Ethiopia: Country Financial Controller (National position), Ethiopia

Job Title:

Country Financial Controller (CFC) - (This is a national position)

Reports to:

Country Director (CD)

Direct reports:

Grant and Compliance Unit and Finance Unit at Head Office in Addis Ababa while supervise technically field based Finance staff

Liaises with:

Internally: Concern Ethiopia SMT and CMT members, all Concern staff, Dublin Finance

Externally: close liaison with the Concern legal advisor, Financial Institutions, other INGOs, ChSA and any other relevant external stakeholders

Job Location:

Addis Ababa with travel to the field bases

Term of Employment:

Indefinite contract after successfully accomplished of probationary period.

Job Purpose:

As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) and Country Management Team (CMT), the CFC contributes to the development and management of the overall country programme, ensuring effective and efficient financial system support to programme implementation in both a development and an emergency context. Reporting to the Country Director (CD), take specific responsibility for overall financial control and management of the country programme and specific projects budgets and expenditures ; ensuring the country programme is in line with Concern Worldwide financial policies and procedures ; maintain the accounting system ; prepare and submit annual budget and budget revisions ; prepare and submit Financial Report Packages (FRP) and specific projects financial reports ; ensure financial team capacity is duly reinforced. Represent Concern to relevant external stakeholders as necessary

Main duties &

Responsibilities:

Senior Management role:

• Participate in the management of the country programme’s strategic issues through involvement in decision making in the SMT and CMT
• Participate in the development of Concern Ethiopia’s Country Strategic Plan (CSP) in collaboration with all relevant staff and third parties as necessary
• Support the Programme Directors and Country Director in the analysis of potential new programme areas, including ensuring comprehensive analyses of financial issues
• Produce strategic analysis and plans to introduce the use of innovative financial tools to support programmes more efficiently

Financial Control:

· Ensure that financial policies and procedures are implemented in a standardized manner in all Concern Ethiopia locations

· Ensure that adequate procedures are implemented within finance, that adhere to HQ rules, regulations and guidelines and government requirements and that revisions of the Financial Manual are carried out in collaboration with HQ and the regional accountant

· Ensure that field office management prepares and obtains approval for annual field budgets

· Assist Area Coordinators and local partners (where relevant) in the preparation of budgets and financial reports

· Ensure that monthly management accounts are provided timely to Senior Managers and Budget Holders

· Monitor all financial activities and keep the Country Director/Senior Management Team advised of all situations which have the potential for a negative impact on financial performance

· Be responsible for coordinating external / internal audits, and initiate and implement actions necessary to correct weaknesses

· Maintain up-to date knowledge of and implement national government requirements and regulations related to financial matters

· Oversee financial assessments of partners in line with Concern Worldwide’s standard procedures

Financial Reporting:

· Responsible for the overall management and supervision of the Grant and Compliance and Finance Units, ensuring that they produce relevant, timely and accurate reports for HQ and external agencies/donors

· Producing monthly management accounts and working with the programme teams and budget holders to understand their expenditure reports (management accounts and donor status reports) and budgets

· Preparing the Financial Reporting Pack (FRP), as well as the annual budget and budget revisions by agreed deadlines

· Ensuring that proper and effective audits of field finances are carried out on an annual basis

Treasury:

· Oversees the timely preparation, review and approval of all monthly bank account and cash reconciliations

· Design, implement and monitor systems and procedures necessary to maintain accurate forecasts of cash requirements

· Be responsible for the timely preparation and follow-up/handling of Cash Transfer Requests to HQ as well as between the sub offices and the head office in-country and ensure that appropriate balances are maintained

· Maintain up-to-date records of all grant payments made by donors and in consultation with the Country Managers and HQ, follow-up and supervise the timely collection of contractual and other receivables including outstanding payments from donors

Budget:

· Coordinate and provide technical support and guidance to all budget holders in the preparation of the country operating annual budget and revisions

· Ensure that all budgets (annual & donor) are reviewed & approved by the Country Director and submitted to HQ in a timely manner

· Assist Programme Directors (PDs) and Area Coordinators (ACs) with the preparation of donor budgets, ensure compliance with donor regulations and ensure their incorporation into the country annual operating budget

*People Management:**

• Manage senior Finance Department staff, contributing to their capacity building and career development through technical support and on-the-job training and coaching, including in particular a thorough induction at the start of their contract
• Ensure that all department positions have accurate job descriptions and that each member of the team fully understands outcomes which are expected of them, by setting SMART objectives, and that they are aware of the success criteria relating to their work
• Facilitate and provide basic training, technical support and guidance to the country programme staff for skills improvement in the areas of budget preparation and monitoring, budget revisions, reporting, and internal controls
• Ensure that all department staff are aware of and comply with all of Concern’s policies and procedures

Representation:

• Stand in for the CD when necessary to represent Concern at relevant government, donor, UN or inter agency meetings
• With the CD, contribute to national-level NGO / UN coordination efforts to facilitate effective humanitarian intervention in the country

*Other:***

• Undertaking regular field visits to assess the financial systems in place & implement improvements wherever needed
• Take active measures to address equality issues, particularly relating to gender, in programme as well as operational (eg HR) activities.
• Be aware of, understand and comply with all of Concern’s policies and procedures (finance, logistics etc)
• Be aware of, understand, comply with and be a model of Concern’s HR policies like P4 and Code of Conduct
• Actively participate in any emergency response if necessary.Undertake other related duties as may reasonably be assigned by the Country Director

Emergency response

Concern is committed to responding to emergencies efficiently and effectively in order to help affected people meet their basic needs, alleviate suffering and maintain their dignity. To this end, when emergencies strike and Ethiopia Programme is to respond, all staff are required to actively participate in the response, regardless of location and contribute to the efforts aimed at achieving the humanitarian objective of the organization.

Person specification:

Essential

• Professionally Qualified Accountant ACCA, CIMA, ACA, CPA
• At least 6 years’ experience with an NGO working as an accountant at managerial level, 2 - 3 years at a senior management level
• Experience with computerized accounting packages, ideally Microsoft Great Plains
• Fluent English (written and spoken)
• Computer literate and excellent knowledge of Excel
• Experience of leading and managing a diverse team of senior staff
• Excellent organisational and planning skills. Strong problem solving and analytical skills
• Flexible and adaptable approach to working in a changing environment
• Ability to work under pressure with numerous deadlines, and priorities

Desirable

• Experience of a range of donor rules and regulations, particularly OFDA, UN-OCHA, EU and ECHO
• Empathy with Concern’s mission, vision and goals and our target group
• Experience of both development and emergency contexts
• Cross cultural awareness and sensitivity
• Willingness to travel frequently to rural field locations and experience fairly basic conditions

Salary : As per the organization scale

Posting Date: 28^th February 2018

Closing date: 9^th March 2018

Interested applicants should send non-returnable C.V., application letter outlining how their experience and education fit this vacancy, please note that no need to submit your supporting documents at this level:

Concern Ethiopia, Human Resource Department

www.ethiojobs.netORethiopia.recruitment@concern.netOR

P.O. Box 2434, Addis Ababa.

Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these two documents.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted