Director of Finance, Operations, and Administration, USAID/Kenya – Digital Health Ecosystem Activity
About Palladium:
Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 4,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.
This Opportunity:
Palladium is seeking a Director of Finance, Operations, and Administration for the anticipated USAID Kenya Digital Health Ecosystem Activity, which will be a 5-Year USAID-funded program with the goal to improve the availability and quality of healthcare services using one national integrated and comprehensive digital health ecosystem in Kenya. The program will achieve this by increasing country ownership and management of one national integrated and comprehensive sector-wide health information ecosystem to achieve health systems outcomes of equity, quality, and resources optimization.
The program’s objectives may comprise the following three areas:
- Sub purpose I: Integrated digital health solutions, infrastructure, and services’ provision ecosystem.
- Sub purpose II: Enhanced digital health ecosystem’s vision, strategy, and governance capacity.
- Sub purpose III: Strengthened strategic partnerships and collaborations to sustain investments in the digital health ecosystem.
- This is an anticipated project, and all positions are contingent upon award from USAID.
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Reporting and Supervision:
The Director of Finance, Operations, and Administration will oversee all finance, administrative, human resource, and operational activities of the project and a team of support personnel. This includes developing and overseeing finance and accounting systems that comply with USAID requirements and Palladium practices. In coordination with the COP, s/he will develop annual budgets that are aligned with the project work plan. S/he will also ensure compliance with contractual, USAID/USG, and local requirements for reporting, finance, and administration. S/he will also ensure payroll processes and adherence to local human resources policies.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
The Director of Finance, Operations, and Administration will be responsible for the following:
- Oversees program operations including, but not limited to, accounting/finance, human resources, logistics, procurement, and sub-contracts / sub-awards.
- Manages the project’s financial operations and financial reporting, providing guidance and technical assistance to financial management personnel.
- Conducts financial analysis in areas such as forecasting, budgeting, engaging in cost reduction analysis, and reviewing operational performance.
- Ensures that all applicable regulations, guidelines and legal requirements are met in the execution of financial operations.
- Develops internal control measures, conducts internal financial audits, and coordinates external financial audits.
- Prepares budgets for annual work plans and financial reports for USAID.
- Supervises the administrative team to ensure all operations, administrative and contractual activities and expenditures follow compliance and cost principles, are tracked and completed in a timely matter, and are consistent with relevant requirements and policies of the donor agency.
- Ensure timely financial reporting for annual budget planning, project budget modification, pipeline monitoring, subaward budget review, audit reviews and assessment processes.
- Oversees and provides supervision and guidance to finance and administration teams and encourages a collaborative, cohesive working environment.
- Develops the financial management capacity of all relevant staff and sub-awardees.
- Ensures that the project is compliant with donor regulations, award requirements and conditions, Palladium policies and local laws.
Key Competencies Required:
- Masters degree in business administration, finance or a related field in international business management, finance, accounting and/or auditing experience.
- An ACA/ACCA/CPA or other recognized professional accounting qualification.
- At least seven (7) years of progressively senior experience in accounting, auditing, finance, or business management with a recognized organization. Prior experience in a senior financial / operations management role on a United States Government-funded program highly preferred.
- Experience managing $10 million or more per year.
- Proven expertise in finance, accounting and auditing, including grants management, financial planning, monitoring of grant compliance and management and the establishment of internal controls.
- Solid understanding of USAID rules and regulations governing project compliance, procurement, granting and financial management.
- Progressively responsible experience supervising project operations, including human resources, procurement, and sub-contracts or sub-awards.
- Demonstrated experience in supervision finance and/or operations staff members.
- Demonstrated strong management, coordination, teamwork, and planning skills.
- Extensive knowledge of and experience with accounts payable and receivable accounting systems and accounting software.
- Knowledge of Kenyan and English labour and tax laws and reporting procedures.
- Advanced written and verbal communication skills in English. Verbal communication skills in Swahili highly desirable.
- Proficiency in MS Excel and other relevant computing applications.
- Must be willing to live and travel within Kenya.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion – Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.
Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at [email protected] and we will be in touch to discuss.
Safeguarding – We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.
