IRC started cross-border interventions into Sudan in 2024 and currently manages a rapidly expanding program portfolio in opposition held regions of Darfur (accessed from Chad) and South Kordofan (accessed from South Sudan). These interventions are managed separately from the Sudan country program, which implements programs in eastern Sudan in areas controlled by the de-facto Sudan government.
IRC intends to build its cross-border interventions into Sudan into longer-term and sustained programming. To enable expansion across Sudan and to protect programming in eastern Sudan from any adverse political consequences arising from work in opposition-controlled areas, EHAU is managing this effort. Decisions on how and when to integrate cross-border programming into the Sudan country program and the East Africa region will be prepared and decided upon in the first half of 2025.
Scope of work
As a key member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the Deputy Director Finance (DDF) provides financial leadership and management necessary to ensure that the Country Program has the appropriate financial infrastructure and systems in place to support the strategic vision and mission of the organization.
They will play an active role in the formulation of strategic and operational plans for the country programs, taking ownership of ensuring and monitoring the delivery of financial plans through detailed financial analysis. The DDF holds overall responsibility for establishing policies and leading the financial and accounting aspects of the Country Program. The focus will be on implementing financial management policies, practices, and systems that align with local laws, US regulations, and donor requirements, while also facilitating the efficient execution of the country programs. They will collaborate closely with the Deputy Directors of Programs and Operations to ensure acceptable levels of performance of cross departmental business policies and procedures and collectively troubleshoot and develop solutions.
They will act as the principal finance business partner to the SMT and Crisis Team Lead, Regional staff as well as conforming to IRCs financial control environment and CFO standards and objectives.
Based in Nairobi, Kenya, the DDF will report to the Crisis Lead, with technical support from EHAU’s Sr, Director for Finance and Fundraising in Emergencies.
Overall Responsibilities:
Financial Controllership
- Ensures that all policies and procedures follow IRC and funding source policies, procedures, and requirements.
- Establishes in-country finance policies, systems, and procedures, and directs their implementation.
- 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.
- Ensures monthly balance sheet reconciliations are completed on a timely basis and the final reconciliations and trial balances are reviewed with the Country Director.
- Provides country management and program staff with monthly budget-versus-actual expenditure reports and analysis for all grants and unrestricted funds.
- Manages the finance department activities and schedules to meet the financial reporting requirements and deadlines specified by headquarters and donors.
- Identifies requirements for and develops reporting formats to aid in the management of country operations and grant expenditures.
- 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
- Oversee the protection of the country’s assets (cash, inventory, NEP (Non-Expendable Property)) 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.
- Principal liaison with IRC HQ on all finance, accounting, grant budget management, and cash management matters.
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.
- Oversee the timely preparation, review and approval of all monthly bank account and cash reconciliations.
- 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 a current basis accurate forecasts of cash requirements for meeting future spending, including commitments entered 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.
Reporting, Budgets, and Forecasting
- Oversee the preparation and revision of grant proposal 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 “Shared Program Costs” and “Overhead Costs” budget and recommends a methodology for allocation to grant budgets.
- Prepares the annual and monthly cash budgets based on approved funding.
- Presents and facilitates the review of budget vs Actual expenditures with the Country Director and program managers.
- Ensures preparation of and approval of all donors’ financial reports in respect of accounting, legal and contractual requirements prior to submission.
Training & Staff Management
- Establishes a finance department roles and responsibilities matrix; outlines relevant job descriptions; recruits and maintains adequate numbers of qualified staff to perform finance functions for the country program.
- Ensure comprehensive and constructive performance reviews are completed on a timely basis and facilitate discussion of performance and career options with all country finance staff.
- 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 staffs are absent or department. Maintains current job descriptions for all positions within the finance group.
- Oversee training and technical support to the country program, logistics and administrative staff for skills improvement in the areas of accounting, reporting and internal control.
Key Working Relationships:
Internal
- Reports to the XB Sudan Crisis Lead.
- Works closely with XB Sudan SMT members.\
- Liaises with the Sudan CP DDF.
- Supervises the XB Sudan finance team
External
- EHAU Sr. Dir. Finance and Fundraising in Emergencies.
- Communicate with the Regional Controller
- Represents the country office with Banking Managers, local government staff (taxation and regulation related) and External Auditors.
Requirements:
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Business Administration, Commerce or Finance with a recognized professional certificate in accounting such as CPA/ACCA, and/or a master’s degree in accounting.
Experience:
- Minimum of eight (8) years of managerial experience in the financial area of a non-profit organization or five years of managerial experience in finance in an international commercial organization.
- Extensive experience in working with computerized accounting systems, standard spreadsheets, and database programs.
Travel:
- Required to travel to Sudan for 20-25%, for periods of one month or more, including to remote, low-resource, and insecure environments.
Skills and Abilities:
- Good written and verbal skills in English language.
- Comfortable in being a proactive member of the top-management team. Must identify and communicate potential problems and propose solutions to the appropriate level of management.
- Able to function effectively in a 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.
- Good communication skills that function across a diversity of cultures.
- Good at the role of facilitator and team player in solving problems.
- Committed to staff training and development.
Working Environment: IRC’s IHUB office in Kenya, with travel to IRC offices in Sudan as required.
More Information
- Job City Kenya
