Finance Director

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Background and Objectives of the FCDO Programme Empowering Survivors of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment (ES-SEAH).

The ES–SEAH programme aims to enhance the reporting of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) committed by aid workers, while also strengthening survivor-centered responses. This initiative will support women’s rights organizations (WROs) in assisting survivors through SEAH case management and will engage agencies to hold perpetrators accountable and provide a survivor-centered response. Concurrently, participatory action research will be conducted to identify effective reporting mechanisms and community-based SEAH prevention strategies. The programme will be tested in three different contexts—humanitarian, development, and peacekeeping—to understand how to improve SEAH reporting and response through WROs in various settings and to inform the broader safeguarding sector.

The Finance Director will be responsible for overseeing financial management and financial operations for the FCDO ES-SEAH. Acting as the principal finance business partner to the Project Director and other Senior Management team, the Finance Director provides the leadership and management necessary to ensure the project has the appropriate financial infrastructure and systems in place to support the smooth project implementation. The Finance Director will ensure the assistance complies with FCDO rules and regulations and the host countries’ labor, tax, and other relevant laws. S/he will contribute to the development of the Project’s strategic and operational plans and be accountable for ensuring and monitoring delivery against the financial plans through targeted and comprehensive financial analytical review. Additionally, the Finance Director will coordinate their work with IRC Finance Unit to enforce internal controls over the ES-SEAH.

Job Responsibilities:

• Ensures that all policies and procedures are in compliance with IRC and FCDO policies, procedures, and requirements.

• Establishes project’s finance and supporting function policies, systems and procedures, and directs or performs their development, documentation, and implementation.

• Manages project finance activities and schedules to meet the financial reporting requirements and deadlines specified by IRC HQ and FCDO. Prepares quarterly accrual reports, expenditure reporting, and burn rate projections.

• Provides project management and program staff with monthly actual-to-budget expenditure reports and analysis for project funds and facilitate the review and discussion.

• Ensures balance sheet reconciliations are completed monthly and on a timely basis and review final reconciliations and trial balances with the Project Director.

• Closely monitors all financial activities, and keeps the Project Director advised of all situations which have the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial performance.

• Directs the preparation of and approval of all FCDO financial reports in respect to accounting, legal and contractual requirements and ensures the review of such reports by the Project Director and HQ prior to submission.

• Enforces internal control policies and procedures.

• Maintains current knowledge of local government requirements related to financial matters and ensures compliance with tax regulations and other legal requirements.

• Establishes project finance roles and responsibilities matrix; ensures job descriptions are current; recruits and maintains qualified staff to perform finance functions.

• Develops and implements a training program for the project’s finance staff.

• Ensures constructive performance reviews are completed on a timely basis and facilitates discussion of performance and career options with project finance staff.

• Supervises all project office bank relations and bank account activities including negotiation of fees, interest and currency exchange rates.

• In compliance with IRC policy, establishes policies regarding cash holding limits, cash movements and foreign currency holdings of the project.

• Oversees the timely preparation, review and approval of all monthly bank account and cash reconciliations.

• Designs, implements, and monitors systems, procedures and reporting necessary to maintain on current basis accurate forecasts of cash requirements for meeting future spending, including commitments entered into and which obligate IRC to future spending.

• Supervises the preparation of Cash Transfer Requests to IRC HQ and ensures that appropriate cash balances are maintained to facilitate project implementation.

• Assists with the preparation and revision of project budgets.

• Prepares the annual and monthly cash budgets based on approved funding.

• Prepares monthly pipeline analysis (spending forecast) on the project in coordination with the technical team.

• Coordinates and reconciles spending forecasts with Project Director to reflect realistic data.

Requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in Accounting, Business Administration, Commerce or Finance with a recognized professional certificate in accounting such as CPA, or a master’s degree in Accounting.

• Minimum of 10 years in similar financial, compliance, or operational role in managing and supporting $7 million or larger FCDO funded projects and other Institutional Donor projects in similar contexts;

• Experience with budgeting and financial reporting requirements on $7 million or larger FCDO, or other Institutional Donor funded projects;

• Experience with financial management and reporting on projects with substantial subaward components;

• Strong knowledge of generally accepted accounting practices, financial reporting standards, financial management processes and procedures

• Familiarity with FCDO rules and regulations including applicable laws.

• Extensive experience in working with computerized accounting systems (ERP), standard spreadsheet and database programs, and advanced and demonstrated/practical skills in Microsoft Excel.

• Must have a proven track record of proactively identifying and communicating potential problems and proposing solutions.

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and professional patience and be able to interact, partner and thrive in a diverse environment.

• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop relations with diverse teams.

• Good written and verbal skills in English.

Recruitment for this role is contingent upon the successful award of the project to the IRC. The final applicant’s selection is subject to FCDO approval.

**Standard of Professional Conduct:**The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.

More Information

• Job City Kenya