Financial Operations Officer

About the role

Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa) is seeking a Finance Operations Officer to join its Finance team in Kigali, Rwanda. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer and working closely with the local Finance team, the International Finance teams in Pittsburgh, and colleagues across the institution, the officer supports procurement, vendor management, financial operations, travel administration and related finance activities. The role acts as a liaison between CMU-Africa functional units and the International Finance team, within a shared-services finance model.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate procurement and purchasing, including purchase orders, vendor quotations, payment requests and procurement documentation.
• Review vendor invoices, payment requests, expense reports and purchasing card transactions for accuracy and compliance.
• Support vendor onboarding and maintain vendor records, including contract and service agreement renewal timelines.
• Coordinate travel advance requests and expense settlements, and process transactions in Oracle and other university systems.
• Maintain communication with vendors, faculty, staff, students and service providers on procurement, payment and reimbursement matters.
• Work with the International Finance team on timely processing of procurement, payment and reimbursement transactions.
• Assist with month-end and year-end activities, including reconciliations, accrual support and record maintenance.
• Support audit, compliance and reporting, and help maintain financial procedures, internal controls and operational documentation.
• Contribute to system improvements, process automation and service enhancements, and take on special projects as assigned.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Economics or a related field.
• Professional accounting qualification (CPA, ACCA, CIPS, CA or equivalent).
• At least two years of post-qualification experience in finance, accounting, accounts payable, procurement or financial operations.
• Experience with ERP systems such as Oracle, Workday or SAP is desirable; experience in a university, nonprofit or donor-funded environment is an advantage.

Required skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other business applications.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational and communication skills, and customer service orientation.
• Ability to interpret policies and procedures and to manage multiple priorities.

What we offer

• Medical, prescription, dental and vision insurance, plus a retirement savings program with employer contributions.
• Tuition benefits, paid time off and observed holidays, and life and accidental death and disability insurance.
• Pittsburgh regional transit bus pass, family concierge support and fitness center access.