Regional Program Accountant Latin America Region and Global Projects

The Finance and Support Services Department (FSSD) provides effective delivery of IDLO’s finance, reporting, procurement, and information & communication technology to help deliver IDLO’s activities, thereby contributing to IDLO’s ability to strategically fulfill its mission.  This also encompasses the optimization of IDLO’s internal policies, and processes, and extends to its organizational planning, target-setting, and performance measurement.

The Department plays a key role in creating and implementing IDLO’s vision of a networked organization, incorporating matrix management principles and promoting an environment of shared resources.  The Department is an essential enabler to support cross-functional teams to coalesce around initiatives and projects.

Under the direct supervision of the Finance and Grants Manager, the Regional Program Accountant supports the implementation of programs, in the Latin America Region and Global Projects. The Regional Program Accountant is responsible for overall financial program cycle support, ensuring that the country offices’ financial management, for the regional countries, is performed following IDLO policies and procedures and respective donors’ rules and regulations. This role serves as a key liaison between the country offices and headquarters, ensuring financial compliance, accuracy, and the timely submission of reports.  The incumbent interacts with internal as well as external functions.

Duties & Responsibilities

Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for:

1. Accounting & Compliance

• Review monthly country office financial management reports; Ensure revenue and expenditure are booked correctly into the accounting system.
• Ensure timely month-end close of country offices, reports packages are accurate, and all data are reconciling with the accounting system (MS Navision)

• Review and check country office financial reports and transactions in line with IDLO policies and procedures; ensure that all reports comply with respective donor rules and regulations.
• Perform compliance checks to verify that costs recorded are program-related and that necessary documentations are available.
• Monitor distribution and allocation of costs between projects ensuring compliance to grant documents and IDLO chart of accounts. Identify misallocations and recommend corrective actions, in collaboration with the respective budget holders.
• Support assigned country offices during the month-end closing processes, facilitating the incorporation of accurate and verified data into the HQ financial system (MS Navision).
• Prepare monthly consolidated financial management reports documenting the outcome of the financial review, highlighting findings and recommendations proposed. Work closely with the country office finance team to implement corrective action.

2. Budgets & Reporting

• Prepare full cost budgets incorporating relevant qualitative information; provide recommendations for cost allocations between direct and indirect costs and assist with budget re-alignment.
• Monitor expenditures against budgets and cash flows monthly; identify issues as they arise and propose appropriate preventative interventions and solutions in a timely fashion, in collaboration with budget holders.
• Prepare accurate donor financial reports in approved templates, ensuring that expenditures comply with donor regulations.
• Prepare and analyse monthly budget vs actual reports ensuring accuracy. Provide updates to the budget holder highlighting keys issues.

3. Grants and Sub-grants

• Support the country offices to Coordinate the sub-granting processes, monitoring, and management systems to ensure effective and timely issuance, reporting, and oversight of all sub-grants.
• Review country offices’ findings of subgrants monitoring exercises and support the country office in ensuring timely corrective actions (including audit action plan) are taken.
• Monitor donor grants and issue invoices to facilitate drawdown of funds; administer wire fund requests to donors in a timely manner and ensure that necessary funds are available to implement program activities.

4. Treasury & forex management

• Review and approve consolidated monthly wire cash requests from the country offices for processing; ensure that all funds required are properly allocated in line with planned program activities.
• Support the Finance and Grants Manager in the preparation and update of quarterly program cash forecast.
• Monitor country office exposure to foreign currency fluctuation and advise on appropriate actions to minimize any risk. Liaise with HQ Treasury on any improvements in the processes.

5. Staff guidance and training

• Coach country offices finance team members providing necessary technical guidance on accounting issues.
• Provide expert advice and training on various donor rules and regulations.
• Guide Program team members, as the focal point for Program Finance, on IDLO financial policies and procedures.

6.  Audit

• Focal point for programme audit activities of the assigned countries and liaise with internal / external auditors providing the technical input and all necessary documentation required during audits.
• Review donor audit terms of reference and ensure they are aligned to international standards on auditing. Where applicable, provide guidance on potential conflict areas.
• Undertake regular country office visits for monitoring and compliance checks; follow up on audit recommendations and propose improvements to ensure accountability.

Education

• Recognized bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or business administration (required).
• Recognized Professional accounting certification (ACCA, CPA or equivalent).

Experience

• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive finance experience, preferably in international NGOs or intergovernmental organizations.
• Experience working with international accounting standards (IPSAS preferred).
• Prior experience in auditing and improving financial processes is desirable.
• Regional experience in Latin America is an asset.

Languages

• Fluency in English (oral and written)
• Fluency in Spanish (oral and written) would be an advantage

Technical Skills and Competencies

• Proficiency in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems (MS Navision preferred).
• Experience with business intelligence tools (e.g., Power BI).
• Strong client service orientation and team collaboration skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy in financial reporting.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in fast-paced environments.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills, including with senior management.
• Willingness to travel to country offices, including potentially unstable contexts.
• High standards of ethics, integrity, and commitment to IDLO’s values.

For this internationally professional recruited position, IDLO shall offer the selected candidate an Affiliate contract of 24 months, with possibility of extension subject to performance and availability of funding.

IDLO shall also offer a yearly basic salary of EUR 46,504 and a benefits package including provident fund contribution, medical insurance, leave entitlements in accordance with IDLO Employee Regulations and Rules. Relocation and installation support are also available for internationally recruited employees.

Salaries and benefits paid by IDLO to employees are exempt from taxation in Italy. IDLO employees are responsible for compliance with income tax laws of their country of nationality or residence and/or of any other relevant fiscal jurisdiction.

Applications will be screened on a regular basis; a qualified applicant might be recruited before the deadline. In the interest of making the most effective use of resources, only short-listed candidates will be contacted during the selection process.

IDLO is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome applications of qualified candidates of all backgrounds. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for IDLO vacancies.

IDLO does not tolerate sexual exploitation or abuse, any kind of harassment, including harassment of a sexual nature or discrimination. As such, IDLO will conduct careful reference and background checks of all selected candidates as part of its selection process.

The Application Deadline is 2 July 2025