Finance and Operations Director

The IRC began working in Mali in 2012 in response to the political crisis. The IRC has provided lifesaving assistance to over half a million displaced Malians displaced by conflict and facing severe food shortages. The crisis in Mali has also led to a collapse of basic public services such as health care and education.

To help the country recover, the IRC is focusing our efforts by providing emergency relief; supporting village savings and loan associations and income-generating activities, especially for women; providing clean drinking water, water treatment kits, water-point rehabilitation, and health care supplies; providing vital health care services and training community health workers; providing children and parents with psychosocial support to help them heal from trauma; and training teachers and reopening schools for children affected by conflict.

Scope of work

The IRC seeks a Finance and Administration Director for an anticipated five-year USAID community-based education activity in Mali. The project will improve early-grade reading and math skills of young learners (equivalent to grades 1-4) in the regions of Koulikoro, Sikasso, Segou, and Bamako District with a focus on improving the quality of instruction, boosting community demand, and broadening safe, equitable formal and non-formal education services. The end goal of the $25-$50M project is expanded access to educational pathways and improved reading and math outcomes, especially for girls and marginalized children.

The Finance and Administration Director will have responsibility for all aspects of strategic and operational finance, acting as the principal finance business partner to the Chief of Party and other Senior Management team, as well as conforming to IRC’s financial control environment and CFO standards and objectives.

Recruitment is contingent upon successful award of the project, and selection of final applicant is subject to USAID approval.

Job responsibilities

· Provide oversight of operations teams, including procurement, finance, grants, logistics, HR, security, and administrative support staff.

· Establishes project’s finance and supporting function policies, systems and procedures, and directs or performs their development, documentation, and implementation.

· Ensures that all policies and procedures are in compliance with IRC and USAID policies, procedures, and requirements.

· Manages project finance activities and schedules to meet the financial reporting requirements and deadlines specified by New York HQ and USAID. Prepares quarterly accrual reports, expenditure reporting, and burn rate projections.

· Provides project management and program staff with monthly actual-to-budget expenditure reports and analysis for project funds and facilitate the review and discussion.

· Ensures balance sheet reconciliations are completed monthly and on a timely basis and review final reconciliations and trial balances with the Chief of Party.

· Closely monitors all financial activities and keeps the Chief of Party and Country SMT advised of all situations which have the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial performance.

· Directs the preparation and approval of all USAID financial reports in respect to accounting, legal and contractual requirements and ensures the review of such reports by the Chief of Party and HQ prior to submission.

· Enforces internal control policies and procedures.

· Maintains current knowledge of local government requirements related to financial matters and ensures compliance with tax regulations and other legal requirements.

· Establishes project finance roles and responsibilities matrix; ensures job descriptions are current; recruits and maintains qualified staff to perform finance functions.

· Develops and implements a training program for the project’s finance staff.

· Ensures constructive performance reviews are completed on a timely basis and facilitates discussion of performance and career options with project finance staff.

· Supervises all project office bank relations and bank account activities including negotiation of fees, interest and currency exchange rates.

· In compliance with IRC policy, establishes policies regarding cash holding limits, cash movements and foreign currency holdings of the project.

· Oversees the timely preparation, review and approval of all monthly bank account and cash reconciliations.

· Designs, implements, and monitors systems, procedures and reporting necessary to maintain on current basis accurate forecasts of cash requirements for meeting future spending, including commitments entered into and which obligate IRC to future spending.

· Supervises the preparation of Cash Transfer Requests to New York and ensures that appropriate cash balances are maintained to facilitate project implementation.

· Assists with the preparation and revision of project budgets.

· Prepares the annual and monthly cash budgets based on approved funding.

· Manage consortium partnerships from an operational context and maintain collaborative partner relations to ensure effective delivery of project support needs

· Oversee sub-grantees/sub-contractors ensuring adherence to donor, organizational, and host country policies

· Coordinate and lead the annual audit process, liaise with external auditors and the finance team and senior management team; assess any changes necessary.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in Accounting, Business Administration, Commerce or Finance with a recognized professional certificate in accounting such as CPA, or a master’s degree in Accounting.

• Minimum of 8 years of experience including 5 in similar financial, compliance, or operational role supporting USAID and international donor projects in similar contexts;

• Experience with budgeting and financial reporting requirements on multimillion-dollar USAID-funded projects;

• Experience with financial management and reporting on projects with substantial subawards;

• Strong knowledge of generally accepted accounting practices, financial reporting standards, financial management processes and procedures

• In-depth knowledge of US government financial management, rules and regulations required Extensive experience in working with computerized accounting systems, standard spreadsheet and database programs

• Experience overseeing international and local sub-recipients and grantees.

• Significant previous experience working in conflict or crisis situations, preferably in West Africa and/or Mali.

• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain productive working relationships with a wide network of partners and stakeholders.

• Experience working to incorporate issues of government accountability, transparency, and equity in education programs, including gender, ethnicity, and disability inclusion.

• Demonstrated experience in policy dialogue and education reform working with government and civil society organizations.

• Experience managing USAID cooperative agreement and overseeing international and local sub-recipients and grantees.

• Capacity to work well under pressure, and the ability to communicate appropriately and effectively cross‐culturally is critical.

• The candidate must be fluent in English and French.

Standards for Professional Conduct: The IRC Way: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Accountability, Service and Equality. 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 Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons.