Finance Manager at Mercy Corps Nigeria

Mercy Corps works almost exclusively in high-risk conflict and post-conflict environments. While we recognize that these are difficult places to operate, we believe that transitional environments – countries affected by civil wars, economic and political crisis, or natural disasters – also offer tremendous opportunities for positive change. In Nigeria Mercy Corps is currently implementing programs on conflict mitigation, adolescent girl education and financial inclusion.

Position Title: Finance Manager

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Position Status: full-time, field-based, regular, exempt
Position Level: Level 5
Current Team Member: N/A

General Position Summary:
The Finance Manager is a member of the senior management team and part of the Mercy Corps Finance Department, and as such is responsible for all aspects of financial management of the country programs, working collaboratively to ensure compliance with Mercy Corps internal policies and procedures as well as donor regulations. S/he works under the direction of the Country Director and is responsible for all financial functions in Nigeria including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting and grant financial management and compliance. The Finance Manager, in support of the Program Department, provides timely reports and assistance to the Country Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.

Essential Job Functions:
Strategy and Vision

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment of empowerment.
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve objectives and contribute to country-wide strategy development.

Personal Leadership

• Consistently demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
• Demonstrate an awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs.

Representation

• Interface with the donor representatives to convey information about programs as appropriate.
• Communicate with our partner, as well as sub-grantees, to verify their systems and that they understand and follow all appropriate procedures and archiving.
• Participate in sharing best practices with NGOs and governmental agencies.

Team Management

• Create a sustainable work environment of mutual respect that attracts motivated, skilled and effective team members and enables them individually and collectively to strive to achieve excellence.
• Supervise and lead a diverse team of direct and indirect reports in field offices.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts; build constructive internal relationships; help team members identify problem solving options and ensure integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

Operations – Financial

• Ensure effective, transparent use of financial resources in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
• Maintain banking relations and plan and monitor country cash flow requirements to ensure the smooth implementation of Mercy Corps programs.
• Maintain appropriate local insurance coverage in coordination with the Admin. Department, to protect Mercy Corps.
• Provide monthly standard accounting submissions to Mercy Corps Headquarters, including general ledger files, account reconciliations, expenditures by cost center/project, required subgrantee reporting, as well as other financial information in a timely and accurate manner.
• Provide monthly management reports to the Country Director and Program Managers, including expenditures by cost center/project, subgrantee reporting and other financial information, in a timely and accurate manner.
• Develop annual fiscal year budgets with the Country Director and develop and implement grant budgeting and forecasting systems with Program Managers.

Accountability: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards 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.

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.

Supervisory Responsibility: All Finance Department staff

Accountability
Reports Directly To: Country Director
Works Directly With: HQ Regional Finance Officer (with authority for technical financial matters); members of Operations, Program Managers, TSU team members, and others.

Knowledge And Experience:

• A BA/S or equivalent in accounting or finance required; advanced degree preferred.
• At least 5+ years of progressive financial management experience, including supervisory experience required.
• At least 5 years’ experience in grants management as well as an understanding of DFID and USAID regulations required.
• At least 3 years’ international experience required; international NGO/PVO field office experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience and skill with budget preparation and analysis, financial reporting preparation and presentation and the proven ability to translate technical financial data into informative reports.
• Strong accounting skills and experience, including management of the general ledger, journal entries, payroll, payables and balance sheet.
• Prior management experience and strong organizational skills.
• Prior experience of sub-grantee management required
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel.
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills.
• Excellent oral and written English skills required.
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
• Previous experience in insecure environments.

Success Factors:
The successful candidate will have an ability to interact effectively across international and national program and finance teams successfully, both in a managerial as well as training capacity. S/he will be able to support programmatic objectives with timely and meaningful financial information, have a demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities. An impeccable professional standard of finance and procurement ethics and the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential. The Finance Manager must be willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions:
This position will likely be based in Abuja with up to 50% travel, primarily to locations within the Middle Belt states, where security is at times high-risk. Security in Abuja is generally good, although there are times when security is an issue. Housing, health care, water, electricity and consumer goods are all reasonably accessible and there are good international and domestic travel options from Abuja Airport.

Application Closing Date
31st March 2014.

Method of Application
All applications should be sent to: [email protected] with FINANCE MANAGER as the subject of the email, applications without the subject properly addressed will be disqualified. Submission should be on or before 31st March 2014.

Note: shortlisting will start as soon as we start receiving applications and deadline might be changed without prior notice. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.