Director for Finance, Administration and Grants Management 216 views4 applications

Director for Finance, Admin and Grants Management

Job Title: Director for Finance, Admin and Grants Management

Line Manager: Country Director

Duty Station: Juba-South Sudan

Closing Date: May 31, 2020

Background

Smile Again Africa Development Organization (SAADO) is a national non-profit humanitarian and development organization dedicated to working with the youth and their communities to reach their full potential. Founded in 2011, SAADO works across all the states of South Sudan promoting social cohesion and empowering communities to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice. We provide humanitarian assistance to families affected by disaster & conflict while partnering with communities for long-term solutions to alleviate poverty. Motivated by the potential in the youth, we optimize their role to foster peaceful co-existence and economic empowerment in South Sudan.

Key Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Country Director, the Director for Finance, Administration and Grants Management provides overall leadership, oversight and management support for all aspects of financial management Administration, and grants management in SAADO South Sudan Office. He / she focuses on ensuring accountability, coordinating planning and budgeting processes, providing accurate financial data and developing financial strategy that best serves support and program objectives. Responsible for the finance staff capacity building, the development and implementation of good internal controls, compliance at all levels, and utilization and safe guarding of assets according to SAADO Responsible for budgeting preparation and budget controlling and grant management.

Roles and Responsibilities

Administration and Finance:

• Provide strong and positive leadership to the finance department ensuring competent and motivated staff are hired and retained, providing efficient delivery of services.
• Provide overall leadership to the Administration function ensuring that the national / field office is effectively supported and staff have a clean, secure and hospitable place to work
• Coordinate professional and personal development of finance staff through adequate orientation, on-the-job coaching, identification of learning, training needs and opportunities (e.g. in accounting, SAP, ERP , grant management, risk management, leadership, etc.); and succession planning.
• Providing cost analysis, promoting benchmarks and making recommendations for determining effective resource utilization at all levels.
• Contributing to the development of appropriate policies and procedures for procurement of goods and services.
• Coordinate the planning and budgeting process and provide technical support, to ensure best practice and donor guidelines are met.
• Design and manage systems, policies and procedures that provide appropriate levels of security and control of SAADO assets, resources and operations.
• Coordinate the submission of timely, accurate and complete relevant reporting to the Partnership and to internal users.
• Manage appropriate financial systems and controls and ensure they are in place to avoid significant finance audit risk ratings.
• Lead in development of Logistics, procurement, fleet management, and security policies for SAADO to guarantee seamless support in program implementation.
• Lead in development of Human Resource policies that attract, retain and compensate the necessary human capital assigned to drive SAADO’s strategy.
• Provide performance management responsibilities by supervising the Finance Manager, and Administration Manager.

Budgeting and budget Controls

• Maintaining and updating the country office annual budget planning /forecast, master budget and funding allocation schedule for management decision making.
• Coordinate with the department heads, Program director and State Coordinator to come with yearly budget and ensuring this is funded full cost recovery on the proposal budgets.
• Produce monthly analysis on the finding situation at a cost centre and a function level with all the possible assumption and underlying facts.
• Lead in the development and maintenance of financial models to track the budget, expenses, and variation for non-thematic and non- thematic cost.
• Develop reports to respond to request for budgetary information and existing funding gap/Situation
• Budget preparation and modification of proposal budgets and reviewing and advising on proposal cost recovery and justified to make sure the proposal budget is reasonable and realistic for the project needs and is compliance per internal and external rules and regulation
• Review the journal transaction and ensure the cost charges to these un-restricted fund in line with approved assignment
• Run monthly review for data quality and ensure all transitions are in line with SAADO cost classification with particular focus on the non-thematic and cross non-thematic.
• Implement and evaluate analytical models, system on area of the master budgets and other critical financial management aspect.
• Has in-depth technical and administration knowledge to connect the financial and non-financial information to generate insight and recommendation for program effectiveness

Strategy Engagement:

• Develop and oversee effective and efficient implementation of Grants program development strategy in line with the country strategy.
• Give strategic direction to the department, ensuring that it remains innovative in business development.
• Lead the team too carefully/priorities use of available time and resources to develop a sustainable portfolio of grant.
• Ensure that grant acquisition supports achievement of strategic priorities.
• Monitor local and international Donor trends to maintain competitiveness.
• Insure program portfolio is directed according to set management standards. Develop standards, guidelines and approaches for quality business development and monitor compliance.
• Ensure there is a coordinated strategic engagement that identifies and prioritizes on key external stakeholders and creates clear points of engagement locally, regionally, nationally and internationally

Networking, External Coordination and Relationships:

• Build and strengthen networks and partnerships with strategically identified stakeholders to improve learning, influence competitiveness and visibility to realize sustainable impact on lives and livelihoods of the communities we serve.
• Strengthen and expend networking with government, donor, and NGO and UN bodies to coordinate SAADO work with theirs.
• Maintain good communication with and represent SAADO to Support Offices, key NGOs and Governmental Departments; Participate in joint agency assessments, task-force teams and workshops.
• Establish, roll out and manage protocols for coordinating communication between ministry units and support offices, key international and national donors and other stakeholders.

Grants Management

• Provide oversight in regular updating of the Grants Management
• Track grants processes and milestones for all awards through the grants cycle ensuring relevant information and documentation is disseminated to relevant staff in a timely manner
• Facilitate project kick off meetings ensuring relevant staff and partners are aware of their programmatic, financial and compliance obligations/requirements.
• Review current grant progress against original plans and log frames, identify areas of concern and ensure remedial actions are taken.
• Assist in consolidating and/or quality control of reports, in relation donor requirements, original project proposal, and consistency in both narrative and financial reports.
• Facilitate the project quarterly reviews in consultation with the State Coordinators and Technical Managers.
• Support the tracking of donor financial disbursement against signed contracts and prepare request for financial disbursements from donors as contained in the project agreements.
• In coordination with the program teams, flag any issues that may impede the implementation of project work plans or cause deviations from the set award course by initiating revisions, modifications and No-cost extensions as necessary and follow through by signing and dissemination of the same.
• Support best practices on grant closure procedures and monitor compliance to grant closure steps/milestone.
• In coordination with Finance Manager department, manage effective tracking of project income from the relevant donors.

Compliance management

• In coordination with relevant staff, design, maintain and inform internal procedures, systems and tools to facilitate partner compliance with contractual obligations to donors.
• Carry out internal financial reviews to ensure that donor guidelines are implemented and followed, including financial, procurement and administrative aspects.
• Travel to the project sites/offices and carry out contract management training of staff through inception workshops, coaching and mentoring in setting up systems to monitor key accountabilities e.g. co-financing, exchange rates, interest and budget rules in line with contractual requirements.
• Conduct partner capacity assessments and plan capacity building sessions in conjunction with the field staff.
• Conduct and document periodic implementing partner reviews.
• Facilitate internal and external audit procedures in conjunction with the donor compliance team.
• Support program teams in the interpretation and operationalization of donor rules and regulations.
• Collate, analyze and disseminate management information on performance of institutional donor contracts against defined risks and financial indicators to inform mitigation actions
• Gather and disseminate knowledge to bridge any gap between the requirements of institutional donors and and systems helping to ensure alignment and compliance
• Establish and coordinate a community of practice on institutional income planning and contract management

Proposal Development and Donor Engagement:

• Consolidate proposal write ups and draft budgets from field teams in a timely manner for select donors as agreed with line manager.
• Support program development through review of specific project proposals, concept notes and assessment reports.
• Collate and disseminate donor-specific requirements and guidelines for tenders and proposal processes.
• Provide support in relation building with specific priority donors
• Serve as focal point for relaying updates from field to specific donors and ensure instructions on programming changes from donor are communicated to field.
• Provide timely support in processing of emergency requests under project contingency funds and crisis modifiers by assessing competing emergency needs, prioritizing interventions for emergency funding and preparing requisite documentation in coordination with the Program Director.
• Support area teams to conduct assessments and prepare assessment reports and products for sharing externally.
• Provide inputs during development of Consortia including drafting of pre-teaming agreements and donor-specific grants requirements.

Staff Capacity Building and Structure:

• Incorporate staff development strategies and performance management systems into team building process. Establish a result-based system and follow up.
• Manage and mentor Program staff in grants management processes.
• Ensure staff understand and are able to perform their roles, have clear work plans, performance objectives are in place and their capacity is strengthened.

Reporting.

• With input from the State Coordinator, Technical Managers, Communications Officer help produce high quality program progress reports as per donor requirements.
• Provide high quality review and assembly of program documentation including drafting editing and formatting.
• Provide through progress reporting, a continuous analysis of the achievements, facilitate project reviews, evaluation and audits.
• Develop donors reporting timelines and requirements template; ensure it is updated at all times.
• Collecting and collating information from field teams, supporting teams and management in documenting ongoing activities in each project/thematic area.
• Drafting and editing reports to be submitted to donors and the head office in Copenhagen.
• Timely dissemination of reporting tools and requirements and follow up to ensure internal and external reporting deadlines are respected.
• Cross check data with other program staff to ensure that reporting generated accurately reflects program activities.
• Conduct staff training needs assessment and organize corresponding training forums on results-based program management and reporting.
• Support program staff in organizing and managing seminars, workshops, and donor field visits as required,

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or Business Administration, or a related field. MBA in Finance, MSC in Finance/Accounting/Auditing preferred.
• Minimum 3 to 5 years’ experience in finance position with medium business/medium NGO/government agency Trained ACCA, CIMA or CPA preferred.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in support services management position.
• Solid knowledge of accounting principles, financial systems, budget/cash flow monitoring and internal accounting controls.
• Experience in resource mobilization and grants management
• Ability to solve complex problems and to exercise independent judgment.
• Good working knowledge of computerized accounting systems, preferable QuickBooks.
• Knowledge of government grant regulations and financial reporting requirements preferred