Position Available – OurFish OurFuture Finance and Administration Officer

May 2, 2024

Project Overview

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) OurFish OurFuture Project is a cooperative agreement awarded by USAID that seeks to address the drivers of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing that are degrading coastal fisheries and biodiversity and negatively impacting local livelihoods, food stability, and maritime security in the Pacific Islands region. The five-year project (2021-2026) is implemented by the University of Rhode Island (URI) in collaboration the Locally-Managed Marine Areas Network International Trust (LMMA), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and The University of the South Pacific (USP). The project aims to collaborate closely with the Pacific Community (SPC), other fisheries organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs), and relevant government authorities focusing at regional, national and community levels across six countries in Micronesia and Melanesia: Palau, the Federated States of Melanesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands (SI), and Papua New Guinea (PNG).

The Role

The Finance and Administration Officer will assist with ensuring a strong internal control environment, reliability of financial reporting and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The position will be under contract with URI and will report to the Finance and Administration Manager. The position will be located at the University of Rhode Island (URI) foreign branch office in Suva, Fiji. The position will work closely with all OurFish OurFuture program staff located at both the University of Rhode Island (URI) Coastal Resources Centre (CRC) Office in Rhode Island, USA, and the Suva, Fiji, URI Foreign Branch.

Key Responsibilities

Fiscal Management

  • Prepare all fiscal transactions ensuring allowability and accordance with cost principles
  • Ensure all purchases are cost-effective and follow the procurement policy of the project.
  • Prepare prompt payment of invoices for all operational and program expenses.
  • Enter transactions into QuickBooks accounting software and prepare monthly reconciliations.
  • Assist with preparation of monthly clearings and respond to questions/comments/documentation needs from headquarters regarding the clearings in a timely manner.
  • Ensure headquarters fiscal practices/policies are adhered to in the field site office.
  • Review all travel/activity advances and expenditures and ensure staff/partners submit source documentation to ensure full reconciliation in a timely manner.
  • Ensure program money is correctly recorded and used in accordance with US Government Uniform Guidance.

 Compliance

  • Ensure full compliance and application of Project Standard Operating Procedures and other policy directives that may come from URI, USAID and the United States Government.

Budget

  • Prepare relevant fiscal inputs for annual budgets (including working with partner organizations).
  • Assist with monitoring and tracking of fiscal expenditures against workplan activities and the budget and coordinate with project technical staff accordingly.
  • Prepare budget/expenditure problems and discrepancies to the Finance Manager and recommend corrective actions.

Subrecipient Management

  • Ensure federal award information and compliance requirements are identified and discussed with Finance Manager.
  • Ensure all subrecipient activities are properly monitored.
  • Review subrecipient financial reports including 100% audit or backup documentation to ensure all costs charged to Project are allowable, reasonable and allocable.
  • Assist with ensuring the subrecipient financial review and audit findings are resolved and that the impacts of non-compliance are assessed and reported to Finance Manager.
  • Assist with supporting and building capacity of all local subrecipient on financial systems and USAID and Uniform Guidance rules and regulations.
  • Review all cashflow to all subs including reviews and submission of sub-grantees invoices to CRC through Finance Manager.  

Audit

  • Assist with all OurFish OurFuture internal and external audits including responding to all audit queries and implementing all audit recommendations.
  • Assist in liaising with all subrecipients in the application of periodic audit recommendations to ensure both timely and full implementation of all audits and or financial review recommendations.

Reporting

  • Assist with preparing of monthly and quarterly reports detailing budget to actual expenses by account code and perform variance analysis.
  • Assist in preparation and submission of both accrual and pipeline reports to USAID.
  • Assist partners in preparing accurate, monthly cost share reports.
  • Ensure subrecipient reports are accurate, on budget and submitted on schedule.
  • Prepare annual VAT reports as per USAID requirement.

Cost Share

  • Prepare quarterly cost share report for Fiji Office and assist partners in preparing their cost share report for quarterly reporting.
  • Ensure all related cost share backup documentations meet USAID requirements.

General Administration

  • Review local vendor contracts and subcontracts (using URI templates) and ensure compliance with local law and/or URI or USAID policies/regulations.
  • Ensure the project paper and electronic fiscal filing systems are properly structured and efficiently maintained and current.
  • Promptly report to the Finance Manager instances of serious fiscal, administrative or human resources related deficiencies/problems and assist in implementing recommendations for corrective action.

Required Qualifications

The position requires the following qualifications:

  • Minimum 3 to 5 years of work experience in a finance related field, budget development and tracking, internal auditing and other financial or cost management experience.
  • Bachelor’s degree required; CA / CPA highly desirable.
  • Demonstrated experience in the use of QuickBooks accounting software (preferred) or any other accounting software applications, databases, and Microsoft Office specifically Excel and Word.
  • Experience with donor funded projects.
  • Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage time efficiently;
  • Accurate and precise attention to detail; and
  • Fluency in English (both written and spoken English).
  • Authorized to work in Fiji.

Compensation & Benefits:

An attractive package will be offered to the successful candidate based upon appropriate qualifications, experience and skills.

Contract Duration:

Contract duration is for 1 year and to be renewed annually upon positive annual performance through the end of this project being October 2026.

Job Description

For more information on the role and job description, please email info@ourfish.crcuri.org

How to Apply:

To apply please email all of the following, in order, in one single PDF file to the OurFish Chief of Party on email only at rjimmy@ourfish.crcuri.org and cc the Finance and Administration Manager at vnair@ourfish.crcuri.org:

  • Cover letter
  • Resume or CV (must include contacts of 3 recent references)

Deadline: Application will close at 4.00pm (Fiji Time) on 19 May 2024. The position remains open until filled.

This Project follows US Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity laws and does not discriminate in consideration or hiring of individuals.