USAID Financial Analyst at USAID ZIMBABWE

Duties and Responsibilities

1. General Statement of Purpose of the Contract
The incumbent is one of five Financial Analysts in the Mission. The Financial Analyst serves as one
of the Mission’s FSN experts and adviser on all financial management matters necessary to support
the successful achievement of the Mission’s development objectives and programs.
The Financial Analyst (FA) position is in the Office of Financial Management, USAID/Zimbabwe.
The Office of Financial Management provides full financial management services to the
USAID/Zimbabwe Mission. USAID/Zimbabwe has a large and diverse unilateral assistance program
including PEPFAR, Presidential Malaria Initiative, development assistance, Feed the Future, and Food
for Peace programs. The Mission has an annual program budget of $210 million per year in addition
to $8 million in operating expense and implements more than 30 development projects with a life of
project value of $750million.
The FA will play a key role in the implementation of the Agency’s Chief Financial Officer’s strategy
in USAID/Zimbabwe, to continuously improve the financial accountability, oversight, and delivery of
Agency development programs, increasing the efficiency of Agency business practices and
Implementing Partners capacity. The position provides financial management support and advice on
the Mission’s programmatic activity design, implementation, evaluation, and closeout.
The FA will serve on Development Objective teams tasked with implementing and achieving results
under the Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). S/he works under the general day-today supervision of the Supervisory Financial Analyst.

2. Statement of Duties to be Performed
A. Ensuring the integrity of financial aspects of developing, implementing and evaluating
USAID projects by performing the full range of analysis, review and assessments
required to determine the implementing partners’ financial sufficiency of funds and the
financial viability to carry out proposed program activities; responsibilities include:
(50%)
● Leading and coordinating the financial analysis function for assigned portfolio and Development
Objective(s) (DO) and in non-DO targets of opportunity activities.
● Identifying and selecting the most suitable financial and implementation mechanisms that
guarantee the effective achievement of program results and secures its financial accountability.
● Monitoring the financial implementation of program activities and ensuring consistency with
program designs; serving as a primary liaison between the USAID/Zimbabwe Mission and partner
organizations, C/AORs, and Government officials of Zimbabwe for all matters of mutual interest;
Monitoring the financial progress of program activities in the assigned portfolio and verifying the
integrity of the financial information in Agency financial management system (Phoenix). This
includes, but is not limited to quarterly functions such as accruals, pipeline reporting, 1311 reviews,
updating the close-out and audit management trackers and taking action to research and correct any
anomalies.
● Analyzing pipelines to ensure Mission complies with Agency policies on forward funding.
Following up on the causes of excessive or insufficient project pipelines.
● Assuring compliance with financial reporting requirements spelled out in contracts and agreements.
● Planning and conducting field visits to examine accounts for accuracy and to ensure proper
understanding of USAID financial management requirements and applicable cost principles.
Completing site visit reports and tracking and following up on implementation of findings and
recommendations.
● Assisting DO teams with the improvement of financial management systems and procedures at
implementing mechanism units, with views towards better control and monitoring over projects.
● Assisting in the closure of obligating documents, including purchase orders, grants, cooperative
agreements, and/or contracts and reconciling actions.
● Maintaining, reconciling, and analyzing the accounting records for assigned DO portfolio(s).
Analyzing coding to ensure accuracy, validity, and compliance with USAID regulations and
maximized use of MAPPR for standardized reporting.
● Performing, in conjunction with the OE/Project Accountant, continuous and specific reviews for
DO team activities to fully support outstanding commitments, earmarks and obligations and take
action to resolve outstanding items.
● Providing DO teams and mission management with financial information and expert advice on
various types of financial transactions including commitments, obligations, and expenditures of
project funds, in order to ensure efficient program implementation.
● Providing input to activity work plans, expenditure plans and budgets. Actively participates in DO
area reviews and meetings. When required, assists DO team members in solving specific project
accounting problems.
● Preparing financial accounting, reporting, and budget control policies.
● Assuring open earmarks and open commitments are obligated in a timely manner and any excess
funds are de-committed to maximize use of program funds.
● Liaising with COR/AORs/activity managers and the relevant voucher examiner on liquidations of
advances issued to contractors and grantees.
● Reconciling mechanisms to close out completed activities. This involves working closely with the
DO teams and implementing organizations to ensure that final vouchers have been received and
paid and that final de-commitment/de-obligations can be made. Incumbent will work closely with
the C/AO and DO team in securing relevant documentation to close out the grants, contracts, and
cooperative agreements.
B. Advising on the viability and soundness of potential and ongoing partners and on steps
to be taken to implement pre-award, financial assessment, and audit findings and
recommendations to enhance fiscal viability of USAID implementing partner
organizations and programs. Responsibilities include: 35%
● Conducting comprehensive financial, administrative management reviews, and pre-award surveys
for assigned portfolios to determine if USAID grantees and contractors are maintaining systems,
procedures, and internal controls necessary to adequately and properly manage and account for
USAID funds and assets in accordance with the terms and conditions of grants and contracts.
● Providing an opinion on the confidence to be placed on the grantee's internal controls and offers
advice to grantees on weaknesses and possible solutions to identified problems.
● Planning for and providing implementing partners with assistance in developing financial,
administrative, and internal control systems that adequately safeguard resources and ensure
statutory and regulatory compliance.
● Developing and supervising implementation of recommendations resulting from assessments and
pre-award surveys.
● Compiling and developing an accurate representation of the Mission’s annual audit plan to ensure
all required audits of recipients are performed.
● Assisting the Controller in the conduct of the Mission’s Audit Management Resolution Plan
(AMRP); ensuring USAID/Zimbabwe is represented at all necessary audit entrance and exit
conferences within assigned portfolio; reviewing and clearing scope of work for assigned portfolio
recipient or agency contracted audits; drafting audit-related Mission correspondence; advising the
Mission on recipient contract audit requirements and results, and collaborating with the Office of
Acquisition and Assistance in maintaining the AMRP tracking system to ensure proper, timely
closure of all open audit recommendations.
● Providing supporting documentation related to financial and control matters in order to adequately
close audit recommendations, drafting audit closure memorandums, and uploading final approved
memos and supporting documentations to the Consolidated Audit and Compliance System
(CACs).
C. Ensuring the integrity of the internal operations of the USAID Mission; responsibilities
and other financial management related duties as may be required and assigned by the
Controller: 15%
● Evaluating the Mission’s administrative and operating procedures and measurement of risk, as
requested.
● Making recommendations as deemed appropriate which would improve the accounting,
administrative systems, and management controls, and assisting in the implementation of any
recommendations resulting from such evaluation as approved by the Controller.
● Coordinating the annual Federal Manager’s Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA), the follow-up and
closure of the Mission’s outstanding FMFIA weaknesses, and the documentation updates on audit
and FMFIA issues required for the quarterly MCRC meetings.
● Coordinating the agenda and format for the MCRC meetings in coordination with the Controller
and MCRC Chair, currently the Deputy Mission Director and drafting minutes and follow up
actions from the MCRC meetings.
● Conducting independent special analysis, including sensitive or privileged information, and
identifying potential favorable or unfavorable trends, indications, or irregularities, bringing them
to the attention of the Controller and offering solutions to mitigate risks and/or advise on best
practices.
● Understanding and monitoring the status of VAT submissions and reimbursements with partners,
Embassy, and the GOZ and liaises with Ministry officials as appropriate. Reconciling VAT
related issues to audit findings for closure of VAT related recommendations.
● Reconciling outstanding USAID loans with the GOZ and liaising with GOZ officials on notice of
payments due and quarterly outstanding loan balances.
● Serve as COR for the Mission’s Financial Management Support Services IDIQ.