About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.
Program / Department Summary
Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of over 150 people working in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri. Mercy Corps’ national office is in Goma with sub-field offices in Bukavu and Kavumu/Katana (South Kivu), Kitchanga, (North Kivu), and Bunia (Ituri). The current Mercy Corps strategy in DRC focuses on activities for the provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in camps of internally displaced people, large-scale WASH infrastructure and service delivery development in urban centers; Food Security, Economic Recovery/Development and Governance programs, with an increasing shift towards transitional and integrated development programming. The DRC team has a strong commitment to providing entrepreneurial and innovative solutions to development challenges, and is actively seeking and facilitating market-based solutions.
General Position Summary
Working under the Finance Director based in Goma, the Finance Manager will be based in Bukavu and will be the financial focal point for the USAID/FFP Food Security Program (FSP). S/he will ensure timely budget/spending reports, compliance tracking, oversight and monitoring of subawards (2 international, 2 national), and will be responsible for finance functions and staff in the South Kivu offices. In addition, Finance Manager will support the reporting of financial information and assist the Country Office in ensuring compliance with Mercy Corps policies and procedures and donors’ grants and contracts requirements. The incumbent of this position will assist the Finance Director in the overall management of the country-wide accounting, capacity building of the national team members in support of the country finance strategy, and will play a coordinating role with the different departments and functions within the country office.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Finance and Compliance management
- Monitor and update compliance items for FSP, coordinating with the Finance Director, COP, and Mercy Corps headquarters as necessary.
- Subgrant tracking, monitoring and compliance
- Perform financial review of documents to ensure compliance with MC policies and procedures and donors grants and contracts requirements.
- Provide advice, training, and consultation on compliance with MC policies and procedures as well as donor compliance requirements.
- Train finance, sub office, and other national staff on MC and donor compliance policies and procedures.
- Ensure all projects implemented in South Kivu are compliant with relevant donor rules and regulations.
- Assist/lead in preparation and review of annual budgets and proposal budgets.
reporting
- Preparation and consolidation of annual PREP for the FSP program and the 4 other consortium partners.
- Prepare and update the monthly grant spending reports (BvAs), including administrative & staffing projections, work with program managers to ensure program projections are updated, and set monthly meetings with relevant program managers and staff to review BvAs and projections, to ensure program implementation is on budget.
- Prepare HQ required reports including but not limited to subgrantee reporting, etc.
- Assist in the preparation of the monthly cash flow projections for South Kivu offices.
accounting
- Oversee the finance officers in the process of timely monthly standard accounting package submissions to Mercy Corps Goma
- Timely and accurate review and posting of South Kivu transactions throughout the month
- Monthly and quarterly subgrantee reporting as required.
- Other duties as assigned an appropriate.
Team Management
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
- Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their rolls and assist with career development
- Travel to South Kivu offices to supervise, perform reviews, and provide training and oversight,
- Hire and orient new team members in South Kivu as necessary.
Representation
- Communicate effectively with consortium partners counterparts to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
Security
- Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country
Organizational Learning
- As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
Accountability to Beneficiaries
- Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Supervisory Responsibility
1-3 staff in Bukavu, 1-3 sub-office finance staff as necessary.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Finance Director
Works Directly With: All MC DRC team members including: Finance & Subgrants Manager, Department Directors/Managers, Program Directors/Program Managers, Heads of Field Offices, and headquarters team members at MCE and MC PDX, as appropriate.
Knowledge and Experience
- Advanced knowledge of excel and experience in financial analysis is required.
- Knowledge of USAID/FFP is preferred.
- Two to five years of finance experience, including budgeting and grant management;
- A university degree in finance, accounting or a related business field is required;
- Strong accounting skills and experience including management of the general ledger, journal entries, payroll, payables and balance sheet;
- Basic Knowledge of compliance and donor regulations (USAID, UN and European donors),
- Knowledge of accounting software, knowledge of Navigator a plus;
- Fluent written and oral communication in French and English.
Success Factors
The ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel in both French and English is required. A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary. Ability to work independently is crucial. A high professional standard of finance and procurement ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential. The ability to take financial data and present it in meaningful financial reports is essential. The Financial Reporting and Compliance Officer must be willing to travel to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in (Bukavu, DRC) and it requires up to (30 %) travel to field locations, Goma and internationally.
The position is unaccompanied and will be based in Bukavu, DRC and will require travel throughout South Kivu and to Goma (North Kivu). While conditions in the country are improving, and security is quite stable in Bukavu, there are still pockets of violence and insecurity and petty crime is present. Mercy Corps’ sub-offices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Years of conflict and corruption have badly damaged the country’s infrastructure. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. Internet is limited, but available in all Mercy Corps offices. Travel to field sites will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are a number of health services available with several evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.
This position is entitled to shared/group staff housing in Bukavu and is eligible for R&R per the DRC R&R policy. This position is not eligible for hardship pay.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
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More Information
- Job City Bukavu
