Finance & Awards Manager- EiE project

ROLE PURPOSE:

Save the Children International (SCI) Yemen has an annual budget of around USD 80 million and growing, working mainly on the humanitarian response to the ongoing conflict and its impact. SCI Yemen has over 700 staff and 1500 volunteers and works in nine governorates across Yemen through five field offices and two sub-offices in addition to the Country Office based in Sana’a. Save the Children Yemen seeks an experienced Finance & Reporting Manager to support the Senior Project Managers to lead an ambitious new Education in Emergencies (EiE) project funded by UNICEF and Livelihood program funded by FCDO.

The Finance & Awards Manager will support the Program Managers and program teams in the award management, Financial Management, planning, reporting, monitoring, coordination, auditing and compliance and in the overall management of projects. The role will work collaboratively with the member (SCUK), Field Offices and relevant country office teams, especially Awards and Finance departments, to ensure smooth management of the project. The post holder will be responsible for finance, reporting and donor compliance activities throughout the life cycle of the Project. The role will be responsible to build the capacity of project staff as well as implementing partner staff in reporting, funds management, and ensuring donor and SCI compliance. This is a business-facing role, which requires close interaction with the donors (especially for UNICEF at country office) and including strengthening of donor relationships, coordination and communication, reporting, compliances, and day-to-day support in budget management and oversight in the implementation and partner management.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Budgeting, financial monitoring and Reporting

• Act as the key strategic finance business partner to the Finance, Awards and Program Implementation leads to support key decision making in the program delivery, compliance, reporting and accounting standards and the efficiency use of the program resources.
• Ensure accounting systems, policies, internal controls and procedures are established for the collection of accurate, complete and timely financial data for the projects. (E.g. Budgets, forecasts, expenditures, payroll, commitments and delegation of authority)
• Provide necessary checks and balances to ensure money is spent effectively, efficiently and in line with donor requirement with special focus for EiE and FCDO program expenditures.
• Keep track and monitor donor expenses to ensure that they are appropriately captured in the accounting system to their respective project codes and approved budgets.
• Support the project expenditure verifications and making sure that all transactions are fully complaint.
• Producing and analysing high quality internal financial reports (BVA) for budget holders/program manager to monitor budgets on a regular and timely basis and lead corrective actions.
• Prepare high quality and timely donor financial reports, project liquidation reports (FACE Forms and HACT verifications) as well as all financial matters required by donor during the project implementation.
• Identify and effectively manage all key risks, especially financial related to delivering the project within budget and on time. These includes compliance to local laws such as taxation and social security and other pervaialing statutory requirements.
• Mitigate the risk of donor disallowances by ensuring that funds are proactively managed, all records meets the standards and are available in an audit trial version.
• Gifts-in-Kind: work closely with budget holders and the Supply Chain team to ensure high quality financial management and reporting.
• Partner – Undertaking capacity assessment of partners’ organisation in order to identify capacity gaps and areas of support that the partners will require for effective implementation of the programme financial management requirements. The finance folk for the localisation strategy and its implementation.
• Provide value added ad hoc financial analysis to budget holders to inform decision making
• Provide advice/training to budget holders and program team on the coherent of the budget management, phasing, project planning, detailed implementation plans.
• Regularly provide financial expertise advise to program staffs in easy to understand format and work with them on how to share this information with communities and collaborates where necessary.
• Ensures that all costs/office expenditures are correctly charged under the respective donor budget lines and closely monitor its spending and eligibility to the donors. upport budget holders with identifying and posting cost reallocations.
• Prepare adjustments journals and ensure they are posted in a timely manner.
• Ensure all donor requirements are complied with and other proposals and reports are submitted on time
• Work closely with the donors and member in addressing any donor comments and clarification.
• Participate donor meetings, review meetings to discuss project financial performances and other concerns.
• Ensure the award is audited, spot checks and HACTs as per donor rules and regulations and assist throughout it process for smooth completion. Make sure these are in line with the agreed donor schedules and we timely conduct these audits in well-planned and coordinated approach.
• Facilitate financial spot checks as required by the donor during the project implementation.
• Provide value-added ad hoc financial analysis to budget holders to inform decision making

Award Management:

Work closely with the Country Office Awards team to:

• Build and maintain a relationship with local representatives of the donor for smooth coordination and communication regarding donor compliance and reporting
• Support Project Manager and team in conducting Kick-off meeting, build capacity of project team in donor’s compliance and provide donor’s guidance to all key staff.
• Accountable for driving Awards Management System (AMS) data completeness and quality for the award.
• Ensure all required project documentations are inputted into AMS, and all adequate attachments appear on AMS and are retained as part of the award audit trail.
• Facilitate award review meetings, including a focus on donor requirements
• Ensure donor compliances and requirements are complied, and oversee the amendments or modifications to donor agreement, proposal and budget.
• Coordinate and review donor reports and deliverables prior to submission to the member (SCUK) including adequate planning to ensure deadlines are met
• Ensure the member (SCUK) is updated on relevant issues and action items from member calls are completed in a timely manner.
• Support project team and SC Management Team to strengthen the relationship with UNICEF and compliments the role in donor communication, representation and coordination.

Capacity Building and compliance:

• Conduct regular visits to Field Offices to provide on job training and perform regular reviews for projects expenditures and supporting documents.
• Understand SCI processes and other key donor requirements and ensure they are communicated and adhered to
• Support the delivery of capacity building to project staff as well as local implementing partners staff on budget management, donor compliance, financial coding and expense reviews

Partner support:

• Work closely with the Partnership Coordinator, project team and project partners to ensure proper financial management, compliance, monitoring and reporting
• Provide capacity building and on job support to partners

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 5 years management experience in a corporate or an NGO environment, of which three at a management level within a finance department.

• Strong knowledge of UNICEF Programs and Financial Requirements preferred

• Strong team player

• Experience in budgeting and reporting throughout the lifecycle of grants / awards

• Experience of coaching and capacity building of staffs

• Excellent interpersonal skills and able to communicate with diverse set of stakeholders

• Strong analytical skills and ability articulate complex information in an easy to understand manner

• Advance Microsoft Excel and WORD; Intermediate Microsoft PowerPoint

• Ability to prioritise, plan ahead, and manage a complex and diverse workload with tight deadlines.

• Experience in grants management cycle of the humanitarian programme, implementation mechanism, and partner management.

• Excellent understanding of UNICEF and UN financial systems and procedures, compliances and reporting mechanisms.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• Excellent understanding of computerised accounts packages, Excel, PowerPoint and Word

• Understanding of Save the Children’s vision and mission and a commitment to its objectives and values will be benefit.

• Written and verbal fluency in English