ACHIEVE Timor Leste: Finance and Operations Manager

ACHIEVE Timor Leste: Finance and Operations Manager Organization: Palladium, ACHIEVE Timor Leste Location: Dili, Timor Leste Duration: June 1 - September 30, 2026 (with possible extension) Reports to : ACHEIVE Timor Leste Team Leader Type of assignment: Fixed Term Employment Project Overview ACHIEVE is an eight-year (2019–2027) global health initiative project funded by the United States Department of State (DoS). The project receives health funding to strengthen life-saving public health services in low-income countries, building on broad experience and existing capabilities that align with AFGHS and United States Department of State (DoS) goals. ACHIEVE is led by Pact with consortium partners Palladium International, Jhpiego, No Means No Worldwide, and WI-HER, drawing upon local partners in each country. The project delivers services and provides high-quality technical assistance at the community, facility, district, regional and national levels, and builds relationships with relevant partners working on HIV; maternal, neonatal, and child health; nutrition; and health security issues. Our ability to respond quickly to program, technical, and procurement needs leverages our deep bench of country-based clinical, program, and community experts. In Timor Leste, ACHIEVE is currently focused on supporting the government to expand its capacity to deliver lifesaving and quality primary health care, particularly to underserved and remote communities. The project is seeking to recruit a Finance and Operations Manager for ACHIEVE Timor Leste, based in Dili. This is a local hire and moving expenses or expatriate allowances are not associated with this position. The Finance and Operations Manager will be responsible for overseeing all financial and administrative needs of the project and she/he will report directly to the Team Lead, and matrix managed with Palladium’s Director, Finance and Compliance, Health Practice at HQ. He/she will be responsible for supervising at least one other operations staff person. Compensation for this position will be between USD 25,000 to USD 30,000 per year. Roles and Responsibilities: Budget, Accounting and Financial Management Ensure all finances are managed in alignment with the Timor-Leste government regulations, company and client’s financial policies and procedures. Liaise with project team in Field Office and HQ to prepare, review and revise project budgets, expenditure forecasts and all other necessary financial reports. Assist with end of year financial audit, as required. Manage and update ACHIEVE Timor-Leste financial tools in coordination with project management unit. Assemble financial packages with supporting procurement documentation; ensuring all approvals are received; ensuring Payment Approval Form is completed accurately; saving payment packaged to Sharepoint so sister project can make payments. Filing all financial payment information in project folders Communicating with sister project if monthly expenses will exceed USD $20,000 per month Communicate and follow up with relevant suppliers, consultants, vendors, contractors and staff with regards to invoices, payments, advances or finances. Reconcile and review invoices for payments. Ensure necessary review, deliverables, and approvals before issuing payments. Review checks and payments and manage all other on-line banking processes related to the project. Ensure applicable tax withholding and deductions are taken care of as per the Timor-Leste laws and regulations. Review all financial transactions in the financial templates provided by HQ, accurately and in a timely fashion. Assist with financial recording as needed. Review and submit regular field vouchers and financial reports to HQ. Serve as back-up accountant when Finance and Operations Officer is away or on leave. Process for applicable tax exemptions and VAT reimbursements during or after procurements. Advise the team lead on all policy matters concerning project budgets, accounting and financial management. Any other related duties and tasks as assigned. Operations and Office Management: Oversee all administrative functions of the office to ensure smooth office operations in all phases of the project: start up, full implementation and close out. Represent ACHIEVE in in matters pertaining to finance and operations in meetings with USG and/or implementing partners. Coordinate with HQ/Timor-Leste and company security contact points to ensure company safety and security polices and guidelines are followed. Monitor and manage work-related travel for staff including review and processing of travel authorization, travel advance requests, travel expense reports, logistics arrangement for transportation, lodging, etc. Ensure travelers follow applicable policies, ACHIEVE Project Management Manual (PMM), and guidelines of the company and donor. Keep track of travels and advances and follow up for timely submission of travel expense reports and advance reconciliations. Manage office space including processing agreements for office space lease, utilities and services and timely payments and extension/termination of agreements. Ensure necessary insurance coverages for staff, office and equipment are in place. Coordinate with technical team to ensure operations support during travel, workshops, training and other events. Any other related duties and tasks as assigned. Human Resources · Track staff planned leave and leave balances per employment agreements. · Ensure Timor-Leste office staff follow local labor laws, company policies and client requirements · Manage health insurance balances for all local staff including yearly allowance, plus claims submitted throughout the year with monthly or quarterly balances reported to staff. · Manager health insurance claims process and ensure appropriate documentation received, approvals obtained, reimbursement forms completed, with full reimbursement package going to adjacent Palladium project for payment. · Maintain staff performance excellence framework for local staff ensuring check-ins with supervisors are documented and saved in personnel files. Staff Supervision Supervise and monitor the in-country operations, grants and finance teams' activities by ensuring that standard accounting principles and procurement regulations are followed in carrying out contractual and financial transactions. Manage senior operations associate’s performance on a regular basis to ensure he/she is completing job duties satisfactorily. Meet with Senior Operations Associate and provide constructive feedback regarding performance; sign staff timesheets; provide senior-level guidance and mentoring around performance; complete annual performance review. Escalate and performance issues to team leader, project and finance director in Washington, DC. Any other management duties and tasks as assigned. Administrative Functions Lead local staff and consultant recruitment, hiring, and contracting. Manage contract expiry dates and process renewal on timely fashion in consultation with HQ/project management unit team. Ensure personnel files for all staff are created, maintained and archived. The file includes complete record of all relevant information including recruitment documents, employment agreement, leave records and other performance-related information. Ensure timely submission of ACHIVE Timor-Leste staff timesheets, leave plans and leave requests, and respective supervisor approvals. Keep track and record of accrued leave days, used leave days and timesheets. Oversee inventory management for office and project equipment (including computers, printers, etc), including updated inventory list, insurance and period maintenance. Manage project property in compliance with USG and ACHIEVE HQ guidelines and regulations, including submission of monthly and other periodic reports. Lead ACHIEVE Timor-Leste inventory control system and carry out annual property physical inventory verification on the contract anniversary date. Administer and manage the efficient utilization and maintenance of project resources, including vehicles, IT and office equipment and furnishings, and any other physical assets purchased by or assigned to the project. Advise the team lead on all matters concerning project administration. Any other related duties as assigned. Procurement Management Ensure the project team follows company policies and client regulations when hiring consultants, vendors and contractors. Negotiate, administer, and ensure compliance with agreements (support covers the full agreement life cycle from program award through close-out). Ensure that ACHIEVE Timor-Leste procedures are adhered to and program staff are familiar with the procedures (this includes training staff on procurement mechanisms and new procurement procedures). Ensure relevant authorization has been obtained before any purchase takes place. Develop, negotiate, and administer partner agreements including fixed obligation grant (FOG), sub-contracts, consultancy agreements, letter agreement, purchase orders, internship agreements, etc. Initiate, through effective correspondence, requests for contract modifications and approvals such as: scope adjustments, personnel changes, budget realignments, performance period changes, implementing partner changes, consultant approval, etc. Any other procurement duties and tasks as assigned. General tasks · Participate in regular team calls and meetings, contribute finance and/or operations items to the agenda, and provide updates and briefings on issues relevant to area of responsibility. · Contribute to weekly, monthly, and quarterly reporting as needed. · Collaborate with the Team Lead and technical staff/consultants on the development and monitoring of budgets for programmatic activities. · Participate in identifying, logging, monitoring, and updating issues and risks and escalate as needed. · Ensure and encourage teamwork and shared leadership to achieve better results in the activities carried out in the program. · Supervise at least one other operations/administration staff person; provide bi-weekly feedback/supervision check-ins and debrief with Team Lead on staff performance; complete performance management paperwork as needed. · Other activities as assigned by the Country Team Lead or HQ Director, Finance and Compliance. Qualifications and experience: · Post-secondary certificate or degree in administration, business management, or other related field is highly desirable. Work experience may be considered in lieu of post-secondary education. · Minimum of 8 years of relevant work experience. Work experience on US Government development projects in Timor Leste preferred. · Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Teams, Word, Excel, PPT) and demonstrated experience with electronic file management in shared/cloud-based environments. · Proven experience with coordinating procurement processes and liaising with vendors and consultants. · Previous experience with workplan budgeting, budget monitoring, and forecasting. · Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team-based environment, supervise a professional team, and interact with a variety of technical, clinical, and other specialized staff. · Familiarity with due diligence and risk management concepts and approaches. · Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain positive relationships and work effectively with team members, consultants, and vendors of different cultures and hierarchical levels in a virtual/remote environment. · Detail-oriented and deadline-driven with strong organizational skills and ability to work in a dynamic and agile environment with changing requirements and priorities. · Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. · Ability to adapt to the needs of the organization and employees. · Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English skills. Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. Application details: All qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position through our online portal. About Palladium: Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 2,100 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities. Palladium is part of GISI’s global family of companies, which aims to create solutions for the world’s most complex challenges. With annual revenues of $14 billion, GISI’s approximately 15,000 employees are engaged in projects across 100 countries worldwide providing construction, program/project management, and engineering consulting services. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran. Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual, or for any other circumstance, please email our team at [email protected] and we will be in touch to discuss. Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process. Adherence to US government policies – As a condition of employment, Palladium staff in Timor Leste will undergo orientation and need to sign an attestation to comply with U.S. foreign assistance legal and policy requirements, including restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance funding as it relates to abortion.