TITLE: Finance Manager – Financial Accounting,controls and Compliance South Sudan Country Office
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Finance
LOCATION: Juba, South Sudan (with up to 25% travel to field locations)
GRADE: TBC
CONTRACT LENGTH: 24 months
CHILD SAFEGUARDING:
Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.
ROLE PURPOSE:
The jobholder has overall responsibility of the Financial Accounting function. They will also be responsible for ensuring best in class financial controls, compliance and management at field office level – including capacity buiding; implementing efficient & effective processes; improving and ensuring compliance with internal control systems.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Finance Director
Staff reporting to this post:
- 3 direct reports – Finance Coordinator-Accounts Payable, Financial Accountant-Payroll, Finance Coordinator-controls.
- Technical supervision of field based finance staff in respect to financial accounts (8 staff)
Budget Responsibilities: None
Role Dimensions: Save the Children works throughout South Sudan with 11 field offices, approximately 700 staff and expenditure of USD 52 million / anum.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :
Financial systems and procedures
- Assist the Finance Director in ensuring smooth implementation and updating of robust and adequate financial systems and procedures in line with SCIs finance Policy and good accounting practices
- Develop and update the finance diary that covers all the required activities on a monthly basis and lead staff to ensure that the diary is strictly adhered to.
- Ensure that all financial transactions are fully supported and that they are all captured in AGRESSO on a daily basis; make sure that regular backups are taken and stored off site.
- Prepare monthly and quarterly financial diaries for both AGRESSO and sub-office finance systems and ensure its strict adherence to the HQ deadlines
- Maintain and ensure the integrity of the SCI’ computerized accounting systems and liaising with Regional Finance Team for any required support
Financial records and transactions
- Carry out sensibility and control checking before and after posting sub-office transactions into AGRESSO. The post holder is expected of travelling to review financial records maintained in the field offices in compliance with managing member’s policies and procedures
- Follow up HQ transactions from London and make sure that all are processed in the time and accurately.
Financial reports
- Responsible for timely, accurate and efficient financial reporting (both electronic and manual field returns) to head office
- Responsible for ensuring that reconciliation of balance sheet/control accounts are carried out on monthly basis and ensuring that year-end accounting procedure are met consistently and that any discrepancies are reported to the Finance Director.
Financial and system controls
- Ensure safe security of cash in the office and coordinate weekly and monthly cash counts, including spot counts
- Ensure that systems are put in place to assure document security for a complete audit trail from the AGRESSO records to supporting documentation and vice versa.
- Ensure the effective and efficient use of all Save the Children resources in order to keep costs low and ensure the security of staff.
- Ensure payroll is completed on time and accurately, with robust controls in place.
- Coordinate Solving of country programme System issues (Pro-Save and Accounts Payable) between Finance and Supply Chain teams
- Ensuring that all System Payments are cleared within the month
- Ensuring that online Scheme of Delegations is updated on Monthly basis and shared with all the stakeholders
- Overseeing and monitoring System (Pro-save) KPI targets and ensuring payment performance KPI targets are met.
- Ensure that all financial transactions are recorded in an accurate and consistent manner and in accordance with agreed timelines and ensure that the monthly financial work plan is adhered to.
- Monitor coding of expenditures and ensure timely adjustments when activation of new awards with relevant audit trail
- Check the correctness of payment vouchers and supporting documentation for all the area offices and/or local implementing partner, recommend the necessary improvements and follow up actions and ensure the supporting documents are fully compliance with SCI and donor requirements
Audit function
- Lead on annual statutory audits and the financial component of donor audits. Key focus on proactive financial controls, management and supporting documentation in order to ensure 0 disallowances.
- Work on the management responses on the audit reports.
Staff Leadership, Mentorship, and Development
- Ensure appropriate staffing and efficient & effective organisation design within the Financial Accounts Function.
- Ensure that all staff understand and are empowered to perform their role.
- Manage team; define expectations, provide leadership and technical support as needed, and evaluate direct reports regularly.
- Recruitment, training, and professional development of team as part of the wider staff development strategy.
- Performance Management :
- Effective use of the Performance Management System including the establishment of clear, measureable objectives; ongoing feedback; periodic reviews; and fair and unbiased evaluations;
- Coaching, mentoring and other developmental opportunities;
- Recognition and rewards for outstanding performance;
- Documentation of performance that is less than satisfactory, with appropriate performance improvements/ work plans
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:
- holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
- holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
- sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same.
- widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
- future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration:
- builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters.
- values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength.
- approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:
- develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
- willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
- honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.
QUALIFICATIONS
- BA Degree in Finance and Accounting, Business Administration, or other relevant discipline.
- Chartered Accountant (CPA, ACMA, ACA, ACCA) strongly recommended.
EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
Essential
- Minimum of 5 years management experience in a corporate or an NGO environment, of which three at a management level within a finance department
- Strategic mindset with the ability to lead, inspire and achieve results in a challenging context
- Strong team player
- Excellent inter-personal skills and able to communicate with diverse set of stakeholders
- Strong analytical, decision making and strategic planning skills with the ability articulate complex information in an easy to understand manner
- Solutions focused with ability to identify weaknesses and drive continuous improvement
- Ability to prioritise, plan ahead, and manage a complex and diverse workload with tight deadlines
- Ability to coach, mentor, delegate appropriately and provide developmental guidance to supervised staff.
- Self starter who is willing to go the extra mile to get the job done
- Excellent understanding of business and financial planning including strategic modelling.
- Excellent understanding of financial systems, controls and procedures.
- Excellent understanding of computerised accounts packages, Excel, PowerPoint and Word
- A full appreciation of the value of co-operation, both internationally and within a team environment.
- Understanding of Save the Children’s vision and mission and a commitment to its objectives and values.
- Written and verbal fluency in English
Desireable
- 10 years within the NGO / charities sector
- Experience of working in an emergency context.
- Understanding of major donor compliance regulations (USAID, Dfid, ECHO, OFTA, etc)
Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Equal Opportunities
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.