Finance Manager

Job Title: Finance Manager

Reports to: Country Financial Controller (CFC)

Terms: Fixed Term (6 months with possible extension), Full time Unaccompanied

Location: El Geneina, West Darfur, Sudan

Salary: Grade 3 €41,108 – €45,676

Requirements: Travel toPort Sudan as well as South and West Kordofan as access allows

About Concern:

Established in 1968, Concern is a non-profit, non-governmental humanitarian organisation, dedicated to the reduction of suffering and the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Concern’s vision, our mission and our work are all defined by one goal – ending extreme poverty, whatever it takes. Concern strives for a world free from poverty, fear and oppression.

Our culture is values driven and we believe that our people are central to all that we do and are key to delivering on our goal of Reaching the Furthest Behind First. We are committed to ensuring a workplace where everybody feels valued and are enabled to succeed in their work and contribute to delivering on our mission.

Role Purpose:

Concern Worldwide has been awarded a BHA-funded multi-sectoral emergency programme with a significant health and nutrition component in West Darfur, Central Darfur, South Kordofan, and West Kordofan. The Programme Accountant will be predominantly dedicated to this grant and will be responsible to support the Country Financial Controller for overseeing all financial aspects of the grant, ensuring compliance with donor requirements, and managing budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.

You will report to the Country Financial Controller and will line manage Finance staff recruited to support the BHA programme at the field operations level in South and West Kordofan. You will liaise with administrative staff, including HR, Logistics and IT functions, the Programme team, the Operations Director and Programme Director. You will also liaise with the Regional Accountant assigned to Sudan and other headquarters finance staff.

Responsibilities:

Financial Systems

• Ensure that the programme’s financial records are well maintained
• Ensure adequate controls over the programme’s cash & bank management are constantly monitored & updated to minimise the risk of fraud or misappropriation.
• Supervise the programme’s office bank relations and bank account activities at local level. Where required in agreement with Country Financial Controller, ensure that bank accounts are selected and opened as per the procedures of Concern Worldwide.
• Closely monitor the programme’s financial activities and keep the Programme Manager and Country Financial Controller advised of all situations which have the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial management performance.
• Maintain up-to date knowledge of and implement local government requirements and regulations related to financial matters including statutory deductions from national staff salaries such as income tax, social security, etc.
• Supervise all programme office safe relations and cash box account activities
• Oversee the timely preparation, review and approval of all safe account and cash reconciliations on as regular a basis as necessary for effective financial control
• Assist the PD and CFM in ensuring compliance with Concern Worldwide policies and procedures in respect of cash management and assume responsibilities in the implementation of country specific policies such as authorisation limits, cash holding limits, cash movements, credit terms, advance payments, use of cash payment instruments.
• Be responsible for the review of fund transfer requests from the field and the timely preparation and follow-up/handling of Cash Transfer Requests to the field offices to ensure that appropriate balances are maintained to facilitate programme implementation

Financial Control

• Guided by Country Finance Controller and his/her team, ensure that Concern Worldwide financial policies and procedures are adhered to and implemented in a standardised manner.
• Oversee compilation of financial records & accounts in a timely and accurate fashion and in line with international accounting standards & donor regulations.
• Ensure that the programme’s financial operations comply with legal & statutory requirements e.g. audit & financial reporting to all relevant national authorities.
• Keep up to date with donor regulations and ensure that all controls are in place to meet donor compliance.
• Assist Country Financial Controller to manage internal and external audits that are carried out as per Concern and donor requirements; support the Country Financial Controller to prepare management responses; ensure all agreed remedial actions are undertaken in a timely manner.
• Undertake regular and random checks for compliance.
• Assist the field office budget holders in conducting the budget revision process, ensuring that appropriate levels of technical support and guidance are provided to all budget holders during the process of preparing the subsequent revisions.
• Manage the field finance department’s activities and schedules to meet the financial reporting requirements and deadlines specified by donors and Dublin HQ.
• Maintain Month End Closure file, including all signed journals and feedback from budget holders
• Ensure that steps are taken to mitigate the risks of fraud, including conducting random checks on large payments carried out in the field

Financial Reporting

• Assist the Country Financial Controller to manage timely & accurate preparation of data for the monthly management accounts for the budget-holders, and the Country Management Team to ensure that they can monitor the budget utilization and take appropriate action on any significant variances
• Assist the Country Financial Controller in preparing donor financial reports and ensure the reports are shared with relevant persons in Head Office, Desk Officer, Regional Accountant, Programme Director.
• Ensure that donor reports tie back to the general ledger from GP and donor original budgets
• Follow up and support on mapping of donor budgets against Concern Chart of Account.
• Assist with the reconciliation of the programme balance sheet items on a monthly basis, in accordance with Concern Worldwide policies & procedures.
• Assist the Country Financial Controller to provide financial analysis where necessary especially on maximizing available funds and advice to the Programme Manager.
• Assist budget holders with preparation of donor budgets; interpretation of budgeting guidelines; ensure compliance with donor regulations and ensure their incorporation into the country annual operating budget & revisions

Staff Management & Capacity Building

• Train and develop the capacity of the local finance team to ensure that a good standard of financial management is maintained.
• Train and develop the capacity of the local partners to ensure that a good standard of financial management is maintained.
• Provide line management to the Finance team.
• Undertake financial training of budget-holders, to assist them in enforcing financial controls & making decisions based on financial reports.

Partnership Accounting

• Undertake the Concern Integrated Local Partner Assessment tool (CILPAT) with potential Partners on a timely and comprehensive basis in collaboration with Programmes and Systems departments.
• Summarise CILPAT findings and recommend whether partnership is workable with available resources.
• Ensure monitoring visits and provide the necessary training to the partner to address any finance actions identified in the Capacity Building Action Plan.
• Review financial reports and transaction lists provided by the partner on a timely basis, bringing any unusual transactions and budget variations to the attention of the Chief of Party.
• Ensure all documentation relating to Concern‘s financial relationship with the partner is filed correctly and updated where necessary.
• Ensure the Partner is able to submit regular and accurate Financial Reports using the template provided by Concern. For any Partner Finance Report issues found, obtain appropriate explanations from the Partner staff before recommending the release of the following tranche of funds. Incorporate any weaknesses found on the partner report compilation into the Partner Finance Action Plan. Assist the partner in meeting any procedural requirements (whether those of Concern or of BHA) detailed in the Partner Contract.

Other financial duties and general systems support

• Actively participate in the programme management team (PMT) and be proactively involved in the decision-making processes.
• Support training of staff in budget management and systems policies and procedures as appropriate.

Confidentiality

• Ensuring the non-disclosure of any information whatsoever acquired in the course of duty, relating to the practices and business of Concern Worldwide, to any other person or Organization without authority, except in normal execution of the above duties
• Ensuring strict guardianship and security of financial data and documents at all times, including secure storage, accurate & complete filing and limiting access to the finance office to authorised personnel only
• Ensuring strict adherence to Concern Financial Procedures and Anti-Fraud Policy and remaining within the boundaries of these policies at all times

Other

• Adhere to the standards of conduct outlined in the Concern Code of Conduct and Associated Policies.
• Support and promote the standards outlined in the Concern Code of Conduct and Associated policies to the team, partner and stakeholders and be committed to providing a safe working environment.
• Actively participate in Concern accountability initiatives (communication strategy, participation and CRM for example) ensuring that they are integrated into the project
• Undertake other related duties as may reasonably be assigned by the Country Director.
• All managers are responsible for upholding and promoting Concern’s values, demonstrating leadership on workplace equality, diversity and inclusion, and role modelling a positive safeguarding ethos.
• All managers are required to actively participate in any emergency response as and when required.

Role Holder Requirements:

Required:

• Accountancy degree/masters
• 3-5 years-experience in a similar position
• Experience in developing staff technical and management capacities while motivating them
• Experience managing donor grants, in particular BHA
• Fluent in English
• Strong communication and teambuilding skills
• Empathy with Concern’s goals and a commitment to capacity building, protection and participation including Concern’s Code of Conduct and Associated Policies
• Familiarity with broader systems development including procurement, logistics, HR and IT.
• Experience of working/living in insecure and sensitive environments
• Ability to cope with stress and work under pressure to meet tight deadlines
• Ability to organize and prioritize workload, using initiative when appropriate.
• Strong attention to detail
• Analytical and problem-solving skills.

Desirable:

• Good team player, flexible and capable of working with a multinational country team,
  politically and culturally sensitive.
• Flexibility, adaptability, sense of humour, and patience.
• Facilitation and interpersonal skills.

Competencies:

• Planning and decision-making
• Individual leadership
• Communication and working with others
• Delivering results

How to apply

To apply: CVs should be submitted through our website at https://jobs.concern.net by the closing date.

Please note that Concern Worldwide does not provide Visa sponsorship.

Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be shortlisted on a regular basis and we may offer posts before the closing date.

If you have any concerns about our recruitment process and need particular assistance – for example if you have a visual impairment or are neurodivergent – please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.