Context :
The International Rescue Committee started activities in Niger in June 2013, responding to the Malian refugee crisis in the Tezalit department in Tahoua region. Since then the IRC has expanded programs to address the evolving needs of vulnerable populations first in the protection, WASH, health, nutrition, emergency and economic recovery and development sectors. Since then, it has expanded to education, rapid response mechanisms and migration sectors in the regions affected by armed conflicts and natural disasters, in Tahoua, Tillabéri (since 2013), Diffa (since 2015) and Agadez (since 2017) regions.
Responding to increasing insecurity and ongoing displacement in Burkina Faso, in April 2019, IRC launched an emergency response with WASH programming in Djibo Commune, Sahel Region. As a result of the escalating crisis and unmet humanitarian need, the IRC recently expanded its response to establish a country program to continue to support particularly underserved populations.
Position Summary :
IRC is seeking a Finance Manager for a USAID-funded 5-year project in Niger and Burkina Faso. The Finance Manager will be responsible for overseeing financial management and financial operations for the anticipated USAID project, Bridge Youth Connect. The 5-year project aims to equip vulnerable young women and men with technical and life skills, networks, and capital for increased strategic economic opportunities in the Tillaberi Region of Niger and potentially in Maradi, and Diffa and in the Est, and Centre-Nord regions of Burkina Faso, security permitting. As a member of the Project’s Senior Management Team, the Finance Manager provides the leadership and management necessary to ensure the project has the appropriate financial infrastructure and systems in place to support the smooth project implementation. S/he will contribute to the development of the Project’s strategic and operational plans and be accountable for ensuring and monitoring delivery against the financial plans through targeted and comprehensive financial analytical review.
As project Finance Manager, s/he will have responsibility for all aspects of strategic and operational finance, acting as the principal finance business partner to the Chief of Party and other Senior Management team. This position is contingent on the IRC being awarded funding and is anticipated to begin in September 2020.
Job Responsibilities :
- Ensures that all policies and procedures are in compliance with IRC and USAID policies, procedures, and requirements ;
- Establishes project’s finance and supporting function policies, systems and procedures, and directs or performs their development, documentation, and implementation ;
- Manages project finance activities and schedules to meet the financial reporting requirements and deadlines specified by New York HQ and USAID. Prepares quarterly accrual reports, expenditure reporting, and burn rate projections ;
- Provides project management and program staff with monthly actual-to-budget expenditure reports and analysis for project funds and facilitate the review and discussion ;
- Ensures balance sheet reconciliations are completed monthly and on a timely basis and review final reconciliations and trial balances with the Chief of Party ;
- Closely monitors all financial activities, and keeps the Chief of Party advised of all situations which have the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial performance ;
- Directs the preparation of and approval of all USAID financial reports in respect to accounting, legal and contractual requirements and ensures the review of such reports by the Chief of Party and HQ prior to submission ;
- Enforces internal control policies and procedures ;
- Maintains current knowledge of local government requirements related to financial matters and ensures compliance with tax regulations and other legal requirements ;
- Establishes project finance roles and responsibilities matrix; ensures job descriptions are current; recruits and maintains qualified staff to perform finance functions ;
- Develops and implements a training program for the project’s finance staff ;
- Ensures constructive performance reviews are completed on a timely basis and facilitates discussion of performance and career options with project finance staff ;
- Supervises all project office bank relations and bank account activities including negotiation of fees, interest and currency exchange rates ;
- In compliance with IRC policy, establishes policies regarding cash holding limits, cash movements and foreign currency holdings of the project ;
- Oversees the timely preparation, review and approval of all monthly bank account and cash reconciliations ;
- Designs, implements, and monitors systems, procedures and reporting necessary to maintain on current basis accurate forecasts of cash requirements for meeting future spending, including commitments entered into and which obligate IRC to future spending ;
- Supervises the preparation of Cash Transfer Requests to New York and ensures that appropriate cash balances are maintained to facilitate project implementation ;
- Assists with the preparation and revision of project budgets ;
- Prepares the annual and monthly cash budgets based on approved funding.
Qualifications :
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in Accounting, Business Administration, Commerce or Finance with a recognized professional certificate in accounting such as CPA, or a master’s degree in Accounting ;
- Minimum of 5 years in similar financial, compliance, or operational role supporting USAID and international donor projects in similar contexts ;
- Experience with budgeting and financial reporting requirements on multimillion-dollar USAID-funded projects ;
- Experience with financial management and reporting on projects with substantial subawards ;
- Strong knowledge of generally accepted accounting practices, financial reporting standards, financial management processes and procedures ;
- Familiarity with USAID rules and regulations ;
- Extensive experience in working with computerized accounting systems, standard spreadsheet and database programs ;
- Good written and verbal skills in English and in French ;
- Must have a proven track record of proactively identifying and communicating potential problems and proposing solutions ;
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills and professional patience and be able to interact, partner and thrive in a diverse environment ;
- Committed to staff training and development and effective at facilitation.
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.
IRC et les employés de IRC doivent adhérer aux valeurs et principes contenus dans le IRC WAY (normes de conduite professionnelle). Ce sont l’Intégrité, le Service, et la Responsabilité. En conformité avec ces valeurs, IRC opère et fait respecter les politiques sur la protection des bénéficiaires contre l’exploitation et les abus, la protection de l’enfant, le harcèlement sur les lieux de travail, l’intégrité financière, et les représailles.