Roving Finance and Compliance Manager at Mercy Corps Full Time

Job Title: Roving Finance and Compliance Manager

Requisition Number: ROVIN003029
Location: Abuja (FCT)
Employment Type: Full-time
Job Category: Finance & Compliance
Travel Required: Yes
Supervisory Responsibility: None. However, the position will require back-stopping that will have supervisory responsibility
Reports Directly To: Finance Director
Works Directly With: All Mercy Corps Nigeria team members including Department Directors/Managers, Program Directors/Program Managers, Team Leader, and headquarters team members at MCE and MC PDX, as appropriate

Program / Department Summary

• The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions in Nigeria including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and grant financial management and compliance.
• The Mercy Corps Finance Department ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures.
• To ensure that financial resources are utilized efficiently and effectively, the Finance Department ensures adequate coverage/backstopping, routine training, and ongoing support to all field offices.

General Position Summary

• Working under the Finance Director based in Abuja, the Roving Finance and Compliance Manager will support the reporting of financial information and ensure that the Country Office complies with Mercy Corps policies, procedures and donors’ grants and contracts requirements.
• In addition, this position supports the Finance Director in the overall management of the country-wide accounting, capacity building of the national team members, and with frequent travel to the field sites, plays a coordinating role with the different departments and functions within the country finance system.

Essential Job Responsibilities
Finance & Compliance Management:

• Perform financial review of purchase requests, purchase orders, and payment requests to ensure compliance with MC policies and procedures and donors’ requirements.
• Perform timely and accurate financial reviews of the monthly payroll and coordinate with HR/Admin to improve the process as needed.
• Perform compliance reviews of in-country processes including procurement, logistics, stock management, HR & Admin, and coordinate with the relevant departments to correct and improve as needed.
• Support of sub-office finance staff with frequent travels to relevant sub-offices.
• Provide advice, training, and consultation on compliance with MC policies and procedures as well as donor compliance requirements.
• Support the creation and maintenance of systems that ensure effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donors’ and Mercy Corps’ policies and procedures.
• Ensure grant files are maintained and up to date in accordance with Mercy Corps’ minimum program requirements.

Program Development & Reporting:

• Take part in the development of new programs as assigned by the Finance Director; lead the budgeting process and ensure budget proposals are in-line with Mercy Corps’ minimum requirements and donors’ regulations.
• Prepare and update monthly grant spending reports (Budget vs. Actuals, BvAs) of assigned programs if/when needed, including administrative/operational projections; work with program managers to ensure program projections are updated; together with the relevant program managers and staff members, review BvAs and projections, to ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget
• Lead the consolidation of the monthly cash-flow projections
• Consolidate and prepare financial reports including budget projections of assigned programs.

Accounting:

• With support to the finance officers in Abuja and Maiduguri, support in the process of the month-end closing including but not limited to:
  • Ensuring all transactions for the month are posted in the accounting system and reviewed for any necessary corrections;
  • Prepare timesheet allocations for international staff and review and post timesheet allocations for national staff;
  • Prepare/review of employee receivables accruals and any other relevant/required monthly accrual entries;
  • Work with HQ on tracking intercompany/interagency transactions;
  • Prepare/review necessary reclassification entries and other accounts’ adjustments;
  • Run month-close allocations in the accounting system;
  • Work with the Finance Director on monthly reconciliation of balance sheet accounts, review, monitor, and control balance sheet accounts’ balances;
• Support the Finance Director and senior finance officers in month-end and year-end HQ required reports, quarterly balance sheet reconciliation reports, fiscal year-end reports, statutory deductions reports and other taxable benefits reports.

Sub-Grants & Compliance:

• Support maintenance of a filing system for sub-grants and related documents as required by policies and regulations of Mercy Corps.
• Support in the pre-award assessment process as well as the contracting and closeout processes; ensure that all steps are properly documented in accordance with Mercy Corps’ minimum program requirements
• Help ensure subgrantee payments are on time and subgrant financial reports are properly reconciled.
• Review subgrantee financial reports, manage and assist in subgrantee site audits and follow up on subgrant compliance issues. Ensure subgrantee information is entered and updated in the accounting system on a regular basis.

Team Management:

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Provide coverage and backstopping for FMs/SFOs/FOs when on leave or under recruitment.
• Advise Finance Director on training needs for the country and provide training support to finance staff across the country
• Assist in short-term finance projects/issues and follow up on potential financial compliance issues
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
• Provide team members (new and old) with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

Strategy & Vision

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
• Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support.

Security:

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning:

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries:

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

• A University Degree in Degree in Finance, Accounting or a related Business Management field is required.
• Two to five years of finance experience, including budgeting and grant management;
• At least four years of high-level finance management experience with international NGOs.
• Strong background in compliance, donor regulations (USAID, UN agencies, FCDO and EU), and coordination with operations, program departments and partners.
• Good understanding of accounting and proven experience in managing financial systems, payroll, and balance sheet accounts.
• Experience in financial analysis and reporting within non-profit organizations.
• Experience in budgeting for various donor proposals.
• Experience in leading internal and external audit is a strong asset.
• Experience in training and capacity building of staff.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs is required, particularly Excel;
• Fluent written and oral communication in English is required.

Success Factors:

• The ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel is required.
• A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary.
• A high professional standard of finance and procurement ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential.
• The ability to take financial data and present it in meaningful financial reports is essential.
• The Roving Finance & Compliance Manager must be willing to travel to all Mercy Corps field offices and project sites for short and long term assignments.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions:

• The Roving Finance and Compliance Manager is based in the capital city Abuja.
• Air travel is necessary to get to some field locations.
• Mobile phones services are widely available.
• Internet is available in all Mercy Corps offices with some inconsistencies in the most remote sites.
• This position requires frequent travel by road and air to field offices.
• Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on short term assignments.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges.
• We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
• We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

• Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis.
• We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have a sustained global impact.
• We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all.
• We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics:

• Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary-General and IASC.
• We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members.
• As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and adhere to the Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times.
• Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Application Closing Date
Tuesday; 15th, November 2022.

Note

• Applicants should have their CV and Cover Letters in one document not more than four (4) pages long, addressing the position requirements.
• Female candidates who are qualified are strongly encouraged to apply.