Financial Accounting Specialist Job at Results for Development (R4D)

Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world - government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators - to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. 

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Financial Accounting Specialist

Job Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Employment Type: Full-Time Exempt / On-site

Opportunity

• R4D, through funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is implementing the Nigeria Primary Health Financing Project. The main goal of the Project is to mobilize increased funding to the frontline health facilities and to increase the utilization of primary health care services, especially for pregnant women, children under five, and those living in poverty by supporting the effective scale-up of BHCPF implementation.
• To meet this goal, the program will focus on consolidating the gains in the Federal budget process work by cascading to the States, improving on the strategic purchasing of primary health in the country, and the capacity building and strengthening governance and oversight functions of federal-level agencies.
• This will help position them to effectively support state-level implementation of BHCPF towards achieving service delivery outcomes and impact on health outcomes.  
• The Project seeks to drive effective & efficient healthcare financing (HCF) by supporting the national scale-up of implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and promoting the development and implementation of mechanisms to improve Primary Health Care (PHC) financing.
• R4D seeks a Financial Accounting Specialist to lead the drive to strengthen the public financial management of the NPHCDA gateway of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and support the day-to-day operations of the BHCPF unit of the NPHCDA.
• The Financial Accounting Specialist will be embedded in the National Primary Health Development Agency (NPHCDA) and will play an integral role in driving improved financial management of the BHCPF and also other technical, administrative, and operational aspects of the project.
• The Financial Accounting Specialist (FAS) will work closely with key actors at the federal and subnational levels to improve and strengthen the public financial management and reporting of the NPHCDA gateway of the BHCPF. The FAS will report to the Associate Director and will collaborate with other members of the R4D leadership team.
• The location of this position is Abuja, Nigeria. The FAS will work with team members based in a variety of global time zones, including, but not limited to, the East coast of the United States and multiple countries in Africa.

Responsibilities

• Working under the direction of the Associate Director (Public Financial Management), the Senior Program Officer will help strengthen the financial management and reporting of the NPHCDA of the BHCPF under the Nigeria Primary Health Financing Project. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• Provide support to NPHCDA PIU to build on the training, tools, and procedures already developed to improve facility-level financial management practices.
• Provide support for capacity training on the use of already developed PFM tools and processes for strategic planning and budgeting.
• Adapt tools for use by subnational level including SPHCDA and LGA-Health Authorities to track and improve reporting of NPHCDA gateway funds by PHC facilities, as well as to serve as the platforms for interface and reach of PHCs in a state for uninterrupted supervision and mentoring on financial management.
• Support NPHCDA PIU with the engagement of state leadership especially SPHCDA and LGA-H authorities to allocate and release funding for operational expenses e.g., travel and other logistics to support the supervision and mentoring activities.
• As part of the national health reforms in Nigeria, work with the leadership of NPHCDA and BHCPF State Oversight Committees (SOCs) to empower facility managers and key actors at that level to determine how to use funds without rigid line-item constraints.
• Assist the NPHCDA to ensure facilities are grouped and trained according to wards and LGAs on key facets of financial management and book-keeping to build their systems and capacity to carry out the appropriate financial management, accounting, and reporting practices.
• Support the NPHCDA/SPHCBs to distribute and on-board accounting clerks to each Local Government Health Authority to support PHC in financial record keeping:
• Assist the NPHCDA to carry out Periodic review meetings in collaboration with NHIA to provide an update on the fund and take decisions.
• Support the NPHCDA to assist the SPHCDA/B to conduct technical and operational review meetings to share cross-learnings on human resources, facilities overhead cost, quality improvement, Medicines and consumables, and financials.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders, including federal and state-level government officials, development partners, and Nigeria-based partner organizations.
• Leverage evidence-based findings to support the development of appropriate Public Financial Management policies and strategies to inform decisions of governments, donors, and other stakeholders.

Qualifications

• B.Sc in Accounting, Finance, Economics, and other related Courses.
• Minimum of 8 years post-qualification experience.
• An MBA in Finance or Accounting would be an advantage.
• ICAN, ANAN, or equivalent Certifications.
• Familiarity with modern accounting software, MS Excel, and MS outlook
• Relevant work experience in a research institution, government, bilateral or multilateral development agency, consulting firm, NGO, or think tank
• Preference will be given to candidates with experience in global health and related institutions, including healthcare financing, political science, and policy development.
• Strong qualitative and quantitative analytical skills.
• Proven experience effectively working with and meeting the needs of various stakeholders, both in Nigeria and globally.
• Ability to think and solve problems in a structured, logical, and creative manner
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to prepare compelling presentations and written reports.
• Effectively able to work collaborate in a team-based environment as well as independently to work on complex work streams/projects.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to connect with a wide variety of different stakeholders.
• Comfortable working with a diverse team located in different geographies
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Willingness to travel internationally and domestically, approximately.