Principal Officer, Salary Policy & Pension Administration

01 Apr, 2026
                                                  JOB PROFILE                                                           
JOB TITLE Principal Officer, Salary Policy & Pension Administration
JOB CODE  
INSTITUTION ECOWAS Commission
GRADE P5
AGENCY NA
DEPARTMENT Internal Services
ANNUAL SALARY UA 66,123.98/ USD 104,330.42
STATUS Permanent
DIRECTORATE HR Services
DIVISION Salary Policy & Pension Administration
LINE SUPERVISOR Director Human Resources
SUPERVISING
  • Salary Policy Officer
  • Employee Data Management & Reporting Officer
  • Pension & Staff Insurance Administration Officer
 

DUTY STATION

 

  • Abuja, Nigeria
Applications should be sent to/ Les candidatures devront être envoyées à l’adresse / As candidaturas devem ser submetidas para : b60posalarypolpenadmin@ecowas.int
ROLE OVERVIEW

Under the supervision of the Director, Human Resources the role oversees payroll and pension administration. He/She is responsible for monitoring all tasks necessary to accomplish the organization’s payroll processing objectives, including relationships with external auditors and all relevant stakeholders. Most of the position’s time is spent planning, coordinating and managing the functions of the Salary Policy and Pension Administration. This position requires an extremely detailed and orientated person with significant knowledge of payroll and pension administration. The role manages payroll process and performs accounting-related tasks.

 

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Supervise human resources data management, payroll, pension administration and staff insurance.
  • Supervise staff attendance management.
  • Supervise management of employee data and archiving system both physically and electronically.
  • Survey industry and/or Community to determine organisation’s competitive position regarding employee compensation and benefits
  • Stays current on payroll systems to achieve alignment with HR compensation & benefits and to ensure effective accounting support in line with best practices.
  • Oversee the maintenance of employee master data including the employee cost centre.
  • Ensure accurate and timely posting of employee monthly payroll results.
  • Facilitate management and employee understanding of payroll procedures.
  • Oversee the preparation of staff salaries and other emoluments on monthly basis.
  • Facilitate smooth operation of employee pension schemes and its sustainability.
  • Review and approve for processing, expenditures such as medical refunds, education grant and other staff related expenses
  • Supervise the preparation of payroll returns such as pension contributions and other payroll deductions and ensure they are prompt and accurately remitted.
  • Responsible for preparation of staff budget of ECOWAS Commission and its Agencies and advise HR Management on budgetary matters.
  • Implement budgetary control procedures and ensure that expenditures approved for payments have been provided for in the budget.
  • Oversee staff insurance such as Group Life and Group Accident Insurance.
  • Ensure the safe keeping of all payroll records including those relating to active and inactive personnel in accordance with the provisions of the Staff Regulation.
  • Ensure confidentiality of payroll information, protection of employee data and compliance with relevant data protection policies.
  • Supervise support staff and decide on the correctness of documents processed; propose improvement and train staff in the correct applications of both ECOWAS Staff Regulation and Financial Regulation.
  • Oversee the preparation of regular payroll reports for management.
  • Coordinate preparation of reports and engagement with internal and external auditors.
  • Perform any other tasks that may be assigned by the Director.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

  • Master’s degree in Human Resources, Finance, Accounting or related field or its equivalent is required.
  • Relevant professional certification in Finance, Accountancy and Audit: Certified Internal Auditor (CIA); Certified Public Accountant (CPA); Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) is an Accountancy is an added advantage.

·       Minimum of ten (10) years of professional experience in Human Resources Management, Administration/Finance and Accountability including 5 years at a supervisory level.

·       Knowledge of Human Resources, financial/accounting principles, rules and procedures.

·       Hands on experience in using an ERP system such as SAP, with in-dept practice on HCM module.

·       In-dept working knowledge of compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, HR information systems and data analytics.

·       Experience in budgeting and procurement policies and practices.

·       Ability to provide technical advice on a broad range of Human Resources, Finance and Accounting.

·       In-depth knowledge of Global HR Management Strategies and best practices.

AGE LIMIT:

Be below 45 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates

 

ECOWAS KEY COMPETENCIES

·       Ability to lead in assigned programs and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfillment of the organization’s mandate (e.g. establish networks and benchmarks).

·       Ability to lead by example and organize teamwork to encourage cooperation to achieve targeted results, champion and build momentum for change and to bring about employee engagement; develops and implements internal controls for pilot Program to manage potential barriers to implementation.

·       Excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity and displaying due regards for internal controls of rules, delegations, and transparency.

·       Ability to bring together complementary skills/expertise, assess individual contributions and recognize/address accomplishments and shortcomings in a manner that brings continued success to the organization.

·       Knowledge of program management at the level usually acquired from a certification in program management (e.g. Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) or Program Management Professional PgMP).

·    Ability to research benchmarks and trends to bring about the best recommendations for the development and improvement of programs/projects that will best serve the community/organization.

·    Well-developed networking and interpersonal skills to seek feedback, information, and data from a network of professionals from multiple countries/sectors/organizations and to identify and prioritize the most critical community requirements.

·    Ability to manage and co-ordinate client management initiatives (e.g. feedback loops, surveys, studies, needs assessments) and make recommendations.

·    Ability to develop and implement best practices in client services (e.g. dashboards, incentive management, feedback mechanisms).

·    Ability to develop and implement stakeholder management plans, programs, and initiatives to obtain buy-in on new initiatives, to better understand dissenting views, to obtain resources and to increase perceptions of success.

  • Diplomacy, tact, and respect of other people from varied backgrounds, understanding diverse cultural views especially within west Africa with the ability to convert diversity into opportunities to improve program/operational outcomes.
  • Ability to create a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths bringing together innovative practices.
  • Ability to remain objective in appraisals, evaluations and in managing conflict regardless of cultural differences positions, gender issues or opinions, and encourages staff to overcome cultural and gender barriers and background differences.
  • Ability to serve the interest of a culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities and some disable groups without prejudice, bias, or sympathy to a select group.
  • Solid understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute, and lead effectively.
  • Applied knowledge of the Community mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political, and social state/trends of member states, especially as pertains to own scope of work.
  • Knowledge of ECOWAS best practices, program management approaches and research techniques to lead and/or contribute to the development or assessment of programs, projects, or initiatives.
  • Superior knowledge of the rules and procedures of ECOWAS to appropriately interpret and apply directive text, provide technical advice, coach others and assess performance.
  • Ability to analyze a situation by way of indicators (e.g. performance, technical) to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success, in deciding.
  • Ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the source of problems, consequences of alternative courses of action, potential obstacles, and ways to avoid the problem in the future.
  • Ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms (using charts, diagrams, effective expository writing) to explain recommendations and conclusions aimed at solving problems or improving operations/programs/projects.
  • Ability to develop new insights into situations, apply innovative solutions to problems and to design new methods of addressing issues/disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable, unavailable, or no longer effective.
  • Proficiency in oral and written French and English languages.
  • Ability to communicate with impact, clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner conveying credibility & confidence when making presentations, setting expectations and explaining complex issues.
  • Ability to listen intently and correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately.
  • Accomplished technical writing skills (e.g. proposals, terms of reference, program assessments, blueprints, business processes) with well-developed editing.
  • Ability to give honest feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings, and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance.
  • Fluency in one of the three ECOWAS official languages (English, French & Portuguese)
  • Superior organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs, and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs.
  • Ability to set effective goals and targets for self, others, and the work unit and adjusting work or project priorities in response to changing circumstances.
  • Ability to identify gaps affecting the achievement of program/project expectations and to design and implement intervention plans required to build the desired capacity (e.g. training, structural realignment, partnerships, reallocation of resources.
  • Ability to implement rigorous monitoring, and evaluation practices and to set in place regular reporting schedules relevant to key outputs (e.g. management indicators, project milestones, program results, processing targets).
  • Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessment method:

Assessment of qualified candidates may include a written exercise and a competency-based interview.

ECOWAS Work Environment:

ECOWAS provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and a healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore, we encourage women to apply for positions that suit their competencies. Individuals from minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are also highly encouraged to apply. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of ECOWAS’s workforce.

 

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment will be subject to background and reference checks and other administrative requirements.

 

ECOWAS does not charge for any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing in connection with application or recruitment processes and does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

The required documents for registration include:

  1. Curriculum Vitae
  2. Cover letter
  3. Application form

 

Failure to comply with any of these requirements will result in the cancellation of the application.

Member States