Job Description

CARE seeks a Director, Finance and Operations for the anticipated USDA-funded five-year, $10-$35 million McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition (McGovern-Dole FFECN) project in Timor-Leste. The principal objectives of the McGovern-Dole FFECN Program are to carry out: 1) preschool and school food for education programs to improve food security, reduce the incidence of hunger, and improve literacy and primary education, particularly with respect to girls; and 2) maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs for pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children who are five years of age or younger.

By providing school meals, teacher training, government capacity-building, and related education and nutrition support, McGovern-Dole FFECN programs help boost school enrollment, increase attendance, and improve reading outcomes and literacy results. McGovern-Dole programs also support Maternal and Child Nutrition (MCN). To improve health, nutrition, and dietary practices, McGovern-Dole FFECN programs encourage the inclusion of health- and nutrition-sensitive activities that reach the families and communities of school-aged children such as the use of micronutrient-fortified products; treatments for deworming and diarrhea; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); school gardens; and curriculum-based nutrition education.

The Director will play a pivotal role in upholding the highest standards of operations throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring that all activities align with USDA regulations, other applicable laws, and donor requirements. In coordination with the COP, this position will coordinate with key project partners, stakeholders, other USG implementing partners as applicable, and the government of Timor-Leste, particularly at the sub-national level. The Director will supervise program finance and commodity management staff (for both imported in-kind and locally/regionally procured commodities), providing oversight and support to achieve project results and ensure adherence to all relevant regulations, policies, and procedures, fostering a culture of compliance across all project activities.

This is a Key Personnel position, subject to USDA approval. It is also subject to project award and funding. National candidates are encouraged to apply.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Finance and Operations

• Lead, in coordination with the Chief of Party (COP), in the development, implementation, and monitoring of financial, operational, and compliance policies and procedures for the project.
• Conduct regular assessments to identify potential financial, operational and compliance risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.
• Ensure that all project activities comply with USDA financial and procurement regulations, including the Code of Federal Regulations (2CFR 200), and proactively monitor adherence to internal controls, cost principles and audit readiness across project operations.
• Lead/oversee key activities of the finance team including but not limited to budget forecasting, expenditure tracking and financial reporting processes, ensuring alignment with donor-approved budgets and financial health of the project.
• Ensure adherence to all applicable national/local laws and donor requirements.
• Build a strong understanding of compliance requirements among all project staff.
• Provide training and guidance to project teams on compliance issues, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of regulations and standards.

Commodity Management

• Oversee financial and operational management and compliance of in-kind commodity distribution activities, ensuing accountability, transparency and accurate documentation throughout the supply chain from use of transparent bid processes through delivery to all target schools and end use monitoring.
• Ensure proper management, storage, distribution and tracking of commodities per USDA guidelines including implementation of Commodity Management Best Practices (CMBP), preparation of required reports, and regular commodity data updating in USDA FAIS.
• Support development and oversight of commodity logistics systems, including local and regional purchase, customs clearance, inland transportation, warehousing, loss control and beneficiary tracking in line with USDA compliance

Staff and Partner Performance

• Oversee the compliance aspects of sub-awards and/or subcontracts and ensure that sub-recipients adhere to all relevant regulations.
• Conduct regular audits of sub-recipient activities to assess compliance and address any identified issues.
• Supervise project finance, administration and commodity management staff ensuring a high level of performance and mentoring individuals, as needed. This includes staff engaged with in-kind commodities and those that are locally/regionally procured.

Reporting and Communications

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date compliance documentation for the project.
• Prepare regular reports on compliance activities and present findings to project leadership and relevant stakeholders.
• Establish a robust system for monitoring and evaluating compliance performance.
• Work closely with the M&E team to integrate compliance metrics into project monitoring systems.
• Coordinate with relevant stakeholders, including government bodies, to ensure alignment with national policies and regulations.
• Facilitate communication between project teams, donors, and external partners on compliance-related matters.
• Establish regular communications among the program, commodity and finance teams to support a collaborative, productive and efficient work environment.