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If you're serious about moving your life forward, you'll probably need to start with your education. And thanks to online schools, it is easier than ever before for anyone to get the degree they need to take their life to the next stage. There are hundreds of online classes out there. Between the rising number of universities and colleges offering online training and the numerous schools that are online-only, it can be a bit overwhelming just figuring out where you should start.

Finding the right online degree program doesn't have to be that difficult, however. If you'll keep a few key things in mind, you should have no problem tracking down the one that works best for you. Here are a few things to consider:

• Accreditation – This is the most important thing you need to consider. Accreditation is basically certification for a college, telling the world that their educational program meets certain standards. Without it, a degree won't mean nearly as much to potential employers. Be sure that you look into the accreditation a school carries before you even think about enrolling. The US Department of Education maintains a database to use as a reference, if you need it.

• Curriculum – Pay attention to the credits you get and the courses you'll take when you enroll. If you want to transfer, are your credits accepted in other schools? Do the courses cover things that will actually help you in your future field? These are important questions worth asking.

• Stats – Don't be afraid to look at the statistics associated with a school. Look at the student loan default rates, the completion rates, and the employment rates for graduates in particular. Those three numbers will tell you a lot about whether or not you're looking at a school that is worth your money. The US News and World Report site is the best place to get all the info on a school's reputation and statistics.

• Flexibility – Look into the overall level of flexibility provided by each program, too. Think about the methods used to teach, what kind of deadlines you must meet with classwork, and more. Balance the flexibility of the school against your own schedule in order to determine whether or not you should enroll in the program.

Established in 1978, NES Global Talent provides a complete range of contract and permanent talent solutions to the oil and gas, power, infrastructure, construction, life sciences, manufacturing and transportation sectors
worldwide. With more than 40 offices in 28 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. Offering
far more than a traditional recruitment service, we fully support our contractors while they are on assignment with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.

Job Tittle; Contract Administrator

Job Type; Full Time

Qualification; BA/BSc/HND

Experience; 3 years

Job Field; Engineering / Technical Real Estate

Job Description
Our client is a major player in the Oil and gas downstream sector and is looking for a suitable candidate to fill the position of a Contract Administrator.

Job Summary
Responsible for the management and administration of construction & property-related activities, re: below responsibilities.
Management of Properties and capital investment plan of Marketing Support. Participates and provides leadership on strategic network optimization and planning activities. Directs all property management functions, including property purchases, new leases, lease renewals and other property and facility related actions including divestment, abandonment, and government-related takings and easements. Directs all retail related construction for major and minor projects and ensures high quality, timely performance and smooth turn-over of facilities to operational group. Manages retail and commercial network maintenance in compliance with client's requirements, in a safe, competitive, and cost effective manner.

Responsibilities
Maintenance - Reliability Enters Purchase Orders (PO's) and Service Order's (SO's) including ordering materials, writing service orders, and handling invoice inquiries Processes invoices against orders, checking payment against current contracts

Capital Stewardship
Administer Capital Projects and Property, Plant & Equipment (PP&E) matters in SAP Project Setup, Maintenance, & Closure for capital improvement and network replacement projects Obtains appropriate details (i.e., budget codes, project codes, capital details, etc.) in alignment with the Marketing Support guidelines for Capital and Project Management:Project setup and budget creation Enters Purchase Orders (PO's) and Service Order's (SO's) including ordering materials, writing service orders, and handling invoice inquiries Processes invoices against orders, checking payment against current contracts Prepares and monitors asset write-offs and transfers Monitors assets under construction (AUC's) and seeking closure as appropriate Monitoring of suspense account balances and transferring to projects as appropriate Capitalizing new assets to ensure compliance with book and tax guidelines.
Project closure Health, Safety & Environment Manages all HSE initiatives and ensures compliance. Ensures that Safe Work Practices are understood and implemented, by both internal and external maintenance providers, as appropriate. Provides assistance to disseminate HSE awareness and ensures compliance of HSE policy. Coordinates with other business units as appropriate, on risk assessment, closure, and management change of sites. Implement site remedy and closure in accordance to HSE policy.

Change Leadership
Maintains SAP IT and physical filing systems for contracts and related files- in line with Company standards and guidelines - to facilitate easy access for contract generation, review, and update.Updates key variables in IT database to allow for effective management reporting and accurate payment/receipt in line with agreements, including contract terms, start, end dates, contacts, property-related information, etc.Conducts file audits as required to establish MON Plc tenure position. Updates tenure listings whenever new agreements are entered into or existing agreements are changed.Provide leadership to contractors and other service providers to ensure all understand and fulfill their roles and responsibilities in discharging their duties. Determine where competency and capacity gaps exisit and report accordinglly for It to be addressed.

Business Planning & Management Reporting
Collaborates with other team members in preparation of reports, gathering and analysis of data from SAP to ensure Marketing Support activities meet with policies and appropriate budgetary controls. Provides coaching and mentoring of outside resources as business requirement dictate.Assists in the development of capital and expense budgets, generating actual from SAP, compiling inputs from respective Specialists, reporting compiled results.Using SAP and other tools, generates management reports for:Capital and Maintenance spend and forecast, by Specialist, Project, type of project / expense, area, etc., using SAP and other reporting tools.Contract status, by Vendor, Facility, Specialist Tenure listings on retail properties Capital & Expense Forecasting.

Compliance & General Administration
Ensures all SAP activities are in compliance with corporate and accounting policies and internal controls. Local subject matter expert for accounting policies, such as expense versus capital, recognized versus non-recognized retirements, etc. Serves as liaison on all asset and project inquiries and resolutions. Serves as liaison to Accounts Payable to resolve all PO/SO inquiries.As required and identified by the Marketing Support Manager, handles the administration (IT and otherwise) of any Marketing Support-related key documentation and reporting.Answers basic inquiries regarding status of individual project expenditures and runs monthly reports. Participates in special projects as necessary, including internal and external audit inquiries

Knowledge Sharing
Feeds into the Maintenance, Construction, and Property Analyst on the effectiveness of processes and tools, with required needs for improvement

Job Requirements
First Degree/ HND in any of Engineering, Estate Management, Business Management, Architecture and Quantity Surveying

Knowledge, skills and competencies
Good working knowledge of general maintenance and repairs in retail outlets.

Experience
Minimum of 3 years in a similar role

Personal Attributes
Organized, good time management skills and of high integrity

Physical & Other Requirements
Traveling from one location to another

Method of Application
Interested and suitably qualified candidates should click here to apply online.

The US Development Bank Group (AfDB) is a multilateral development finance institution established to contribute to the economic development and social progress of US countries. The AfDB was founded in 1964 and comprises three entities: The US Development Bank, the US Development Fund and the USA Trust Fund
Job Tittle; Accounts Clerk

Job Type; Full Time

Qualification; BA/BSc/HND MBA/MSc/MA

Experience; 4 years

Location; Abuja

Job Field; Finance / Accounting / Audit

Objectives
To ensure that:
The system of internal control around banks and General Ledger reconciliation is adequate, effective and functioning properly.
Internal control around the bank accounting activities of the Bank Group is effective by ensuring that the financial transactions reported on the bank accounts are properly and accurately recorded in the appropriate accounting period.
Financial reports of the banking activities of the Bank Group are timely and accurate.
Reconciliation and clearance of all suspense and receivable/payable accounts in the general ledger are carried out properly and in a timely manner.

Duties and responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Division Manager, FFCO.1, the incumbent will carry out the following functions:
1. Bank Reconciliation.
Provide input for technical accounting and policy guidelines on system implementation projects in the area of bank accounts and the reporting of due from banks in the financial statements
Provide input and assistance for internal and external audit of bank accounts.
Investigate and follow up on all outstanding items on bank reconciliation statements with responsible persons and Organization Units.
Analytically identify old and irrecoverable amounts on bank reconciliation and advise how best to resolve them.
Ensure accurate and timely reconciliation of banking transactions for all the bank accounts maintained by the Bank Group and Trust Funds.
Provide monthly summary of bank reconciliations and control weaknesses for review by Management
Verify the reliability and accuracy of bank balances in the general ledger and trial balance
Carry out daily reconciliation of bank accounts.
In liaison with Treasury department (FTRY), ensure that adequate internal controls are maintained in the opening and closing of new and old bank accounts.
In liaison with other data entry personnel, improve the internal control environment related to Bank accounts and transactions.
2. Analysis and Reconciliation of General Ledger Accounts
Investigate and ensure reconciliation and clearance of bank related transit suspense / accounts
Ensure reconciliation of all inter-institution accounts for the Bank Group and bilateral funds.
Give instructions for the settlement of ail inter-institution receivables and payables for the Bank Group and bilateral funds.
Liaise with other sections in financial control department (FFCO) for the clearance of items on inter-institutions accounts.
3. Preparation of Analytics and Reports
Preparation of analytical reports showing trends on degradation of the bank account outstanding items
Preparation of Bank reconciliation reports for use by Section Heads and other colleagues.

Other Duties

• Participate actively in the preparation of the monthly and quarterly financial statements and other financial reports that require bank account information.
• Participate in the overall evaluation of internal control around banking activities.
• Carry out other duties as may be allocated by the Supervisor or Division Manager.

• Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience
• At least a first degree in Accounting, Finance, Audit, Business Administration, or Banking. A master’s degree in finance, accounting or business administration will be an added advantage.
• At least four (4)years of relevant experience;
• Competence in the use of standard software applications (Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint, SAP);
• Ability to communicate and write effectively in French and/or English, with good working knowledge of English;
• Excellent Customer service record.

The World Bank is a United Nations international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programs. The World Bank is a component of the World Bank Group, and a member of the United Nations Development Group.
Job Tittle; Country Director

Job Type; Full Time

Qualification; MBA/MSc/MA PhD/Fellowship

Experience; 12 - 15 years

Location; Abuja

Job Field; Administration / Secretarial

Background / General description
Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 4 year renewable term appointment.
The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in race, gender, nationality, culture, and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

THE WORLD BANK GROUP’S VISION AND STRATEGY
The global development community is at an auspicious turning point in history. Thanks to the success of the past few decades and favorable economic growth, developing countries now have an unprecedented opportunity to end extreme poverty within a generation. This is the vision of the WBG: to eradicate extreme poverty by reducing the number of people living on less than $1.25 a day to 3 percent by 2030, and promote shared prosperity by fostering the income growth of the bottom 40 percent in every country.
To achieve this vision, the WBG Board of Governors has approved a strategy for the organization. This strategy leverages, for the first time, the combined strength of the WBG institutions and their unique ability to partner with the public and private sectors to deliver customized development solutions backed by finance, world class knowledge and convening services. The strategy has three components: (1) maximizing development impact by engaging country clients in identifying and tackling the most difficult development challenges; (2) promoting scaled-up partnerships that are strategically aligned with the goals; and (3) crowding in public and private resources, expertise and ideas.
The architecture underpinning the strategy and instrumental to its success is the establishment of fourteen Global Practices and five Cross-Cutting Solution Areas that, in concert with the WBG Regions, will design solutions that address clients’ most pressing developmental challenges, and ultimately, enable the WBG to meet its twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP
Established in 1944, the WBG is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for development solutions. In fiscal year 2013, the WBG committed $52.6 billion in loans, grants, equity investments and guarantees to its members and private businesses, of which $16.3 billion was concessional finance to its poorest members. It is governed by 188 member countries and delivers services out of 120 offices with nearly 15,000 staff located globally.
The WBG consists of five specialized institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The World Bank is organized into six client-facing Regional Vice-Presidencies, several corporate functions, and fourteen Global Practices as well as five Cross-Cutting Solution Areas to bring best-in-class knowledge and solutions to regional and country clients.

REGIONAL CONTEXT
The Africa Region, which is comprised of approximately 900 staff members, mostly based in 38 field offices, is committed to helping Africa realize its considerable development potential, with a focus on employment generation. The core values guiding our work are passion for our mission of sustainable poverty reduction with keen attention to quality and trans-formative impact, putting the needs of the client at the center of all our activities, trust and respect as a common currency, intellectual rigor and curiosity, honesty and integrity, teamwork, openness to learning and the courage to admit we do not always have the answer.
Sub-Saharan Africa has a population of around 800 million people in 48 countries, and is a vibrant and changing environment for development work. The last two decades of democratic elections and, in some countries multiparty systems has created a greater openness to pro-poor reforms. A vibrant civil society has become increasingly vocal on policy issues, and US citizens are more and more holding politicians accountable for their actions (although there are variations across countries). Regional institutions, such as AU/NEPAD are applying peer pressure on national leaders to improve their performance.
Until the onset of the global financial and economic crisis, Africa had been experiencing a period of sustained and widespread growth. In addition to the oil exporters, some 22 non-oil-exporting countries were experiencing better-than-four-percent growth for a decade and two third of the population lived in countries that had grown by between 5.9 and 8.1 percent per year. The sources of this growth were three-fold: (i) external resources—aid, debt relief, private capital flows and remittances were all increasing; (ii) strong commodity prices and a buoyant global economy; and (iii) improved macroeconomic policies, reflected for instance in the fact that the median inflation rate in the mid-2000s was about half that in the mid-1990s.
While the overall business climate in Africa is the weakest in the world, several countries—including some fragile states—have made great strides in improving their environment for business. What is emerging as a result is a growing region, with setbacks from time to time, that is increasingly seen as a destination for investment as much as for aid; and one where leaders are increasingly willing to address problems of poor governance that harms development effectiveness.
The Africa Region seeks to seize this unprecedented opportunity to better support our clients in realizing the ambition of eradicating extreme poverty and boosting prosperity.

COUNTRY CONTEXT
With a population of about 170 million people, USA is the largest country in Africa and accounts for 47% of West Africa’s population. It is also the biggest oil exporter in Africa, with the largest natural gas reserves in the continent. With these large reserves of human and natural resources, the country is poised to build a prosperous economy, significantly reduce poverty, and provide health, education and infrastructure services to meet its population needs.
Since 1999, USA embarked on an ambitious reform agenda. The most far reaching of those was to base the budget on a conservative reference price for oil, with excess saved in a special Excess Crude Account (ECA). The economy responded with strong growth between 2003 and 2014 – averaging over 7%. Weaknesses in the oil sector have increased macroeconomic risks. Oil accounts for close to 90% of exports and roughly 75% of consolidated budgetary revenues. Declining oil revenues in 2014-15 will provide additional budgetary challenges, against the additional backdrop of Presidential elections.
USA was among the first countries to adopt and implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to improve governance and oil sector. The power sector reform initiative was launched in 2005, recognizing that improving power sector performance is critical to address development challenges. The challenging process of implementing reforms was revitalized in August 2010 through the 2010 Roadmap, which clearly outlines the government’s strategy and actions to undertake comprehensive power sector reform to expand supply, open the door to private investment and address some the chronic sector issues hampering improvement of service delivery.
USA is both AFR’s largest IDA recipient, with a lending envelope of approximately USD1.5b per year, and has recently moved to blend status, giving it also access to IBRD resources. The coming years thus provide a unique opportunity to support the government in tackling range of pressing development needs. With a strong federal structure, and States responsible for service delivery in the social sectors, the Bank has increasingly engaged state level reform and IDA investments. Enhancing the volume and effectiveness of social spending will be critical to tackle pervasive poverty and poor local indicators. In addition, USA faces a large income gap between the South, and Northern States, with the latter also affected by the Boko Haram terrorism and violence. Hence, USA has both elements of middle-income challenges (such as urbanization in Lagos State) and fragility (in the North and oil delta region) that need to be addressed simultaneously in the Bank’s engagement.
Note: If the selected candidate is a current Bank Group staff member with a Regular or Open-Ended appointment, s/he will retain his/her Regular or Open-Ended appointment. All others will be offered a 4 year term appointment.

Duties and Accountabilities:
The Country Director is accountable for performing the responsibilities, modeling the behaviors and maintaining the technical competencies (listed below) in his or her capacity as a member of the Regional Management Team in the Africa Region. Accountability means being answerable for managing quality, risks, results, institutional initiatives and compliance with Bank policies and procedures.

RESPONSIBILITIES
The Country Director is responsible for performing activities in the following areas:

Business Management responsibilities:
Manages the day-to-day operations of the country office.
Leads or support the coordination and delivery of the Bank’s strategy and related work program.
Manages the day-to-day dialogue with the Government on a broad range of policy and implementation issues
Provides ongoing updates, guidance, advice and support on local political, social, economic and other relevant developments country team members, including visiting missions as needed.
Develops and implements the Country Partnership Framework (CPF), with special attention to transformative non-lending and lending interventions at the sub-regional, country, practice and program levels that produce practical, visible and sustainable development results.
Supports the development and monitors the implementation of high quality work programs and sector strategies that are based on the CPFs and are attuned to client demand and country contexts.
Provides oversight on portfolio (including trust fund) management and quality issues, working with clients and the country teams to provide timely and effective implementation support.
Oversees, supported by an operations adviser, the regional integration portfolio for West Africa

People/ Talent Management responsibilities:
Leads and motivates the country teams with a focus on client orientation, development outcomes, strong cross-practice coordination and problem solving, and takes responsibility for achieving and communicating these outcomes with operational staff, Global Practice technical staff, and the country management team.
Manages the functioning of CMU and RI West unit in partnership with global practice management, models integrity and inclusion, offers mentoring and development opportunities for local and international staff.

Resource Management responsibilities:
Ensures that deployment of Bank's resources are consistent with Resource Management rules, policies and internal controls
Sets priorities and allocates budget within and across countries, in line with institutional priorities and a view to maximizing the impact and value-added of the Bank's activities.
Relationship Management responsibilities: (Internal and External):
Maintains strong partnerships with the governments concerned, development partners, civil society, media, the private sector, and other stakeholders to further the aid effectiveness agenda. Exercises courageous and transformative leadership in dialogue
Leads or maintains and further strengthens the relationship and policy dialogue on a broad range of economic and sectoral issues with the Government and key stakeholders. This includes conveying government positions and concerns to the Country Director and Country Team; clarifying the Bank’s advice, perspectives, and policies/procedures as needed, helping both Government and the Country Team translate policy objectives into concrete development proposals.
Works proactively and innovatively with IFC and MIGA to leverage World Bank financial and technical support, including with the private sector.
Appreciates the complexities and relevance of political economy considerations on the Bank’s development effectiveness in USA and collaborates appropriately with other CDs, regional and sub-regional institutions in West Africa, and other partners to enhance such effectiveness.

Knowledge Management responsibilities:
Embraces good corporate citizenship, including contributing to the development, implementation and communication of corporate policies, strategies and priorities (including ongoing reforms in investment lending, knowledge management, HR policies, and the “Global Bank”).
Champions regional management initiatives.

Other:
Implements and is accountable for a Country Office/regional security and safety program covering Bank Group personnel (including registered dependents, travelers on Bank Group business, etc.), property, programs and information in the assigned Country Offices.
Represents the Bank in the c

Selection Criteria:
PhD or Master’s degree in relevant field/discipline and substantial professional experience (typically the successful candidate will have about 12 to 15 years of experience in positions of increasing complexity and responsibility).
Prior work experience in achieving results on the ground in more than one world region (including both pre-Bank and Bank experience). A corporate assignment (e.g. Network, Anchor, DEC, WBI, FAC Units) may substitute for experience in a second world region.
Sound operational experience, including thorough knowledge of Bank Group policies, programs, products, and procedures, and exposure to economic and sector work, CPF, and PRSP activities. Demonstrated results in lending and non-lending products, portfolio management, and implementation support.
Strong strategic orientation in order to link macro and sector strategies as well as lending and non-lending services within a consistent development framework, and to anchor and integrate the overall economic and sector policy dialogue.
Ability to innovate and leverage the Bank’s knowledge and lending tools, beyond the direct financial contribution of the Bank.

Competencies
Outstanding WBG managers demonstrate the confidence in their convictions and the integrity to express themselves to peers and superiors even if it is easier or more comfortable to refrain from speaking up. They have the confidence, balanced with humility and judgment, to operate with the intent of doing what is right for the WBG and its clients. Key themes include: confidence, resilience, agility, judgment and adaptability.

GI level description:
Takes on challenges in a very diplomatic way, seeing them as an opportunity for both personal and organizational improvement. Pushes back against one's peers, manager and others higher in the organization, and clients, when necessary or in the best interests of the WBG mission and its clients. Advances bold ideas in the face of resistance (internal and external), especially when they are consistent with the WBG mission and values.

Leading the Team for Impact
Outstanding WBG managers focus on the WBG purpose and mission in order to provide on-going clarity and vision to their teams. They align capabilities and resources around the WBG mission. They create an energizing and empowering work environment where people are engaged and have the resources necessary to do their jobs, while holding team members accountable for results and improvement. Key themes include: building, focusing, constructing, empowering and aligning teams through clarity and resources.

GI level description:
Inspires through linking the vision of their department/organization to the WBG mission. Ensures that others buy into the vision through taking symbolic actions and reinforcing desired changes. Energizes through positive encouragement and reinforcement for thinking about possibilities of what can be done versus what can't be done. Aligns people around the WBG mission as a way to focus people on the most critical priorities. Includes resolving competing priorities as they exist.

Influencing Across Boundaries
Outstanding WBG managers persuade, convince and create buy-in for ideas and initiatives in order to advance their own goals and strategies, consistent with the WBG mission and vision. Key themes include: having a positive impact on others through varying sophistication of influence techniques, scope of impact and effective navigation through the culture.

GI level description:
Takes a broad view of the organization, seeking to influence across multiple departments in order to advance initiatives. Displays awareness and respect to other's position when making a case for an opposing opinion. Anticipates other's reactions, preparing responses and contingency plans in advance. Crafts an argument unique to the individual in order to gain buy-in and participation; engages the heart and mind of the individual by making one's point of view relevant to them and by connecting with their emotions.

Fostering Openness to New Ideas
Outstanding WBG managers create open and innovative climates for the people around them. They are transparent, open to divergent views and encouraging of these attributes in others. They promote broad thinking and frank discussion, welcoming others' input into the decision-making process, and they build on others' ideas. Key themes include: openness, humility, true two-way communication, strategic thinking and the space to be innovative without negative repercussions.

GI level description:
Creates and models norms around how others should interact. Encourages and supports the people with whom they come into contact to embrace differences, create transparency and promote frank and respectful discussions. Changes systems or processes to encourage more open communication and to facilitate new ways of doing things.
Building Talent for the Future
Outstanding WBG managers build people's capabilities for the future by supporting and leveraging the diversity of staff in terms of their race, gender, nationality, culture, educational and professional backgrounds. They create growth opportunities for others, encouraging them to stretch beyond their current experience or comfort zone. They provide ongoing feedback and development, including long term career development and mentoring, as well as hold their team members accountable for developing others. Key themes include: Supporting the growth of all staff to further their development technically, professionally and personally to better address clients and WBG's mission.
GI level description:
Creates opportunities for development, such as full job change or project assignments (as appropriate for their career path) in order to grow their breadth of knowledge and/or leadership capability; may include moving people to different groups or business units. Makes the time to reach out to key talent to mentor them and determine their aspirations, both within and outside the immediate team, regardless of benefit to own self. Identifies future leaders in the organization and develops them over the long-term, incorporating building leadership and WBG specific behaviors. Prioritizes the development of diverse talent in order to ensure that the Bank's staff is able to meet the needs our of clients both now and in the future. Holds team members accountable for providing development opportunities and activities for their people.

Core Competencies:
Lead and Innovate- Mobilizes the organization for innovation.
Deliver Results for Clients- Leads an organization that focuses on results for clients and impact rather than transactions or processes.
Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries- Takes accountability for collaboration at all levels of the WBG and with external partners.
Create, Apply and Share Knowledge- Drives a culture where knowledge is created, applied, and shared to strengthen WBG’s leadership role, development impact and to improve solutions for internal and/or external clients.
Make Smart Decisions- Models decisiveness and accountability.

Method of Application
To apply for this position, click here

The British Council is the world's leading cultural relations organization and creates opportunities for people in the UK and worldwide to understand each other, to work together and learn from one another. We see this as crucial to building secure, more prosperous and sustainable futures for us all. We build trust and understanding between different countries and cultures and develop strong international links that are of benefit to people in Britain and the
rest of the world.

Job Title; Customer Service/Examinations Assistant

Job Type; Full Time

Qualification; BA/BSc/HND

Location; Lagos

Job Field; Education / Teaching

Location; Lagos

Duration; Contract: Fixed Term for 4 months

Job Field; Line Manager: Customer Services Manager

Purpose of Job
To support the achievement of country plan objectives in USA by delivering customer services and examinations administration support.
To maintain them at the highest professional standards as set out in the British Council's EQS (Examination Quality Standards) and by the Examination Board Partners.
Context and Environment
Customers and enquirers engage with the British Council USA for a number of purposes with the majority being for examinations. USA is the largest British Council exams business in the Sub Saharan Africa region. It administers exams in four areas: Schools, Professional/Vocational, and Tertiary on behalf of UK institutions and IELTS. In 2012-13 we delivered 70,000 exams to 25,000 candidates. The USA team comprises 31 people, 18 are based mainly in Lagos with 7 in Abuja and 5 in Port Harcourt.
The SSA region delivers exams in over 20 countries from its offices in 16 of these countries. In 2012, we delivered a quarter of a million exams to over 100k candidates. Growth in the region is robust, but our challenges are many. Nevertheless, Exams teams are making solid gains in our 4 strategic priority areas, namely: improving business performance, improving quality, improving financial compliance and increasing impact.
The post holder will be part of a team of 18 in Lagos who deliver customer service and administer the growing exams business ensuring quality and compliance as well as control of income and expenditure to deliver on target. This role will assist the delivery of exams in Lagos in addition to being a key member of the customer services team.

Accountabilities and Responsibilities
(including people management and finance)
As Examinations/Customer Service Assistant the post holder will be line managed by the Customer Services Manager.
This post requires the post holder to work a Tuesday to Saturday week.
Quality: to deliver a high standard of customer service to our customers, schools and exams candidates. Performance is measured by our own Exams Quality Standards and the inspection visits from Cambridge International Exams and other examination boards.
Finance: all British Council standards for managing finances are met with relation to managing Purchase Orders, reconciling income, managing contracts and procurement.
Reliability: to ensure examinations are delivered securely according to board requirements

Main Duties

Customer services:

• To provide services that support British Council examination candidates.
• Front desk is always manned during operational hours
• Visitors are attended to immediately and appropriately
• Phone enquiries answered within 45 seconds of first ring
• Email enquiries are attended to promptly and escalated from regional email centre as per agreed service level agreement
• Payments are collected, receipts issued and accurately posted on the system
• Daily / weekly balanced reconciliations are completed and "parked" on the financial system and spreadsheet.
• Complaints, comments and feedback are dealt with in accordance with corporate policy and the Exams Quality Standards.
• Provide support/assistance to the Exams Team on all aspects of Customer Service and Exams administration
• Use the E-Africa website as the single authoritative source of information for all enquiry handling
• To provide administrative support in the delivery of exams, workshops, seminars and any other project related services in line with Exams Quality Standards (EQS)
• All service registration procedures (e.g. Exams, Certification and other programme registration) are fully understood and implemented to agreed standards.
• Information about the full range of British Council products and services is clearly and confidently articulated to customers, encouraging customer engagement and cross-selling
• To regularly attend staff meetings to both gain and impart knowledge about our customers, products and services
• Regular communication and working is maintained with back-of-house teams

• Providing administrative support in the delivery of examinations.
• This involves supporting colleagues in pre and post test/examination administration duties. This includes exams data entry, post despatch, assisting with session planning/implementation and examination invigilation.
• Supporting Exams Officers in venue staff monitoring and training.
• Conducting venue and school inspections.
• Supporting the wider British Council activities such as workshops, seminars and any other project related services in line with Exams Quality Standards (EQS)

Other Duties

• To assist with market testing of venues and other suppliers.
• Assisting with data collection for marketing purposes.
• To regularly attend staff meetings to both gain and impart knowledge about our customers, products and services
• To assist with any other duty examinations management deem necessary.

• Internal: Customer services team, Lagos Exams Team, Country Exams Manager, Deputy Country Exams Manager
• External: Venue Staff, IELTS Examiners, enquirers, examinations candidates, venue suppliers.
• Other important features or requirements of the job
• (e.g. travel, unsocial/evening hours, restrictions on employment etc)
• IELTS tests are usually held on Saturdays and Sundays and some early evenings. Professional and vocational examinations are also occasionally held on Saturdays. Rostered working on Sundays and some evenings is required. Travel to administer/monitor IELTS tests in centres outside of Lagos is required.
• Test deadlines are absolute; therefore, out of office hours working may be required to meet these deadlines. Travel to administer/monitor examinations in centres outside of Lagos may be required. Overnight stays and weekend working may be required. Flexible working hours during peak periods (May/June & November/December) for CIE, ACCA, University of London etc is required

Behaviour:

• Working together (essential):
• Making it happen (essential):
• Being Accountable (essential)
• Creating shared purpose (essential)
• Connecting with others (essential)
• Shaping the future (essential)

Skills and Knowledge

• Ability to use Microsoft Office Word and Excel (Essential)
• Ability to read and write in English at C1/IELTS 7.0/CAE level (Essential)
• Customer service level 1 (Essential)
• Knowledge of the education and qualification systems in the UK and USA (Desirable).

• Dealing with customers and enquiries in a service environment and providing service within quality standards (Essential)
• Working quickly and accurately to tight deadlines (Essential)
• Experience of administering examinations (Desirable).
• Experience of managing/supervising a group of people to achieve a specific purpose (Desirable).
• Qualifications
• Completed secondary education to 'A' level standard or equivalent (Essential)
• University Degree in any subject (Desirable)
• BTEC Examinations Administration Level (Desirable).

Method of Application
To apply for this position, click here

Ah, spring is in the air! And you know what that means…it’s time to start thinking about getting a summer job to pay for next year’s college tuition. But summer is also a great time to build your skills and your resume in your chosen field of study. If you would like to do more than stash cash by taking on a summer job that will make you more marketable when you graduate, one of these options may be perfect for you.
Work for the government Regardless of your political affiliations, local, state and federal governments are always on the lookout for up-and-comers to groom. If you are interested in learning more about how government agencies really work or if you think you may want to work for a government entity after obtaining your degree, you may want to take this opportunity. Don’t want to wear a suit, but be out in nature instead? Don’t overlook the available summer jobs at the National Park Services.
Be a freelance writer Communication skills are greatly coveted by every company and in every industry. If you enjoy writing, freelance writing is a great way to build skills, make money and demonstrate your abilities to future employers, even if your major has nothing to do with writing; you don’t have to be an English major to do this job. There are many trustworthy online sites that you can search to locate real writing jobs on any topic imaginable. Another bonus is that this is a job that you can continue during the school year, since you get to control when and how often you work.
Sell your stuff If you are able to put sentimentality aside, you may find that selling your stuff could pad your bank account and give you more free time this summer. Even if you don’t have vintage or collectable items sitting around collecting dust, you could spend some time shopping flea markets, garage sales and thrift stores, pick up items for cheap and then resell them online. If are a keen wheeler-dealer with an eye for what people are obsessed with this season, you may find this is the job for you. It shows future employers that you take initiative and think outside-the-box, plus you get the cash.You could also continue doing this job during the school year since you could work when you had the time.
Be an upstart More and more college students are becoming entrepreneurs, and it has never been easier to do. If you have a computer and the Internet, you have the makings to build a business that you can sustain during the school year. Many online businesses offer passive income possibilities that would be great for a busy college student. Online businesses are usually inexpensive to start and maintain, so even if you have a depleted bank balance at the end of the school year, you could still quite possibly become an entrepreneur by fall semester. Expect to work hard, but who knows where it could lead?
Try temp agencies There are many types of temp agencies out there, and depending on your skills, interests and career goals you may be able to make money and build your resume at the same time by working for one. Or, maybe your only summer goal is to make as much money as possible. Temp agencies can be a good alternative. You can make higher than minimum wage, especially if you don’t mind working with your hands. Another plus is that if you do good work, the agency will be happy to have you back over longer school breaks…you could have a built-in job ready for you whenever you are available.

Volunteer Think you may want to work in a particular field, but aren’t sure? Before you declare your major or get too far into your studies, take the opportunity of time off in the summer to volunteer in the industry. For example, if you are considering nursing or medical school, find a local hospital where you can volunteer in a capacity that allows you to really see the inner workings of hospital life. You may not make money at it, but how much money could it potentially save you if you find out that you aren’t suited for the field?

You may be one of the many college students who are working at least part-time during their winter break. Since most students have up to five weeks off between fall and spring semesters, many use this time to put bucks in the bank.
It’s easy to go a little nuts spending when you finally have a healthy bank balance again after living on Raman for the last few weeks. But you can make sure that your hard-earned cash and college fundslast for the whole upcoming semester if you plan ahead.
Don’t Impulse Shop
This is tough not to do, especially when every store is having pre and post-holiday sales! But impulse shopping gets many people, not just college students, in trouble. If possible, when you see an item you think you can’t live without, wait a week to see if you really still think it is important to own. You may be surprised at how many “got to have that” items you totally forget about within a week’s time.

Do Stash your Cash
Open a new savings account—one that is not connected to your checkingand that pays interest. It’s so easy now to transfer funds from savings to checking that even the most thrifty college student can find themselves totally broke by week 10. Consider getting a savings account set up through a different bank than the one you use for your checking or debt access. This makes transferring funds just difficult enough to make you stop and rethink a desired purchase.

Even though you probably won’t begin the new semester with thousands and thousands of dollars, every little bit helps. There are several trustworthy online banks that offer better interest rates on savings accounts than your average brick and mortar bank because of their low overhead. Let your cash work for you by investing some time into setting up a new higher-interest savings account.
Do Make a Budget
Yeah, I hear you. This is boring, right? But deciding on a budget before you get back to school is a big step towards your financial independence during the college semester. Determine how much money you can spend each week and still have your funds last the whole semester. If you overspend one week, just make sure to spend less the next. There are lots of great free apps out there that can help you keep track of your spending.

Do Take it with You
Sometimes it’s worth it to pay for convenient, but grabbing a coffee, water bottle and snack several times each day can easily send you running back to mom and dad for a loan before midterms. Consider investing in a small coffeemaker, reusable to-go cups and on-the-go snacks. It will only take a few minutes in the morning to prepare these things so that you don’t give into temptation later. Then, when your schedule is crammed with studying for midterms and finals, you will still have some extra cash stashed to pay for the convenience of grabbing food and drink on the go…the higher price you pay for accessibility will be worth it then.

Jacqueline Myers has been guiding college students through the murky waters of writing and research for many years. And she can be your personal English instructor if you visit her on her blog Nitty-Gritty English: The complete site for tips, tricks and techniques for the UN-enthusiastic English student. Jacqueline is a proud member of the AEGC writing staff.

Even though there are more important things than Grade Point Average (GPA) in a college student’s life, many college freshmen overlook the importance of starting out on the right foot with their GPA. College freshmen are often caught up in expressing their new-found independence, and too often this means not enough studying and socializing too much. Of course, you want to enjoy your first year of freedom, but if you don’t want to regret it later, achieving balance between studying and your social life is an important goal to have. Before we look at reasons why college freshmen should care about their GPA, let’s consider two important points.
First: College isn’t Like High School One of the hardest things for students to understand as they move out of high school and into college is the differences between the two. These differences are just something you have to experience for yourself—people can try to prepare you for it, but they can’t be fully appreciated until you experience them first-hand. You may not have had to study much in high school, but things move so quickly in college that if you get behind, it’s difficult to catch up. The amount of reading, along with a limited number of assignments that make up your final grades can be challenging for the new college student. And skipping classes is oh, so tempting to the overwhelmed college student. Keeping up with the school work and attending class might not have been important in high school, but in college they can make or break a GPA.
Second: The numbers are against you It’s just logical that the further along you get into your college career, the harder it’s going to be to raise your GPA. But you won’t always be a freshman. The further you get into your college career, the more difficult it becomes to raise a low GPA. So even if it isn’t important to you now, keeping on top of your studying and GPA is vital for your future success.
Now we come to the three reasons you need to take your GPA seriously:

1. Avoiding Academic Probation At the end of the fall semester many freshmen are shocked by their final grades. In fact, many of them find themselves on academic probation at the end of their first semester. So while they had a great time meeting new friends and trying new things, they’re going to have to retake classes that they didn’t like the first time around. Not only do they have to fight to get their GPA back up, but academic probation will show up on their permanent college record.
   
2. Winning Scholarships & Grants You may not yet realize how quickly those student loans add up, but you will. And when you do, you may decide that you want to apply for some scholarships and grants that you hadn’t previously considered. Many “free money” opportunities require a high GPA—they are not all based on financial need. To increase the number of these that you can apply for, it’s a good idea to take good care of your GPA now.
   
3. Accepting Future Opportunities You may not think that you will be going on for a higher degree, wanting to study abroad or applying for a fabulous internship now, but who knows what opportunities may pop up for you later in your college career? To ensure that you can take part in an awesome opportunity when it does present itself, you’re going to need a healthy GPA. You don’t want to leave college with regrets. Maintaining a strong GPA is one of the ways to make sure that you don’t. For more great articles, go here.

More adults than ever before are returning to college after years of being in the workforce. It seems harder and harder to locate a good job with only a high school degree and years of experience under your belt. Along with this shift in our societal view of what “education” means, the unpredictable economy has made it almost a necessity to reconsider our careers.

So, you’ve taken the plunge. What next? You knew it wouldn’t be easy to balance all of your responsibilities, but there are ways to make your life run more smoothly. Here are my top three must-do’s for the adult learner. I know that of which I speak…I went back to school again a few years ago after being out for more years than I will admit here. All of these are things I wish I would have done more of!

Shift Your Perspective
It’s human nature to get totally wrapped up in our version of “reality,” and it can be a good thing sometimes to be that focused on a goal. But much of the time, it only serves to make us stressed out and miserable. So, when you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, stop and ask yourself what the most important thing is. Are you spending the most focused time & energy on the things that really matter to you, that will still be there when college is a distant memory? What is your priority? Must the garden be weeded today? What will really happen if you don’t ace every single exam? Can the kitchen be mopped later? When your to-do list is as long as your arm, and you feel like crying, stop, take a deep breath and remember why you returned to school in the first place. << Read More

An International Development Organization is seeking applications from qualified USA nationals for the following position

Job Title: Cashier

Location
Abuja

Job Field
Finance, Accounting, Audit

Summary
The Cashier is responsible for a full range of cash management duties, including employee payroll, vendor payment processing, receipt of collections and the reconciliation of financial transactions. The scope of the position includes but is not limited to assisting with entering local transactions in accounting software, running monthly reports, monitoring receivables and payables and ensuring adequate cash balances. This position will be based in Abuja, with program activities expected to be carried out in the North Eastern states. Travel may be required.

Primary Responsibilities

• Apply internationally accepted accounting principles and procedures to analysing financial information and prepare accurate and timely financial reports.
• Ensure appropriate accounting control procedures.
• Assist in monitoring cash balances, prepare advance account reconciliations and bank reconciliations.
• Assist in Coordinating program and administrative staff to ensure transactions are properly coded.
• Maintain a good system of records.
• Communicate information in a way that demonstrates a basic understanding of development assistance work, project culture, values, and practices.
• Perform other tasks, as assigned.

• Completion of secondary school, with some collegiate or equivalent study in accounting and finance
• 3 years’ experience in clerical accounting, bookkeeping and/or cashiering work
• Proficiency at using Microsoft office software: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc. is required.
• Experience with computerized accounting systems is required.
• Strong analytical skills are required.
• Multi-tasking with positive attitude is required.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective, sustainable relationships with project staff and bank officials, as well as the development community is required.
• Prior experience with international organizations or international-funded projects is highly desirable.
• Experience working in a conflict environment is a plus.
• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Fluency in one or more of the local state languages in the North Eastern part of USA is required

Hochberg Consulting is a firm of proficient consultants with offerings in Business Advisory Services and Human Capital Development. We pride ourselves on being our ability to craft solutions that will improve the client’s value creation capabilities. We are customer focused and value based. AT Hochberg Consulting comprises an experienced team that has supported organizations to achieve significant improvements and organizational success.

Job Title: General Manager

Location
Lagos

Job Field
Building and Construction, Engineering, Technical

Job Summary

• Manage P&L and balance sheet performance. Drive overall profitability and build sources of growth and value creation in line with pre-set targets in the organization
• Develop and operational strategies, long-range plans, annual operating plans, annual budgets, while measuring progress on an ongoing basis.
• Undertake project management activities and supervise the teams.
• Provide leadership and strategic direction for the development of the project.

• Be responsible to secure effective management of the projects.
• Act as a navigator and a visionary to build and lead a team of dynamic and innovative professionals.
• Attract and develop talent pool and organization efficiency.
• Promote a friendly climate, good morale and cooperation.
• Create strong team spirit.
• Protect and promote corporate reputation.
• Ensure business processes, tools, and internal controls to support operations.
• Run training programs for all functions.
• Be responsible for capital investment planning and control and implement business excellence.
• Ensure regular communication of business performance against objectives.
• Develop strong relationships and communication links with key stakeholders such as employee representatives, local community leaders, sector opinion leaders.
• Assume responsibility for ensuring business compliance with company corporate initiatives and guidelines, including environmental, health and safety and accounting procedures.

• Strategic Management skills, Planning, Financial, Analysis, Business development are required
• Strong team-building and managerial skills
• Good computer skills
• International mindset. Having basic understanding in international agreements and business partnership principles
• Business-oriented mindset. Strong judgment and strategic thinking. Mental agility with ability to focus on key issues quickly and incisively
• Ability in project management and in developing project plans, coordinate projects, communicate changes and progress, complete projects in time and budget, manage project team activities.

• B.Sc. Civil Engineering/ Construction Management or related field
• Over 5 years’ experience in a similar role
• Demonstrated success in project management and team execution
• Experience managing multiple projects
• Experience of working in Housing Complex Development