Finance and Subawards Coordinator - (Nationals Only)

Description

The Position

• 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.

• Ensure effective, transparent use of financial resources in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
• Maintain banking relations and plan and monitor field cash flow requirements to ensure the smooth implementation of Mercy Corps programs.
• Ensure monthly standard accounting submissions from the respective field offices, including account reconciliations, financial analysis of month end transactions by award for accurate coding, as well as other financial analysis and information in a timely and accurate manner.
• Provide monthly management reports to the Program Managers and senior management teams including expenditures by fund/project, cost analysis reports, and other financial information, in a timely and accurate manner.
• Monitor and analyze grant budgets and spending, and in coordination with program managers initiate and prepare required budget realignments
• Lead the proposal budget development and play key role on the proposal development team; ensure that budgets are in line with Mercy Corps’ requirements and donors’ regulations.
• Develop and regularly update grant budgeting and forecasting systems with Program Managers.
• Set up and maintain the grant files, maintain, and distribute current copies of the approved coded budgets to all relevant parties.
• Lead in the roll out of finance systems and procedure documentation in the field offices, ensure that all finance transactions follow Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Manage grant closeout process ensuring that all final expenditures are captured in time, expenses and program commitments fully reconciled against the budget balance and process documented. Ensure all finance files are archived and secured as per the Mercy Corps procedures
• Perform the financial review of purchase requests, purchase orders, and payment requests to ensure compliance with MC policies and procedures and donors grants and contracts requirements.  
• Ensure that any required donor exemptions and/or pre-approvals are secured prior to incurring the expenditure
• Perform compliance reviews of field office processes including procurement, logistics, stock management, HR, Admin, and coordinate with the relevant departments to correct and improve as needed   
• 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
• Help identify efficient and effective solutions to issues while ensuring compliance with Mercy Corps’ policies and donor regulations,
• Perform follow-up and resolutions for internal and external audit recommendations to improve or enhance the internal control environment.

• Participate in the design of new initiatives that require partnership and support the program team in managing relationships with partners.
• Maintain coherent and assertive coordination and communication with the BEDEC management team and partners.
• Work with the Program team to facilitate competitive partners selection processes in accordance with the BEDEC partnership Toolkit and SOP and sub-awards manual.
• In coordination with the program team, review sub-award applicants’ proposal, budgets and budget narratives for completeness, cost realism, and compliance with budget requirements.
• Conduct detailed pre-award assessment and other due diligence and provide the report to inform teams’ partnership decisions.
• Support the program team in timely drafting, modification, and submission of subaward agreement and coordinate and follow up on required approvals.
• With support of the program team to develop partner monitoring plans and regularly monitor field activities and financial utilization.
• Review partners’ financial reports for correctness and completeness and ensure that reports are submitted on time.
• Develop and maintain sub-award records and ensure sub-award expenditure reports are filed in accordance with the field finance manual and sub-award manual.
• Ensure timely review of sub-awardee financial related documents to facilitate timely processing of  partners’ payments and reconcile sub-award financial tracking to general ledger reports.
• Facilitate sub-award financial close-outs, including ensuring that all requirements of the sub-award agreement have been met and that sub-award funds have been properly settled.  

• Prepare and update monthly grant spending reports (Budget vs. Actuals, BvAs) including administrative/operational projections; work with the Finance Manager 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, on scope and on budget.
• Lead the consolidation of the monthly cash-flow projections for the project
• Consolidate and prepare financial reports including budget projections of the project
• Participate in key programmatic initiatives; provide necessary guidance and support from finance and compliance perspective with effort to remove any bottlenecks in the implementation process and support efficient programming.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with in-country program and operations teams, and Mercy Corps stakeholders.  

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

• Project Finance Department staff (Finance Assistant).

• A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in relevant field Accounting, Finance and Commerce.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in donor funded grants accounting, sub award management, partnerships, program narrative, expense reporting and administration.
• At least 5 years’ experience in grants management as well as an understanding of UN agencies, US Government, EU, FCDO, SIDA and other bilateral donors’ regulations
• 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.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel and Navigator accounting system.
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills.
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.

Equal Employment Opportunity