Regional Finance Manager

Overview & Responsibilities

Organizational Context

The IDLO Finance and Support Services Department is an integral part of the project team which seeks to ensure financial integrity with goal of realizing high level of transparency and accountability in the execution of various donors’ projects. The Finance Department places high value on producing accurate and auditable financial reports for all its stakeholders.

The Regional Finance Manager is responsible for the coordination and oversight of financial management for the Sahel Region ensuring implementation of the finance policies, procedures and guidelines and adherence to donor rules and regulations to provide optimum efficient and effective support to IDLOs programming. The incumbent will oversee 3 Country Offices (COs), (Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger), and has responsibility for all aspects of strategic and operational finance across the region acting as the principal finance business partner to the Program team.

The Regional Finance Manager reports to the Regional Operations Manager and with a dotted functional line to the Finance and Grants Manager based in Headquarters, Rome. The incumbent will work in close coordination with the Sahel based program team, and with the Program team and Finance unit at IDLO HQ.

Job Requirements

Primary Functions

Summary of functions:

1. Accounting
2. Budget and reporting
3. Internal control
4. People Management

Key results expected:

Accounting

• Lead month-end close processes of the Country Offices, and prepare monthly financial statements, account schedules, and reconciliations.
• Coordinate the year-end closing activities, prepare the yearly financial statements in alignment with the legal requirements and coordinate annual audits of the region;
• Ensure timely, accurate and complete accounting and reporting of project expenses and coordination project audits
• Ensure appropriate management of bank and cash accounts in the region, provide timely and appropriate cash forecast and monitor the level of cash in Country Offices
• Maintain appropriate archiving systems of the transactions, important financial documents of the country offices and the regional office and the supporting documents of the implementing partners.
• Ensure all original documents are properly coded and filed for ease of future reference prior to shipment to HQ.
• Ensure that all electronic copies of all documents shipped to Rome are maintained at the CO, filed electronically and in sequence.
• Liaise with relevant country program leads and Finance Associates on key financial issues for all programs.
• Coordinate disbursements to implementing partners, record their expenses, and monitor their budget in line with the sub-grant agreements.
• Ensure Delegation of Authority and Power of Attorney are in place and maintained in country offices and in the region.

Budgeting and Reporting

• Review monthly BvA (budget versus Actual) of the Sahel program and organize variance discussion meetings with country offices and provide recommendations for realignments as required.
• Perform the review of monthly expenses, identify and process transactions to be reallocated and prepare accurate donor financial reports and project’s account schedules.
• Provide quarterly consolidated financial statistics of the region and highlight areas of financial risks for discussion at the regional management level.
• Work with country program teams to prepare the draft of proposal budgets, ensure appropriate costing of the activities, operations and programme management are included in proposal budgets.
• Participate in the pre-assessment process of selecting new Implementing Partners (Subgrants) to ensure compliance to IDLO rules and regs and donor policies and procedures.
• Perform the review implementing partners contracts providing advice on reporting requirements, payment schedules, currency management and audit schedules.
• Working closely with the regional sub-grant manager to monitor the performance of all grants, including ensuring advances to implementing partners are regularly accounted for.

Internal control

• Ensure internal control and financial risk management for all countries, including oversight of mitigating actions and management of suspected and confirmed cases of fraud
• Ensure full compliance with individual CO statutory requirements, donor requirements, and IDLO policies and procedures.
• Undertake regular field visits for monitoring and compliance checks; follow up on audit recommendations ensuring corrective actions are implemented.
• Perform monthly spot checks of transactions, cash reconciliations, fuel management and other area of control.

People Management

• Ensure appropriate finance structure are in place country offices and provide technical support/resources needed in the region.
• Management the performance of the finance department through the identification, discussion and setting clear performance objectives of Finance Associates and monitor their performance in line with IDLOs performance management cycle.
• Lead financial capacity building of the finance team, Budget holders and non-finance people in IDLO’s policies and procedures, financial systems and internal control.
• In collaboration with the sub-grant Manager develop the capacity building plan of the implementing partners and lead their financial capacity building to close the identified gaps.

Impact of results

In coordination with the various programs teams in the Country Office, and the Finance Unit at IDLO Headquarters, the key results will have an impact on providing optimum efficient and effective support to IDLO’s programming.

• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Progressive experience ideally within an intergovernmental or international non-governmental organization.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of donor regulations and compliance issues related to management of donor funds.
• Ability to establish and maintain working relations in a multi-cultural environment.
• Proficiency /Knowledge of Microsoft Office and skill in the use of Excel, including complex/compound spreadsheets and other accounting package is essential.
• Working knowledge and experience on the use of MS NAVISION ERP.
• Proven leadership skills and a competence in people management.
• Proven ability in risk management.
• Demonstrable people management skills including managing performance from direct reports.
• Experience in working with an international/interdisciplinary team.
• Ability to multi-task, collaborate with others, meet deadlines, respond to changes in priorities, and work in rapidly changing and deadline driven environment.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Demonstrated success in working independently, taking initiative, setting priorities and seeing projects through to completion.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Recruitment qualifications

Education:

• University degree in Accounting, Finance or Business is required.
• Fully qualified accountant – ACCA, CPA.
• Master’s degree in business, finance, or related field would be beneficial.

Experience:

• At least 6 – 8 years’ experience in an international accounting and financial management environment preferably within international organizations or private /public organization with donor funded programs.
• Experience working with complex, multi-partner projects highly desirable.
• Experiences in IPSAS is an added advantage.

Language Requirements:

• Excellent spoken and written knowledge in French and English is required

Terms & Conditions

Applications will be screened on regular basis; a qualified applicant might be recruited before the deadline. In the interest of making most effective use of resources, only the short-listed candidates will be contacted during the selection process.

IDLO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in all areas of its operations. We welcome applications of qualified and diverse candidates.

IDLO is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance at all levels within its workforce. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for IDLO vacancies.

IDLO does not tolerate sexual exploitation or abuse, any kind of harassment, including harassment of a sexual nature, or discrimination. As such, IDLO will conduct careful reference and background checks of all selected candidates as part of its selection process.

DISCLAIMER
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the employee/consultant/intern assigned to this work. This may not be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The Director-General of IDLO reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities or even to cancel the consultancy opportunity to meet business and organizational needs as necessary. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality and in compliance with IDLO’s policy on personal data protection.