International Rescue Committee Job for a Financial Controller in Abuja
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Nigeria has rapidly scaled up since setting up initial
programs in 2013 and, particularly in the last 12 months. Since October
2015, IRC has had its main office in Abuja as well as three field
offices in the NE part of the country including Yola, Mubi (both in
Adamawa state) and Maiduguri (Borno state). IRC also has multi-sector
emergency response programming in the NE including health, nutrition,
WASH, shelter and NFIs, education, and various protection work. The
country office grants portfolio includes a diversity of donors and
partners as well.
Job Title: Financial Controller
Scope of Work:
The Financial Controller has overall policy and management
responsibility for the finance and accounting functions for the country
program. The Finance Controller’s responsibilities include general
controllership, staff training, management, treasury and budget
functions.
The position will report directly to the Country Director.
Specific Responsibilities:
- Controllership
- Ensures that all policies and procedures are in compliance with IRC and funding source policies, procedures, and requirements.
- As required establishes finance and supporting function policies,
systems and procedures, and directs or performs their development,
documentation, and implementation.
- Manages the finance department activities and schedules to meet the
financial reporting requirements and deadlines specified by New York and
donors.
- Identify requirements for and develop reporting formats to aid in the management of country operations and grant expenditures.
- Provides country management and program staff with monthly
actual-to-budget expenditure reports and analysis for all grants and
unrestricted funds.
- Ensure that on a monthly basis balance sheet reconciliations are
completed on a timely basis and those final reconciliations and trial
balances are reviewed with the Country Director.
- Closely monitors all financial activities, and keeps the Country
Director advised of all situations which have the potential for a
negative impact on internal controls or financial performance.
- Directs the preparation of, and approves all donor financial reports
in respect to accounting, legal and contractual requirements and
ensures the review of such reports by the Country Director and Regional
Controller prior to submission.
- Develops, schedules and performs or supervises the completion of
country internal control audits, and initiates actions necessary to
correct internal control weaknesses.
- Facilitates and co-ordinates external, internal, donor or government audits.
- Oversees the protection of the country’s assets (cash, inventory,
NEP) through the enforcement of 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.
- Is the principal liaison with IRC NY on all finance, accounting, grant budget management, and cash management matters
- Training & Staff Management
- Develops and implements a training program for the country’s
international and national finance staff to ensure staff development and
minimize IRC’s exposure when staff are absent or depart.
- Maintains current job descriptions for all positions within the finance group.
- Ensures comprehensive and constructive performance reviews are
completed on a timely basis and facilitates discussion of performance
and career options with all country finance staff.
- Oversees training and technical support to country program,
logistics and administrative staff for skills improvement in the areas
of accounting, reporting and internal control.
- Sub-grantees/Partners
- Work with operation, grant and program on sub grantee/partner pre award assessment.
- Develop training plan for sub grantees/partner on grant financial management and donor specific requirements;
- Review sub grantees/partners book of accounts and financial
documents as per the grant agreement. And ensure transfer of fund,
reporting requirement, and liquidations are as per sub grant agreement.
- Treasury
- Supervises all country office bank relations and bank account
activities including negotiation of fees, interest and currency exchange
rates.
- In compliance with IRC policy establishes country policies
regarding cash holding limits, cash movements and foreign currency
holdings.
- Oversees the timely preparation, review and approval of all monthly bank account and cash reconciliation’s.
- Establishes country policies on advance payments, credit terms, and use of bank payment instruments.
- 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 New York and
ensures that appropriate balances are maintained to facilitate grant
implementation.
- Ensures the development and implementation of a plan to minimize the
country’s foreign exchange exposure to currency gains and losses.
- Supervises the collection of contractual and other receivables.
- Budget
- Assists with the preparation and revision of program and grant proposals and budgets.
- Assists in the preparation and maintenance of the country’s
Operating Budget; including preparation of budget guidelines to assist
program managers in formulating budgets.
- In compliance with donor requirements and IRC policy develops the
“Field Operations/Overhead” budget and recommends a methodology for
allocation of overhead to grant budgets.
- Prepares the annual and monthly cash budgets based on approved funding.
- Presents and facilitates the review of actual to budget expenditures with the Country Director and program managers.
Qualifications
Education:
A Bachelors degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Commerce
or Finance with a recognized professional certificate in accounting such
as CPA, or a Masters degree in Accounting.
Experience:
- Minimum five years experience of managerial experience in the financial area of a non-profit organization.
- Requires extensive experience in working with computerized
accounting systems – preferably in SUN, standard spreadsheet and
database programs.
Skills and Abilities:
- Good written and verbal skills in the English language.
- Must be comfortable in being a proactive member of the
top-management team. Must seek to identify and communicate potential
problems and propose solutions to the level of management appropriate to
effect solutions.
- Must be able to function effectively in a loosely structured, but
complex work environment and to set appropriate priorities and deal
effectively with numerous simultaneous requirements
- Ability to carry out responsibilities independently with minimal technical support from within the program organization.
- Must be a patient and good communicator who can function in an
organizational environment involving a diversity of cultures, languages,
and personal interests and agendas.
- Good at role of facilitator and team player in solving problems.
- Committed to staff training and development.
Other details:
The position will be based in Abuja. This is a fully accompanied post.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should
Click Here to Apply