***This is a Temporary position of 5-6 Months***
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
The Program / Department / Team
The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions in Nigeria including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and grant financial management and compliance. The Mercy Corps Finance Department ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures. To ensure that financial resources are utilized efficiently and effectively, the Finance Department ensures adequate coverage/backstopping, routine training, and ongoing support to all field offices.
General Position Summary
Working under the Finance and Compliance Director based in Abuja, the Finance and Compliance Manager will support the reporting of financial information and ensure that the Country Office complies with Mercy Corps policies, procedures and donors’ grants and contracts requirements. In addition, this position supports the Finance and Compliance Director in the overall management of the country-wide accounting, capacity building of the national team members, and with frequent travel to field sites plays a coordinating role with the different departments and functions within the country finance system.
Essential Responsibilities
Finance and Compliance Management
- Perform financial review of day to day payment, contracting and other in-country transactions while ensuring compliance with MC policies and procedures, donors’ requirements and local laws.
- Perform timely and accurate financial review of the monthly payroll and coordinate with HR/Admin to improve the process as needed.
- Perform compliance reviews of in-country processes including procurement, logistics, stock management, HR & Admin, and coordinate with the relevant departments to correct and improve as needed.
- Support of sub-office finance staff with frequent travels to relevant sub-offices.
- Support country accounting functions with month and year-end closeout processed (transaction review and posting, preparation of grant related reclass entries, reconciliations, other).
- Oversee country cash management process
- Provide advice, training, and consultation on compliance with MC policies and procedures as well as donor compliance requirements.
- Support the creation and maintenance of systems that ensure effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donors’ and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
- Assist Finance and Compliance Director with policy reviews and updates
Program Development & Reporting
- Take part in the development of new programs as assigned by the Finance and Compliance Director; lead the budgeting process and ensure budget proposals are in-line with Mercy Corps’ minimum requirements and donors’ regulations.
- Prepare and update monthly grant spending reports (Budget vs. Actuals, BvAs) of assigned programs if/when needed, including administrative/operational projections; work with program managers to ensure program projections are updated; together with the relevant program managers and staff members, review BvAs and projections, to ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget
- Monitor and analyze grant budgets and spending, and in coordination with program managers initiate and prepare required budget realignments
- Consolidate and prepare financial reports including budget projections of assigned programs
- Manage grant closeout process ensuring that all final expenditures are captured in time, expenses and program commitments fully reconciled against the budget balance and process documented.
- Ensure grant files are maintained and up to date in accordance with Mercy Corps’ minimum program requirements
- Lead and coordinate grant related audits; manage transaction exchange between the finance, HQ and the audit teams, manage audit requests and expectations; review audit reports and coordinate management response
Team Management
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Provide coverage and backstopping for FMs/SFOs/FOs when on leave or under recruitment.
- Advise Finance and Compliance Director on training needs for the country and provide training support to finance staff across country
- Assist in short term finance projects/issues an follow-up on potential financial compliance issues
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
- Provide team members (new and old) with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
- Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects
Supervisory Responsibility
Senior Finance and Compliance Officer Abuja, Senior Finance Officer Biu, Finance Officer Damaturu.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Finance and Compliance Director
Works Directly With: MC Nigeria Finance Team, HQ IFO and RFO, Operations, HR, Program Managers and leads of other in-country departments and functions.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- 3-5 years of finance experience, including budgeting and grant management;
- 3-5 years of finance experience with international NGOs
- A university degree in finance, accounting or a related business management field is required;
- Demonstrated experience in budget preparation and analysis, financial reporting preparation and presentation and the proven ability to translate technical financial data into informative reports.
- Strong background in compliance, donor regulations (USAID, OFDA, FFP, DFID and EU).
- Strong understanding of accounting and proven experience in managing journal entries, payroll. and balance sheet accounts;
- Experience in leading internal and external audit is an asset;
- Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel
- Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills and experience in team coaching and training is required
- Excellent oral and written English skills required.
- Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
Success Factors
The successful candidate will have an ability to interact effectively across international and national program and finance teams successfully, both in a managerial as well as training capacity. S/he will be able to support programmatic objectives with timely and meaningful financial information, have a demonstrated ability to multi-task, and meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities. An impeccable professional standard of finance and procurement ethics and the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential. The Finance and Compliance Manager must be willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The Roving Finance and Compliance Manager is based in the capital city Abuja. The location is generally secure. Housing, health care, water, electricity and consumer goods are all reasonably accessible and there are good international and domestic travel options from Abuja Airport. Air travel is necessary to get to some field locations. Mobile phones services are widely available. Internet is available in all Mercy Corps offices with some inconsistencies in the most remote sites. This position requires frequent travel by road and air to field offices.
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on short term assignments. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
More Information
- Job City Abuja
