Senior Contracts Finance Coordinator (EQUAL)

Job Description

BACKGROUND

The IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab designs, tests, and scales life-changing, cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. By applying deep technical expertise and field experience with a range of skills from the behavioral sciences, human-centered design, research, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in humanitarian contexts, we work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and precision, flexibility and expertise, and a desire to think afresh with the experience and reputation of a large-scale implementing organization.

PROGRAM SCOPE

IRC is the lead organization for the FCDO-funded “Ensuring Quality Access and Learning (EQUAL) for Mothers and Newborns in Conflict-Affected Contexts” Consortium, which is funded through FCDO’s “Filling the Gaps in Evidence: Building Stronger and More Resilient Health Systems Research Programme Consortia (RPC)” mechanism. The objective of this project is to produce rigorous, operationally relevant research and evidence to improve maternal and neonatal health in low-income, conflict-affected contexts. This project will produce evidence that is accessible to decision-makers influencing strategic investment, policy and programming to improve MNH, at the national and global level.

The EQUAL consortium includes four partners (sub-contractors) in addition to IRC: the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health, Somali Research and Development Institute (SORDI), Université Catholique de Bukavu (DRC), plus a team of consultants in South Sudan. The IRC is the Prime Contractor and responsible for the delivery of the programme. As an FCDO commercial contract, EQUAL requires strong financial management, risk management and compliance.

JOB OVERVIEW

The EQUAL Senior Contracts Finance Coordinator is responsible for providing financial management for the FCDO-funded EQUAL consortium. S/he will play a critical role in ensuring transparency, accountability, effective financial management and compliance for the EQUAL contract and will play a critical role in ensuring effective budget management and control, donor reporting and forecasting, invoicing and disbursements to the EQUAL partners (four sub-contractors). The postholder will lead on a range of financial processes on the EQUAL project from financial planning, budgeting, financial reporting, financial monitoring, financial risk management, and overseeing invoicing/fund transfers processes.

The role will also provide key support to the EQUAL Project Director in programmatic and budgetary monitoring, and compliance with FCDO commercial contract and internal IRC rules and regulations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

EQUAL Budget Management and Monitoring:

• Review, track, and analyze expenditures for the EQUAL consortium, including relevant IRC country programs and the EQUAL partners.

• Coordinate budget management, expenditure monitoring & forecasting for the EQUAL consortium.

• Apply knowledge of FCDO contract Terms & Conditions and advise senior management and other team members on financial compliance, risk identification and mitigation.

• Develop and maintain systems for budget control to ensure project expenses are reasonable, prudent and spent in accordance with FCDO’s Terms & Conditions for commercial contracts.

• Prepare accurate forecasts, consolidated with the IRC EQUAL team and EQUAL partners.

• Analyze variances of the forecast and actual spending and submit adjustments as required.

• In close collaboration with the Research Program Coordinator and EQUAL Finance Manager, liaise with EQUAL partners regarding any deviations or concerns in spending.

• Prepare monthly consolidated Budget Versus Actual (BVA) reports and ensure that the Project Director has a good understanding of the spending progress and any other matters arising from the BVA report.

• Identify and manage all financial risks in collaboration with relevant country and technical unit staff.

• Review financial controls and liaise with relevant budget leads to update policies and procedures as needed.

FCDO Reporting and Compliance:

• Coordinate information on budgets, expenditure and forecasts and collate for submission to FCDO.

• Prepare quarterly financial reports per FCDO requirements, ensuring they are complete, accurate and produced in a timely manner to ensure adequate review, approval and submission. This involves liaising with the IRC EQUAL team and the EQUAL partners to prepare high quality financial reports.

• Develop guidance, templates, and toolkits to ensure timely submission of FCDO quarterly financial reports.

• Monitor and facilitate financial compliance with FCDO and IRC requirements and raise issues affecting external/internal compliance.

• Ensure that the EQUAL partners’ responsibilities regarding FCDO financial compliance are tracked and evaluated.

• Build capacity of EQUAL partners in donor financial reporting and compliance, including travel to locations of implementation to provide trainings and on-going support.

• Ensure quality information management through regular maintenance of contract files, including coordination and preparation of documents and files for internal and external audits.

Invoicing and Funds Disbursements:

• Oversee the coordination of information for the preparation of quarterly donor invoices including quality assurance.

• Liaise with IRC Global & Finance, with respect to donor invoicing requirements.

• Consolidate payment breakdown by partners according to previous quarter spend, balance and forecasts.

• Oversee the process of funds disbursements to project partners, sub-contractors and grant awardees in collaboration with EQUAL Finance Manager.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

• Position reports to: EQUAL Project Director

• Position indirectly reports to: Associate Director, Contracts Finance

• Line management of: EQUAL Finance Manager

• Regular contact with other EQUAL team members (Research Programme Coordinator, Research Director, Project Director) with regards to the financial management of the project.

• Regular contact with colleagues in the Airbel Impact Lab with regards to EQUAL financial management. Regular interaction with other relevant IRC departments, especially the Awards Management Unit, Finance, HR and Supply Chain.

• External contact with EQUAL partners regarding finance management.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Essential Requirements

• Master’s degree in International Affairs, Public Administration, Economics, Business Studies, Accounting, Commerce, or equivalent professional experience

• At least 10 years of related work experience, preferably for an International Non-Governmental Organization managing FCDO grants and contracts.

• Expert knowledge of funding, regulations and procedures for FCDO and other public funders, particularly in regard to commercial contracts.

• Extensive experience managing the financial, contractual and compliance aspects of large commercial contracts, including payment-by-results and cost-reimbursable contract and subcontract models.

• Ability to clearly anticipate and identify contractual and financial risks, develop mitigation plans and provide expert advice to senior stakeholders.

• Experience managing complex grants and contracts throughout implementation, including budget and finance components, compliance, financial monitoring and reporting processes

• Experience in capacity building of local partners in financial management in the field

• Excellent organizational skills: the ability to work independently and productively at pace

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills: the ability to successfully and effectively liaise with a variety of people in a multi-cultural environment and work on a virtual team

• Flexible work attitude, proactive and demonstrated creativity: the ability to work productively in a team environment and the ability to problem solve creatively with minimal guidance

• Fluent in English; French language proficiency is desirable

Preferred Requirements

• Experience with donor-funded contracts

• Experience working on FCDO commercial contracts

• Prior experience working in countries where IRC operates

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

• Standard office working environment

• Some international travel may be required, for example EQUAL partner capacity support visits

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

IRC et les employés de IRC doivent adhérer aux valeurs et principes contenus dans le IRC WAY (normes de conduite professionnelle). Ce sont l’Intégrité, le Service, et la Responsabilité. En conformité avec ces valeurs, IRC opère et fait respecter les politiques sur la protection des bénéficiaires contre l’exploitation et les abus, la protection de l’enfant, le harcèlement sur les lieux de travail, l’intégrité financière, et les représailles.

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