Finance Director – Mercy Corps

  Finance Jobs in Uganda, Management Jobs in Uganda, NGO - Non-Government Organisations Jobs in Uganda, Uncategorized
Program/ Department Summary: The Finance Director 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 Uganda, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting and grant financial management and compliance. The Finance Director, 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.
Working in transitional environments, Mercy Corps is moving from well-targeted short-term humanitarian assistance to a much larger program strategy of market facilitation. By addressing a number of overlapping and associated needs within a wide range of activities (livelihoods, peace building, agriculture, water and sanitation, health and nutrition, and economic development) Mercy Corps is taking a very integrated approach to ensure the greatest possible impact. The Districts in which Mercy Corps works are generally the most marginalized, poverty stricken, and conflict prone.
General Position Summary: Working in the Uganda program under the direction of the Country Director, the Finance Director is responsible for all aspects of financial and administrative management of the country program, ensuring compliance with Mercy Corps internal policies and procedures as well as donor regulations. Mercy Corps has been operating in Uganda since 2006 and directly implements programs in the northern Districts of Pader, Agago, Kitgum, Lamwo, Abim, Kaabong and Kotido with funding from USAID/Food for Peace (FFP), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), European Commission (EC), as well as Private Donations. Over the past few years Mercy Corps Uganda has experienced significant growth that has resulted in the expansion into new districts and the development of more strategic partnerships and alliances under a much stronger development initiative.
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.
  • Develop annual fiscal year budgets with the Country Director and develop and implement grant budgeting and forecasting systems with Program Managers. Develop annual fiscal year budgets with the Country Director and develop and implement grant budgeting and forecasting systems with Program Managers.
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 USAID and other donor/government representatives to convey information about programs as appropriate.
  • Communicate with our partners, as well as our sub-grantees (World Vision, Techno-Serve), 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
  • Plan and implement effective and transparent systems for financial operations in both the main country office and in field offices in accordance with the Mercy Corps Field Finance Manual and donor regulations, including systems for cash flow management, budgeting, consolidation of accounting information, internal controls, financial reporting, financial record-keeping, grant management and compliance.
  • 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.
  • Analyze compensation packages, taxation requirements and human resource policies for local staff to ensure that Mercy Corps’ has adequately accounted for the financial impact of local staff compensation and benefits.
  • 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.
  • Review and monitor partners’ financial reporting and compliance. Provide additional technical assistance to local partners as necessary to maintain high standards of compliance.
  • Perform internal audits and reviews as required to ensure compliance with Mercy Corps and donor requirements.
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- 3 direct and 8 indirect.
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 + of progressive financial management experience, including supervisory experience required.
  • At least 4 years’ experience in grants management as well as an understanding of 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.
  • 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.
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:
The Finance Director is based in Kampala (Capital City). The location is accompanied and secure. Kampala is susceptible to terrorist attacks as witnessed by the World Cup bombings but continues to provide a fairly secure living environment with many of the amenities you would expect in a capital city. Housing is individual accommodation with unlimited freedom of movement beyond the house/office. There are four major International Schools in Kampala. Staff have decent access to medical, electricity, water, healthcare, etc. One can anticipate the occasional power and/or water outages. This position requires 35% travel by road and air to field offices in less secure environments.
Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. The position holder is expected to conduct him/herself in a professional manner and respect the local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Mercy Corps is an AA/EOE
How to apply: 

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