ACES Financial and Contracts Management Specialist

Result of Service - Priority partners are recruited to join and remain well informed and bought-in to ACES with meaningful contributions of cash and/or in-kind support for its continued growth. - ACES funds are well utilized to carry out project activities and meet deliverables within the pre-approved parameters set out by the donor/s. - Capacity development around fund management is delivered for the ACES team.

Work Location Remote in Rwanda

Expected duration 6 months

Duties and Responsibilities The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is accelerating the global transition to energy efficiency and climate-friendly cooling. Getting the right solutions in place for refrigeration and space conditioning (cooling) is essential for improving the quality of life and health of people without undue impacts on the planet. United for Efficiency (U4E) is a global initiative launched in 2015 to help developing and emerging markets quickly and comprehensively transition to energy-efficient and climate-friendly lighting, room air conditioners, household refrigerators, electric motors and transformers (see http://united4efficiency.org).

An expert consultant is needed in Rwanda to facilitate the financial resources planning, mobilizing, reporting and analysis for the project development, implementation and delivery of critical milestones across core collaborators of the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain (ACES), working alongside UNEP’s existing in-country ACES staff. The Centre was established in 2020 by the Governments of Rwanda (GoR) and the United Kingdom (UK), U4E, the Centre for Sustainable Cooling, and a range of academic institutions. The University of Rwanda (UR) is the host of the Centre headquarters and has designated team and facilities, infrastructure, and land at its Rubirizi Campus in Kigali.

The ACES Financial and Contracts Management Specialist will be responsible to the ACES’ Director and will be a key role member of the ACES Management Team (AMT) with responsibility for effectively coordinating and integrating administrative, financial, contractual and funding support functions.

Core details

1.1 Explain the requirement for a consultant/individual contractor including the reference to the work programme

A. Financial Resources Management and Financial Analysis - Undertake comprehensive financial planning and analysis, oversight and control of resources managed under the ACES project to ensure delivery of priority activities and deliverables, enabling timely and quality execution across organizations. - Facilitate the planning, monitoring of execution, reporting and expenditure control of the financial resources under the ACES project funds in accordance with UNEP rules and regulations. - Coordinate the timely preparation of financial statements and expenditure reports for ACES according to the requirements of donor agencies and formal agreements with project partners (e.g. Project Cooperation Agreement with UNEP). - Advise ACES team on decisions related to the ACES finances - Review and identify errors in the financial statements and ensure that correction of errors is done and minimized.

B. Contracts - Monitor and review bilateral partner agreements in regard to legal clauses on financial matters with a view to guiding on financial execution within the grant. - Help draft, process through to signature, monitor, and ensure compliance of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and other non-binding agreements with partners

C. Secure funding and in-kind support - Support identification of funding opportunities and help secure in-kind support for priority areas identified by the ACES team (equipment, facilities, expertise, data, land, etc.) from interested collaborators. - Support the development of the budget proposal of grant applications to international donor agencies.

D. Funding and Overall Programmatic Execution - Provide diagnostic assessment of ongoing funds and provide advice on strategy, governance, grants model, turn around as may be required. - Support the Director in ensuring that the strategic and operational planning, management and monitoring of ACES’ finances are sound; and financial resources are deployed in ways that are aligned with the Centre strategic aims and objectives. - Facilitate the procurement process for the renovations and new construction of ACES facilities on-site at the headquarters campus (particularly the Demonstration Hall) and remotely for ACES SPOKES to successful delivery. - Develop operational procedures for fund management, including designing and establishing systems, tools and mechanisms to improve fund management. - Support the ACES team to track ongoing negotiations with industry partners and map existing and potential resources. - Support ACES team to develop a business plan based on ACES short and long-term plans and its financial projections. - Coordinate paperwork and provide compliance suport with protocols for importantation of equipment, including reviewing Customs protocols and tax implications well in advance to avoid delays once equipment is arriving in-country

E. Knowledge building and sharing - Build capacity and create understanding and capacities around fund management for the ACES team. - Identify and synthesize lessons learnt and best practices in the area of work. - Actively promote a knowledge-sharing and learning culture within the project team and multi-country projects.

Qualifications/special skills Advanced University Degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or other relevant discipline is required. A Bachelor’s degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree. At least 5 years of professional experience in projects/programmes implementation and fund financial management covering financial analysis and planning is required. Experience in accounting and financial reporting for development projects funded by international donor agencies is essential. Familiarity with refrigeration and cooling markets and technologies is an asset. Experience with monitoring and reviewing bilateral partner agreements and contracts in regard to legal clauses on financial matters. Experience in project management from concept development through to ensuring proper delivery, close-out and final evaluation is desired. Sound management skills and experience in managing people, diverse projects, preparing management information, and monitoring performance against financial and business targets Strong computer skills, especially in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Access and accounting packages Hands-on experience with project planning and management tools. Experience in developing and writing funding proposals. Experience in working as part of a multi-team coalition. Familiarity with refrigeration and cooling markets and technologies is an asset. Excellent oral and written communication in English; ability to write clear and concise reports and able to make an effective presentation. Fluency in spoken and written English is required, and fluency in spoken and written Kinyarwanda and French are an asset. Able to work independently with minimal supervision.

Languages Fluency in spoken and written English is required, and fluency in spoken and written Kinyarwanda and French are an asset.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.