Partner Compliance Officer

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center, is seeking a dynamic and multi-skilled candidate to join its office in Accra, Ghana, as a Partner Compliance Officer.

The primary purpose of this role is to support the effective monitoring of partnership agreements within the region for the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). This role involves monitoring the financial processes, facilitating communication, and providing support to enhance the capacity of project partners/subrecipients in managing their financial responsibilities. The incumbent will ensure that all financial transactions align with compliance requirements in the main donor agreement and best practices in financial stewardship. Additionally, the Partner Compliance Officer will monitor financial performance, support during the partner due diligence assessment process, validate partner expenses, ensure full compliance with requirements in IWMI’s partnership contract, conduct training sessions, and provide recommendations to partners to implement best industry practices.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Update the system commitments by creating Purchase Requisitions (PRs) and Purchase Orders (POs), uploading relevant documents in the Agreement Manager/ERP system, and booking expenditures by creating Service Entry Sheets (SES) in the ERP system.
• Timely follow-up and share of partner financial reports with HQ, to ensure partners comply with reporting timelines in the agreement. Also attend to any review comments and coordinate partner payment requests.
• Assist in conducting thorough due diligence assessments of potential and existing partners, evaluating financial health, internal controls, policy and procedure manuals, and risk management practices.
• Contribute to the preparation of detailed reports on due diligence findings and provide recommendations for partnership approvals.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for subrecipients on financial matters, promoting open communication and collaboration.
• Perform expenditure verifications for project partners in the region to ensure compliance with IWMI, partners and donor financial policies and requirements.
• Deliver onsite and virtual training sessions to improve the financial management capabilities of subrecipients, with a focus on budgeting, reporting, and compliance.
• Provide ongoing support to subrecipients to strengthen their financial systems, policies, and processes, and to build strong collaborative relationships.
• Identify and evaluate financial risks associated with subrecipients and propose effective mitigation strategies.
• Monitor compliance with country-specific financial regulations and support timely resolution of any emerging issues.
• Review partner expenditure forecasts to ensure that the expenditures are aligning with project budgets and agreed workplans.

Requirements

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Essential,

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Financial Management, or a closely related discipline.
• Part qualification from a recognized professional accounting body such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ghana (ICAG) or the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
• A minimum of three (3) years of relevant experience in accounting.
• Prior work experience with an auditing firm.

Desirable,

• Previous working experience in the partnership management / donor reporting function.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

Essential

• Ability to read, understand and interpret the terms and conditions in complex documents and agreements (e.g. donor agreements, partnership contracts).
• Ability to perform substantive testing on partner expenses and identify exceptions.
• Strong teamworking skills with the ability to coordinate with Headquarters.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel with experience in analysing and reconciling figures.
• Ability to manage and prioritize a varied workload and meet deadlines.
• Willingness to travel and visit project partners.
• Excellent oral and written language skills in English, including effective listening and strong verbal and written communication abilities.

Benefits

This is a nationally recruited position and only Ghanaian nationals will be considered. IWMI offers a competitive salary and benefits package, inclusive of health insurance, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, and long-term disability coverage. The duration of the contract will initially be for a period of three years with the possibility of extension.

HOW TO APPLY: Apply for the position by following the application instructions at www.iwmi.org/jobs. We will be accepting applications through 24:00 (IST) on May 25, 2025 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis). Your application must include a CV, cover letter, and three (3) references, which may be contacted if you are shortlisted. Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.