International Grant Accountant

Reporting to: Grant Finance Manager Direct reports: None Key Relationships: Grant budget holders, Regional Office finance teams Working Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week) Salary: Circa £43,000 gross per annum Office Location: London, UK

ABOUT US: ARTICLE 19 works to protect and defend freedom of expression and information (FoE/I), particularly individual advocates of these rights. Our goal is that those at the front line of defending freedom of expression and information are supported by effective networks of institutions and activists at the local, regional and global levels, and by strong legal frameworks and mechanisms, thus ensuring that violations are known, perpetrators held accountable, and effective relief or redress is secured.

The protection of these rights requires a holistic approach encompassing physical, digital, psychosocial and legal security. ARTICLE 19 works to improve the security conditions and protection tools and mechanisms for journalists, media workers, human rights defenders (HRDs), bloggers and others engaged in defending human rights, particularly freedom of expression and information, and exposing corruption. We work to systematise our global monitoring and reporting methodologies, linking them to international and regional mechanisms, as well as specific governments, to raise cases of violations.

ARTICLE 19 focuses in improving access of women and sexual and gender minority journalists, HRDs, media workers and other communicators to specific tools and knowledge to protect themselves online and offline from physical, digital and legal risks or threats. Protection mechanisms and support networks are nuanced to effectively mitigate risk and threats for women and sexual and gender minorities.

ROLE SUMMARY: This position is a key role for the finance team to increase the capacity during a period of growth. The role will support all financial aspects of budgeting, reporting, compliance and financial management of grants managed by ARTICLE 19, including all finance-related work with grant-receiving partners. The role is a key part of improving our programme delivery by supporting grant budget holders.

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: • To support production of financial reports in compliance with donor and internal ARTICLE 19 requirements for a portfolio of projects managed by ARTICLE 19. • To generate and review transactional reports and follow through as necessary with corrections and adjustments. • To receive, process and account for expenditure by grant partners, including reviewing supporting documentation. • To produce reforecasts where required by the donor, with input from grant budget holders. • To work in conjunction with the fundraising and relevant project team during proposal development. Provide support on budgeting, ensuring budget is in alignment with the proposal, is realistic and provides ARTICLE 19 with favourable terms. Provide guidance on finance donor compliance that will inform the proposal and budget development. • Ensure that proposals comply with ARTICLE 19’s internal policies, in particular full cost recovery principles and policies. • To support compliance of grants with ARTICLE 19 financial policies where appropriate, e.g. anti-bribery and corruption, both internally and compliance by our partners, raising any concerns with the Grant Finance Manager. • To monitor grant cash flow and ensure payment requests are made and processed in the finance system in timely manner to the donor. • To review grant cash requests from Regional Offices. • To business partner International Office teams who are majority grant funded. This includes producing monthly management accounts; supporting budget holders to prepare annual budget and coordinate responses to the budget holder. • To consider how improvements can be made to procedures for processing transactions, reporting and any other issues which would contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of ARTICLE 19’s finance function. • Support the finance team in any audit process, including internal, statutory and donor audits.

**PERSON SPECIFICATION:

ESSENTIAL**

Education and Qualification: • Qualified accountant with a CCAB recognised qualification, or working towards qualification, or qualified through relevant work experience. • Understanding of accounting for restricted income and expenditure under UK charity law and guidelines. • Understanding of double entry and how to make corrections and adjustments in accounting systems.

Work Experience: • Experience in restricted grant reporting, ideally in an international development context. • Experience of business partnering in a complex environment. • Experience in producing grant budgets in compliance with donor requirements, and that recover overhead and central costs. • Experience of working with overseas partners and offices, understanding different cultural and regulatory environments. • Experience of supporting FCDO-funded grants. • Understanding of compliance, external and internal audit process and internal controls.

Knowledge, skills and ability: • Excellent Excel skills, including vlookups, sumifs and ability to self-learn in this area. • Ability to work quickly, methodically with close attention to detail. • Good inter-personal skills including experience of working cross-culturally, across different time zones and with people from different cultural and professional backgrounds. • Ability to work to tight deadlines and in high pressure situations whilst maintaining a calm and positive attitude. • Ability to negotiate but understanding where the ‘red lines’ are and to gain compliance with them through dialogue. • Fluency in written and spoken English.

Other: • A mandatory requirement is the right to work in the UK – ARTICLE 19 does not sponsor individuals for employment-based visas for this position. Please do not apply for this position unless you already have the right to work in the UK. • Commitment to work within ARTICLE 19’s vision, mission, core values and objectives. • Cultural sensitivity and commitment to equal opportunities and non-discrimination. • Willingness and ability to undertake regular travel.

DESIRABLE • Experience of using Access Dimensions. • Ability in another Article19 official language (Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish).