Reporting to: Senior Director Global Operations, Geneva

Location: Goma, DRC with 50% travel to field and partner offices

Fixed-term assignment: 1-year assignment with possibility of renewal

Background

Interpeace is an international organization for peacebuilding that supports locally led peacebuilding initiatives around the world. Interpeace tailors its approach to each society and ensures that the work is locally driven. Together with local partners and local teams, Interpeace jointly develops peacebuilding programmes and helps establish processes of change that connect local communities, civil society, government and the international community.

As a strategic partner of the United Nations, Interpeace is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and has offices around the world.

For more information about Interpeace, please visit www.interpeace.org

Position within the Organization

The Senior Finance and Administration Manager is a member of the Global Operations Unit which encompasses Finance, IT, Administration, Legal, Internal Audit and HR. The Global Operations Unit is led from the Headquarters office in Geneva, although team members are based in different locations around the world including in Bosnia, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala, Switzerland, Kenya, and Libya.

Under regular supervision from the Senior Director of Global Operations and in coordination with the Senior Finance and Administration Manager of Nairobi, the Finance and Administration Manager of DRC manages the finance and administration function for the DRC country in compliance with Interpeace’s policies, standards and procedures, internationally accepted financial reporting and accounting standards, donor’s requirements and government rules and regulations. The Senior Finance and Administration Manager supervises Finance Officers, Operations Support Officers and the administration team for DRC.

The Senior Finance and Administration Manager works closely with Programme managers and officers to deliver coordinated, coherent and compliant financial management for all programmes in DRC country. The position also interacts frequently with auditors providing information and justification for financial management in the region. S/he also works closely with implementing partners and other Interpeace offices to oversee, monitor and build their capacity for financial management.

Purpose and General Overview

The position is responsible for:

• Adequate financial management (accounting and budget management) of the programmes implemented through local Partners and Interepace’s teams working from the different offices in the country, including accuracy of data, in time monthly closing, properbudget management and coverage plan, capacity building, compliance, and audit
• Financial internal reporting and external to donors or external compliance actors
• Oversight of all audits in the country in coordination with the Sen Dir of Global Operations
• Management of existing financial systems and recommendations for improvement/enhancement of the systems
• Oversight of the Administration function, responsible for the day to day running of the office in Kinshasa
• Supporting other departments (HR in recruitment, payroll, taxes, etc; Programme managers and officers on policies, procedures and financial information; etc) and especially the Country Representative and legal representative in DRC.
• Mentor and coordinate the direct reports and extended team

The Senior Finance and Administration Manager is expected to travel frequently within the country and internationally as necessary.

Key objectives

• Oversee accounting and budget management for the country programme including 7 partners and 5 offices of Interpeace.
• Ensure legal compliance in country
• Respond to the different external audits (statutory and project) and internal controls checks on monthly basis for each accounting unit.
• Develop a strong collaboration within Kinshasa office and with other country offices and departments that can respond to national needs in terms of donor reporting, statutory reporting and global needs from Interpeace Nairobi and HQ.
• Oversee the implementation of Sunsystems in DRC, Kinshasa Office and support the roll out of QuickBooks to the partners.
• Help maintain and continue building close collaboration between the Programme teams and Finance teams in the country and with Nairobi office and HQ.
• Engage with and support the development of local partner financial systems and capacities.
• Provide guidance and support to the HQ team on institutional policies, procedures, processes and manuals.

Duties and responsibilities

Specific Duties

Financial Oversight

• Ensure monthly submission of Partners’ financial accounting, oversee the monthly review and monitor the resolution of issues arising from the reviews
• Train and coach Finance Officer and Operations Support Officers on Interpeace Financial Rules and Procedures and specific contractual requirements imposed by donors. Monitor the compliance with internal and donor regulations
• Maintain the Kinshasa Office accounting, including the monthly review of Balance Sheets accounts.
• Convene weekly meetings of the Operations team of DRC to discuss current issues, workloads, upcoming deliverables and other issues as they arise.

Budgeting

• Elaborate and design project budgets in coordination with Programme and Finance colleagues to guarantee sufficient coverage of resources needed for proper implementation and respect of internal and external guidelines.
• Submit budget to Nairobi and Geneva for review and feedback before the final version of budgets are submitted to donors. Monitor that the review and approval process is documented.
• In collaboration with the DRC HR Officer, analyse compensation packages, taxation requirements, and human resource policies for staff to ensure that Interpeace has fully accounted for the full cost of staff compensation and benefits.
• Ensure that the approved donor budgets are prepared within the internal template and coded in accordance with the Interpeace Chart of Accounts (CoA) and the rest of analytical coding, to help facilitate subsequent donor reporting.
• Prepare annual operations budget for each office in DRC and review the budget forecast for the project budgets to have an updated cost coverage plan for DRC programme annually that can facilitate proper analysis, financial gaps and proper management.

Financial Management and Systems

• Approve expenses, in line with approved budget for the programmes being implemented and according to the approval matrix defined at each DRC office.
• Cash management – oversee management of the bank accounts in DRC and monitor cash balances daily.
• Oversee funds transfers to DRC offices and Partners to make sure they are funded in a timely manner, in accordance with approved budgets, to ensure the smooth implementation of Interpeace’s programmes.
• Review and approve the DRC offices and Partner Cash Transfer Requests (CTR) – monitor that these are in line with the approved partner budget(s) and are prepared and submitted in a timely manner to ensure smooth running of the programmes.
• Review existing financial systems and procedures used in the region and recommend modifications to enhance these as needed, to improve delivery. Ensure that staff members working in the region understand, follow and are trained in these procedures.
• Visit the Partners to perform capacity assessments and internal audits and reviews, as required, to ensure compliance with Interpeace’s and donor requirements. Coordinate and supervise any subsequent training that is provided as a result of the capacity assessment.
• For new programmes, monitor that the local Partners financial rules and procedures are harmonised with those of Interpeace. Ensure that the finance officer trains the new Partner’s finance teams on QB, financial and accounting procedures, record keeping, and reporting procedures.

Financial Responsibilities Reporting and Audit

• Oversee all budgets (restricted budgets approved by donors and unrestricted budgets approved by Headquarters) to ensure compliance with donor regulations as well as Interpeace’s internal policies and procedures; and to maximize cost coverage of the assigned programmes and support teams.
• Monitors that systems in DRC are set up well to prevent or detect any fraud or misappropriation of funds. He/She will monitor that the approval matrix set by Interpeace management is followed both at partner level and in DRC offices.
• Oversee the production of accurate and timely financial management information (both succinct and comprehensive) to assist Finance and Programme Officers manage the corresponding programmes. This includes Actual v/s Budgeted spending at both the Partner level and at the consolidated programme level. Review and enhance reporting and ensure there are built in checks to verify accuracy.
• Monitor the funding available to each programme (especially when this is impacted by exchange rate movements), both for the current financial year but also over the life of multi-year projects and advise Programme Officers when changes in income availability will require a budget revision.
• Provide summarised financial reporting to the Head of Global Finances monthly and ensure that internal control checks are performed and risk mitigation actions in place.
• Ensure reports are submitted in accordance with requirements and that all data submitted to external parties is validated by Headquarters prior to submission.
• Maintain an overview of the finances of each programme and review this on a regular basis with Finance and Programme Officers and the Head of Global Finance.
• Provide financial training to financial and non-financial staff and partners when needed.
• Coordinate Interpeace, Partner and donor audits for the region in line with stipulated requirements, terms of reference and donor regulations. Ensure that a timetable outlining the tasks that need to be completed is prepared in discussion with the Finance team and then used to monitor preparations leading up to the audit.
• Lead the implementation of the audit Management Letter recommendations as directed by the Senior Director of Global Operations in a systematic manner.
• Keep Interpeace management informed by reviewing and analyzing reports (audits, financial reports); summarizing information, identifying trends, risk, etc. and proposing best course of action.

Administration

• Supervise, coordinate, and support the administrative function, which includes travel and accommodation, logistics, facilities management, management of stationary and kitchen stocks
• Manage leases related to the offices in the region once approved by the Senior Director of Global Operations.
• Monitor office expenses of the DRC offices
• Oversee the opening of new bank accounts in the region, should this be required (including approval from the Senior Director for Global Operations).

Scope and Impact

• This position makes operational decisions. Operational decisions relate to the day-to-day work and are taken repetitively and as part of routine work.
• Informs the institutional finance and administration strategy and develops and leads the implementation of the regional finance strategy validated by the Head of Global Finance.
• Provides functional advice and guidance on Finance and administration to all colleagues working in DRC, with significant control responsibilities for maintaining standards.
• Work conducted by the Senior Finance and Administration Manager impacts the DRC programme.
• Is recognized as the DRC reference for finance and administration.

Planning and implementation

• Develops, plans and leads the implementation of the regional finance strategy in line with the strategic direction defined by the Head of Global Finance and the Senior Director of Global Operations.
• Informs and supports the design and planning of the global finance strategy and plan.
• Leads the implementation of the administration strategy for the offices in DRC
• Monitors, oversees and executes streamlined processes, practices and working methods to maintain high standards of financial management.

Management of Personnel and Resources

• Creates an enabling work environment that fosters learning and innovation, where staff members can achieve their potential, demonstrating gender-responsive and non-discriminatory behavior and attitudes.
• Monitors, evaluates and documents the individual performance of direct reports through a staff development lens.
• In collaboration with the Global Operations Unit, establishes and implements necessary measures that respond to the health, wellbeing, safety and security needs of the staff.
• Guided by and in close collaboration with the HR unit, recruits, motivates, develops, inspires and builds a high performance and cohesive finance and administration team in DRC
• Provides recommendations to HR on optimal use and allocation of staff development funds

Qualifications:

Candidates with relevant qualifications, experience, a tertiary degree, and working proficiency in English and French, are invited to apply.

Relevant experience and qualifications may include:

Education

• Tertiary degree and a professional qualification in finance such as Chartered Accountant, Certified Public Accountant, Master of Business Administration or equivalent.
• Professional membership with a recognized body is an added advantage.

Experience

• Experience in financial management within the context of an East and Central Africa based International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO).
• Experience managing multifunction and multicultural teams
• Advanced understanding of budget management; financial controls and financial systems.
• Proven experience and ability to work successfully as part of a diverse and multicultural team.
• Experience conducting capacity-building for partners and staff on financial systems and financial practices.

Competencies

• Excellent knowledge of financial and fiduciary concepts, including an ability to develop and manage complex budgets; create and interpret financial statements and reports; and develop/manage cash flow projections.
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of management principles as they relate to multi-cultural and complex organizations. Ability to mentor and guide personnel.
• Demonstrated understanding of Kenya tax and payroll laws and comfortable developing and maintaining a payroll system.
• Advanced accounting knowledge and operating capacity for Sun Systems, QuickBooks, and other financial management systems.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment successfully and to demonstrate gender-responsive and non-discriminatory behavior and attitudes.
• Ability to deal with confidential information and/or issues using discretion and good judgment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and French
• Advanced computer literacy in all MS Office applications.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines.
• Commitment to supporting local peacebuilding initiatives

Interpeace Competencies

• Collaboration and Weaving
• Communication
• Drive for results
• Adaptability and Continuous Learning
• Respect for Diversity