Finance Officer (Re-Advert)

About Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI)

Inspire, Disrupt, Transform!

Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Labor and Skills in Ethiopia, dedicated to fostering a dynamic and innovative private sector through comprehensive entrepreneurship support programs, including business development services (BDS), access to finance, and market linkage initiatives. EDI has established regional offices and Centers of Excellence in Entrepreneurship within higher education institutions to promote an entrepreneurial mindset among faculty, graduates, and the local community. EDI is dedicated to building the capacity of public and private institutions to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Ethiopia and beyond.

About Project: BDS Voucher System

EDI Ethiopia through a grant agreement with GiZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is implementing a pilot BDS Voucher System Project that aims to improve Small and Medium Enterprises’ (SMEs) access to quality Business Development Services (BDS) in Ethiopia. The project will provide SMEs with vouchers to cover part of the costs of accessing high-quality and impactful BDS. This voucher system incentivizes SMEs to invest in professional services to improve their operations and growth prospects. Additionally, the project envisions to build the capacity of local BDS providers and stimulate demand for their services by increasing visibility, promoting demand-driven BDS and generally contributing to the growth of the BDS market in Ethiopia.

Scope of Work

Under the supervision of the Project Coordinator and the Finance and Administration Director, the Finance Officer will be playing a pivotal role in ensuring the overall voucher system’s financial aspects and budget related matters are efficiently executed. The incumbent will be responsible to oversee budgeting, accounting, reporting, and payment administration pertaining to the financial flows and controls in the BDDS voucher system project.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop financial plans, budgets, forecasts for the project’s voucher funding and disbursements.
• Prepare and manage voucher program expense budgets; monitor spending to ensure proper utilization
• Oversee administration of voucher payments and reimbursements to BDS providers including processing payment requests and preparation of all necessary financial documentations for processing payments.
• Verify validity and compliance of financial support requests from BDS providers
• Manage accounting, reporting and auditing of all financial transactions under the voucher program
• Prepare periodic financial monitoring reports for donors and project leadership.
• Continuously assess efficiency of funds usage; provide recommendations to optimize
• Design and implement financial policies, procedures, controls for voucher disbursement
• Provide guidance to BDS providers on financial reporting requirements for voucher reimbursements
• Ensure financial management of vouchers adheres to requirements of donors and govt. agencies
• Coordinate external audits related to the voucher program finances and fund utilization
• Identify financial risks related to vouchers; establish mitigation measures and controls
• Troubleshoot issues faced by BDS providers in receiving payments for voucher services
• Provide guidance to BDS providers on financial reporting and voucher compliance
• Assist project team on contracting and payment-related matters.
• Efficiently execute any other tasks and responsibilities as required by the Project Coordinator, the Finance and Admin Director and other line program managers.

Duty Station: Headquarters, Addis Ababa with some travel to regions

Contract duration: 9 months with a possibility of extension

Reports To: Project Coordinator & Finance and Admin Manager

Required Qualification:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience in finance and accounting preferably with an engagement on financial systems related with entrepreneurship development and BDS programs
• Proven track record of success in managing and administering BDS financial supports and financial resources
• Certificate of Entrepreneurship Training Workshop (ETW) or BDS provided by EDI Ethiopia would be a plus.

Skills and knowledge:

• Proven knowledge on financial management software and finance administration protocols
• Knowledge of entrepreneurship, BDS, MSME development and preferably voucher systems.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, written and verbal communication skills, presentation/facilitation, report writing, analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Entrepreneurial, innovative, and problem-solving mindset.
• Supervisory skills and capacity to be a member of a multidisciplinary team.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 tools and other relevant computer skills.