Entrepreneurship in the territories: is it the right time?
Context
Would you like to work on projects that make sense and have a real impact?
Do you want to work towards a fair and sustainable energy transition? Then join us!
Set up in 1976, Geres is a French based international development NGO which works to improve the living conditions of the poorest and tackle climate change and its impacts. As a grassroots actor, Geres considers the energy transition as a major lever in all its actions. In order to drive societal change, Geres promotes the development and dissemination of innovative and local solutions, supports climate-energy policies and actions, and encourages everyone to commit to Climate Solidarity by taking action and supporting vulnerable populations.
In West Africa, Geres has been working mainly in the sphere of energy poverty and access thereof, development of productive use of electricity and support for SMEs, energy efficiency in building, and overall better natural resource management, following as much as possible inclusive market-based approaches and access to finance.
Geres is currently implementing projects in Benin, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo, and our main donors in West Africa are European Union, AFD (French Agency for Development), World Bank and private foundations.
The recruitment for this position is concomitant with the opening of a new Geres representation in Sierra Leone from the beginning of 2025, in the wake of a new 4-year project financed by AFD (French Development Agency) with 4.8 million euros for budget, project named “Energy 4 Access”.
For Geres, acting in this new country is an important strategic issue, and it will be necessary to meet challenges of a new installation in a country that accumulates many difficulties.
Among the challenges to be met in 2025, it will be necessary :
- to obtain authorizations from national authorities to operate in the country as an INGO,
- In collaboration with the Country Representative, recruit a competent team invested in our actions,
- In collaboration with the Regional Administrative and Financial manager, set-up the administrative, financial, logistical and security processes in Freetown and in two secondary cities close to the project,
- while launching the “Energy 4 Access”project’s activities starting by a first step dedicated to fine tune the project based on participatory work with all stakeholders and potential partners.
With the lowest rate of access to electricity in West Africa and a high poverty rate, the populations and businesses of Sierra Leone need support to ensure the sustainability of their productive activities.
The overall objective of the project is therefore to contribute to the low-carbon economic development of rural areas in Sierra Leone, by promoting productive uses of electricity (PUE), particularly in the agricultural sector, and energy efficiency.
Through this project Geres will work in 5 places in Sierra Leone bringing its previous experience : depending on the local context configuration, Geres will determine if it is more relevant to build some autonomous minigrids exclusively dedicated to host local micro-enterprises, or to make micro-enterprises benefit from a connection to electricity by mini-grid already existing and operating in Sierra Leone as concessionaires recognized by the State. Working with these private operators already established locally will allow them to optimize the energy consumption of their power plants. In addition, by facilitating SMSEs productive electrical equipment acquisition, Geres will act in synergy with existing local economic players and serving the development of local populations.
Geres, a committed organisation !
In accordance with our ethical charter, we apply the following principles :
➔ Respect for the environment
➔ Improving living conditions
➔ Respect for cultures and ways of life
➔ Respect for the principles of fairness and transparency
➔ Respect for legality and employees' rights
➔ Principle of safety
In practice, we strive on a daily basis, and therefore also in our practices to:
⚤ Promoting respect for women's rights and combating gender-based discrimination. We have also introduced an internal policy to combat sexist behaviour and sexual harassment.
☕ Maintain and develop cohesion between our employees through social events organised by a dedicated committee.
💡 Seek to improve and innovate, including in our administrative management.
🔎 Respect the law and employees' rights : transparency in our recruitment process, company agreements.
Mission
In compliance with internal procedures and accounting and tax regulations, the Administrative and Financial Manager in Sierra Leone supports the Geres Sierra Leone’s teams for administrative, accounting, financial, logistical and human resources management activities.
Under the hierarchical management and with the support of the Sierra Leone Country Representative, she/he works closely with the West Africa Director, the West Africa Administrative and Financial Manager, the Operational Financial Manager at HQ (OFM), and manages the administrative, financial and logistic team in Sierra Leone.
She/He ensures the financial monitoring and control of projects, participates in the financial planning of new projects, provides technical and strategic advice to the Sierra Leone Management team on topics related to her/his position, ensures the quality, reliability and punctuality of financial data and reports, manages logistics, participates in the management of all human resources under local contract. She/He supervises and guarantees the application of all procedures and legal standards. She/He is constantly monitoring accounting, legal and tax new regulations, and participates in the capitalization of know-how related to the different functions of her/his position.
activities
1/ STRUCTURING OF HUMAN RESOURCES, ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL TEAM MANAGEMENT
- Recruit and manage the administrative and finance team (cash officers, accountant, logistician, drivers, watchmen) in accordance with the organizational chart established for the project
- Provide supervision, control and support to her/his team for quality and timely management
- Develop the capacities of her/his team: continuous training, guidance, identification of capacity development opportunities
- Set objectives and conduct staff evaluations under her/his direct supervision in coordination with the Country Representative
2/ COMPLIANCE, APPLICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF PROCEDURES
- Define and implement administrative, financial, accounting and logistical procedures in accordance with the rules established by the headquarters, donor procedures and legal provisions in Sierra Leone
- Ensure the documentation, communication, understanding and application of administrative and financial procedures, policies and tools within the Sierra Leone team, and their updating and development
- In conjunction with the OFM in HQ and the Regional Administrative and Financial manager, develop and apply the internal audit procedure, and prepare and particpate to financial audits
- Support Country representative in obtaining administrative and legal authorizations to operate as an INGO from the national authorities,
3/ BUDGET MONITORING & REPORTING
- Participate with Sierra Leone's Representative, colleagues from HQ and the Regional Administrative and Financial manager to the budgetary monitoring of all projects and in achieving financial objectives
- Ensure the obtaining of reliable and regular accounting data for updating budgetary monitoring and the preparation of donor financial reports, participate in updating the budgetary projections of each project, alert in the event of a significant deviation
- Supervise the financial management of grants, in compliance with donor requirements and contractual obligations, and ensure efficient use of funds
4/ ACCOUNTING AND TREASURY MANAGEMENT
- Supervise Geres accounting operations in Sierra Leone, in compliance with procedures, legislations and tools, including the correct budget allocation of all expenses
- Supervise the closing of monthly accounting and transmit all necessary files to the OFM each month within the planned deadlines
- Supervise the classification and archiving of monthly accounting, and the reliability of data and vouchers
- Supervise the calculation and payment of salaries, and declarations and payment of tax and social obligations to Sierra Leonese national administrations
- Supervise cash and banking operations to ensure their validity and their prior authorization
- Supervise and validate cash inventories and bank reconciliations
- Supervise the management and analysis of operationnal advances granted to Geres staff as well as suppliers and partners
- Supervise cash management so that Geres representation in Sierra Leone can at any time honor all of financial commitments (quarterly calls for funds, monthly cash request to HQ, management of bank accounts, management of supplier payments)
- Collaborate with HQ in planning and carrying out the half-yearly closing of accounts
- Carry out legal monitoring of the country's accounting and tax legislation
5/ GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
- Ensure the compliance of Geres representation with Sierra Leone law within its area of responsibility (especially support Country Representative to obtain administrative and legal authorizations to operate as an NGO from the national authorities, conclude an MOU with the Ministry of Energy of Sierra Leone, obtain work visas for expatriate staff, ensure mandatory tax and social security registrations), and manage relations with administrative authorities, social and tax administrations
- Ensure the management and monitoring of contracts, agreements, approvals and all other administrative documents (leases, insurance, phone and internet, etc.), keep the monitoring of service contracts up to date
- Carry out the administrative and accounting support and training of program implementation local partners
- Ensure the compliance of Geres representation in Sierra Leone to procurement rules (internal, national and donor) and support the project management team in the redaction, publication and award of tenders
6/ HR MANAGEMENT
- Actively collaborate with the Country Representative to elaborate HR policy for SL in accordance with Geres worldwide HR principles and national rules and regulations
- Ensure compliance with legal requirements in terms of human resources management, labor code, social security contributions and advise the Country Representative
- Provide support for the recruitment of local employees (distribution of job offers, processing of responses, application of the salary scale, drafting of the employment contract, etc.)
- Manage and update all files of personnel under local contract
- Control and monitor working time, the Personnel Register, absence and leave, warnings and disciplinary sanctions, contract changes, departures
- Initiate the annual cycle of staff evaluations and lead skills management actions to be undertaken individually or collectivelyIn collaboration with Country Representative, contribute to social dialogue with the employees representatives if needed
7/ LOGISTICS
- Supervise the implementation of all logistics tasks in compliance with internal and donor procedures
- Supervise equipement inventories and ensure that they are updated, supervise the monitoring of consumables stocks
- Supervise the management of the vehicles fleet and technical equipment, in compliance with procedures
