Finance Coordinator

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is among the world’s leading humanitarian relief and development organisations. For 80 years, the IRC has been at the forefront of every major humanitarian initiative to assist people uprooted by war, persecution, or civil conflict. IRC staff go to the toughest places, implement both immediate response and long-lasting programs, and conduct the type of applied research and advocacy the aid community needs to continually push itself to find better solutions for people. In all its country programs and in the US, IRC partners with local governments and others to achieve outcomes related to people’s health, education, safety, power and economic well-being.

Present in Sierra Leone since 1999, IRC supports the Sierra Leonean institutions – government, civil society, community-based organizations and private sector – to provide improved social services. The IRC does this through programs and partnerships designed to improve the life of women, youth and children by implementing Health, Education, and Women’s Protection and Empowerment programming.

The IRC - along with its consortium partners – is planning to bid for the upcoming FCDO-funded Health Systems Strengthening in Sierra Leone (HSS-SL) project. The IRC is the incumbent lead of the NGO “Unite” consortium for the FCDO Saving Lives in Sierra Leone (SLiSL) phase II programme (2018-2022), which is the predecessor of HSS-SL. The HSS-SL project will support the Government of Sierra Leone to improve the quality, availability and accessibility of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) services through a comprehensive systems strengthening approach at district level and national level.

Scope of Work The IRC is recruiting for a Finance Coordinator for HSS-SL. The Finance Coordinator has overall policy and management responsibility for the finance and accounting functions for the project. The Finance Coordinator provides the leadership and management necessary to ensure the project has the appropriate financial infrastructure and systems in place to support the smooth project implementation. S/he will contribute to the development of the Project’s strategic and operational plans and be accountable for ensuring and monitoring delivery against the financial plans through targeted and comprehensive financial analytical review. Areas of Responsibility:

Treasury and Accounting: Support the month- end closing process and ensure timely closure of the monthly books. Manage the project cash properly and ensure healthy cash inflows and out flows. Mange risks: Prevent and mitigate potential financial risks of the project. Work with the finance team and prepare the project balance sheet reconciliations and internal reports. Assist the finance manager on treasury management including review of IRC and partners cash management and control system. Develop audit/verification plan and lead the team on the project audit/verification process. Budget Preparation, Monitoring and Reviews Assist in the preparation and maintenance of the country program’s Operating Budget to ensure data is complete and maintained on a timely basis. Assist in the development and preparation of cost allocation processes for overarching costs that comply with donor regulations on allowable costs. Work with program staff to prepare the project budget or realignments, ensuring adequate coverage of country operating costs and NY direct and indirect costs. Review actual vs. budget results to ensure maximum utilization of budgeted amounts and to provide recommendations for realignments as required. Assist on the formulation of annual operating budgets and operating budget reforecasts, and review operating budgets of the allocated field sites. Identify any shortfalls in shared costs budget coverage, ensure new budgets cover the appropriate percentage of shared costs and review unrestricted funding versus approved allocation. Assist in the development and preparation of cost allocation processes for overarching costs that comply with donor regulations on allowable costs. Monitor support cost spending and advise the Deputy Director for Finance (DDF) if there is a deviation from the policy. Work with program and finance staff to prepare the project budget or realignments, ensuring adequate coverage of direct and indirect costs. Ensure donor financial reports are prepared as per the donor requirements and ensure donor regulations are adhered to for all aspects of the operation. Ensure timely upload of the project budget in the integra system. Provide project management and program staff with monthly actual-to-budget analysis for project funds and facilitate reviews and discussion. Staff Management and Skill Sharing Develop and implement a training program for project staff to ensure staff development and minimize IRC’s exposure when staff are absent or depart. Develop a capacity building plan for project finance staff to be capacitated to cover an FM when he/she will be away from office. Oversee training and technical support to the project, logistics and administrative staff for skills improvement in the areas of accounting, reporting and internal control. Manage finance staff activities and schedules to meet the financial reporting requirements and deadlines specified by New York and donors.

Financial Reporting, Internal Controls & Audit management Ensure that all policies and procedures follow IRC and donor policies, procedures, and requirements.

Closely monitor all financial activities and keep the DDF advised of all situations which have the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial performance.

Review monthly grant actual spending against the spending/procurement plan and advise the budget holders if there is variance. Maintain accurate forecasts of budget for meeting future spending, including commitments entered and which obligate IRC to future spending. Follow up with NY/HQ, UK or IRC-DE offices for collection of long outstanding receivables. Develop field visit schedules and perform country internal controls assessments, and initiate actions necessary to correct internal control weaknesses. Facilitate and co-ordinate external, internal, donor or government audits. Represent the finance office in bidding process for project procurement activities. Maintain current knowledge of local government requirements related to financial matters and ensure compliance with tax regulations and other legal requirements. Partnership Management Work with partnerships and technical staff to organize capacity and risk assessments for partners. Help facilitate the sub-award proposal review processes as needed. Further develop partnership templates and contracts in conjunction with the partnerships staff and DDF /grants. Work in collaboration with operations, finance and program staff to manage sub-agreements. Contribute to IRC Sierra Leone’s partnership strategy development as needed/requested. Liaise with grants staff for timely submission of accurate financial reports. Carry out all Pre-Award Assessments – including the defining of capacity building issues – for prospective partners and feedback to country office staff and HQ in a timely and comprehensive fashion. Review financial reports submitted by partners and provide immediate feedback as necessary. Carry out follow up visits to relevant partners in order to develop a capacity building plan with specific action points, incorporating this into the negotiation phase for the sub-award agreement transfers. Conduct training for partner finance staff. Assist in review of sub grant policies and roll-out of new policies. Manage the sub award closeout process in compliance with donors and IRC regulations. Coordinate communication between IRC Finance, grants, program, and sub grantees. Ensure that all partners submit their financial reports in a timely fashion and funds are transferred to partners without delay. Assist with post-award monitoring and field visits to ensure that IRC requirements are being followed by partners. Ensure budgets and other operational policy and producers are respected by partners. Perform other duties and responsibilities as required.

Qualifications

Qualifications To effectively deliver this engagement, the applicant should meet the following requirements:

A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Commerce or Finance with a recognized professional certificate in accounting such as CPA, or ACCA. A master’s degree with a Finance concentration will be an added advantage. At least 5 years experience at a senior level within the Finance Department of an international organization. Experience in the humanitarian sector will be an added advantage. Extensive experience in working with computerized accounting systems, standard spreadsheet, and database programs. Good written and verbal skills in the English language.

Comfortable being a proactive member of the country management team- Must seek to identify and communicate potential problems and propose solutions to the level of management appropriate to effect solutions. Ability to function effectively in a loosely structured, but complex work environment and to set appropriate priorities and deal effectively with numerous simultaneous requirements. Ability to carry out responsibilities independently with minimal technical support from within the program organization. Must be a patient and good communicator who can function in an organizational environment involving a diversity of cultures, languages, and personal interests and agendas. Good at role of facilitator and team player in solving problems. Committed to staff training and development