SOUTHERN AFRICA REGIONAL FINANCE OFFICER
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation
that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and
exclusion from healthcare. We work in over 60 countries, offering assistance to people based on
need, irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.
MSF Operational Centre Brussels is looking for a: SOUTHERN AFRICA REGIONAL FINANCE OFFICER (RFO)
Operational Context
Mid-2019 OCB launched a reform in support of the projects aiming at providing more autonomy to
the projects. Southern Africa (SnA) missions (Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South-Africa) have been
chosen as first pilot. An innovative and transformational approach will be implemented in 2020 in
the region. The model incorporates:
- A Regional Support Team (RST) will be established to be the first line contact for the projects
for strategic matters. While being based in different offices in the region, the RST will report
directly to the OCB Director of Operations. - ‘National support team’: a transformation of what is currently known as the Coordination
Team (often based in the capital of the country) into a mixed team of junior and senior
profiles that provide country-specific support within the different technical domains (HR, fin,
supply, log, med..) and keep a role of representation at country level. - ‘Project teams’: based on unicity of every project reality, lifecycle, setup etc…, During 2020, a
reinforcement and/or re-organization of punctual, temporary or more permanent
positions/functions will accompany the transition towards a more final setup. Speed of transition is
project-specific.
One Ops, one Med and one Leverage/Advocacy positions will make the core of the RST, with the Ops
one being the regular contact of the DO. Other members of this Regional support team will be based
or in other offices in the region with the possibility of sharing national and regional responsibilities or
in the departments of the MSF SnA section in JHB.
Every member of this RST will have a specific area of expertise and focus while a main point of
attention will be to create and to animate a network that is able to make decisions as collective as
possible and to allow maximum cross-fertilization between the projects and the National Support
Teams. This unique set up will:
- promote more autonomy for the projects by increasing responsibility and competences
at the project level, by reducing the responsibility of the today’s national coordination teams who
will transition towards ad-hoc National Support Teams. - aim to develop as many synergies as possible (with the section), primarily on Communication (Human Resources) and advocacy common interests.
- promote a holarchic managerial approach by including project staff in strategic decisions and by encouraging a distributed setup within the regional team.
The current cell will phase out of current responsibilities and will function as ‘safety net’ as long as a
relevant hand-over hasn’t been completed. The speed of phasing out of the role of the cell will be
adapted to the operational and context reality of the countries, with Mozambique being currently in
the most unstable situation.
- Main objectives
By reporting to both regional support team and finance coordinator based in Brussels HQ , working
in close collaboration with the regional accounting controller also based in Maputo and by being part
of distributed support team RFO oversees, the RFO supports and coaches the finance managers of
the projects and the capitals in his/her portfolio, promotes their autonomy and capacitates them in
effective finance management.Purpose of the post:
- He/she ensures that Management Control, Budgeting & Forecasting, cash management,
internal control and financial analysis functions are accurate and performed according to
standard policies and processes. - He/she ensures a rescue role for finance staff providing technical support for finance
management.Responsibilities
Budget & Forecast- In collaboration with the Regional Support team members, support and guide the project
team with the budget. - Ensures consistency of project budgets with validated operational objectives.
- Provide the overview of the regional envelope, supporting strategic operational decisionmaking
& re-allocating budgets between projects. - Guides and challenges the projects in the preparation and analyses of the monthly follow up
of budget and calculation of the forecast. - Coach and develop finance managers at project levels to increase their skills and
capacity to produce relevant and accurate forecast. - Communicate the monthly forecast to the Operations Finance Coordinator.
- Ensure that significant variances of forecast are validated by the correct level of decision
(project, regional or DO).
Cash Management
- Ensures that the policies and guidelines concerning cash management are relevant and
appropriate and that are well managed in the projects. - Coach finance staff at project and capital level on money security rules and cash
management
best practices. - Validates and ensures monthly cash-flow of the projects.
- With the HQ Treasury department ensure the appropriate, timely and safe transfer of funds
from HQ to the projects. - Support and advice the Finance managers at project and national level in terms of bank &
cash management & signatures. Support them to define and implement the finance strategy
in terms of means of payment (On line banking, phone banking, etc…)
Finance policies
- Coach and supervise the finance managers to ensure the proper implementation and respect
of MSF policies and guidelines, ensuring they are aligned with legal requirements and within
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the national legal framework (including expense validation table, advance table). - Support the project in the definition of the financial strategy adapted to the project and the
context of the country.
Risk resources - Support the finance managers to the proper follow up of audits recommendations (internal
and external). - Coach, mirror, link and support the Finance Managers at project and capital level on the
management, supervision, animation and communication of Internal Monitoring Tool. - Facilitate the link between the final users and the HQ specialist to allow the correct
implementation of IMT and its efficient use. - Support the Finance Managers at the national level on the management, supervision,
animation and communication of insurance contract management, reporting of incidents and
follow up of cases. - Ensure that the Finance manager at national level are correctly linked with HQ specialist to
run an efficient insurance coverage and incident management.
Support, mirror and advice the finance managers in any cost analysis and proposals to
improve the project resources management. - Support, mirror and advice the finance managers in the corruption incident management,
reporting and training. Ensure that the final users are correctly linked with HQ specialist to
ensure an efficient reporting and corruption incident management.
Accounting
- Ensure that the Regional Accounting Controller is aware of every operational decisions and
events that may have an impact on accounting management and supervision. - In close collaboration with the Regional Accounting Controller oversee that the analytical
accounting is coherent, appropriate and consistent in the projects.
Coaching related tasks - Frequently visit projects and the capitals to provide support and coaching to finance staff
- Participate in HR briefing and debriefs of newly recruited managers with finance profiles
- Participate in the recruitment of Finance Managers working in the projects and in the
National Support Team - Organize and provide training on Finance and Risk Resources Management & tools
- Participate in the HR evaluation process of finance staff
Requirements
- In collaboration with the Regional Support team members, support and guide the project
- Education – University degree in management, business administration or
finance (bachelor’s degree level) desirable - Experience – Minimum 5 years experience in similar positions with similar level
of responsibilities (in which minimum 2 years of MSF experience) - Minimum 1 year field MSF experience as FINCO
- Working experience in the region is an asset
- Knowledge of MS Office, Advanced Excel, Accounting software
(Unifield knowledge is a plus) - Awareness of the humanitarian world i.e MSF missions
Competencies - People Management and Development , coaching skills
- Service Orientation, teamwork and cooperatioon
Languages – English proficiency is mandatory; Portuguese is an asset
Conditions
- Expected starting date: ASAP/ Q2 2020
- 2 years (extendable) contract; salary according to MSF-OCB field salary scale, based in Maputo, proximity with the projects and hence travel within the SnA region is required
- Adhere to the MSF principles, Behavioral commitments and to
our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment - To agree with the philosophy and principles behind the Field Recentralisation programme of OCB
How to apply
How to apply ?
Application (CV + cover letter) to be sent before the 23/04/2020 to
[email protected] while mentioning “SOUTHERN AFRICA REGIONAL FINANCE
OFFICER” in the subject of your email.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
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More Information
- Job City South Africa