Programme Administrative and Finance Assistant – Freetown, Sierra Leone

Based in Freetown, Sierra Leone, with possible occasional travel
Full Time – Fixed Term Contract for Service – August 2016 until 31st March 2018
Salary: Competitive local

Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) is an independent foundation sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID). WFD specialises in parliamentary strengthening and political party development. It does this by supporting the development of parliaments, political party structures and civil society organisations. It is uniquely placed to draw directly on the expertise of the Westminster political parties in all its work.

Established in 1992, WFD has supported transitions to democracy in central and Eastern Europe, strengthened multi-party democracies in Africa, and extended its work to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in 2004.

The Programme:

WFD is looking to recruit a Programme Administrative and Finance Assistant (PAFA) to support WFD’s newly established programme in Sierra Leone. WFD implemented a series of political party assistance and parliamentary strengthening programmes between 2001 and 2013. Most recently, WFD worked closely with the British Council as well as with other partners on a programme entitled “Strengthening the Parliament of Sierra Leone” (2010-2011).

WFD is once again looking at working with the Sierra Leonean Parliament. Recently, WFD conducted a context analysis on the parliament to inform the development of the new programme, which will include providing support to the Hansard department, capacity building, the provision of resources and reform.

The WFD implementation approach consists of two key principles: (i) to work with key stakeholders such as Parliament and committees, and (ii) to deliver programmes with both local and international expertise.

Main Purpose of the Role:

The Programme Administrative and Finance Assistant (PAFA) will play a critical role in assisting the Country Representative in Sierra Leone with the implementation of this programme.

This role is responsible for the accurate and efficient preparation and coordination of financial and administrative procedures related to the programme. This role will need to communicate effectively both internally within the programme office and WFD’s head office in London and externally with other key stakeholders.

The successful candidate will have the following experience and competencies:

Essential

• First degree or similar, in a relevant discipline for e.g. business studies, office administration, project administration, accountancy or bookkeeping
• Experience of, and excellent abilities in, financial administration including management of cash flows, balance sheets, sizeable budgets (planning, monitoring and reporting), and experience of using accounting packages (e.g. SAGE)
• At least two years’ experience in office administration, with high levels of proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, databases)
• Experience of project management and in particular gathering and consolidating information for monitoring and evaluation and impact reporting
• Excellent levels of spoken and written English
• Experience of procurement, and use of hardware, software, scanners and other office equipment

Desirable

• At least two years’ experience in a similar role, in a similar type of organisation (preferably an NGO or international representative office environment)
• Knowledge of the Westminster Parliamentary system and Political Parties, UK and international funding institutions and donor agencies.

This is a locally based field role and therefore the successful candidate must have eligibility to work in the relevant location.

The appointment will be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. 

Please note this statement is for information only and does not form part of a contract.

All applicants must submit a completed application form to recruitment@wfd.org by 23:59 (GMT) 15th August 2016 to be considered for this role.

For more information, please download the job description and candidate guidance notes.

Please note: Due to the volume of application we receive, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

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