Head of Administration (m/f/d)

About the Position

We are seeking a Head of Administration (m/f/d) for the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) in Ghana. This role is responsible for financial management and administrative oversight, ensuring the reliable, transparent, and cost-effective operation of the research centre.

Responsibilities

• Financial Management: Responsibility for financial management, budget planning, controlling, and financial reporting.
• Administrative Oversight: Management and monitoring of ongoing financial and administrative processes.
• Funding Management: Planning, monitoring, and accounting for institutional funds as well as national and international third-party funding.
• Transparency and Reporting: Ensuring transparent use of funds and providing reliable financial information to support business decisions.
• Process Improvement: Responsibility for administrative processes and their continuous improvement.
• Coordination: Management and coordination of related areas, including purchasing, procurement, and contract administration.
• Collaboration: Supporting the scientific leadership with budget, investment, and resource allocation decisions.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborating with research groups, project managers, funding organizations, and external partner institutions.
• Development: Further developing efficient organizational, reporting, and control structures.
• Leadership: Leading and developing the staff assigned to the finance and administration departments.

Requirements

• Education: A completed university degree in finance, business administration, or a comparable field; a master's degree is preferred.
• Experience: At least five years of professional experience, including at least three years in a leadership role with a comparable level of responsibility.
• Skills:
  • Comprehensive knowledge and several years of experience in budgeting, finance, and grant management, as well as personnel administration.
  • Good knowledge of Ghanaian and German employment, procurement, and tax law.
  • Strong intercultural skills and communication abilities; experience in African research environments is an advantage.
  • Strategic thinking, a service-oriented mindset, and a pragmatic leadership style.
• Language: Fluent English skills, both written and spoken; knowledge of German is an advantage.
• Location: Willingness to work permanently on-site in Kumasi and travel occasionally to Hamburg and elsewhere in Africa.

We Offer

• Opportunity: The opportunity to actively shape the financial and administrative development of an internationally established research centre.
• Interface: The opportunity to work at a key interface between research, finance, administration, and international cooperation, helping to create the essential conditions for successful biomedical research and the development of scientific capacity in West Africa.
• Environment: A diverse, collegial, and inclusive international working environment.
• Location: Kumasi, Ghana, with accommodation available on the university campus in Kumasi.
• Benefits: Attractive tax-free overseas allowance, international health insurance, and an occupational pension scheme.
• Contract: A fixed-term contract for two years, with the option of permanent employment thereafter.

About the Company

The Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) is an international platform for biomedical research and training located on the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi. The research centre is jointly operated by the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) in Hamburg, KNUST, and the Ghanaian Ministry of Health. Scientists from Ghana, Germany, and other international partner institutions work together on research projects focusing on infectious diseases, tropical medicine, epidemiology, clinical research, and global health, among other areas.

Application

Please send your CV, complete application documents, and letter of motivation by 2 November 2026 to [email protected]. Our service for you is free!