Finance Manager Save the Children

ROLE PURPOSE:

Finance Manager is responsible for the overall award budgeting, financial management, Partner financial management and donor reporting. This holder of the role is also responsible for financial and grants compliance aspects as well as supervision and mentoring of the finance and non-finance teams.  The post holder ensures high quality services to clients are in line with SCI Policies and Procedures in both a development and humanitarian response context.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Head of Finance

Staff directly reporting to this post: Budget & Reporting officer or/and Partnership Assistant/Project Finance Officer

Budget responsibility: none

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Budget Preparation, Management and Monitoring

• Responsible for the overall day-to-day activities of budgeting, donor reporting and Partnership unit.
• Lead the development of cost proposals for new programs as well as for existing grant modifications by ensuring all relevant stakeholders are involved in the budgeting process
• Lead the development of the master budget and ensure all Non Thematic costs/assumptions are included and up to date
• Maintains information on budget availability for all grants
• Ensures budgets in BVA report are updated on a periodic basis
• Produces high quality Budget vs. Actuals (BvA) analyses to support budget holders in their budget management.
• Participated in monthly budget monitoring meetings, identifying any areas of slow or fast burn rates or other challenges. Ensures all follow actions are addressed after the BvA meetings
• Provides advice/training to budget holders on budget management and budget phasing
• Review the reclassifications proposed by program staff for eligibility in line with donor regulations and in line with Save the Children Financial policies
• Review expenses on a monthly basis to insure the correctness of booking/coding, eligibility and compliance with the donor policies and procedures.
• Reviews CAM produced entries based on allowable and allocable criteria
• Carries out inductions and staff trainings for finance procedures, donor requirements etc

Grant / Contract Management and Compliance

• Ensures compliance with all donor requirements and advises budget holders on compliance issues.
• Advises budget holders on how best to utilise a programme’s funding portfolio
• Ensures donor regulations are communicated to all staff and that all activities meet donor requirements.
• Ensures all donor financial reports are submitted on the timely fashion without any delays
• Lead on award close out processes and reconciliation (financial aspects only).

Sub-award management

• Responsible for the financial aspects of partnership management
• Lead all partner finance-related due diligence, assessments, vetting and selection processes
• Reviews potential sub-grantees’ proposals and budgets
• Participates in the process of awarding sub-grants/sub-contracts
• Review/amend/draft partnership agreement
• Organize/provide necessary technical assistance/capacity building trainings to cover capacity gaps identified
• Reviews sub-grantees / sub-contractor’s financial reports and ensure all variances between the budgets and actuals have been properly explained
• Conducts field visits to sub-grantees to check the financial report supporting documents.
• Ensures compliance with all donor requirements and advises budget holders on compliance issues.
• Ensures donor regulations are communicated to partner staff and all activities meet donor requirements
• Lead on sub-award and sub-award close out processes and reconciliation

Robust financial controls and compliance, – ensuring the integrity of financial accounts and control environment in an efficient and effective Finance Operations

• Support the oversight of day-to-day management of Lusaka Finance unit.
• Ensure all processed payments are properly reviewed, properly supported and complete, accurately coded, dually approved and timely processed.
• Liaise with the budget holders on exceptional cases, understand the engagements and provide necessary guidelines/solutions to both program and finance staff on actions need to be taken to mitigate the potential risks. Recommend change in the process if such a need arises.
• Checking on the accurateness of the vouchers before the payments and sign off.
• Oversee the voucher posting processes to ensure all vouchers are recorded and posted to the system.
• Lead on month end processes and draft Monthly financial report.
• Lead year end as well as grant specific audits audit engagements.  Ensure the process is timely scheduled and completed in a timely fashion. Work closely with Head of Finance to address the findings.
• Coordinate regularly with finance contact persons in field offices to ensure accurate and timely closing of monthly accounts and implementation of SCI policies and procedures
• Ensure adequate liquidity  at the country office while remaining within the acceptable levels as per the regional office requirements
• Advise both finance and non-finance staff over matters of internal control compliance periodically review the suitability of the existing controls to ensure they are adequate to minimise the risk exposure of SCI and that they reinforce the proper implementation of programs
• Team development – building a high performing team to deliver the Country finance strategy plan

Undertake recruitment and induction for new finance staff

• Conduct regular performance review and feedback with direct support staff
• Coaching and mentoring staff to be able to take up other roles and responsibilities within the department.
• In liaison with Human Resources department, develop finance staff directly supervised as an effective and motivated team by implementing a continuous professional development programme Promote togetherness and team spirit through departmental meetings and during face-to-face performance review.

Payroll Management.

• Timely and accurate payroll preparation
• Filling of PAYE and NAPSA returns
• Preparation of all payroll related journals and ensure they are posted timely in the accounting system.

Other Responsibilities

• Assists in preparation of all documents for audits and facilitates the work of the auditors in-country
• Regularly familiarizes themselves with relevant local laws including taxation and social security laws and serves as a resource for the office on such laws
• Regularly familiarizes themselves with donor requirements on grants and contracts and serves as a resource for budget holders on these donor requirements.
• Review Monthly cash projections on budget availability for each awards
• Review SODs on a monthly basis to ensure the completeness of the awards and the accurateness of the respective budget holders.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our 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 others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
  Future orientated, thinks strategically.

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

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• BS in Accounting/Finance or any other related Fields
• At least of 5 years’ relevant progressive working experience working with International NGOs in a humanitarian and development setting, of which 3 years should be at finance management level.
• Strong accounting skills and experience, including management of the general ledger, journal entries, payroll, payables and balance sheet analysis.
• Excellent analytical skills – the ability to analyse complex financial data and design and produce effective management information.
• Previous experience with various donors financial policies and guidelines including USAID, Europe Aid, Sida, CIDA, UNICEF, UNHCR, ECHO, and other institutional donors
• Understanding of financial systems and procedures.
• Experience of computerised accounts packages, Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
• Good sense of responsibility.
• Excellent organizational & communications skills
• Good proficiency in spoken and written English
• Good computer skills especially in spreadsheet & data analysis (excel & access) and familiarity with accounting software is preferred.
• Ability and willingness to change work practices and hours, and work with incoming teams in the event of major emergencies
• Commitment  to  and  understanding  of  Save  the  Children’s  aims,  values  and principles  including rights-based approaches