Background
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private, and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development, and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and some 18,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments, and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools, and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples’ organisations, and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems, and improve people’s well-being.


About the project
IUCN is implementing the IslandPlas project “Advancing Circular Solutions to Plastic Pollution in African Islands”, which will be implemented in seven island areas comprising Cabo Verde, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles, Zanzibar. The project aims to achieve its impact through demonstrating effective, quantifiable solutions to addressing plastic leakage from island areas. Key stakeholders from government, private sector, informal sector and civil society interlinked in a vibrant collaborative network will co-generate and demonstrate demand-responsive solutions to plastic waste incorporating alignment across policy, business operations, and behaviour change at different levels. Evidence and lessons will be packaged to contribute to the global wealth on Plastics Waste Free Islands ‘Blueprint for the journey to zero plastic waste ’ to inform practice beyond the target Islands.
The National Project Officer will play a key role in the daily management of the IslandPlas project in the respective country of implementation and will therefore manage the IslandPlas project activities that advance sector engagement with role players in the plastics and related sectors, including actors in government, industry, business and civil society and oversees national implementation of solutions and actions to address plastic pollution upstream, midstream and downstream. The National Project Officer will perform under the supervision of Coastal and Marine Programme Coordinator and the Regional Regional Plastics Pollution Manager and will regularly report to the central coordination manager providing updates on the implementation progresses of the project.
Job description


Main responsibilities
The Administrative and Financial Manager of the project will ensure the administrative and financial management. He reports daily to the Marine and Coastal Program Coordinator. He is also placed under the functional supervision of the Regional Head of Finance and Administration of PACO.
He will be responsible for monitoring project expenditures, drafting and analyzing financial reports, preparing audits and will have to collaborate in drafting the project procedures manual. He will have to ensure the compliance of the financial, accounting and administrative management of the projects with the laws in force, the project procedures manuals, the donor procedures and with the IUCN procedures. In collaboration with the accountants of the partner institutions, he will strictly monitor the budgets that will be granted to local actors.
He/she must maintain the workflows in the online ERP system by monitoring processes and procedures, and through direct and virtual contact with key IUCN national and regional staff.


Specific tasks
Accounting and finance:
• Verify submitted supporting documents and prepare accounting documents.
• Prepare payments and put them in the signature circuit.
• Maintain project accounting in NAV.
• Classify documents in an orderly and rigorous manner in paper and electronic form.
• Ensure monthly invoicing of project implementation costs.
• Conduct monthly analysis of all balance sheet accounts.
• Support the Regional Accountant in monthly bank reconciliations.
Treasury
• Consult with all stakeholders to estimate quarterly and annual needs.
• Prepare data for fundraising from HQ and donor


Budget
In coordination with project managers :
• Prepare annual project budgets;
• Prepare mid-year review;
Administer and update budgets in the Project Portal and NAV.
Contracts and partners
• Assist in the preparation of necessary files to commit expenditures.
• Assist in the preparation and revision of all contracts and review them, before signature by line managers.
• Assist in training partner staff and field actors as necessary to ensure compliance of their management with IUCN and EU administrative and financial rules.
• Verify financial reports and supporting documents submitted by partners and consultants.
• Maintain files of contracts with donors, partners and consultants.
• Create sub-awards in NAV.


Audit
• Organize and monitor the implementation of internal and external audit missions.
• Prepare the terms of reference and contracts for external audits and submit them for approval to managers.
• Liaise with auditors to follow up on audit issues/management letters and contribute to the implementation of auditors’ recommendations.
Internal controls
• Contribute to the improvement of the internal control system and procedures.
Reporting and monitoring
• Prepare administrative and financial statements and reports for projects.
• Conduct monthly and annual analyses and monitoring of the financial situation of each project according to the approved budget. Discuss problems encountered and potential problems with the Project Coordinator, the Regional Head of Finance and Administration and partners.


Administration/Logistics
• Participate in the organization of the annual inventory of project assets.
• Ensure the establishment and regular updating of fixed asset tracking sheets, customs and technical documents; and the control of the use and possible sales, scrapping or transfers of fixed assets to other offices or partners;
• Ensure the establishment and effective use of a classification and archiving system.
• In collaboration with the Regional Office Administration Manager, purchase goods and services according to the procedures in force for the request, review and approval of the review of quotes and the preparation of purchase orders or contracts;
• Provide assistance in terms of travel arrangements and organization of workshops, training and seminars;
• Perform other tasks that may be assigned from time to time.


Requirements
• Hold a university degree at least Bac+4 level with specialization in accounting, finance or management.
• At least eight (8) years of professional experience in administrative and financial management of development projects.
• Proven experience in managing projects funded by the EU or Development Banks.
• Proficiency in standard office software (especially MS Office) and ERP NAV Vision accounting software.
• Excellent verbal and written communication in Portuguese and French. Good knowledge of English is an added value.
• Experience working in a team in a multicultural and/or multilingual context, if possible in an NGO, United Nations or development projects.
• Honesty and rigor are absolutely essential.
• Good interpersonal skills: courtesy, patience, diplomacy, negotiation skills;
• Flexible work skills, able to work outside office hours.
• Ability to travel regularly.