Business Support Manager at Oxfam

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Oxfam is an international confederation of 17 organizations (affiliates) committed to creating a just world without poverty. In Nigeria Oxfam works in the areas of Economic Justice/Sustainable Livelihoods, Humanitarian Programming to save lives, Advancing Gender Justice and Good Governance, adopting a right based approach.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

 

 

Job Title: Business Support Manager

Requisition ID: 10285
Location: Abuja
Internal Grade: B2
Contract Type: Open ended contract
Department: Finance & Business Support
Reports To: Country Director
Staff reporting to this post: Finance Managers, Supply & Logistics Manager, ICT, Business Development Advisor (matrix)

Team Purpose

• To provide a professional, business -focussed finance, logistics, IT and administrative management service, through a proactive solution-based approach for resolving issues and ensuring that the operational business requirements are effectively managed in order to deliver on organisational results with the focus to developing capacity and expertise in Oxfam and its partner organisations

Job Purpose

• This is a key role on the Leadership Team and will provide financial and risk management service to Oxfam Country Office in Nigeria by developing business intelligence that supports program decisions and performance management.
• The job holder will provide strategic overview and management of Finance, Procurement & Logistics and Information Communication & Technology; leading on business process reengineering initiatives that will ensure appropriate integration with user departments.
• The job holder will reinforce value for money criteria in close cooperation with the program and management units.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities
Performance Management & Business Intelligence:

• Steward performance management. Lead business intelligence activities, performing proactive monitoring and analysis to drive strategic business decisions and continuous improvement activities:
  • Support the development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and action planning to meet targets
  • Understand the key drivers / scenarios that impact performance
  • Analyse the impact of different financing strategies on programs
  • Monitor and perform high level portfolio analysis of budget vs. actual (BVA).
  • Ensure financial sustainability of programs and work in the country
• Respond to informational requests from the Executing and Partner Affiliates and the West Africa Regional Platform and be the main contact point for information for all on matters to do with programme support.
• Take prompt and definite action on non-compliance with policy and practice.
• Oversee the design and management of regular performance assessments and reviews of partner organisations, to ensure that the capacity building programme is delivering agreed results, making necessary adjustments as circumstances change.
• Participate in the development and implementation of organisational strategy
• Provide high quality management reports as required and deliver all statutory and financial reports within required deadlines 
• Responsible for the annual operational planning and implementation (COP).
• Advise and monitor other teams/managers on the interpretation and implementation of the full range of Oxfam’s business policies and procedures, ensuring consistency and fairness in application, in accordance with Oxfam policy and local legislative requirements.

Financial Planning and Information Management:

• Lead the annual and periodical financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and reporting processes to ensure efficiency and compliance with all organisational standards of management and accountability.
• Monitor grants and ensure compliance with all donor reporting requirements, including proposals, budgets and donor reporting liaising with donors and partner organizations.
• Provide strategic financial counsel to the Country Director and Country management team, ensuring accurate and timely financial information.
• Provide direct support to Programme Managers and/or budget holders on all matters of finance specifically budget preparation, monitoring, control and reporting with a view to ensuring good financial standards is met.
• Design and influence adoption by the finance team of tools for management information and reporting purposes.
• Assume a strategic overview of financial management systems across all programme/projects, taking note of changing external and internal environment in financial and economic conditions.

Grant Management and Donor Reporting:

• Ensure that the Finance Team provides proactive response to the Programme Team in:
  • Departmental planning and budgeting (in departmental operating plans, budgets, and (re)forecasting and analysis);
  • Cost recovery through proactive and aggressive recharging of core costs and key positions to restricted donor funding
• Contribute to proposal development (for Grants and Tenders) and lead the development of detailed internal cost models and external budget / pricing proposals together with the Supply and Logistics Manager.
• Review and sign off all proposal budgets, budget reallocation/addendum and donor financial reports
• Manage restricted funds (e.g. EU/ECHO, Dutch MoFA, DFID, SIDA, USAID/OFDA, and Foundations.)
• Collaborate with Business Development Advisor  to ensure best practice for compliance and financial reporting as required.
• Review partner grant budgets, activity plans and partnership agreements to ensure compliance with donor requirements and Oxfam policies and procedures
• Review and sign off financial accounts, comments and supporting documentation for inclusion in donor reports, ensuring that all donor reporting deadlines are met and that reports adhere to donor requirements.

Procurement & Logistics:

• Support the Supply and Logistics Manager in design and implementation of effective supply chain and logistics management strategies working with the Country Director with respect to identifying required interventions, and the resolution of attendant issues.
• Together with the Supply and Logistics Manager manage costs and ensure that budgets are not eroded through unwarranted procurement expenses
• Coordinate proposal development, particularly with respect to innovative resource planning and budgeting and realistic estimates related to logistics requirements for support and other costing for support functions.
• Exercise cost efficiency through ensuring framework agreements are in place, and be part of procurement committee.
• Support the team to embed organisational systems, standards and structures into logistics & procurement functions, including strategic advice, clarity on policy, procedures and ways of working.
• Exercise approval and signature authority within defined limits for all purchases and contract agreements and subject to appropriate approvals.

Information Technology:

• Ensure that IT strategy not only incorporates developing effective business solutions and services with the underlying infrastructure but that it underpins the delivery of appropriate technology enabled solutions.
• Ensure continuous follow up to IT process and day-by-day operation that complies with Oxfam minimum standards and policies; promote best practise.

Risk Management:

• Conduct regular effective risk analysis (i.e. variance analysis, trends) and reviews for the office, ensuring proper financial and operational controls are in place.
• Regular sample check country office and file offices documents to ensure the audit trails are in place
• Conduct field visits and partner visits in coordination with programme staff and ensure quality supports are provided
• Create strategies to mitigate financial and operational risk, working closely with Country Director
• Ensure compliance with all legal and statutory reporting requirements including providing reports to the relevant bodies.
• Ensure compliance with Oxfam financial procedures and policies, including financial risk management, money laundering, value for money etc. and reduce risks associated with the programme around legality and compliance issues and alert the Country Director of any imminent risks.
• Lead Pre-audits, expenditure verifications, audits and forensic audits ensuring that TORs are up to tasks and management response is properly coordinated and submitted timely.

Leadership, Coordination and Capacity Building:

• As a member of the leadership team, support the development of key strategies  with a focus on ensuring sufficient capacity and support in business operations.
• To proactively address the interface within  Finance, IT & Logistics teams to ensure they operate effectively and provide support to programmes on cost effectiveness, efficiency and compliance with organisational standards of management and accountability.
• Development of customer service attitude within the finance, logistics, IT and administration areas of work, with the intent of developing integrated teamwork within the remit of this role
• Stay abreast of changing organisational and external situational circumstances which may impact both the business services team and the wider organisation and proactively develop suggestions for addressing them and/or incorporating relevant information into Oxfam’s ideas and approaches 
• Be actively involved in and aware of all organisational issues, so as to proactively identify potential problems and concerns and deliver quick, practical, business focussed solutions.  
• Support a culture of continuous professional improvement in business support identifying key gaps and training opportunities for staff.
• Ensure that the transformation agenda in the country and its action plan is effectively implemented, ensuring guidance and adequate support.
• Promote and shape the One Oxfam culture by facilitating spaces of participation and contribution across the various programs and support functions.
• Support local partner capacity building in financial planning, management and reporting, supply & logistics, IT

Person Specification
Essential:
Education:

• Master’s Degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Economics or closely related field i.e. in the areas of Project management, Social Sciences or a combined professional qualification.
• Full professional qualification in accountancy (e.g. CA/ACCA/ACA/CIMA/CPA)

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years “hands-on” working experience in providing a whole range of financial services within a structured organisation, 5 years of which must be at strategic level in an INGO program work, including field experience and/or with institutional donors
• Experience managing program budgets of over €15 million and reporting to relevant donors.

Skills & Abilities:

• Proven ability to interpret financial procedures and standards and put them into practice and influence others in their implementation
• Well-developed conceptual, critical, and analytical thinking with the ability to convey complex information in a straightforward, interesting way.
• Ability to represent Oxfam in a professional and competent manner with external individuals and organisations
• A high level of self-awareness, personal energy, stamina and flexibility.
• Proven experience as a team worker and demonstrably cooperative with members of other teams, responding quickly and accurately to queries and issues
• Commitment to Oxfam’s overall aims and policies and experience of promoting women’s rights and the interests of marginalized people in all aspects of Oxfam’s work
• Knowledge or appreciation of Nigeria in terms of its political, economic and social trends plus a good understanding of the key development and humanitarian issues in the region.
• Ability to take  up high workload, meet strict deadlines and pressure with patience and prioritisation
• Proven success of developing innovative solutions to resolve intricate problems that impact critical areas of an organisation’s work and ensuring the development of standards, procedures and practices to secure a stable and effective systems environment
• Ability to identify and plan for future needs; develop and disseminate best practices
• Critical focus on providing a superior service level to managers and colleagues and delivering agreed results within time and budget constraints and to expected standards
• Excellent communication skills (oral and written) and report writing skills
• Strong analytical skills and experience using a computerised information management system (Ms. Word, Excel, Accounting/Statistical analysis software etc.)
• Good leadership skills: experience of working in a supervisory position with a team structure
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to work as part of a dispersed, multi-disciplined, multicultural team

Desirable:

• Knowledge and / or experience of common Oxfam norms objects, standards and tools

Key Behavioural Competencies
Decisiveness:

• We are comfortable to make transparent decisions and to adapt decision making modes to the context and needs.

Influencing:

• We have the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organization We spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities, we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.

Humility:

• We put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team and play to the strengths of each individual.
• We are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.

Relationship Building:

• We understand the importance of building relationship, within and outside the organization. We have the ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organization.

Listening:

• We are good listeners who can see where deeper levels of thoughts and tacit assumptions differ. Our messages to others are clear and consider different preferences.

Mutual Accountability:

• We can explain our decisions and how we have taken them based on our organizational values.
• We are ready to be held to account for what we do and how we behave, as we are also holding others to account in a consistent manner.

Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity:

• We scan the environment, anticipate changes, are comfortable with lack of clarity and deal with a large number of elements interacting in diverse and unpredictable ways.

Systems Thinking:

• We view problems as parts of an overall system and in their relation to the whole system, rather than reacting to a specific part, outcome or event in isolation.
• We focus on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect. By consistently practicing systems thinking we are aware of and manage well unintended consequences of organizational decisions and actions.

Strategic Thinking and Judgment:

• We use judgment, weighing risk against the imperative to act. We make decisions consistent with organizational strategies and values.

Vision Setting:

• We have the ability to identify and lead visionary initiatives that are beneficial for our organization and we set high-level direction through a visioning process that engages the organization and diverse external stakeholders.

Self-Awareness:

• We are able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others.
• Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviours to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.

Enabling:

• We all work to effectively empower and enable others to deliver the organizations goals through creating conditions of success.
• We passionately invest in others by developing their careers, not only their skills for the job.  We provide freedom; demonstrate belief and trust provide appropriate support.

 

 

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

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