Niger River Basin Authority Latest Recruitment, December 2017

Niger River Basin Authority – In the 1960s, the independent countries of the Niger Basin decided to coordinate their efforts in order to exploit the natural resources of the basin, among which water is the first. The Niamey Act related to Navigation and economic Cooperation between the countries of the Niger Basin was signed on October 26, 1963 and was replaced by Niamey Agreement related to the River Niger Commission and to Navigation and transportation on the Niger River which was signed on November 25, 1964. The Commission of the Niger River was renamed the Niger Basin Authority on November 21, 1980.

We are recruiting to fill the positions of:

Job Position: Assistant Accountant
Location: Niamey, Niger
Mission
Under the responsibility of the Regional Program Coordinator and direct supervision of the Regional Accountant, you will perform the basic accounting and financial management functions of the Niger River development Management Project.

You will assist the Regional Accountant in other financial and accounting management tasks for other UGC projects. Vacancy is of local position category, not international. So you will mainly:

• Carry out the entry of account documents on the Tompro Accounting and Financial Management software;
• Keep records of goods and supplies management;
• Setup and follow-up payment requests;
• Keep records, journals and account documents, as well as detailed computerized accounting; File account documents and carry out monthly bank reconciliation no later than 10.
• Participate in physical end-of-year inventories of fixed assets, stocks of supplies, etc,
• Perform any other duties required by the Regional Accountant in the WSEM and PGBFN project implementation.
• Verify account documents coming from NFBs (National Focal Bodies);
• Make cash expenditures;
• Write requests for funds renewal and necessary documentation for advance accounts supply;
• Carry out the administrative formalities for obtaining goods and services exemptions in the framework of the Projects implementation;

Requirements

• You have a good knowledge of computer and standard software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) as well as accounting software for development projects and you are fluent in French.
• Being able to express yourself and write in English as well as a good command of TOMPRO software would be assets to distinguish candidates having the same grades.
• M/F, you hold a 3 -year higher education degree or any other equivalent degree in Accounting, with at least five(s) years’ experience, including 3 years track record in Accounting Projects/World Bank-financed Programs And for other donors.
• Organized, of good character, able to work in a team and under pressure in a multicultural environment, with good analytical and reporting capacities, you are discreet in the execution of your tasks.

Work Conditions

• The initial term of the contract will be (2)years renewable following a satisfactory assessment of performance and’ the favorable opinion of the World Bank.
• The first six (6) months will serve as a probationary period to confirm or not the continuation of the contract.

Job Position: Social & Environment Specialist
Job Location: Niamey, Niger
Missions

• In general, under the supervision of the Regional Coordinator, you are responsible for providing the necessary technical assistance to the Niger Basin Authority to ensure that, as a recipient of financial resources allocated by the World Bank for the projects identified (PDREGDE APL1, PDREGDE APL2A and PGBFN), and satisfactorily dealing with the environmental and social aspects of these projects.
• You coordinate the various activities in these areas in relation with other UGCP experts, the Executive Secretariat of the NBA, and if necessary NBAs National Focal Structures and the National Implementing Agencies of the DREGDE APL1 Project.
• You contribute to the improvement of the general interest missions of the NBA in terms of environment knowledge and management, in particular the Niger Basin Observatory and the quality of technical studies.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• Participate in the design and physical and financial programming of environmental and social safeguard activities and the preparation of annual work plans for the Project to ensure that environmental studies are carried out and social requirements for each activity are planned.
• Participate in the execution, monitoring, control and evaluation of project activities.
• Participate in the operational planning of project activities.
• In investments funded or studied under the project, ensure that the environmental and social assessment boundaries are determined, including spatial and temporal boundaries, biophysical and social elements to be included or excluded, legal and institutional aspects based on a review of each country’s legal and institutional framework and in line with World Bank Policy 4.12.
• Review the analysis of the potential impacts of the projects on the natural and human environment, with the aim of ensuring that all these impacts have been identified, and subsequent measures proposed.
• Define the environmental and social approach that will meet World Bank safeguards and standards for impact assessment.
• Oversee environmental and social impact assessments carried out in the project area in collaboration with Project Experts, National Focal Structures and National Implementing Agencies as appropriate, so that technical information on the project and its components, on the one hand, and the environmental and social data on the environment, on the other, circulate easily between the different specialists.
• In the case of a call for tenders with consulting firms with an environmental and social dimension, analyze in detail the methodology of the environmental and social impact assessment presented in the service offers prepared by the consulting firms to improve, where necessary, the proposed approach, and to ensure that the proposed improvements are reflected in the minutes of negotiations and annexed to the consulting firm contract.
• Ensure the preparation of the required Resettlement Action Plans and Environmental and Social Management Plans and monitor the implementation of these plans in in collaboration with monitoring and evaluation specialists and project promoters.
• Participate in assessing the quality of these plans.
• Ensure the integration of important environmental and social concerns from the first preparations studies and ensure the definition of significant effects and factors to be considered in the conduct of environmental and social impact assessments of projects.
• Assist the Executive Secretariat and the agencies responsible for monitoring the implementation and quality of studies related to the Fomi Dam in Guinea and other cross-border works in Niger where appropriate.
• Contribute to the establishment of the environmental and social governance system of the NBA in view and to the operationalization of the Niger Basin Observatory.
• Conduct training sessions when needed.
• Report to the Project Coordinator on the overall activities described above and work closely with the UGCP, the NBA Executive Secretariat and beyond.
• Participate in the mobilization of the NBA Dam Expert Panel.
• Prepare the preparation of quarterly and annual reports covering the environmental and social compliance component of the Projects.
• Analyze the technical files (terms of reference, study reports, bidding documents) coming from the National Implementing Agencies in order to take into account the environmental and social aspects.
• Prepare terms of reference for the consideration of environmental and social aspects in project activities, particularly those meant to actors capacity building.
• Ensure the implementation of environmental and social safeguards for projects, and take all necessary steps to alert in advance of any non-compliance issues.
• Propose or refer to Bank Specialists to propose immediate corrective action on nonconformities.
• Capitalize on the experiences of the impact assessment process and the implementation of environmental and social safeguards.

Profile of the Role

• You also have a good knowledge of the World Banks environmental and social safeguard policies.
• You are able to express yourself clearly on complex issues (for example, environmental and social issues of dams) and have the ability to analyze technical documents.
• Able to identify the needs for capacity building in environmental and social assessment of other national experts and lead training sessions, you have perfect oral and written expression in French and are able to read and understand technical English and exchange orally in that language.
• 5-year higher education graduate in the following fields: Forestry, Rural Engineering; Geography; Sociology or any other equally recognized field.
• You have at least ten (10) years of relevant professional experience in the field of environmental and social assessment, including at least three years in environmental and social studies of dam projects, or the implementation of mitigation measures of the environmental and social impacts of dam projects.

Conditions

• The initial term of the contract will be (2) years renewable following a satisfactory assessment of performance and the favorable opinion of the World Bank.
• The first six (6) months will serve as a probationary period to confirm or not the continuation of the contract.

Job Position: Regional Accountant
Job Location: Niamey, Niger
Missions

• Under the supervision of the Regional Program Coordinator, you are responsible for the administrative staff, the accounting and the financial management of the program.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• Maintain the program’s computerized accounts (general, budget and analytical); as such, you follow the movements of the designated account and ensure the filing of accounting documents.
• Ensure the filing and archiving of all documents relating to the bud gel accounting, financial and administrative management of the program.
• Prepare resource transfers to National Focal Bodies and National Implementing Agencies.
• Prepare requests for funds withdrawal and direct payment.
• Prepare the necessary financial statements for the preparation of the financial monitoring reports of the program in accordance with the provisions of the procedures manual.
• Provide the accounting and financial data needed to consolidate NBA accounts.
• Prepare bank reconciliation statements on a monthly and quarterly basis (designated account, secondary accounts and advance accounts).
• Control the category- based commitments of authorized expenditure.
• Check all pro-forma invoices, contracts, purchase orders and invoices to be paid and their supporting documents.
• Carry out the administrative formalities for exemptions of goods and services in the context of the Projects implementation.
• Ensure the payment of taxes.
• Check the cash and determine its theoretical and physical situation.
• Prepare annual financial audit assignments and collaborate with other experts.
• Participate in the preparation of monthly, quarterly, half-yearly and annual dashboards with a view to identifying the available balances per the budget lines as well as the necessary corrective measures to be implemented.
• Monitor the management of supplies inventory and place orders.
• Prepare and submit for approval by the Regional Coordinator, the CFO and the Executive Secretary’s signature, all payment items relating to the program activities execution.
• Assist the Project Coordinator in the preparation of the provisional budgets for future activities.

As part of the World Bank project portfolio, you will:

• Ensure timely and accurate recording of operations, resources and expenditures on a category basis for projects and program components.
• Participate in the preparation of budgets and financial reports.
• Perform any other duties entrusted to you by the Coordinator.
• Identify and codify any equipment available to the coordination and the CFO offices and any other service for program implementation.
• Work with the Monitoring and Evaluation expert to prepare the Financial Monitoring Report (FMR).
• Maintain updating of procurement forms and monitoring of commitments.
• Prepare a monthly report of expenditures per project and per component in order to have a clear idea of the program’s evolution.
• Encourage exchanges with the National Focal Points Accountants and the National Implementing Agencies to keep the accounts in accordance with the provisions of the program.

Profile of the Role

• 4-year higher education graduate in accounting, finance, audit or any other equivalent degree, you have at least 5 years of professional accounting experience in a development project funded by the World Bank.
• You also have a minimum of 12 months’ experience in an audit firm and a good knowledge of the World Bank’s accounting and procurement procedures as well as financial audit requirements. Organized, able to work in a team and under pressure in a multicultural environment, with good analysis, synthesis and reporting capacities, you are discreet in the execution of your tasks, you fluently speak and write one the NBA languages (French and English), and have a good knowledge of computer tools and standard software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and a command of at least one accounting software.

Conditions

• The initial term of the contract will be (2) years renewable following a satisfactory assessment of performance and the favorable opinion of the World Bank.
• The first six (6) months will serve as a probationary period to confirm or not the continuation of the contract.

Method of Application
All qualified candidates should send their Applications, CV’s in English and French, with Salary expectations and Photo to: recrutement@rfrh.net

Application Closes on  30th December, 2017.