of Party.

The Finance & Operations Director will stay abreast of ACCELERATE’s technical activities, particularly high priority activities, to assess and respond to financial and operational implications, and stand in for the COP at times. The Finance & Operations Director will provide ongoing guidance to the COP, and ACCELERATE technical teams, on appropriate strategies for achieving ACCELERATE’s financial and operational performance. The Director of Finance & Operations will proactively identify areas to improve program performance, lead and coordinate program-wide initiatives, and contribute to a positive team culture of collaboration, responsiveness, and achievement. This role will actively support the implementation of ACCELERATE’s team charter, ensuring that the core principles, purposes, and agreements of the ACCELERATE team are represented in key decisions, contributing to an environment where growth is encouraged, collaboration is standard, and teamwork is critical.The Finance & Operations Director will supervise the Finance and Operation Specialist, and report to the Chief of Party (COP).

Key Duties and Responsibilities :

Management:

• Lead the development, implementation, and adaptation of project management systems, policies, and procedures. Ensures that ACCELERATE project management complies with DAI’s USG Project Management standards and the Project Schedule of Authorities.
• Identifies areas of improvement in finance, operations and management, and spearheads necessary changes in coordination with COP.
• Leads and supports implementation of program-wide initiatives and tools, including project management platform, Google Workspace, ACCELERATE All Staff Retreats, ACCELERATE intranet, file management system, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Leads coordination among DAI, USAID, and project stakeholders – including DAI Global Project Management, Procurement, IT, Logistics, Human Resources, and Technical/Delivery teams -to ensure program compliance with standards and policies.
• Contributes to quarterly performance and risk management reviews by identifying and rating risks while working in coordination with project and home office project management to design time-bound and accountable mitigation actions.
  
  
  

Operations:

• Oversees recruitment, hiring, onboarding and related operations of maintaining compliant short-term and long-term staff, in consultation with COP and DAI home office support.
• Promote professional and technical skill development opportunities in coordination with COP and Senior Leadership team.
• Works closely with technical teams to plan and manage project procurement, taking a leading role in procurement for new subcontracts and/or high profile and high budget activities.
• Support the operational management of buy-ins and/or USAID operating unit clients and related tasks to ensure efficient and effective implementation of programming.
• Coordinate with other DAI/USAID projects that are either global/buy-in in nature and/or being implemented in buy-in countries or with buy-in operating units to ensure effective collaboration and efficiency of operations.
  
  
  

Financial Management and Reporting:

• Support the COP on all contractual and financial matters with the client, partners, and beneficiaries and takes part in the preparation of budgets and relates realignments.
• Responsible for full cycle financial management and reporting. Leads review, reporting and planning cycles to contribute to implementation strategy and delivery management.
• Manages pipeline, budget, spending analysis and efficient use of funds across all buy-ins and operating units on constant and ad-hoc basis dependent upon the changing needs of clients and technical teams.
• Responsible for ensuring accurate and timely processing of invoices, advances and reimbursements, checks, and wire transfer payments for subcontractors, independent consultants and vendors.
• Oversees implementation of internal financial management processes and financial reporting, including identifying potential gaps/risks and proposing solutions.
  
  
  

Compliance:

• Ensures all staff are properly trained in project data management systems, personnel policies, financial procedures, and procurement, and that staff actively incorporate the data management systems into daily project activities.
• Maintains and updates all operational and financial policies and procedures to ensure project compliance with local labor law, tax law, and USAID regulations.
• Ensures that financial and administrative records as well as project personnel documentation, are obtained, maintained, verified, and safeguarded appropriately in related databases (TAMIS, SharePoint, Jedox). This includes conducting random spot checks and internal reviews.
• Other tasks as assigned by the COP.
  
  
  

Qualifications:

• University degree in relevant field such as finance, business administration, economics, public administration, human resources management, economics, or another relevant field. Advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in finance and accounting, office administration, grants and procurement, project operations, and human resources management.
• At least 3 years of experience in a supervisory-level role strongly preferred.
• Previousexperience working on USAID funded programs with demonstrated experience leading and managing the financial and grants management aspects of USAID projects, including demonstrated understanding of applicable finance and grants related USG contracting regulations.
• Demonstrated experience of increasing responsibility in overall project management, complex budgeting, operations, regulatory compliance, and financial management for USAID funded contracts of similar size and complexity.
• Knowledge of USAID rules and regulations, as well as DAI policies, procedures and systems preferred. Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information responsibly and ethically.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to respond effectively to time-sensitive inquiries.
• An energetic, forward-thinking, and creative individual with high ethical standards
• An extremely detail and solutions oriented, well organized and self-directedindividual who possesses sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and a strong operational focus.
  
  
  

Reporting:

The Finance and Operations Director will report to the Chief of Party.

About DAI:

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work.DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.