Finance and Support Services Director

With over 70 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places.

Come join our 33,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Employee Contract Type:

Local - Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term)Job Description:

Provide overall leadership, oversight, and management support for all aspects of financial management in the National Office (NO). This position is seen as a strategic partner; and member of the Senior Management/Leadership Team of the National Office, with a focus on ensuring accountability, stewardship, coordinating planning and budgeting processes, providing accurate financial data, analysis, and advice; as well as developing financial strategy that best serves the National Office strategic and programme objectives. Responsible for the finance staff capacity strengthening, the development and implementation of good internal controls, risk management, and utilisation and safe guarding of assets according to WV approved policies and procedures.

The position-holder will oversee the development and maintenance of financial data management systems to support analysis and inform decision-making. He/she will promote WV’s competency and capacity to deliver transparent, accountable and impactful programming through support to implementing partners and participation in external coordination forums.

He/she will oversee key components of the National Offices’s Integrated Incident Management (IIM) architecture, including the Enterprise Risk Management Office, Compliance Section, and coordination with the Global Audit Department and Global and Regional Investigative Unit, ensuring risk management systems are sensitive, timely and responsive to financial, reputational and safeguarding risks. The role will champion a support service culture of customer-facing, solutions-oriented, and innovative.

Lastly, the incumbent will provide overall leadership to the ICT team and ensure that the office has reliable, sufficient connectivity and that the organization’s information systems and resources are adequately protected. In addition, the role will provide overall leadership to the Administration function ensuring that the national office is effectively supported

Major Job Responsibilities (a)Leadership and strategic partnering

• Model Christ-centred servant leadership and support the spiritual development of his/her team.
• Actively participate in the NO Senior Management/ Leadership team meetings.
• Attend and actively participate in strategic regional meetings.
• Facilitate ND, Operations, Board and other non-finance staff in understanding and interpretation of financial statements.
• Ensure partnership finance policies and procedures are understood by Senior Management, Operations/Technical staff, Communities, Local Partners and Board, as appropriate.
• Develop strong networks internally (other NOs, SOs and partnership entities) and externally (other NGOs, banking entities, communities, etc.) through effective communication, relationships and twin citizenship.
• Promote shared resource networks within the region, and the partnership.
• Adhere to WVI key policy documents – mission, core values, and covenant of partnership.
• Coordinate with EARO and GC on program’s legal/tax status for Kenyan/Somalia operations, seeking solutions to issues which impact operations.
• Promote external engagement, coordination and knowledge-sharing in relevant UN/NGO coordination forums (e.g. Risk Management Task Force, UNHAS Board, Logistics Cluster, ICT4Development Forum, etc.).
• Ensure downs-streaming capacity development to local partners through training, mentorship and other capacity development initiative.

(b) Stewardship and controls

• In collaboration with PDQA and Operations, ensure effective controls, procedures and protocols are in place to control against fraud and corruption.
• Ensure adequate cost efficiency and effectiveness measures are in place and are being followed through:
• Providing cost analysis, promoting benchmarks and making recommendations for determining effective resource utilization at all levels.
• Contributing to the development of appropriate policies and procedures for administrative actions and procurement of goods and services in collaboration with Operations team.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of systems to capture and analyse data to enable strategic decision-making
• Establish relevant internal controls, configure Sun Systems, ProVision, GEMS, Grant Tracker and any other required programmes

(c) Culture and systems of risk management in place and functional

• Chairs Integrated Incident Management (IIM) committee, ensuring claims and near-miss incidents emanating from Ethics Point and Flash Reporting are channelled to appropriate stakeholders for analysis, investigation and action and addressed in a timely manner.
• Ensures systems are in place to track claims, investigations and actions (aging analysis and clearing house function) for different categories of incidents.
• In collaboration with Operations teams, supports Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) function to pro-actively address risk, establish controls and monitor their implementation via Audit Department.
• Ensures contextually-sensitive/appropriate investigative capacity in available and accessible to all departments to address claim and action claims;
• Manage appropriate financial systems and controls and ensure they are in place to avoid significant finance audit risk ratings, both at the NO and project levels.
• Coordinate management responses to finance audits performed to the NO and projects; ensure they are sent on time to the Audit Department; and that finance related audit recommendations are implemented timely at all levels.

(d) Financial Planning and Budgeting

• In collaboration with other NO Directors, advise the ND on strategic resource acquisition and allocation in line with RWG/VIR (Regional Working Group /Virtual Investment Review) recommendations approved by the Regional Leader.
• Coordinate the planning and budgeting process and provide technical support, to ensure global and regional guidelines are met, as well as to chart and execute a strategy in the midst of changing constraints and circumstances.
• Review alignment of budgets between National Office, projects, grants, MyPBAS, and Support Offices and ensure effective and efficient cost recovery practices are followed.
• Control of NO budget, cash flow and project funding, by providing timely and relevant information to budget managers, in collaboration with the Operations Leader.
• Contribute to the development of WV NO strategic direction and priorities.
• Support the ND and SLT to maintain an optimum cost structure

(e) Fiscal Accounting, Compliance, Monitoring, and Reporting

• Design and manage systems, policies and procedures that provide appropriate levels of security and control of WV assets, resources and operations.
• Coordinate the submission of timely, accurate and complete relevant reporting to the Partnership and to internal users.
• Define and implement efficient and effective internal control systems.
• Adhere to partnership policies, procedures and guidelines as stipulated in the WVI Financial Manual and other documents, including – but not limited to: grant compliance, planning & budgeting, year-end closing, carry forward, accounting and reporting.
• Coordinate the timely and accurate submission of financial reports in Notes FFR (Field Financial Reporting) database.
• Review the reconciliation of MyPBAS to FFR monthly with action plan for addressing outstanding items.
• Provide regular analysis of Grant financial reports and timely feedback to Grant managers for decision making
• Ensure NO Finance staff visit Programs/Projects to monitor accountability issues, follow up on implementation of audit findings and provide support as needed.

(f) Effective, reliable, risk-sensitive and responsive IT infrastructure is in place and functional, providing timely and quality service to customers

• Ensure improved office/programs connectivity.
• Promote a culture of customer-orientation and innovation.
• Promote awareness of ICT-4-Development engagement and ideation, integrating innovative IT-based approaches into programming.
• Support to IT-related innovations enabled to support programming and process improvements.
• Facilitate and ensure preparation of and adherence to computer usage policies
• Promote awareness of IT-related security training;
• Ensure office disaster preparedness and policies are updated to include new technologies, trends, and threats

(g) Effective, reliable, customer-oriented and safe administrative support to operations

• Ensure technical support to Operations department: WV staff and assets are secured, safe, and well maintained.
• Work with Security team to ensure a safe workplace, proactively identify potential hazards, support budgeting for security improvement and train staff to control risks.
• Ensure technical support to Operations WV provides quality hospitality services to staff and visitors at field level.
• Ensure quality hospitality services for visitors to WV Somali with a diversity of accommodations and venues at Nairobi-level established.
• In collaboration with Security and Operations Department, ensure systems for fleet and logistical support are in place to support safe travel.
• Ensure WV Somalia contributes to shared-service mechanism at Nairobi-office level.
• In partnership with MEAL and Operations, identify way to measure and manage climate impact of project and program • Security guidelines and procedures are in place.

(h) High-performing, capacitated and motivated team ensure accountable, transparent, effective and efficient operations.

• Provide strong and positive leadership to the finance department ensuring competent and motivated staff are hired and retained, providing efficient delivery of services.
• Coordinate professional and personal development of finance, administration and ICT staff through adequate orientation, on-the-job coaching, identification of learning, training needs and opportunities (e.g. in accounting, SunSystems, grant management, risk management, leadership, etc.); and succession planning.
• Promote culture of performance, ensuring best-performers access opportunities to acquire new skills and take on more responsibilities, whilst less-performing staff exit the program.
• Promote Somali staff empowerment through, exposure, mentorship and support, especially women and persons-with-disability.
• Develop and update performance management plans;
• Monitor staff performance and provide real-time feedback.
• Motivate staff members to learn new skills, take on new responsibilities and grow professionally.
• Champion issues arising from Our Voice Survey to motivate team.

Knowledge/Qualifications For The Role

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration, or a related field
• MBA in Finance, MSC in Finance/Accounting/Auditing preferred
• Minimum 5 years of experience in finance managerial and/or senior leadership position, preferably in a similar size or larger NGO/government agency
• ACCA, CIMA, CPA equivalent preferred
• Solid knowledge of accounting principles, financial systems, budget/cash flow monitoring and internal accounting controls.
• Knowledge of government grant regulations and financial reporting requirements preferred
• Highly flexible and agile in style with the ability to produce creative and pragmatic solutions to complex problems. Demonstrates systems thinking
• Champions and Manages Innovation
• Must be able to lead and manage a team.
• Good working knowledge of computerized accounting systems, preferably Sun Systems & ProVision.
• Must be computer literate in Microsoft Office programs.
• Experience with planning and forecasting
• HEAT or other relevant experience in fragile context preferred
• Able to work in a cross-cultural environment with a multi-national staff.

Travel and/or Work Environment

• Mogadishu-based with frequent travel to field offices and Nairobi back office;
• 10% international travel Physical.

Application Deadline: 21st March 2024

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local and International Applicants (IA's) Accepted