About CRS
Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.
Job Summary:
You ensure a high level of resource stewardship, strict financial accountability and financial risk management while ensuring the effectiveness and robustness of EARO Country Programs (CPs) and relevant partners’ financial management systems, processes, and practices in support of high-quality programs serving the poor and vulnerable. You anticipate and manage financial management services needs and delivery challenges, and identify and implement improvement solutions, as needed, to minimize CP and partners’ exposure to financial risk.
Roles and Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and manage financial processes in accordance with policies and provide proactive service delivery, advice, and support to managers, staff, and subrecipients in relation to managing the whole project cycle (Design, Start-up, Implementation, Close-out), ensuring efficiency and compliance with CRS’ policies and procedures, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), donors’ rules and regulations, and legal requirements.
- Provide direction and coordination of effective budget development and management (Annual Program Plans and project budgets), ensuring accuracy and consistency of financial data and safeguarding of resources. Act as Cost Application Lead for CRS business development initiative, especially large and/or complicated proposals.
- Ensure integrity of accounting information by reviewing account issues for compliance and establishing quality control over accounting transactions and financial reporting. Oversee maintenance of supporting documentation for a reliable and easy to follow audit trail.
- Lead the preparation of accurate financial data, analysis and projections and support the Senior Management Team and Program/Project Managers in interpreting data for decision-making and effectively managing financial risks.
- Provide coaching to country program finance staff, support strategically tailored individual development plans, and contribute to performance management for country program finance staff.
- Oversee the performance of accurate reporting procedures and timely submission of reports to relevant stakeholders (CP managers, Regional Office, HQ/Finance, donors, local government entities).
- Lead assessment of staff and subrecipients’ financial management capacity, ensure capacity strengthening on finance policies and regulations, as needed, and monitor and measure impact.
- Lead efforts to close audit financial management findings in a timely and sustainable way.
- Support the CP on Gateway and SRFMP Dashboard compliance.
Job Requirements
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications
- B.A. degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration with courses in accounting, or a qualification in accounting (CPA/ACCA or equivalent). MBA or Master’s degree in related field with a focus on Accounting preferred. A professional certification in Accounting or a related field highly preferred.
- Minimum of five years’ experience in a similar position, preferably with an International NGO.
- Additional education may substitute for some experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of the relevant public donors’ regulations highly preferred.
- Substantial budgeting, budget/expense analysis, and accounting experience.
- Knowledge of local law in taxation and local regulatory reporting procedures.
- Staff management experience.
- Strong experience in presenting and facilitating on financial management topics.
- Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications.
- Knowledge of SunSystems financial accounting package or similar financial reporting software highly preferred
Required Languages – Excellent written and oral communication skills
Travel – include percentage of required travel, if applicable. Could be stated as Must be willing and able to travel 25 – 50 % of the time.
Supervisory Responsibilities: No direct supervision; support to country program finance staff
Key Working Relationships:
Internal: RFO, Deputy Regional Director/Operations, Regional Director, Country program finance staff, other CRS staff
External: Partners, donors
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Excellent analytical skills with ability to make sound judgment and decisions
- Very good planning, monitoring and organizational skills
- Ethical conduct in accordance with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics
- Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results-oriented
- Ability to work collaboratively
More Information
- Job City Addis Ababa