Financial Analyst (Bilingual)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

The Finance Analyst is responsible for ensuring a high level of financial control by providing financial management support and advice to minimum four delegations located in the African Region.

Detailed duties are:

Internal Control and Risk Management

• Screening through monthly original supporting documents and field returns from country delegation and feedback if there were any discrepancies or anomalies.
• Carry out field missions to country delegation at least once or twice a year as pre-audit measure to ensure finance functions and controls are in place.
• Review internal controls through the review of monthly financial documents, provide feedback to the country finance and head of delegation on control weaknesses, identify top risks facing a country delegation and support the delegation to address the same.
• Ensure all delegation have signed up to date petty cash policy with clear segregation of duties
• Ensure all delegation have up to date Cash disbursement Memo and segregation of duties on system access and bank signatories.
• Support country delegation in conducting risk assessments.
• Advice country delegation on how to conduct control and self-assessment
• Advice country heads and finance managers on financial controls
• Review high risk transactions especially in areas touching on procurement and identify any areas of concern
• Detect and highlight any suspicion of fraud and escalate to the Head of finance

Financial Reporting

• Preparing the cash request analysis, reviewing the project management status report, and highlighting issues to follow up.
• Reviewing the cash requests from cluster and country delegation including preparing the cash request analysis and ensuring adequacy of documents attached before onward transmission to Geneva
• Perform control checks on monthly reports for cluster and country delegation before monthly closure is done
• Being the go-between person between Geneva and field offices in Africa on all finance related matters – all issues from the field touching on finance must be dealt with by the finance analyst before onward processing to Geneva
• Coordinate the annual budgeting process for cluster and country offices before final consolidation and submission to Geneva. This includes coordinating the quarterly revisions before approval by the Secretary General (SG).
• Validate operating budgets Disaster response emergency fund (DREF, Emergency Appeal, Pledge, Staff) before submission to donors and/or Geneva including uploading budgets in the system.
• Reviewing of administrative services invoices before submission to Geneva (GVA) and eventually to partners.
• Reviewing the project management status report and highlighting issues to follow up.
• Monthly validation of donor and appeal financial reports for accuracy and compliance before submission to donors.

Audit and Compliance

• Ensure opening and maintaining the codes in APPLE by regular updating of project information and linking of codes.
• Being the contact person for all audits e.g. KPMG audits, SIDA audits, ECHO audits, coordinating the audits, submission of documents and answering any audit queries raised.
• Conducting budget-holder training on financial management, financial reporting, compliance, controls, KPI monitoring.
• Review compliance to IFRC policies e.g. finance, contract, procurement, consultancy policies. Highlight areas of non-compliance and advise country and cluster offices on the same including advising on action plans to address issues raised.
• Share with internal and external auditors’ monthly controls feedback on a request basis and assist in identifying any control issues that need follow up.

Financial Management

• Ensure funds are transferred to delegation on time by communicating with Geneva Treasury.
• Validating the accuracy of information on budget and PEAR ceiling before loading into the system.
• Validating various agreements, contracts, MoU and staff request as per the contract matrix and authorisation procedure.
• Support cluster and country finance teams to ensure proper financial management systems are in place.
• Conduct financial analysis to support senior management in decision making e.g. analysis of financial impact of restructuring process and salary reviews.
• Advisory role to operations staff and budget holders on finance matters.

National Society Development

• Support in Working with Project Partner capacity review assessment and move as many national societies as possible from working advance to funds transfer modality.
• Follow up to ensure Funds transfer society reporting are done in timely manner and completion of spot check report by country team.
• Support country team on national society Costing policy guidelines.
• Follow up with country team on supporting the National Society(ies) in meeting constitutional financial accountability obligations, including timely submission of Statutory Contributions, filing of audited financial statements; and filing of Certified Declarations of Income.
• Work closely with operational team in contribution towards Red Ready approach.

Monitoring

• Monitor monthly closing of each country delegation by reviewing the balance sheets, checking the exception reports and validating the financial information
• Monitoring the KPIs reflected on monthly financial report and following up with country finance staff to ensure adequate action is taken to minimise the risk or exposure. If needed message will be escalated to project manager and head of delegation.
• Monitoring and follow up of audit recommendations for the cluster and country delegation under management.
• Clean and close dormancy balance sheet items including working advance, pledge, project and appeals.
• Conducting monitoring visits to Cluster and Country delegation.

Procurement

• Highlight any procurement control gaps or anomalies noted
• Assist regional logistics unit in flagging procurements above CHF 50,000 in the region

Staff Management

• Monitor finance staff in cluster and countries to ensure tasks and functions are completed within acceptable levels of quality and compliance and escalate any issues identified to the Head of finance.
• Provide technical advice in the recruitment and training finance staff to ensure tasks and functions are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
• Provide technical appraisal on country finance staff performance.
• Training new and old staff on financial & administrative procedures and policies.
• Provide continuous guidance, advice, and support to finance and administration staff in cluster and country delegation.
• Briefing in coming country heads on financial matters, including debriefing.
• Act for the Regional Head of finance and administration in her/his absence.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Commerce, or any other relevant fields
• Full professional accountancy qualification (CPA (K), ACCA, ACA etc.
• 7 years’ experience in financial management, accounting and audit and risks management.
• Previous experience working for the Federation and/or National Society is an asset
• Experience in managing and developing financial teams
• Practical knowledge of computers (Windows, spreadsheets, word processing, e-mail, Accounting and Financial software such as Sage, QuickBooks, etc.)
• Experience in training financial and non-financial staff on financial matters
• Experience in writing narrative and financial reports.
• Fluently spoken and written English and French