Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET)

Office Manager/Accountant

 Scope of Work

Introduction: 

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is an integrated set of activities funded by the United States Government (USG) and is intended to provide timely, accurate, evidence-based, and transparent food insecurity early warning information and analysis. Created in 1985 in response to famines in East and West Africa, FEWS NET provides global coverage of acute food insecurity. FEWS NET’s work is implemented across several mechanisms by a team of partners that includes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the University of California-Santa Barbara’s Climate Hazards Center (UCSB-CHC), University of Maryland’s Department of Geographical Sciences, American Institutes for Research (AIR), and Chemonics International (Chemonics). Chemonics implements FEWS NET’s Decision Support Team (DST), which is charged with providing integrated monitoring and analyses of current and forecast acute food insecurity in countries worldwide to support the United States Government’s (USG) policy and programmatic decisions. The DST operates through a Washington-based technical office, regional FEWS NET offices, and national staff presence in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and eastern Europe.

FEWS NET’s objective is to produce timely, evidence-based decision support to enable the efficient allocation of humanitarian assistance on the basis of need. Based on an in-depth understanding of local livelihoods, FEWS NET monitors information and data on factors that affect food security, such as conflict, weather and agroclimatology, crops, pasture, markets and trade, and nutrition. The FEWS NET DST produces regular reports, including Food Security Outlooks and Outlook Updates, emergency alerts, market and price updates, and targeted analyses. FEWS NET makes reports available at www.fews.net and distributes them globally to governments, relief agencies, and other organizations engaged in humanitarian response and development programs.

The eighth phase of FEWS NET began in 2024. The work of the FEWS NET DST relies on close collaboration with international, regional, and national partners on food security-related data and information gathering and analysis. Major activities include joint monitoring and assessments, data sharing and exchanges, collaborative analysis and reporting, and support of local and regional food security networks.

Position Description: 

Chemonics seeks an office manager/accountant (OM/A) in Yemen. The OMA is responsible for all financial matters relating to the project, overseeing accounting transactions, maintaining financial records, ensuring compliance with financial policies, and preparing financial reports. This position will be based in Aden, Yemen.

Requirements

The main responsibilities of the OM/A include, but are not limited to:

• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to be a strong team player.
• Present a professional demeanor and exercise professional judgment
• Ability to prioritize work assignments; capable of making decisions that will foster timely completion of work.
• Excellent and demonstrated organizational skills, attention to detail
• Ability to perform well with minimal supervision

Responsibilities

• Manage and process accounting transactions in accordance with Chemonics policies and procedures.
• Maintain and reconcile petty cash transactions and bank balances; conduct monthly account reconciliations.
• Prepare payment vouchers and handle wire transfer requests to the home office.
• Oversee payroll processing, including tracking personnel benefits, submitting tax documentation, and managing travel advances and expense reports.
• Assist in reconciling intercompany accounts and responding to accounting queries from the home office.
• Respond without delays to home office accounting questions or concerns
• Prepare backup documentation for each transaction before submitting to Country Technical Lead (CTL) for approval and issuing payment.
• Support financial audits and implement audit-based recommendations.
• Contribute to the preparation of contractually required financial reports, as well as any other financial reports required by the FEWS NET EWT.
• Upon financial audit, provide the support necessary to the auditors conducting the audit and assure the implementation of any audit-based recommendations.
• Process and administer VAT reporting in accordance with local law and USG procedures
• Request funds through wire transfers from Washington, DC office
• Liaise with income tax authority and remit employee and other statutory tax withholdings on a monthly basis in accordance with local tax law
• Prepare and submit local tax returns and other reports in accordance with local law
• Prepare payroll and make disbursements in accordance with Chemonics policies and procedures.
• Provide monthly SER recommendations for country office
• Maintain detailed and comprehensive electronic and hard copy accounting files for all office expenditures including but not limited to procurement, payroll, bank reconciliations, petty cash and other ad hoc reports ensuring that, at all times, financial records are kept in accordance with Chemonics policy and procedures per the Field Accounting and Compliance (FAC) Manual
• Upload complete electronic accounting files to Sharepoint on a monthly basis
• Maintain up-to-date records of staff in the personnel files and ensure all project files are archived in a secure location and electronic records saved to SharePoint
• Oversee and implement corrective actions resulting from FCR or RCM reviews of the country office in consultation and collaboration with the RTL, ROM, PMU, FCR, Operations and Procurement Officer, and RCM
• Provide support to internal and external auditors and oversee and implement any audit-based recommendations and future corrective actions
• Drive recruitment efforts for country office; develops qualifications matrix, secures relevant recruitment approvals, gathers required biodata information, leads salary negotiations in consultation with the PMU, drafts CVs for client approval requests, and works with PMU to draft salary approval requests and personnel assignment notifications
• Draft employment agreements and modifications for long-term personnel and short-term consultants
• Monitor and track personnel benefits and leave in accordance with policy manual and FEWS NET guidelines
• Reviews expense reports generated by country office personnel.
• Coordinates with other Chemonics projects and legal counsel around updates to policy manuals, employment agreements, and annual legal checklist and actions any recommendations required to ensure office is in compliance with local law
• Manage day-to-day in-person office operations to ensure a well-functioning, compliant, and organized work environment, especially in physical office locations.

Supervision

• Provide oversight and supervision to supervisees as assigned
• Coordinate performance evaluation submission and complete all evaluations for direct supervisees.

Qualifications

• Proficiency in written and spoken English and Arabic are required.
• Bachelor's degree in accounting, Finance, or related field is required; Masters preferred. Significant, directly related professional experience can substitute for education experience.
• At least six years of relevant experience in accounting and financial and procurement management.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office word processing and spreadsheets software required.
• Ability to prioritize work assignments and exercise professional judgment required.
• Previous supervisory experience preferred