BASE LOCATION: Amman- Jordan or globally where IR has an office
REPORTING TO: Regional Finance Manager/RFC
LINE MANAGEMENT None
PURPOSE OF DIVISION:
The International/Regional Finance and Services Department of International Program Division provides accurate and punctual financial management, reports and forecasts on the organisation’s income and expenditure. The division empowers and builds the capacity of the field offices and Partners to manage funds effectively and efficiently, meeting international standards and the standards of the IR donor agencies. This is achieved through both organisational and individual learning, and through an organisation-wide system of development and deployment. In addition, this department maximises economies of scale by providing analysis and recommendation for implementing value for money, sound internal controls, minimizing risks and best utilization of available resources
Our values and commitment to safeguarding:
IRJ is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity, and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults, and beneficiaries with whom IRJ engages. IRJ expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.
The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organization.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records checks. IRJ also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.
In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.
JOB PURPOSE:
1. Provide financial support to the International Finance/regional office and support the capacity building of country office finance staff under the supervision of Regional Finance Manager. 2. Maintain good relations and understanding among stakeholders internally International Finance IRW, Regional and Country offices and externally with donors, auditors etc. on finance functions on a regular basis including coordination & meetings with Field offices on financial analysis. 3. Review budget & proposals, Generate pin codes and projects setup in ERP, Donor invoicing, Review & process of Funds Transfer requests for Field offices, Projects reporting reviews and approvals for donor submission. 4. Provide input with analysis to RFM/RFC on Field offices financial position, monthly Funds Reports review and feedback, Monthly Consolidation for management reporting, audit review & follow ups on completion & action points
KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS •
Regular liaison and engagement with Regional Team, Country Directors, Country Finance Managers, Regional Desk Officers and Regional Finance Manager and International Finance Manager in IRW..
SCOPE AND AUTHORITY
Scope of the Role:
• Focal contact point for the assigned country offices, ensure finance function at regional offices are working adequately. Trouble shoots and analyse information for independent decision making and consolidate monthly financial information accurately received from the assigned countries. • Deal with day to day financial concerns and issues of assigned countries. • Assist regional finance Manager to maintain strong accounting controls for all the assigned countries to have consistent and same financial standard across the board • To provide accurate and timely financial accounting information in line with IRW and Donor requirements
Responsibilities for Resources:
NIL
KEY ACCOUNTABILITES
Overall Objectives:
• Review and process field financial data to make sure Regional consolidated financial statements are produced accurately and analysis on a timely basis for the assigned countries. • Assist Regional Finance Manager & Regional Finance Coordinator in a busy and highly demanding environment to meet objectives and goals for each country’s financial operation, and obtain financial information on regularly basis from each assigned country. Guide and assist country offices finance teams to produce quality and accurate external and internal reporting including donor reports. • Proactively engagement in budget review & approvals, donor reporting review and approvals, Donors documentation, FTRs processing, Donor invoicing, Pin code generation and other requirements linked with internal & external stakeholders for MENA & EE region countries. • Actively participate in provision of training and support to the assigned regional countries on financial systems and processes
1. Financial & Reporting
• Assist country finance managers to produce accurate and timely submission of donor’s financial reports and minimising the risk associated with non-compliance of numerous partner regulations and IR policy and procedures
• Financially monitor each project from the regional office perspective and assist country finance managers and teams in the liquidation process
• Provide quality review and opinion on budget proposals and donor reports in respect to timely, with accuracy and its effectiveness.
• Budget Reviews and approval process, pin codes, projects set up in AX, donor invoicing & adjustments.
• Funds transfer reviews and further processing
• Support and take active part in the preparation of processes and procedures of budgets and reporting
Maintain schedules, analysis and reconcile ledgers for income (cash & Non Cash/In Kind), and expenses as well as Assets for the projects on monthly basis received from assigned regional countries as well as control account with IRW books.
• Maintain up to date and accurate consolidation of financial information and upload of budget and expenses for each project in AX on a monthly basis. • Assist regional finance Manager and assigned countries Finance Managers for the achievement of MAC (Minimum Acceptable Criteria) developed by AX team, so that AX can be introduced within country. • Assist finance managers as and when in the inductions of newly recruited staff in the assigned countries to make sure the same standard is carried out as per required standard
• Review country offices monthly project reports, provide analysis on country financial position and identify the areas of improvement with suggestions before submission to regional finance managers.
• Support regional finance Manager to review external audit report and management letters of the assigned countries and coordinate with assigned country Finance Managers for its reconciliations with maintained books..
• Undertake any other duties and responsibilities that are consistent with the job as and when assigned by the line manager
• ERP AX monthly monitoring report and corrective actions with field offices
2. Compliance
• Monitor Compliance with the donor financial requirements and local country laws and provide technical support to the assigned countries and set up standards to make sure they comply with IRW financial guidelines
• Monitor that in each assigned country Finance is using the standard formats, standard chart of account, and operate on same standards across the board
• Guide in the external audit preparation and finalisation of each assigned country office, identification of financial risks and improvement areas in Management Advisory comments from auditors in the assigned countries.
Budget Reviews, Approvals, invoicing & Project set
• Ensure adequate budgets related to the partners / donors are prepared in the field offices and reviewed in a timely manner. Right first time.
• Ensuring field offices are using the required templates for donors
• Ensure budget reviews are completed within the stated time as per finance SLA – 5 days
• Ensure payment schedules are in line with cash-flow and IRW processes
• Ensure all relevant documentation is received filed as per audit requirement
•To ensure all projects are set up in line with finance processes – within 1 day after receiving all correct documentation.
To ensure all invoices are sent out to donors in a timely manner
4. Funds Transfer processing , Monitoring Project Funding and Projects liquidation
• To ensure all field offices are following IRW processes including using required templates
• To ensure transfers are turned around in line with finance processing timelines – 5 days
• Ensuring the completion of FX providers back transactions and ensuring signatories complete approvals
• Ensuring vendor balances are cleared and any adjustments actioned on a monthly basis
• To have proper documentation in file for all transfers and projects as per audit requirements.
• To reconcile transfers on a monthly basis (1st of the month, prior to the 1st if this falls on a weekend or public holiday) with field offices, ensuring consistency between IRW and field office ledgers
• Maintaining cash inflow log of expected income and outflow as per signed contracts and approved budgets
• Ensuring follow up claims for donors are prepared in line with payment schedules
• Ensuring ended projects are liquidated on monthly basis
• Follow up with field offices project liquidations documents
5. INTERNAL PERSONAL SKILLS
• Proactively promote and foster a culture in which Islamic principles, values and approaches which are adopted by Islamic Relief Worldwide are consistently respected, applied and complied with in the delivery of the country/division/unit objectives and in the conduct of its employees.
• Must pay attention to detail, concentration on all aspects of a finance task, and commitment to achieving quality results. • Take initiative and be able to provide solutions to the problems as they arise
• Flexible in working arrangements and adaptable to new (sometimes unstructured) and stress full working environments • Work as a team and be able to work with others in order to reach common objectives
• Define priorities in an unstructured environment, with many competing demands at same time • Able to manage diversity and adversity, aware of and sensitive to gender issues and different cultures;
• Able to appreciate others’ points of view, to listen and be attentive; able to communicate clearly and concisely
• Assist in arranging training and provide coaching for the finance staff in the assigned countries to make sure they maintain same standard across the board
• Identify the needs of support to the countries offices, to increase their competence in preparation of financial reports, donor financial reports in line with donor reporting requirements
6. Travel
The Regional Finance Officer is expected to spend a minimum of 30% to 40% of his/ her time in the MENA & EE regional countries for financial support as well as cover the gap in assigned countries of Finance Managers when required. PERSON SPECIFICATION
It is essential that the post holder shows a good understanding and empathy with the Islamic values and principles as well as commitment to Islamic Relief Worldwide vision and mission.
Essential:
Knowledge, Skills and Qualifications
• Good management and financial accounting experience, including a pro-active approach to budget monitoring, reporting etc. with 3 years’ experience.
• Post graduate/Master / Bachelor Degree in Accounting & Finance and any professional qualification full/part qualify such as ACCA/CIMA/APA/CA/CMA etc. will be additional edge for candidate.
• Intensions towards personal capacity building and improving in professional qualification.
• Excellent communication skills to liaison among the stakeholders.
• Advance excel skills; in designing and manipulating reports.
• Expertise in ERP and Financial Modules usage.
• Ability to manage work load of multiple and remote locations, ability to think strategically
• High degree of computer literacy.
• Ability to adapt to new situations and needs.
• Ability to develop and build capacities of staff.
• Ability to work as a team player in a multinational and lingual environment
Desirable:
• Demonstrable technical knowledge and substantial experience of donor reporting, project budgets, audits and financial analysis.
• Strong English communication skills (verbal as well as writing)
• Arabic language will be additional edge.
• Experience of working in insecure environment