Regional Finance Specialist

Position: Regional Finance Specialist

Reports to: Regional Finance and Grants Director

Technical line: FC

Level: Nine (9)

Location: The Horn and Eastern Africa Regional Office (HEARO) in Nairobi

Last updated:

Length of contract:

Action Against Hunger-Horn and Eastern Africa is part of the Action Against Hunger International network, which provides humanitarian relief in over 40 countries worldwide in the sectors of nutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and food security. Action Against Hunger Horn and Eastern Africa is an independent NGO, currently managing operations in Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $60 million in programs, and approximately 2000 staff based in New York City, Washington D.C, Nairobi, and country offices. Additional growth is anticipated.

1. Summary of position

As a senior member of the Regional team, the Regional Finance Specialist (RFS) will be responsible for developing and managing financial tracking, resource flows, reporting and compliance for a specified portfolio of federal and non-federal grants/awards in support of Action Against Hunger-Horn and Eastern Africa regional programs.

The RFS provides technical financial support and advisory to the Action Against Hunger Country Offices and select stakeholders in the wider organization.

The RFS reports directly to the Finance and Admin Director, while working with other RFSs.

The RFS role’s purpose, engagement and delivery is:

• Purpose: Applies professional financial management and accounting concepts to the audit of account and budget performance. Provides professional advice to key stakeholders in finance, compliance and accounting. Identifies operational challenges that affect the integrity of resource management.
• Engagement: Collaborates with key stakeholders providing substantive input to the development of forecasts, costing of activities and budgets providing direct technical support and capacity development solutions.
• Delivery: Assess effectiveness of the financial components of programs, systems and procedures, providing analytical work that is effectively organized and delivered within Action Against Hunger’s established accounting procedures and professionally aligned to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) & International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

1. Essential job functions

Country Finance Support

• Reviews, supervises and ensures the regular and timely production of the accounting reports from Action Against Hunger’s country offices to be treated and integrated at global level.
• Oversees internal control processes and appropriate use of financial resources ensuring that Action Against Hunger’s country offices are working in accordance with internal financial procedures.
• Proposes and leads improvements in finance processes for country offices specific to the RFSs scope of work.
• Provides technical guidance, mentoring, capacity building and professional development solutions to the Heads of Finance at country level.
• Plays a key role in the performance management of the Heads of Finance at country level providing input on their technical skills, the accuracy of their work and timeliness of budgeting and reporting.
• Oversees the preparation of required reports to Action Against Hunger and donor agencies (USAID, EU, ECHO, UN, etc.) based on country offices expenditures and allowable indirect cost rates.

Financial Information Management/Internal & External Representation

• Consistently collaborates with Finance team to insure timely Country Offices and HQ accounting closing and compliance with donor deadlines/requests.
• Provides key stakeholders within the organization with accurate financial data and information (e.g. burn rate reports, financial risks, projections etc.) for decision making, management and control.
• Makes recommendations regarding budgeting to ensure reasonable provisions are included to meet general management, financial management, capacity building and audit requirements.
• Monitors cash management for his/her country offices.
• Serves as the primary contact with auditors for areas specific to the RFS’s scope of work during financial audits.

Human Resources – Selection, Placement and Orientation:

• Contributes to the recruitment of finance professionals at country level by providing a technical assessment of each candidate’s skills & experience (including screening CVs, evaluating technical tests, conducting technical interviews, sharing documentation and notes with the HR department for the database and placement purposes).
• Provides technical advice and technical validation of finance JDs for country positions.
• Works with the HR department to determine which available candidates are technically qualified for open positions.
• Supports the HR department in the development and maintenance of a finance fieldworker talent pipeline
• Briefs and debriefs select finance staff for Action Against Hunger country offices.
• Identifies the on-going learning and development needs for the finance country teams to create a strong, competent and engaged finance workforce.

Other Responsibilities:

• Development of donor compliance training materials in collaboration with Regional Grants teams and ensure capacity building of country teams on compliance is undertaken
• Ensuring compliance with donor rules and regulations through reviews and follow ups on action plans with country teams and different departments
• Review Action Against Hunger Financial Policy and Procedures while creating recommendations to improve these policies and procedures.
• Coordination of Quarterly and Annual end of financial period and ensure HEARO and Countries financial reports and statements are presented to HQ and senior management on Time
• Gather and analyze the past and present financial data across the region to understand the trends affecting specific risks, preparing reports on the information gathered and communicating the insights of these reports to relevant stakeholders to aid in making strategic decisions.
• Analysis and Interpretation of financial reports and presenting them to relevant stakeholders on time to aid in decision making.
• Identifies, adapts and implements best practices in the areas of financial management, accounting and/or compliance from other INGOs and private sector organizations to improve processes, systems and ways of working at country and/or organizational level.
• Undertake investigations and provide guidance on investigations relating to financial related allegations made within the region/ Countries
• Proactive input and robust oversight of project/proposals budgets through the CFP/R and responsible to report any strategic and significant problems relating to implementation of programmes to the Country CDs, Regional Grants teams and FD
• Ensuring all monthly financial management reporting is carried out with full explanations for material variances against budget.
• Overseeing the donor reporting for quality and accuracy before financial submissions are made to donors
• Collating and managing the Institutional Funding tool in collaboration with the Regional Grants Team including recovery levels and co- financing
• Attending the Risk Review meeting and presenting updates risk management progress
• Collating and delivering relevant updates for the Audit, Risk and Finance Committee (ARF)
• Management of the Global Donor and Statutory Audit Register and ensure that all recommendations are implemented and continued reduction of findings and non-compliance across countries and regional office. Providing upto date reports to ARF on risk associated with non-compliance.

1. Supervisory Responsibilities

• Technical supervision of the Heads of Finance at country level.

1. Gender Equality Commitments

• Foster an environment that supports values of women and men, and equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion. race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
• Value and respect all cultures.

1. Fiscal Responsibility

Oversees and administers the annual budget for the country offices under his/her responsibility.

1. Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.

Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel as well as to the country offices if appropriate. Based on the country office needs, the time spent on field trips will be a minimum of a 20% of his/her working time. While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well is to infectious diseases.

1. Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• BA or BSc, or the equivalent, in accounting, finance or another relevant field.
• CPA or ACCA or CIMA finalist
• 10 years’ finance and management experience including 5 years’ experience managing grants (USAID/EU funded projects preferred).
• 7 years of working internationally, together with field experience working for an international NGO as an administrator or finance manager.

1. Required Skills & Competencies

• Demonstrable experience and skills in budget preparation and analysis, financial reporting preparation and presentation, and the proven ability to translate technical financial data into informative reports.
• Demonstrable knowledge of the rules, regulations and donor policies governing the compliance / regulatory management of grants from US Government, EU, ECHO, UN and other agencies.
• Expertise with MS Office (especially MS Excel) and general ledger software is required. Use of Saga and/or Serenic Navigator desirable.
• Genuine interest in and commitment to the humanitarian principles of Action Against Hunger.
• Substantial experience and understanding of essential accounting principles, financial reporting, accounting systems, and budget development and administration is required.
• Experience managing diverse international teams; ability to communicate well in writing.
• Able to work autonomously, with the capacity to juggle multiple projects and pay attention to many small details.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• French language skills preferred.
• Must be authorized to work in Kenya.
• Membership in a professional body related to finance, accounting and compliance is an added advantage.

All candidates should apply online at https://careers.actionagainsthunger.org/ Action Against Hunger provides all staff with an attractive salary & benefits package. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees & qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Action Against Hunger complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.