Senior Disbursement Assistant, FIFC.3 at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

⏲ Feb 10, 2020, 2:29 PM
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African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

We are recruiting to fill the position below: Job Title: Senior Disbursement Assistant, FIFC.3 Reference: ADB/20/017 Location: Freetown, Bureau National de Sierra Leone Grade: GS8 Position N°: 50071919

The Complex

The Vice Presidency for Finance oversees the financial management of the Bank Group.
This encompasses the Bank Group’s treasury activities including borrowings from the capital markets and investment activities; controllership functions including financial reporting and loan administration; strategic resource mobilization and the strengthening of the non-statutory financial resources and instruments; the overall asset/liability management for the Bank Group.

The Hiring Department / Division

The Financial Control Department of the African Development Bank (The Bank) is responsible for accounting for the financial consequences of the Bank Group’s transactions and decisions, and for the preparation, fair presentation and overall integrity of the internal financial reports and published financial statements. The department is also responsible for loan administration and accounting and related fiduciary responsibilities, including disbursement of funds to projects and programs financed by the Bank Group. Lastly, the department provides decision support and expertise in the development and implementation of financial control policies, operational and financial strategies and related information systems.
The primary objective of the Loan Disbursement Division is to ensure compliance with key fiduciary related articles in the Agreement Establishing the African Development Bank and Fund. Ensure that adequate controls are maintained around the disbursement of Bank Group financed project.

The Position

Under the general supervision of the Disbursement Officer, the Senior Disbursement Assistant is primarily responsible for determination of the completeness of borrowers’ requests in accordance with the Bank’s policies and procedures, Verification of documentation and processing of disbursements or special commitment requests.
The Incumbent provides support to negotiations, mission preparation, and disbursement seminars and ensure timely disbursements of proceeds from Bank Group and co-financed projects in accordance with relevant loan and protocol agreements and Bank Group policies.

Duties and responsibilities Disbursement Transactions Processing:

Review and recommend changes to disbursement systems, policies and procedures to promote timeliness, accuracy and efficiency in processing while maintaining appropriate internal controls.
Draft clear and concise correspondence to borrowers of operational staff on disbursement-related issues.
Process special commitment amendments and prepare amendment letters.
Analyze and determine the appropriateness of borrowers’ requests for disbursements and the supporting documentation.
Determine whether they should be approved, reduced or rejected in accordance with Bank’s policies and procedures. This requires the identification of irregularities and non-compliance with Bank procedures and policies, as well as highlighting circumstances for further investigation where the Bank may be exposed to financial risk.

Project Management:

Contribute to improving the efficiency of disbursement operations by ensuring that records and reports are properly maintained and updated at all times.
Participate in technical discussions and loan negotiations to ensure that disbursement arrangements are compliant with Bank Group disbursement policies.
Provide input on audit reviews, and monitor borrower compliance with audit findings, as requested by the Disbursement Officer.
Respond to questions from Task Team Leaders, borrowers, commercial banks, and suppliers on payments, balances, and application status.
Cooperate with concerned departments and stakeholders to resolve disbursement issues promptly.
Monitor borrowers’ utilization of special account funds, ensuring that the funds are properly accounted for and used in accordance with Bank procedures.
Participate in loan disbursement missions to verify use of resources and resolve disbursement issues.

Capacity Building:

Respond to questions regarding disbursement procedures.
Answer questions from Task Team Leaders, borrowers, commercial banks, and suppliers on payments, balances, and application status.
Provide input into the training of Executing Agencies, Projects, and Bank Staff.
Participate in the design of materials for disbursement seminars.

Departmental / Divisional Tasks:

Undertake ad-hoc assignments at the discretion of the Country Manager or Division Manager.
Participate in the review of project documents such as Appraisal Reports, CountryStrategy Papers, and Project Completion Reports and provide input to supervisors.
Participate in departmental/divisional task forces.
Identify issues relating to disbursement policies, procedures and guidelines and propose actions or enhancements.

Selection Criteria

Good understanding of internal control concepts and business aptitude for figures and attention to detail
Ability to adopt new policies, systems and processes in a timely fashion.
Good Client Orientation, Achieving Results and Problem Solving, Communication and Knowledge Sharing, Innovation and Change.
Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French preferably with a good working knowledge of the other language.
Proficient in the use of standard MS Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project Knowledge of SAP would be an advantage.
Hold at least a Bachelor's degree or its equivalent in Accounting or Business Administration.
Have a minimum of six (6) years of direct relevant experience preferably in accounting in a large organization.
Familiarity with disbursement policies, guidelines and procedures of multilateral development institutions
Good understanding of basic general accounting concepts and principles, and their application.
Analytical, systematic, strong numerical skills, attention to details.
Ability to plan and coordinate schedules in order to meet tight deadlines