Finance Manager, Ukraine Response (INT9705)

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

In March 2022, Oxfam launched its response to the influx of refugees and other people forced to flee from Ukraine in Romania, Moldova and Poland. A Programme Management Unit (PMU) was established to provide leadership, oversee, support and provide technical assistance to the response in the affected countries. The PMU is led by the Organizational Lead and includes dedicated advocacy and influencing capacity; business support functions, and a programme quality team with technical support on gender in emergencies, protection, cash and voucher programming, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL), and safeguarding. Oxfam is supporting a partner-led humanitarian response for the assistance and protection of refugees and other vulnerable people from Ukraine and the communities, organisations and authorities that are hosting and supporting them in neighbouring countries.

The Role:

JOB PURPOSE:

To manage and coordinate all financial aspects of the Ukraine Response, together with the CD and other relevant team players, including but not limited to, conduct financial planning, prepare budgets, oversee the expenditures and support all accounting and procurement services and ensure that they are efficient and effective and in full compliance with the Oxfam standards and procedures.

Please see the attached job description for the full responsibilities that the Finance Manager will undertake and the required skills and competencies.

Location: Ukraine

Job Type: Fixed Term, 12 Months

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (Technical, Leadership, People and Resource management)

• Compile the projects financial information and budgets in a comprehensive country finance budget/plan for UKR management team.
• Compile budget monitoring reports monthly to the BSM for presentation to SMT.
• Ensure field finance officers give accurate monthly budget monitoring information to Area Managers
• Maintain a risk register for the country programme, proactively review existing risks, identify new/potential risks, and mitigate against these. Bring significant risks, real & potential to the attention of management & ensure timely action
• To continuously assess and recommend training and skills upgrades for all finance staff in all locations. This will also be achieved through mentoring and supervision and also through other appropriate learning forums and methods designated by the BSM. This will include the process/ training of UKR finance and Logistics staff.
• Support Area managers in their budget responsibility. Liaise with them on variance explanations and solutions of covering gaps.
• Visit the teams and programmes regularly in order to monitor the systems, procedures and assess performance of finance personnel (and make recommendations and plan of action with regard to this).
• Visit partners to monitor and track budgets and ensure they are in compliance with Oxfam finance processes.
• Ensure that the Bank mandates and authorisation matrices are continuously updated and observed. Can be done only in country.
• Ensure new staff (joiners) receive appropriate inductions on finance issues, procedures, and compliance.
• Establish and maintain good contacts with suppliers, banks, government offices, UN agencies and other NGOs with regards to financial matters.
• Support the BSM to ensure that the programme adhered to all relevant statutory / legal requirements in Ukraine.
• Take responsibility for the achievement optimum finance standards in the programme. This will include ensuring appropriate practice in cash, bank management and asset management, partner management, financial accounting, internal controls/checks, authorization limits.
• Internal /external audit – take a lead in preparing for audits. Support programme staff in preparing for external and internal audits, identifying external auditors, and in the audit process itself. To ensure that audit recommendations are implemented and maintained. This can be done only when in country.

Experience, Knowledge & Competencies

Essential

• Self-Awareness
• Influencing
• Listening
• Enabling

In addition:

• Strong knowledge of global humanitarian and conflict issues, particularly those related to food crisis, humanitarian principles, International Humanitarian Law, protection of civilians, displacement, and impacts of conflicts on women and girls.
• Excellent analytical and writing abilities, including the ability to adapt writing styles for specific audiences, also under time pressure.
• Experience with engaging in advocacy on conflict, food insecurity, displacement in the context of a humanitarian crisis.
• Strong experience and understanding of developing accurate power analysis, advocacy strategies, and theories of change, including awareness of political sensitivities and ability to support partners in developing these skills.
• Effective negotiation abilities and informal leadership skills in a multi-stakeholder, network environment.
• Ability to liaise with a wide range of people, both internally and externally and at many levels, with credibility, tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to interrogate and openly discuss privilege and how to address power imbalances.
• Adherence to Oxfam’s vision and principles, including feminist and humanitarian principles
• Excellent spoken and written English with proven track record of publications and wide range of writing (policy papers, briefs, blogs etc).
• Knowledge of the Ukrainian and/or Russian language is an added value.

Desirable

• Knowledge/experience of the context of Ukraine and surrounding countries
• Understanding of inequality and gender justice issues
• Experience working with partner organisations, applying a partner-led approach
• Lived experiences with intersecting systems of oppression, with knowledge and experience of how power and privilege play out in the contexts we work in.