About GiveDirectly
GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving – and millions of lives – by providing cash grants directly to the world’s poorest people. The Brookings Institution estimates that $70 billion in cash transfers would be needed to close the poverty gap; the aid industry currently spends $135 billion a year, much of it on non-evidence-based interventions. GiveDirectly wants to change that, making cash transfers a benchmark for foreign aid – like the index fund is a benchmark for the financial industry – and thus accelerating the end of extreme poverty.
GD has raised over $700 million since its launch in 2011, distributed money to over a million people and opened offices in 10 countries. We have also supported large-scale experimental research that indicates a strong impact of our programs on beneficiaries. As a result, GD has been recognized as one of Fast Company ‘s Most Innovative Nonprofit Organizations , while the growing cash transfer movement (and GD’s leading role in it) has been featured in the New York Times Magazine , This American Life , Foreign Affairs , and The Economist .
GiveDirectly offers the opportunity to work with people from 21 different countries and speaking 69 different languages. We actively work to create a fair and inclusive environment for all team members, and our staff bring diverse perspectives and experiences to our organization. In our offices around the world, our culture is candid, analytical, non-hierarchical and fast-paced. We value ability, adaptability and a willingness to learn.
The National Representative Office of GiveDirectly in the DRC is located in Goma, 322, Avenue du Musée, Quartier Himbi, Commune of Goma, City of Goma, North Kivu Province.
About the position:
The Senior Finance Business Partner is the person responsible at country level for overseeing the financial management of programs and back office matters. The person will be responsible for preparing accurate financial reports and monitoring the financial operations of the country office; enabling the Country Director (PD) to monitor and supervise at a high level the financial health of country operations and the appropriate use of funds.
As a Senior Finance Business Partner, you will be responsible for translating financial language to the country management team in a clear, simple and understandable manner to ensure they are informed about financial performance and risks. You will also liaise with various teams outside of the Finance department, assess their financial needs and constraints and communicate with the Finance team for resolution.
You will work closely with the Programs team to gain an in-depth understanding of each program implemented. You will be responsible for assessing the robustness of financial controls in place to mitigate program and financial risks, and proposing ideas to strengthen control capabilities; prevent, detect or correct errors.
As a member of the global finance team, you will challenge processes, controls and policies from a country context and risk perspective; and this with the aim of developing solutions consistent with global standards and adapted to the country context at the same time. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to work in other countries in GiveDirectly’s portfolio.
Based in Goma – Democratic Republic of Congo, you will have hierarchical supervisory links, on the one hand, with the Finance Business Partners Lead of the Global Finance team (technical support, expertise) and, on the other hand, with the Director DRC countries (financial supervision, financial reporting at country level).
Responsibilities :
Your role will cover stakeholder management, risk and compliance monitoring and financial service level agreement delivery.
Stakeholder management
- Provide accurate and relevant financial information to the management team to improve understanding of financial performance, influence decision-making, guide strategic planning and identify issues.
- Have a deep understanding of raw financial data at both a granular and high/strategic level and be able to seamlessly switch between the two based on stakeholder needs.
- Drive collaboration between teams, both internally, within Finance and externally with colleagues from other departments.
- Promote a strong professional relationship with stakeholders, including program teams
- Maintain a strong professional relationship with regulators and financial service providers
- You will also work closely with the accounting team to provide accurate and timely financial reports for decision making.
Risk and compliance monitoring
- Ensure that funds spent comply with donor requirements, national regulations and organizational policies
- Implement payment and procurement protocols, including ensuring proper documentation and adherence to controls
- Ensure that statutory payments have been submitted to statutory authorities on time and that all original receipts have been lodged, with periodic spot checks.
- Understand, advise and implement compliance requirements of tax regulators and donors
- Check that the office and purchasing manager are managing purchases and expenses according to policies. This includes applying proper maintenance and filing original invoices, receipts and supporting documents both physically and in nexonia. This also includes a monthly reconciliation check with OPM to ensure petty cash is being tracked and managed appropriately.
- Carry out spot checks on payments made in the country: with suppliers, contracts as well as on personnel expenses
- Ensure that procurement is carried out within the corresponding budget available for the procurement indicated or that overruns are approved by the competent authority/authorities
- Participate in the procurement committee, to vote on potential suppliers
- Identify potential areas of financial and compliance vulnerability and risk and develop or implement corrective action plans to resolve problematic issues.
- Monitor country financial risks and design controls to mitigate risk
- Ensure that Country Office financial records are organized and kept up to date, in order to be ready for standard and routine financial audits and routine control visits
- Management of in-country audits and special reports to donors and regulators
- Be responsible for managing the contract budget, tracking project expenditures and preparing financial reports for submission to donors.
- Implementation and monitoring of the risk and control dashboard and management of risk mitigation procedures with the Country Director
- Have a thorough understanding of financial policies and procedures and ensure compliance
- Spot check of money outflows and inflows from the GD DRC bank account and search for irregularities
- Verify that the controls in place to mitigate fraud are operating effectively and are able to prevent or detect fraud.
- Support financial fraud investigations under the direction of the CD and in collaboration with the Risk & Compliance and Internal Audit teams
- Report to the DC all irregularities observed in financial management and compliance, including deficiencies in our systems
- Contribute to the drafting and updating of finance-related policies for the GD country office in the DRC
Financial Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management
- Be responsible for the implementation of the Finance Service Level Agreement (SLA) by understanding and anticipating the needs of non-finance functions; and proactively liaise with treasury, payment and accounting functions for proper execution of the SLA.
- Prepare country and donor budgets over different periods
- Provide budget-actual reports to stakeholders within the timeframe stipulated by the financial SLA
- Prepare punctually each month an expenditure forecast report and explain it to the Country Director, so that the DP is informed of expenditure against budget each month, noting instances of budget overruns
- Collaborate with the Human Resources Manager in preparing payroll, including tracking the status of salary advances and payments due.
- Suggest ideas to the CD to reduce and streamline costs in the Country Office
- Any other task as needed
Required profile
- Master’s degree or advanced degree in finance, accounting or equivalent practical experience.
- At least 7 years of professional experience in accounting or finance, with a strong background in budgeting and reporting.
- Professional skills in French and English.
- Ability to collaborate remotely with a large number of people at all levels and from different cultures and to act with credibility, tact and diplomacy
- Excellent skills in stakeholder management and strategic influence
- Ability to be proactive and logical in problem-solving scenarios
- Strong time management skills with an ability to plan ahead, anticipate demands and obstacles, and an ability to manage multiple priorities successfully, and work to tight deadlines
- Conscientious and focused on the beneficiaries
- Maintains a calm demeanor and positive outlook, especially when working under pressure
- Ability to collaborate, both internationally and within a team
- Ability to quickly learn new tools and software, such as Slack, Intacct, Limelight and Google Spreadsheets
- Alignment with GiveDirectly values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, monitoring and promoting inclusivity.
- Compliance with GD values (below)
GD values:
- Beneficiary Priority: We prioritize the preferences of beneficiaries, not those of our donors or even our own.
- The team before the individual: We work for the success of the organization, not that of individuals.
- Be proactively frank: We speak and communicate information candidly.
- Creating positive energy: We strive to bring positive energy to our colleagues, not take it away from them.
- Think rigorously, act quickly: Priority to rigor and action, not endless debate.
- Know yourself and develop yourself: We are aware of our faults, but we exploit them.
- Accept reality, Propose solutions: We do not dwell on problems. We create solutions.
- Be productively ambitious: We take risks that could revolutionize the industry
Interested candidates are requested to go to the GiveDirectly website ( https://boards.greenhouse.io/givedirectly ), search for job offers in the DRC, and submit their applications no later than September 11, 2023. Please submit your CV in English.
File contents:
- Up-to-date curriculum vitae including three reference people
- Cover letter
- ONEM card (for the unemployed)
- End of service certificate from last or current employer
- Academic results/diplomas
NB: Incomplete files will not be processed.
**GD is committed to complying with all local, national and international laws that protect children, vulnerable adults and basic human rights. GD has a policy of “zero tolerance against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH)” and requires that anyone working for it respects as a priority the protection and safeguarding of our beneficiaries**
Read more about our ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and about our decision to move our central support teams to remote first .
More Information
- Job City Goma
