Regional Finance Development Team Leader

The FD team lead will work closely with the FD delegate. The team lead will coordinate and oversee the activities of the FD delegate, ensuring effective communication, collaboration, and alignment of goals. Together, they will work towards providing specialized financial assistance to the national societies (NS) in the Africa region, supporting their financial management improvement efforts, and enabling efficient implementation of humanitarian actions. The team lead will play a crucial role in coordinating and guiding the FD delegate’s work to ensure the successful achievement of objectives.

Strategic Responsibilities:

• Coordinate and oversee the activities of the FD Delegate, ensuring effective collaboration and alignment with organizational goals.
• Provide guidance and support to the FD Delegate in delivering specialized, targeted assistance to national societies (NS) in the Africa region.
• Foster close working relationships with NSs to understand their financial management needs and challenges.
• Collaborate with movement partners and adhere to established agreements to ensure seamless coordination and cooperation.
• Ensure that technical service delivery by the FD Delegate aligns with international frameworks and standards, such as IFRS, IAS, McKenzie 7S, COSO Framework on Internal Controls, and the Framework on ERM.
• Monitor and evaluate the progress of financial management improvement initiatives implemented by NSs, offering feedback and guidance as needed.
• Serve as a point of contact and coordination for requests from NSs outside the Africa region, leveraging the FD Delegate’s specialization and expertise.
• Stay informed about emerging trends, best practices, and innovations in financial management to provide relevant guidance and support to NSs.
• Prepare regular reports, documenting the achievements, challenges, and recommendations related to the FD file coordination.
• Collaborate with other team leads and stakeholders to ensure effective integration of financial management efforts with broader organizational objectives.
• Ensures that the support provided is in conformity with the global service delivery model and is deliverable based such that it is designed and implemented in line with established technical standards and project management methodologies and support the operationalization of those standards.
• Improved financial management in select NSs’ which is grounded in a due diligence/needs assessment.
• Improved accountability, transparency & governance in select NSs’.
• Improve efficiency and effectiveness of Internal Controls.
• Increased efficiency, reliability and relevance of financial reporting and departmental structure.
• Contributes proactively with other technical personnel to NorCross global efforts to establish and operationalize technical approaches and standards in finance development.

Operational Responsibilities:

Improve efficiency and effectiveness of NS finance dept.

• Adopt a risk-based approach by focusing on hinderances to the Finance Dept not achieving its operational, reporting and compliance goals.
• Evaluate the structure of the Finance Department relative to the systems in place, shared values, strategy of the NS, skills, staffing and style.
• Recommend new departmental structures focusing on efficiencies and renewed effectiveness. This includes revision and alignment of job descriptions and conducting specialized trainings on accounting, treasury, budgeting and grants plus compliance.
• Provides technical trainings to NS Finance Dept staff on established technical standards.
• Design and co-facilitate workshops for NS Finance Dept staff on objective settings, structural assessments etc.

Improve efficiency and effectiveness of Internal Control processes

• Compile, map, and analyze processes within the Finance Department on an ‘As Is’ basis.
• Evaluate inherent and control risk on an as is basis while reviewing internal control coverages at a process level.
• Design new processes, internal controls while focusing on efficiencies and operation, reporting and compliance objectives. This includes preparing “should be” process maps.
• Using the COSO Framework on internal controls, evaluate the internal controls and provide recommendations on improving different components in the Finance Department.
• Supports the NSs in preparing or revising policies and procedures including Finance & Accounting manuals.

Improved accountability, transparency & governance in select NSs’

• Assist NS’s in conducting external and internal audits by developing frameworks and ToRs in accordance with IAS (international Auditing Standards)
• Assist in revising Fraud and corruption policies, procedures and mechanisms.
• Analyze and recommend areas of improvement in financial oversight by governance.

Increased efficiency, reliability and relevance of financial reporting

• Focus on assisting NSs’ in terms of improving financial reporting (internal and external) insofar that efficiency, effectiveness and relevance increases.
• Introduce capabilities in NS accounting software to ensure automated, customizable, transparent and reliable financial reports are produced.
• In coordination with internal and external stakeholders, work on developing standardized NS financial reports.

Project Management

• Develop deliverable-based project documents including concept notes, proposals, specific objectives, budgets, PoAs, LFAs, Project risk assessment, ITTs and monitoring plans (as per applicable Core Process).
• Provide oversight on implementation of NS FD Plans of Actions through tertial progress reports.
• If required, assist on designing and conduct evaluations of FD projects.
• Contribute towards the global FD service delivery in various technical capacities.

Collaboration:

• Fosters good relationship and works closely together with the host NS, PNSs, IFRC and ICRC.
• Work as a team within the region and globally, to assist NS’s in meeting their needs in FD.
• Liaises, as needed, with Colleagues in the Country, Regional and National Office.
• Works closely together and participates in technical networks (FD and NSD) with other colleagues within NorCross at global, regional and country level.
• Helps colleagues to understand and make use of available technical tools and standards.
• Promotes harmonization across delegations’ structures, as well as at regional and country level with other Movement partners, by promoting use of common standards and tools, also contributing to learning events and sharing of best practices.

Mission Specific Responsibilities:

• Conduct needs assessments of national societies in line with NorCross Due diligence methodology
• Prepare deliverable-based Plan of actions that are targeted in meeting NS needs.
• Market research with respect to consultancy firms within specific countries
• Coordinate and oversee the activities of the FD Delegate, ensuring effective collaboration and alignment with organizational goals.

Formal Competence:

Education:

• CPA and / or MBA.

Experience:

• Over 10 years’ experience in Finance and Accounting
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience of coaching, facilitating, managing and/or supporting staff.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in partner capacity development in Finance.
• Experience of working for a humanitarian aid organisation preferably in a developing/conflict country/context.
• Broad experience in Financial Management (senior finance management or similar positions. with experience from several relevant areas like financial planning, accounting, investments etc.).
• Good understanding of an ERP system.
• Strong organisational development background (e.g. change management, HR, leadership, strategy development and implementation).

Skills and Knowledge:

• In-depth understanding of relevant technical financial standards and the operationalization of those standards in humanitarian projects.
• Operational understanding of IFRS, IAS, COSO Framework on Internal Controls and their Framework on Enterprise Risk Management.
• Proven experience from project management, including needs assessments project design, and reporting.
• High degree of competencies in strategic thinking and design, knowledge sharing, advising and facilitating, management of self; coaching; mentoring and facilitation. Training and facilitating experience in international/ multicultural environment are an asset.
• Proficiency required in French and English.
• Advanced understanding of the use of innovative tools and approaches in relevant technical discipline, is an asset.
• Fully familiar with software applications- windows, spreadsheets, word processing, accounting packages.

Personal Qualifications:

• Ability to take initiative and accept responsibility.
• Ability to work towards achieving objectives and results.
• Ability to cooperate in teams and share competency.
• Ability to develop and coach others.
• Commitment to RCRC movement principles and values.

Reporting to:

• Deputy Regional Rep Africa.
• Technical reporting to Global FD Coordinator.

Position is based in:

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Contract length:

12 Months

Why should you apply?

• Meaningful: You`ll be a part of the world’s largest humanitarian organization, reaching the most vulnerable people in their local community.
• Impact: You will help National Societies in the region to become strong, self-sustained and accountable humanitarian actors.
• Career: You will be connected to an international organization with staff based all over the world
• A great place to work: You will work in a multicultural environment with hard-working, dedicated and fun colleagues with a strong culture of collaboration, continual improvement, and celebration of wins.

Norwegian Red Cross striving to build a working culture based on respect, honesty and generosity. We do a thorough background check on relevant candidate.