Organisation: United States US Embassy, US Mission in Uganda
Duty Station: USAID OFM Office, Kampala, Uganda
Salary Grade: FSN-10 (Ugshs 88,050,617 to 128,626,328 p.a.
inclusive of allowances)
Vacancy Announcement Number: 11-16
Reports to: Deputy Controller
Welcome
to the United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda. The United States has enjoyed diplomatic
relations with Uganda for over 30 years.
Ambassador Deborah R. Malac currently heads the U.S Mission to
Uganda. The Mission is composed of
several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy
and at the direction of the Ambassador.
Among
the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are:
- United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) - Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- Peace Corps
Job Summary: The Supervisory Voucher Examiner in the Office of
Financial management (OFM), USAID/Uganda organizes and manages the day-to-day
operations of the Payment Service Center (PSC). Responsibilities include, but
are not limited to: Supervising the full range of payment functions for
USAID/Uganda; provide direct supervision, guidance and assistance to a staff of
six (5) Voucher Examiners, FSN-8, and one Document Control Clerk, FSN-7 in the
Voucher Examination section; Pre-certifying and reviewing all payment vouchers
to ensure accuracy and adherence to USAID regulations before submitting to the
Authorized Certifying Officer; Providing guidance, training and mentoring to
new voucher examiners; Promptly interpreting, disseminating and implementing
relevant new and/or revised policies and procedures. As the principal OFM
expert on U.S. Government payment regulations, employee pay, benefits, and
allowances; and Federal and USAID Travel Regulations, the incumbent takes the
lead in payment related special activities to research issues and organize
documentation to facilitate the decision making process; Prepares periodic
required reports to meet internal and external reporting requirements; Performs
a periodic review of status of unprocessed vouchers; Reviews and analyzes
complex vouchers related to projects, travel or OE activities; and acts as SME
for E-2 Solution, Accounts Payable functions, CFSC directives and cable
conventions dictated by Embassy CPU. Will serve as primary contact with vendors
and other claimants with respect to the status of claims. The incumbent will
perform no direct examination of vouchers but rather provide a quality review
of examined vouchers and expert assistance on complex issues of conformance,
performance, documentation, justification, and payment procedures, and will
serve as an interface with other offices, vendors, contractors, and suppliers
on the same issues.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Supervises the full range of payment
functions of USAID/Uganda, comprised of 6 employees, 5 Voucher Examiners
who provide a variety of payment services to the Mission and 1 Document
Control Clerk. The staff examines a full range of vouchers for
USAID/Uganda. The supervision includes technical guidance, quality
control, work-force and annual leave planning and distribution of work.
Oversees the processing of claim documents, ensuring compliance with
Prompt Payment Regulations and the terms of the underlying obligation or
commitment. Establishes and maintains procedures to ensure timely payments.
Serves as primary contact with claimants, answering inquiries, and seeking
resolution of disputes or, accuracy and justification of claims. Work
closely with key officials from mission DO Teams, AOR/CORs, Procurement,
legal, EXO, local banks, USDOs. Communicates with host country officials,
mission employees both orally or in writing and
contractors/grantees/vendors to establish financial reporting techniques,
policy interpretations and to provide guidance for compliance with payment
related policies, contract terms, and applicable laws and regulations.
Provide guidance on Agency’s voucher auditing requirements, USG standards,
payment regulations, ADS, FAM, DSSR, USG and host country laws. Review the
processing of full range of a complex administrative claims, Payroll
Services including allowances, travel agents’ claims, complex Purchase
Orders and Contracts under operating expenses, as well as international
travel vouchers such as TDY, R&R, Home leave, Reassignment, etc. Acts
as the principal expert on U.S. Government payment regulations, employee
benefits, employee pay and allowances. Provides training or guidance to
subordinate voucher examiners in resolving payment processing problems and
monitors their accomplishment and/or work backlog. Conducts thorough
review of vouchers prepared by subordinate voucher examiners for
completeness and accuracy prior to submission to the Authorized Certifying
Officer (ACO) for final payment certification. Prepares periodic Personnel
Evaluation Report (PER) of supervised employees. Participates in the
selection of subordinate employees. - Ensures accuracy and adequacy of
documentation presented to the Certifying Officer (CO) for final
certification by reviewing and initialing all such claims prior to
submission to CO. Provides training and assistance to voucher examiners in
the analysis and documentation of complex or contested claims. Establish
and revise as necessary the internal control procedures to ensure
institutionalizing detective and preventive methods for efficient performance
of all payment-related functions, and for protecting USAID financial
resources from misuse, abuse, or human errors, as well as to ensure compliance
with applicable laws and regulations. Develops internal control tools for
the Accounts Payable to verify that funds are available for program
disbursements by reconciling accumulated billings per claims submitted, to
the historical data reflected in the accounting system, including
verification of exchange rates used, overhead rates applied, line items charged,
and by ensuring that mis-charges among commitments and duplicate billings
of cost elements and periods are not made. Obtaining and ensuring administrative
approval of Project to make payments, and justify payment decisions which
differ from the Contract/Agreement Officer Representatives (COR/AOR) administrative
approval and/or the contractor’s recommendations, due to application of
laws and regulations, or as a result of reviewing payment history and
payment provisions. Ensure proper application of Prompt Payment Act to protect
the interest of the U.S. Government through processing vouchers/payments
within the proper window/time frame, to avoid payment of delay penalties.
Conducts close monitoring of USDO/Bangkok, USDO/Kansas City disbursement transactions
to ensure that payments are processed and received by payee, and take
prompt action to resolve any transmission problems. Confers with employees
to resolve payroll related issues, post allowance payments and with IRS on
tax remittances and reporting problems. Drafts or reviews letters and
memoranda concerning disallowance of payment, requests additional documentation,
replies to inquiries on this and other payment related matters. Reviews
and follows-up on the status of pending payment vouchers in coordination
with EXO and Program Teams to ensure compliance with the Prompt Payment
Act. - Keenly review complex program vouchers
against contract/grant provisions, U.S. and local laws, USAID regulations,
and cost principles. Program vouchers are sometimes ambiguous, and often
widely varied among different payment methods, funding sources, methods of
financing, and instruments’ types utilized (e.g grants, cooperative agreements,
contracts, host country contracts, and Bank letter of credit. Claims
reviewed include a variety of activity types such as construction,
technical assistance, commodities, etc., and may represent different payment
provisions, including fixed price, cost re-imbursement, fixed fee plus
cost re-imbursement, progress payments, etc. Ensure that methods of
financing are appropriately applied by the mission officials and utilized
by the recipients. - Review trends of historical expenses, advance
liquidation status, payment schedules, and life of project budget to ensure
reasonableness of cash advance requests in conformity with U.S. Government
and Treasury rules of immediate cash needs. - Manage the operations of all payment related
systems including PHOENIX, E2 Travel System, WINTA, WEB TA, and ASIST.
Process through Phoenix and E2 Travel all types of claims and invoices,
ensuring that proper fiscal data is being charged for these payments and
appropriate vendor codes, country codes payment information and types are being
used. Generates reports through Phoenix data viewer and E2 to address special
needs for specific information or analysis and decision making process by
the Agency and Senior staff and other mission personnel, or for ensuring compliance
with terms and regulations. Detect returned payments and recommending appropriate
cancellation method to process replacement. Provide guidance to resolve
system errors in Phoenix Accounts Payable module or coordinates with
Phoenix Solutions Center. - Performs special analyses and other duties as
requested. Provide technical support for audit and investigation
activities by developing information on historical expenses, and verifying
implementation of corrective/collection actions as a result of audit
findings. Produce quarterly and annual standard or tailored reports in
compliance with the agency reporting requirements, such as 1099 (IRS),
data call reports, etc. Assign refunds and Intra agency Payment and - Collection (IPAC) actions to the accountants
and PHOENIX Coordinator in case of cash refunds and charges to other Missions.
Receive daily lists of checks issued from DOs, reconciles with payments processed,
identifies and reports differences to the supervisors. Manages quarterly
VAT refund claimed from USAID funded projects submitted to Uganda Revenue
Authority. - Examines and audits most difficult and
complex invoices and/or claims for payment of project funded cooperative
grants and institutional contracts, often involving multiple funding
accounts and applying different types of financing mechanisms. This review
and analysis includes: - Determining that the
obligation/commitment contains appropriate authorizations and is
supported by documentary evidence showing that a valid, binding written
agreement has been executed, recorded and is on file. - Making independent judgment that the
voucher claim conforms to the payment provisions set forth in the
obligation and/or commitment documents and that it is in accordance with
other technical elements stipulated in the grant/loan agreement. - In charge of determining that
disbursements applicable to claims comply with appropriate U.S. Government
Standard Regulations and host country laws. Acts as compliance agent in
assuring that established controls to prevent improper or duplicate payment
are properly working. - In charge of verifying funds
availability and processes payment voucher through the automated payment
system PHOENIX MOMENTUM and PHOENIX VIEWER. Resolves any rejections or discrepancies
detected by requesting the responsible accountant to make the necessary
adjusting entries. - Scheduling payment due dates, release
selected vouchers that have completed funds availability verification for
payment certification by the authorized certifying officer. - Taking a lead in payment related
special activities. Analyzes needs/problems in payment related activities
and takes a lead in researching and gathering information about the issue
and prepares documented preliminary determinations. As required,
coordinate working groups to determine USAID/ Uganda policy and procedures
for such issues, drafts for clearance — new or revised mission notices
and orders.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
NOTE: All applicants must address each selection
criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting
each item.
- The ideal candidate for the US Embassy Supervisory
Voucher Examiner career opportunity should hold a bachelor’s degree in
accounting, finance or business administration is required. - At least five years of progressively
responsible experience in voucher examination/accounts payables,
accounting/auditing or related budget and fiscal work is required. - Broad working knowledge and understanding of
the internal controls and procedures necessary to safeguard funds and
ensure appropriate disbursements. Complete familiarity with the accepted
Accounts Payable procedures of the USG. - Broad working knowledge of AID laws,
regulations, procedures, and handbooks. A thorough knowledge of applicable
sections of the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM), Standardized regulations,
DSSR,FAR/AIDAR provisions, Federal Travel regulations, pertinent parts of
USAID regulations and procedures such as ADS, Controller Guidebook and
applicable FM bulletins. - Knowledge and experience with software
programs such as Micro-Soft Excel and Word are essential. - A high level of analytical skill and sound
judgment is essential. COs at post have many other duties and
responsibilities: the incumbent’s quality review and initialing of
vouchers is relied upon as primary assurance that the voucher certified is
proper and allowable. - Ability to organize and present data
concisely and professionally. - Excellent interpersonal skills to supervise,
direct, and coordinate a heavy workload of payments to multiple, diverse
claimants, including tactful and rapid handling of disputes and
differences. - Ability to establish and maintain effective
working relationships with American staff, Ugandan staff, officials of the
GOU, contractors of various nationalities, and officials of local banks,
businesses, Agencies and /NGOs. - Supervisory skills, plus the ability to plan,
organize, delegate, and follow-up is mandatory. - Ability to comprehend and apply to voucher
examining process, detailed regulations and procedures pertaining to the
work. - Possess considerable tact and diplomacy, and
good cross-cultural communication skills to explain clearly and
convincingly to employees the rationale for disallowances and collection
actions relating to such cases as travel and household effects shipments;
and to Project Officers, DO Team Leaders and at times, other partners. - Good computer skills with proficiency in
Excel and Word, and the ability to use a calculator and typewriter are
required. - Language Proficiency: Excellent command of written and
spoken English, Level IV (fluent). Must be able to independently explain
financial management terms, concepts and issues clearly (both orally and
written) with minimal errors. Written communication should generally
require minimal revision.
All
those interested in working with the US mission in Kampala should send their
applications and strictly adhere to the following:
- Universal Application for Employment as a
Locally Employed Staff or Family Member (DS-174), Download
it Here. - Candidates who claim US Veterans preference
must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their application. Candidates who claim conditional US
Veterans preference must submit documentation confirming eligibility for a
conditional preference in hiring with their application. - Any other documentation (e.g. essays,
transcripts/certificates, awards) that addresses the qualification
requirements of the position as listed above.
By
email at KampalaHR@state.gov
NB: Only electronic submissions will be accepted and
only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Please
clearly indicate the position applied for in the subject area of the email
submission.
Please
use standard file types such as Microsoft Word (.doc) and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf)
and please send all documents in one file attachment.
Telephone: 0414-306001/259-791/5
Deadline: 28th February 2016
The
US Mission in Kampala provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable
treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color religion,
sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status,
or sexual orientation. The Department of
State also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel
operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs.
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