Regional Accountant – ECA 17 views0 applications

Job title: Regional Accountant

Part 1 – Job description

Main purpose of the job

To provide active, responsive and solution oriented hands-on support to the ECA Region on all aspects of finance. To ensure first-class and customer-focused services are effectively delivered to the regional team including the regional office, country offices and implementing partners.

The post holder will assist in ensuring controls and compliance requirements are operating effectively, high quality project financial reporting is consistently delivered on time, and risks are promptly identified and recommendations are provided on mechanisms to minimise them.

2. Purpose of the team

The Finance Director and the finance team bring to Tearfund the crucial, wise voice of stewardship, prioritisation, accountability and effectiveness that must be delivered in the following 3 areas:

Ensuring a strong grip on the core finances with clear, transparent and insightful reporting leveraged from strong systems and simple clear processes.

Using financial models and frameworks to enable better decisions to be made.

Being an exemplar of driving simple, efficient and effective practices across the finance team and the broader organisation.

The Regional Accountant plays a key role in providing hands-on, proactive and solution oriented finance support to the ECA region.

3. Position in organization

Reports to the Senior Finance Business Partner (SFBP) – ECA

Deputise for SFBP – ECA during periods of absence

Works closely with Finance Managers, country finance staff and partners as required

Strong collaboration with Tearfund’s Global finance teams (GIPG Finance , Financial Planning and Performance, and Global Controllers).

4. Tearfund’s Christian culture

We believe that prayer and discernment is fundamental to Tearfund achieving its mission of restoring relationships, ending extreme poverty and transforming lives. As a Tearfund staff member you are expected to:-

Engage with weekly Tearfund Prayers, quarterly Sabbath days and the Prayer & Spiritual Life hub

Lead or participate in spiritual sessions of prayer and biblical reflection within your group

Be committed to Tearfund’s Mission, Values and Beliefs statement and to be actively working and living in accordance with Tearfund’s Christian beliefs and theology of mission

Maintain your own spiritual development, discover your gifts/callings and grow in discipleship

5. Organizational requirements

All staff are expected to live out Tearfund’s values as they represent Tearfund externally

All post-holders are expected to fulfil their personal objectives set by their line manager, contribute to their team’s overall objectives, take responsibility for reviewing their ongoing personal development and maintain an awareness of Tearfund’s strategy.

All Tearfund staff share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.

5. Scope of job

Financial Capacity Building

Financial Reporting, Budgeting and Planning

Regional and Country Office Support

Transactional Processes

Corporate Policy & Compliance

Finance Surge Support

Other finance tasks as assigned by SFBP – ECA

6.  Duties & Key Responsibilities Financial Capacity Building

In consultation with the SFBP – ECA and Regional Director (RD), manage a programm of financial capacity building; prioritising country offices to enable each office within the region to effectively manage all aspects of financial management

To provide finance training sessions for finance and non-finance staff in the region

Regularly visit country offices for both routine and ad-hoc finance and surge support visits

Under the supervision of the SFBP, increase the finance capacity at the country office level, including supporting the SFBP-ECA in recruitment, training and staff development across the region

To support country offices in providing finance training to partners, including donor fund management, financial wrongdoing prevention, strengthening financial controls etc.

Work closely with International Accountants to provide financial accounting training – CCB, system implementation, process simplification etc.

Nurture and maintain effective relationships within the region, and with Tearfund’s global finance teams.

Financial Reporting, Budgeting and Planning

Under the SFBP-ECA, provide proactive support and input to the development of donor proposal budgets within the region ensuring they are on time and of quality. Where necessary attend Project Development Meetings (PDM) and Project Development Approval (PDA)

Collates figures and commentary for monthly finance meetings with the Global Influencing and Programmes Director, and for Corporate Management Accounts

Providing responsive support to SFBP-ECA so that the financial management reporting is prepared with full explanations for material variances against budget and profile

Preparing Appeal financial analysis and commentaries as required

Working closely with the assigned International Accountant, check donor reports against financial accounts for completeness and accuracy to ensure the integrity of Tearfund’s financial data for large institutionally-funded projects.

Review institutional project reports received from countries and support the SFBP-ECA in preparing monthly management account commentaries in relation to all funding (including institutional).

Regional and Country Office Support

Assist countries to successfully implement projects, subsequent revisions in accordance with external donor requirements, and adapt to changes in circumstances (staff turnover, scale up or scale down etc.)

Provide support in maintaining a set of complete and accurate financial records for the region, including all relevant supporting documentation for each project

Provide responsive support to assist country offices with preparation of local statutory accounts and financial reporting to local authorities

Monitor, supervise and assist country offices in preparation for external audits and ensure compliance with contractual and legal requirements, as well as with Tearfund’s internal policies and procedures.

Support country offices implement audit recommendations and learning.

Support country offices in preparation for the annual Tearfund statutory audit, and meeting corporate deadlines.

Transactional Processes

Approval and posting of country office cash books, and corresponding reviews

Booking monthly programme recoveries and other journals for the region

Review and processing cash requests from country offices

Review the accounting, payroll and balance sheet reconciliations for countries in the ECA regional, including those on PSF

Review Country Office year-end reports as assigned

Provide proactive responses to Global and field account queries as may arise.

Corporate Policy and Compliance

Assist SFBP-ECA in ensuring consistent compliance with Tearfund’s internal financial policies and procedures across the region

Assist SFBP-ECA in ensuring compliance with all contractual and statutory financial requirements. Support country offices to ensure they are well prepared for external and local-statutory audits and are compliant with donor policies

Support country offices carry out partner assessments and complete solvency assessments on Partner’s audited financial statements within the specified time as required.

Assist SFBP-ECA in monitoring procedures to prevention and mitigation of financial wrongdoing and other risks

Support SFBP-ECA in providing proactive risk management advice and support to all projects and countries in the region

Provide responsive support to the regional team as requested by SFBP-ECA to ensure all internal audit issues and follow-up actions are effectively managed and reported on to the Audit, Risk and Finance Committee (ARF)

Finance Surge Support

As required, provide surge support for country/other regions and/or project finance needs.

Additional Responsibilities

Identify opportunities for streamlining, improving, and contextualising global financial practices

Collaborate as part of the global Tearfund finance team, contributing to financial management, year-end processes, and global audits

Support senior management in maintaining constructive working relations with other NGOs, donors, UN agencies and host governments

Perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Finance Business Partner – ECA.