BASE MANAGER – FINANCE, OPERATIONS AND LIAISON (NATIONALS ONLY) 135 views0 applications

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• Job Title | Base Manager – Finance, Operations, and Liaison
• Annual Salary and Benefits | Based on skills and experience
• Internal Job Grade | Level 6
• Contract type | 1 Year, Renewable
• Reporting to | Country Representative
• Staff reporting directly to this post | Logistics Coordinator, Accountant, Finance Officer.
• Key relationships/interactions | Country Representative, Program Managers, Funding Manager, Local Authorities, Subregional and Executing Affiliate Finance Teams, other INGOs
• Location | Rabouni, Sahrawi Refugee Camps, Tindouf – Algeria

Shaping a stronger Oxfam for people living in poverty.

Oxfam in Algeria – Sahrawi Refugee Camps

Oxfam in Algeria has been active in the Saharawi refugee camps since 1975. Its humanitarian programme in the camps has been focusing on food security until 2016. The programme has transitioned from emergency aid to a combination of humanitarian (focusing on WASH and Food Security) and resilience interventions with policy and influencing work locally and globally.

Given the challenging funding environment, the quantity and quality of aid in the camps, including WASH and other sectors, Oxfam’s overall programmatic approaches in the camp are going through key revisions. In this context, Oxfam has recently amended its strategy to diversify and develop the programme portfolio to respond to the outstanding needs in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria.

Oxfam in Algeria has recently started a change process intending to transfer its management to the Oxfam International standards under the new North Africa Hub. This change would entail a change in the Executive Affiliate which requires high level operational leadership to facilitate a smooth transition.

Oxfam is seeking a Base Manager with solid operational experience to support its work in the camps. The Base Manager will be working as part of the response team in the Sahrawi camps and will be based in Rabouni with regular travels to the different camps in the governorate of Tindouf. S/He will act as focal point for Oxfam in Algeria on all finance, human resources, administration and logistics within the wider North Africa Structure.

Job Purpose

The Base Manager is responsible for the oversight and management of the Oxfam support functions in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, working in collaboration with the various programme leads within the team, OI Sub/Region and the Executive Affiliate.

Job Responsibilities

Operational Management and Internal Control:

• Ensures that all Finance and Logistics procedures are consistent with corporate and regional standards, are clearly defined and understood and are operated effectively throughout the programme.
• Ensures effective, timely and accurate functioning and monitoring of the OI and EA and financial systems including maintaining the completeness and integrity of data within the system, generating necessary reports and authorising monthly data compilation in the system.
• Contributes to the design of and oversee the preparation of regular (monthly/quarterly) management reports (QMRs) to meet the needs of programme managers within the programme and also meet the requirements for regular reporting set by the Regional Platform and the EA, ensuring timeliness and accuracy.
• Supports the CR, Program Mangers, Fundraising Manager, and other programme staff, in the preparation of programme and project budgets, and manage the preparation of financial projections/forecasts on a regular basis.
• Responsible for ensuring Bank Mandates and Delegation of Authorities updates.
• Responsible for ensuring that all offices have enough funds for programme implementation
• Responsible for ensuring that all transactions/finance reports have clear and complete audit trail both for internal and external audits
• Acts as direct contact person for both internal and external financial audits including donor-commissioned audits
• Ensures effective steer for asset management with support from the logistics team.
• Maintain overall budget control and monitor cash flows.

Liaising with Local Authorities and Contributing to strategy development and implementation

• Ensures proper management and well-functioning running of day-to-day activities at base level.
• Responsible for liaising and coordinating with local authorities and partners to ensure smooth running of operations. This includes smooth movement of staff at field level, follow-ups on visas as needed.
• Supports and advises on the implementation of the programme strategy in close collaboration with the Country Representative, Programme team.
• Through the steer of the CR, acts as main interlocutor with local authorities, and support Program Managers in information sharing and strategy updates.

Donor Finance Management:

• Contributes to the development of proposals to donors.
• Works closely with the Funding Manager and the donor relation focal points/managers to prepare financial reports to donors according to set deadlines.
• Responsible in ensuring complete audit trail from primary documentation to the accounting system for accurate and rapid donor reporting and general record keeping.
• Responsible for ensuring proper donor contract management in close cooperation with the funding team.

Budget, Financial Accounting and Reporting:

• Verifies budgets prepared by project teams for accuracy and advises on design for optimum monitoring.
• Responsible for ensuring the preparation of the monthly financial reports (Budget versus Actuals) and prepares analyses on a monthly basis or as and when required highlighting major variances for follow up and action by the CR, HPM and Budget holders.
• Responsible for ensuring accuracy and timely submission of month-ends and year-end reports including balance sheet reconciliations.
• Responsible for the preparation and updating of annual budget (Global Budgets & Matrix) and forecast for the country programme.
• Assesses performance of offices in complying with financial standards and ensures adequate internal controls are in place.
• Responsible for ensuring all financial reports – month end and year-end are complete and submitted to the CR in a timely fashion for final approval.
• Ensure that monthly BVAs are prepared and shared for approval.
• Provides direct support to the Managers and the programme team on all matters of finance specifically budget preparation, monitoring, control and reporting with a view to ensuring good financial standards.
• Actively participates in the Country Management Team Meetings and contributes to the smooth implementation of the programme goals and objectives.
• Responsible for providing regular updates on budget usage and flexibility to CR and Program Managers.
• Review and endorse the monthly payroll.
• Final technical approval for cash flows, donor proposals and donor reports.

Partners Financial Management

• Lead in the Partners Financial Assessment in coordination with the Partnership Coordinator/Manager and Programme Managers where applicable prior making grants.
• Ensure that Partnership Agreements, MoUs are checked and reviewed in accordance to Oxfam and Donors requirements before CDs signing.
• Ensure the Partners Financial Reports are checked and reviewed following Oxfam and Donors requirements
• Responsible for ensuring that partners are monitored and capacitated as regards to financial management and other financial-related aspects of the partners project implementation.

Team Management:

• Leads and supports the Finance and logistics in direct line management to work effectively together in their jobs; provides close technical support to finance officer.
• Responsible for the effective performance management of direct reports, including assessing performance against set objectives and performance Development.
• Establishes effective relations with the Humanitarian Programme Manager (HPM) & programme coordinators.
• Provides covers for CD-HPM role as delegated and if needed.

Other

• Representation with local authorities particularly on operational and procedural issues.
• Readiness to work with flexibility and take on additional tasks as may be delegated to meet programmatic objectives
• Eager and required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values as well as the promotion of gender justice and women’s rights (click here).
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles.

Job Requirements

Education & Experience:

• Expertise in the application of strategic financial management and experience in maximising resource utilization;
• Professionally qualified finance manager, preferably with minimum 8 years experience in a large and / or complex organisation
• Ability to influence and support colleagues in appreciating the importance of financial standards, procedures and controls;
• Experience of leading the implementation of operational improvements and the persistence to achieve change in a challenging environment;
• Experience of working in the NGO sector, preferably in a humanitarian context;
• Leadership qualities and people management expertise to provide direction and effective support to a multidisciplinary and multicultural team;
• Thorough understanding of financial system and how it interacts with other operational systems to maximise its information generating capabilities;
• Ability to gain and apply knowledge of the statutory requirements of the country and local context
• Effective verbal and written communication skills, including high-level interpersonal and representational capabilities; fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic/Spanish essential. French is a plus;
• Ability to operate and think strategically, coupled with proven analytical skills and the use of these to problem solve and make firm decisions;
• A strong commitment to Oxfam’s purpose, a broad understanding of the work culture in the “development” sector and its impact on key areas of responsibility and a commitment to humanitarian principles and action;

Key Attributes:

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities.
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.

Organisational Values:

• Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions.
• Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen.
• Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences.

Key Behavioral Competencies

(based on Oxfam’s Leadership Model)

• 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 behaviors 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.