Activity Fund Payment Officer

Job Description

Project: USAID Green Annamites Project
Position: Activity Fund Payment Officer (Full Time)
Duty station: Da Nang
Starting time: November 2018

ECODIT is implementing the USAID-funded Green Annamites activity in Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces in central Vietnam. The purpose of the Green Annamites activity is to assist Vietnam’s transition to climate-smart, low emission, and resilient development that protects people, landscapes, and biodiversity in Vietnam’s priority forested provinces. Activities conducted by the Green Annamites Project are largely implemented through the Activity Fund component. The Activity Fund team is responsible for managing the process of selection and administration of the grantees, subcontractors and consultants to implement activities.

The Activity Fund Payment Officer will work under the supervision of the Activity Fund Manager to support Activity Fund use and implementation across all tasks, with focus on grant and other activities payment processing, including managing finance vouchers, reimbursements, invoice payment, advance disbursements and tracking, monitoring expenditures, and other administration support as needed for grantees and subcontractors.

The position is based in Da Nang, Vietnam and may include required travel to field locations. Under the supervision of the Activity Fund Manager, the Activity Fund Payment Officer will work in close collaboration with the Activity Fund Officers, Project Managers, Administration and Finance team, other project staff, partner organizations, subcontractors and grantees to ensure accurate and timely payment procedures as per the sub-contracts/grants awarded.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain the Activity Fund awards tracker and ensure up to date and accurate reports are generated and prepared; ensure all updates are entered in a timely fashion.
• Perform payment processing duties as assigned, using the project’s accounting system and in accordance with the Project’s procedures and applicable rules and regulations.
• Review and coordinate approval of milestones and deliverables for payment requests from grantees and sub-contractors – follow up with relevant Project Manager to ensure complete technical document verifications.
• Assist the Activity Fund Manager to review activity budgets, related advance requests and reconciliation supporting documents submitted by project team members.
• Assist the Activity Fund Manager and other AF team members to prepare payment requests, ensuring complete supporting documents and cross-checks with the signed agreement; ensure all contractual and process requirements are met before submitting payment requests.
• Work closely with the finance department of the project to ensure payments to sub-contractors and grantees are arranged in a timely fashion.
• Facilitate AF other mechanism implementation when requested.
• Support AF team members to provide orientation for all stakeholders of the program about the financial regulations (cost norms, payment procedures, and other general financial regulations, program financial forms, etc.) when needed.
• Prepare payment vouchers of AF expenditures in the project accounting system which is subjected to final reviews of the project accountant and finance director before necessary approvals obtained.
• Ensure the accuracy and transparency of all payment supporting documents, with cross-checks on procurements regulations and any other related operations guidance, such as the program financial guidance or local government tax laws, before submitting for approvals.
• Be responsible to ensure the timely submission of inventory and VAT reports from the sub-contractors and grantees when applicable, to contribute for the inventory and VAT reports of the project to the donor.
• Organize AF supporting documents in a well-defined structure and filing system; check and ensure the full original documents are on file before sending the scanned copies and hard copies to the Accounting team and as directed.
• Keep track of the AF advance status of staff, sub-contractor, grantees and other counterparts and follow up on outstanding advances regularly to ensure timely advance clearances.
• Perform and support other tasks as requested by the Activity Fund Manager.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• University degree in Finance, Accounting, International Affairs or another relevant field.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in procurement, accounting, and/or contract administration.
• Experienced in issuing and/or managing grants under USAID-funded projects strongly preferred.
• Knowledge and experience with accounting software systems (Sun system, Phoebus system,…) is an advantage.
• Skilled in all MS office products with a must of strong competence of MS Excel.
• Good inter-personal, communication, and team work skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Vietnamese; professional level competency in English required.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should send application including:

• A cover letter
• Latest CV, and
• Three references.

By October 25th , 2018 to the following address: [email protected]

No phone contact please. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview.