Work with us

Country Administrator

marker icon Ethiopia    

COOPI is looking for a Country Administrator in Ethiopia

COOPI started its operations in Ethiopia in 1995, implementing both emergency and development programmes. COOPI has been responding to emergencies related to both natural and man-made crisis, including internal displacements, floods/droughts, desert locusts and COVID-19 pandemic.

COOPI currently operates in the regions of Oromia, Afar, Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, Tigray, Somali, and Addis Ababa, focusing on WASH, Food Security and Livelihoods, Shelter and Settlements, Energy, and Environmental Protection. Its activities are funded by institutional and private donors, including AICS, the Italian Ministry of Home Affairs, ECHO, and private donors. 

Description of the role

The Country Administrator ensures the correct administrative/financial management and sustainability of the country. He/she is responsible for the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the information sent to headquarters.

Responsibilities

REPRESENTATION

  • Manage, for their part of the competence: relations and paperwork with public and administrative bodies in the country and with the administrative and financial offices of decentralised donor institutions; relations with consortium partners; relations with local project partners;
  • With the Head of Mission, be responsible for the signature on the organisation's accounts;

DEVELOPMENT

  •  Assisting the Head of Mission in updating documentation, tools and procedures for local personnel management;
  • Support economic/financial planning, development and sustainability of the mission; 

MANAGEMENT

  • Prepare the country budget in collaboration with the Head of Mission;
  • Monitoring the sustainability of the country and the appropriate allocation of fixed costs;
  • Verify new project budgets in accordance with planning and sustainability;
  • Periodically identify economic and financial commitments for the implementation of project activities;
  • Check the economic and financial management of projects on a monthly basis: status of budgets, expenditure prospects, financial forecasts for the implementation of activities;
  • Control the cash management (cash and bank) of the co-ordination and bases and the dispatch of funds to projects according to requests;
  • Monitoring donor funding for project implementation (advances and grants), updating information to be sent to headquarters and proposing priorities for financial reporting;
  • Finalise and check interim and final financial reports to be submitted to donors, before forwarding them to headquarters;
  • Ensuring the correct archiving of the country's administrative documentation (central and peripheral level) in accordance with the organisation's procedures;
  • Provide support and advice to project and coordinating leaders and administrators and monitor the correct application of COOPI and donor administrative procedures;
  • Verify the sustainability and proper management of COOPI-owned assets in cooperation with the country's logistics function;
  •  Prepare the audits conducted in the country and the sending to headquarters of the documents relating to the projects to be audited in Italy;
  • Ensure, through periodic checks, the documentation of the training carried out on the prevention of breaches of the code of ethics, PSEA and unlawful behaviour;
  • Ensuring the proper functioning of the various bases, area coordinations in the country, including carrying out on-site verification missions;
  • Periodically supervise the work done by expatriate and national staff;
  •  Ensuring the continuous training of local administrators and accountants (coordination, bases and projects);
  • Transferring administrative skills to non-administrative staff with "on the job" activities (Project, Programme, Mission Chiefs);
  • Conducting staff evaluations.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL

  • Degree or diploma in economics preferred ;
  • Certified experience of at least 5 years, gained in the economic-financial sector, in administrative coordination in international cooperation organisations;
  • Good knowledge of the procedures of the following donors: EU, FH, UN, ECHO, WFP, AICS;
  • Good knowledge of the English language;
  • Excellent knowledge of Office;
  • Excellent organisational skills ;
  • Ability to work in a team and for objectives ;
  • Aptitude for building positive relationships with co-workers ;
  • Ability to work in a multicultural environment, under pressure and in difficult security contexts;
  • Aptitude to go beyond the simple task assigned;
  • Motivation to work in a non-governmental organisation while respecting its principles and values.

DESIRED

  • Previous work in Africa (added value if in Ethiopia) and/or in conflict/post-conflict contexts; 
  • Previous experience with COOPI;
  • Knowledge of local context.