North Africa Regional Manager of Finance and Administration (MFA) 104 views0 applications

About the Organization:

Heartland Alliance International (HAI) is the international wing of a family of organizations that has been leading anti-poverty and social justice work in Chicago for more than 125 years. HAI implements programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and in Chicago at the Marjorie Kovler Center. HAI’s technical areas include mental health and psychosocial support, gender equity, access to justice, and stigma-free HIV prevention, care, and treatment. Across all programs, HAI promotes progressive, innovative approaches to human rights protections and gender equity. Our mission is to secure the rights and well-being of marginalized people and communities.

In 2004, HAI launched its first Middle East and North Africa program to mitigate the humanitarian implications of ongoing political instability and armed conflict. Today, HAI’s programs in Iraq and Lebanon prioritize the needs of vulnerable groups, including women, children, religious and ethnic minorities, internally displaced people, refugees, and survivors of torture, human trafficking, gender-based violence, and other forms of trauma. To address these groups, HAI provides direct services and works with local non-governmental partners and helps build the capacity of health and mental health professionals, legal service providers and judicial officials, government organizations, and the media.

Summary: This position provides oversight to and assumes responsibility for all finance and administrative work led by Heartland Alliance International in the North Africa region, including finance, administration, sub-grant award management, compliance with local laws and contractual obligations, as well as ad hoc human resources, logistics, and IT communications support as needed. This position reports directly to the Project Director for North Africa and indirectly to the Director of International Programs, located in HAI’s Headquarters office in Chicago, IL, USA. HAI expects this position to be based in Tunisia. Candidates with the appropriate work authorization, language skills, and ability to travel will also be considered from elsewhere in the MENA region. This position requires frequent travel to Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Finance (60%)

• Ensure the achievement of financial expectations/requirements from multi-lateral donors, including reports, transfers, audits, etc.
• Primary responsibility for timeliness and accuracy of financial statements
• Ensure that all financial documents requested by HAI central office in Chicago are delivered in a timely manner
• Responsible for final review and submission to Chicago of monthly projections to ensure staff/programs operations are adequately funded
• Ensure all proper control procedures are implemented • Ensure audit recommendations have been implemented
• Work closely with Financial and Accounting Services (FAS) in Chicago to develop financial controls and processes/procedures and ensure correct implementation in the North Africa region
• Oversee compliance of all purchases and procurement carried out by North Africa regional staff
• Ensure all expenses are reasonable and allocable, and conform to HAI Accounting principles and guidelines
• Daily project bookkeeping
• Be responsible for proper documentation of all financial and bank transactions and maintain records that are audit-ready
• Prepare and revise proposal budgets as necessary
• Organize all hard copy payment vouchers, petty cash vouchers and receipts from partners as well as HAI receipts
• Record all expenses in excel sheet on daily basis
• Perform and follow-up on pay-outs and advances
• Monitor payment due dates
• Manage safe and petty cash, report discrepancies to superior;
• Assist in calculation and payment of taxes, as well as prepare other periodic financial declarations as necessary and required by law
• Prepare payroll at end of each month
• Ensure efficient and accurate maintenance of financial records
• Prepare financial reports within required deadlines
• Resolve accounting irregularities
• Manage and support project budget
• Assists program manager in visiting partner sites to verify financial reports, collect original receipts, cross check accuracy and correct errors
• Support and train partner staff as needed on appropriate financial procedures
• Record/scan receipts and support data entry of expenditures as needed
• Maintain organized and detailed paper filing of all financial documents
• Provide financial documents to directors when requested
• Follow all financial procedures in detail
• Assist in maintaining up-to-date inventories of all items; and,
• Any other task as assigned by Headquarters or the North Africa Regional Project Director

Administration and Human Resources (20%)

• Prepare consultancy contracts for related programs in accordance with national laws and HAI regulations
• Update the North Africa Regional staff census, organigramme and phone list on a monthly basis
• Ensure compliance with local labor, immigration regulations and other matters (e.g. registration, taxation, severance)
• Maintain oversight of local service provider contracts, office lease, local insurances, etc.
• Establish and maintain a harmonious working environment, seeking to strengthen team-building by encouraging active participation and interaction at all levels
• Any other task as assigned by Headquarters or the North Africa Regional Project Director

Logistics (20%)

• Ensure appropriate security procedures and protocols are in place, understood and adhered to by all staff
• Be responsible for the management of external contracts and vehicle operations, including documentation, repairs and maintenance
• Ensure management of all office assets and liabilities and ensure proper inventory control
• Ensure compliance with protocols for all project and international staff travel to include security monitoring and development
• Any other task as assigned by Headquarters or the North Africa Regional Project Director

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or competency required.

· Bachelor’s Degree in accounting or related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience

· 3-5 years prior accounting experience

· Demonstrated experience in maintaining and reporting financial information for international projects including working knowledge of financial regulations and procedures

· Experience with payroll procedures

· Knowledge of all relevant local and national tax procedures and experience in completing and submitting all required tax forms

· Demonstrated experience working independently with minimal supervision and working in high-security situations

· Ability to satisfy visa requirements to travel to Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia;

· Ability to work permanently in Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, or Libya, OR potentially an alternative country, granted the candidate is able to satisfy the previously mentioned travel requirements, preferred;[MC1] [MC2]

· Demonstrated experience in maintaining and reporting financial information for large institutional donor-funded projects including working knowledge of financial regulations and procedures

Language Skills:

· Excellent oral and written communication skills in Arabic, with preference for North African dialects; and, **

· Proficiency in oral and written English required and proficiency in French strongly preferred[MC3] [MC4] .

Computer Skills:

• Experienced QuickBooks system user;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, Windows operating systems, Power Point; and,
• Other software routinely used by Heartland Alliance.

Please Provide:

§ A cover letter describing your relevant qualifications for this position

§ Resume

§ 3 professional references

Heartland Alliance makes all hiring and employment decisions, and operates all programs, services, and functions without regard to race, receipt of an order of protection, creed, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital or parental status, religion, ancestry, national origin, amnesty, physical or mental disability, protected veterans status, genetic information, sexual orientation, immigrant status, political affiliation or belief, use of FMLA, VESSA, military, and family military rights, ex-offender status (depending on the offense and position to be filled), unfavorable military discharge, membership in an organization whose primary purpose is the protection of civil rights or improvement of living conditions and human relations, height, weight, or HIV infection, in accord with the organization’s AIDS Policy Statement of September 1987.