Regional Project Finance Specialist

Job Description

Reporting directly to the Regional Finance Manager with indirect reporting to the Ahlan Simsim Project Management Lead, the Regional Project Finance Specialist will be the finance lead for Ahlan Simsim projects and will provide ancillary support to the MENA regional finance department.

The Regional Project Finance Specialist is responsible for the following key objectives:

- Execute Ahlan Simsim Regional Budget management and reporting - Maintain oversight of Ahlan Simsim accounting operations and ensure compliance with IRC and regional office policies and procedures - Lead Ahlan Simsim financial coordination and knowledge management tasks - Provide support to Regional Finance department

Major Responsibilities Include:

1. Execute Ahlan Simsim Regional Budget management and reporting (30%)

- Coordinate with PM lead for project-specific BvAs monthly/bi-monthly, and support PO with subsequent spending plan update. - Review financial reports from Country Programs and Regional sub-grantees - Develop project reporting templates for all cost centers and lead on consolidation and review processes accordingly, including coordination with regional and HQ finance accordingly - Develop new project budgets, including developing templates, consolidating and reviewing inputs, linking to donor templates, and coding and Integra upload - Lead on any budget realignment and/or revision processes across all necessary offices and teams, including template development, consolidation, and review processes - In liaison with Logistics department, prepare commitment lists every month for financial obligations already entered into but not captured in financial reports

2. Maintain oversight of the project’s accounting operations and ensure compliance with IRC and regional office policies and procedures (30%)

Review all Purchase Orders and Purchase Requests for proper coding and budget adequacy

Participate in tenders and review tender documents

Review all payment documents for proper and adequate back up

Verify completeness and accuracy of all accounting documents

Check and analyze expenditure transactions for accuracy, make adjusting entries with proper supporting documentation and approval when applicable and submit revised spreadsheet to his/her Regional Finance Supervisor for final review. Keep track of subsidiary ledgers for advances, receivables and payables

Liaise with PM lead and regional finance for monthly staff allocations

Perform budget recoding as needed and raise any potential issues (grant spending, compliance, etc.) with supervisors to ensure timely preemptive or corrective actions

3. Lead Ahlan Simsim financial coordination and knowledge management tasks (15%)

· Develop and ensure use of systems for tracking progress against budget at the country and regional levels including master budget documents

· Participate in recurring Ahlan Simsim project management meetings

· As portfolio evolves, identify need for additional finance resourcing

· In coordination with the project management lead, regional finance, and country program teams, establish clear ways of working across departments for finance-related matters

4. Provide support to Regional Finance department (25%):

· Oversee all regional office accounting operations, ensuring adherence to IRC policies and donor regulations, timely liquidation of staff advances, accurate expense recording, use of correct account codes, and proper approvals.

Support month-end and grant closing activities, including allocation of staff salary costs, office shared costs, and preparation of related journal vouchers.

Act as the focal point for regional payments, handling staff reimbursements, vendor payments, and workshop expenses, while maintaining a payments register to ensure prompt processing and accuracy.

Organize and maintain regional office documents and journal vouchers for audit readiness.

Assist the Regional Finance Manager in maintaining the standard budget, preparing the operating budget, consolidating grants proposals, and tracking budgets against actuals.

Generate monthly and ad-hoc financial reports and spending plans for the regional office.

Key Working Relationships:

- Position Reports to: Regional Finance Manager - Position indirectly reports to: Project Management Lead, Ahlan Simsim/Play to Learn - Position supervises****: N/A

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

- Internal: Regional, country, and HQ staff for the Ahlan Simsim project; Finance departments; Grants Management staff - External: N/A

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Advance Diploma in Accounting from recognized College/Institution

· Minimum of three years of accounting experience; NGO or project- based accounting experience preferable

· Computer literate with significant experience in excel, ERP system knowledge will be an added advantage.

· Effective communication skills, both written and verbal

· Fluency in English

· Ability to prioritize among multiple tasks and make decisions

Working Environment:

· Standard office work environment

· Position is based in the IRC Regional Office in Amman, Jordan