Job Title: Regional Finance Officer
Department: EARO Regional Office
Location: Baltimore (HQ) or Nairobi, Kenya (to be determined)
Band: E
FLSA: Exempt
Direct Supervisor (solid line): Deputy Regional Director for Management Quality
Technical Supervisor (dotted line): Sr. Director, Overseas Finance, Baltimore
Department: EARO Regional Office
Location: Baltimore (HQ) or Nairobi, Kenya (to be determined)
Band: E
FLSA: Exempt
Direct Supervisor (solid line): Deputy Regional Director for Management Quality
Technical Supervisor (dotted line): Sr. Director, Overseas Finance, Baltimore
Background:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) supporting transformational improvements at scale in the lives of the poor in Africa, Asia, Europe-Middle East and Latin America. As an organization that takes a holistic approach to relief and development, CRS strives for excellence in all that we do. To reach the scale and quality required by our aspirations, we focus on increasing our effectiveness and influence by deepening our expertise and performing at a world-class level in the following three Strategic Program Areas (SPAs): Emergency Response and Recovery, Agricultural Livelihoods and Health. CRS has further identified the following four core competencies for deeper cultivation and strategic investments: 1) Monitoring and Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL), 2) ICT4D Solutions for Humanitarian and Development Assistance, 3) Partner Collaboration and Support, and 4) Global Brand Management. Our strategy calls for an organizational culture characterized by a set of attributes that establishes the norms, expectations and ethos of CRS. These include, among others: Operational Excellence and Accountability for Outcomes.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) supporting transformational improvements at scale in the lives of the poor in Africa, Asia, Europe-Middle East and Latin America. As an organization that takes a holistic approach to relief and development, CRS strives for excellence in all that we do. To reach the scale and quality required by our aspirations, we focus on increasing our effectiveness and influence by deepening our expertise and performing at a world-class level in the following three Strategic Program Areas (SPAs): Emergency Response and Recovery, Agricultural Livelihoods and Health. CRS has further identified the following four core competencies for deeper cultivation and strategic investments: 1) Monitoring and Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL), 2) ICT4D Solutions for Humanitarian and Development Assistance, 3) Partner Collaboration and Support, and 4) Global Brand Management. Our strategy calls for an organizational culture characterized by a set of attributes that establishes the norms, expectations and ethos of CRS. These include, among others: Operational Excellence and Accountability for Outcomes.
Primary Functions:
The Regional Finance Officer (RFO) is charged with supporting the Regional Director (and/or Deputy Regional Director for Management Quality) in ensuring that the agency finance strategy is implemented throughout the region. As the region’s controller and financial expert, the RFO provides adequate and timely support on financial matters to the Regional Director (RD), other members of the Regional Management Team (RMT), Country Representatives (CRs), Heads of Programs (HOPs), Heads of Operations (HoOps), (regional) Business Development Team and Country Programs’ Finance Managers (FMs). The RFO is responsible for overseeing the implementation of robust financial policies and procedures and practices put in place to control an increasingly complex and challenging funding and operational environment. While directly reporting to the Deputy Regional Director for MQ, the RFO has a dotted line reporting responsibility to the Sr. Director for Overseas Finance, based in Baltimore.
The Regional Finance Officer (RFO) is charged with supporting the Regional Director (and/or Deputy Regional Director for Management Quality) in ensuring that the agency finance strategy is implemented throughout the region. As the region’s controller and financial expert, the RFO provides adequate and timely support on financial matters to the Regional Director (RD), other members of the Regional Management Team (RMT), Country Representatives (CRs), Heads of Programs (HOPs), Heads of Operations (HoOps), (regional) Business Development Team and Country Programs’ Finance Managers (FMs). The RFO is responsible for overseeing the implementation of robust financial policies and procedures and practices put in place to control an increasingly complex and challenging funding and operational environment. While directly reporting to the Deputy Regional Director for MQ, the RFO has a dotted line reporting responsibility to the Sr. Director for Overseas Finance, based in Baltimore.
Specific Responsibilities:
- Financial/Budget Management
• In cooperation with HQ Finance and regional staff, assist Country Programs (CP) as needed to ensure the submission of timely and accurate financial data to HQ.
• Support the upgrading and use of eBudget and the multi-year forecasting process within the region.
• Review all grant applications which exceed the regionally defined threshold ensuring cost application and cost allocation are correctly followed.
• Lead the regional team in the development and review of the preliminary revenue forecast, APPs and quarterly forecasts for regional budgets.
• Conduct first level review of region's data (both regional and CP cost centers) in preliminary revenue forecast, APPs and quarterly forecasts to ensure compliance with agency and regional budgeting guidance.
• Complete a review and provide feedback on the Country Programs’ financial packages on a quarterly basis.
• Frequently collaborate with HQ to improve Country Program performance related to the metrics used in the quarterly FAST-reports from Overseas Finance and KPI/Dashboard reports from Operations Standards & Systems unit.
• Facilitate the opening and closing of a country program (including emergency programs) by providing financial guidance and assistance in final accounting.
• Monitor regional payroll charges for international staff to ensure that budgets are charged accurately and default codes are updated regularly.
• Prepare quarterly financial analysis reports for submission to regional team, and other reports as requested by the RD, HQ or others.
• In coordination with CRs, the RD and HQ Finance, identify, assess and resolve financial management issues to ensure consistent attainment of financial management ‘standards of excellence’.
• Assist and guide the Country Programs in the implementation of new finance systems, tools, policies and processes. Provide feedback on implementation and guidance toward improved performance.
• Monitor regional project budgets (e.g. Regional Reserve funds, regional training funds, etc.) and restricted fund balances. Identify and make recommendations concerning opportunities for reallocation of regional resources. Act proactively in identifying potential problem areas in managing to budget (e.g. under- and overspending, etc.).
• Provide guidance on technical financial and accounting issues, such as accounting for micro-finance entities.
• Coordinate the regional review of all draft finance policies and procedures.
• Provide assistance as needed for the year-end closing process.
• Provide support to country programs as needed in reinforcing agency financial management policies (with a particular focus on the Cost Allocation and Sub-Recipient Financial Monitoring policies) and meeting standards of excellence.
• Plan and undertake regular visits to Country Programs. A standard comprehensive review for each field visit, including analysis and defined follow-up actions, in written reports are provided to HQ Finance, the RD, the DRD/MQ and CR shortly after these visits. - Human Resources Management
• As a technical supervisor of FM position, RFO will collaborate with the primary supervisor (CR or HoOps) on the following supervisory responsibilities:
• engagement and assistance in recruitment, orientation, coaching, mentoring and training of FMs and other key finance staff prioritised by the regional needs;
• priority setting for finance community and defining annual performance goals for FMs, based on Global Finance, Regional and Country Program’s priorities;
• providing feedback on performance appraisal and professional development of FMs, reflecting on HQ and regionally defined standards and core competencies.
• Provide assistance as needed in resolution of any issues of the country finance team.
• Coordinate the placement of financial support staff into special needs, including TDY assignments.
• Coordinate financial objectives across the region and facilitate the integration of regional financial goals related to CRS's strategic financial plan.
• Monitor and report on financial trends and indicators..
• Under the guidance of and in coordination with HQ Finance and regional staff develop and deliver one targeted regional financial training per year.
• Coordinate with peers to share knowledge and develop best practices for RFOs and FMs.
• Actively participate in the regular (and often virtual) RFO meetings.
• Provide TDY assistance, as needed, during emergencies and other contingences.
• Participate in annual meetings and trainings development by HQ for the RFOs. - Grants Management
• In coordination with country and HQ staff, monitor grant spending to ensure timely expenditure of donor funds and project closure and adherence with donor regulations, both for centrally-funded and locally-funded grants.
• Regularly review and assess country compliance with financial management requirements of federal and non-federal awards.
• Support country finance staff in identifying problem areas, and developing work plans to resolve. - Audit Follow-Up and Risk Management
• Monitor the implementation of action and corrective action plans relative to both internal and external audits and report back to regional management and HQ.
• Ensure adequate analysis and monitoring of regional audit trends and key financial issues in order to identify strategic solutions to address them.
• In coordination with the DRD/MQ, ensure that country programs adequately prepare for audits and close audit recommendations in a timely fashion and resolve systemic weaknesses. This includes the review of Disclosure Letters and participation in close out meetings.
• In coordination with other senior regional staff, review CPs Internal Control Questionnaires (ICQ) from financial side and provide support with implementation of the corrective action plans.
• As a part of year-end activities, review the annual Risk Report and compare to G/L to ensure financial implications of risk are properly recorded.
• Provide timely reviews and requests for approvals for finance related documentation.
Key Working Relationships:
INTERNAL: Deputy Regional Director, MQ, Regional Director, Sr. Director, for Overseas Finance other HQ Finance units, HQ finance and grants analysts, Deputy Regional Director (PQ), HQ Overops, CRs, HOPs, HoOPs, FMs, (regional) Business Development Team, Regional Technical Advisors, and HQ Internal Audit.
INTERNAL: Deputy Regional Director, MQ, Regional Director, Sr. Director, for Overseas Finance other HQ Finance units, HQ finance and grants analysts, Deputy Regional Director (PQ), HQ Overops, CRs, HOPs, HoOPs, FMs, (regional) Business Development Team, Regional Technical Advisors, and HQ Internal Audit.
EXTERNAL: Sub-recipients (including Catholic Church partners), donor representatives, external auditors and financial training and systems vendors.
Personal Skills:
• Demonstrates ethical conduct in accordance with the Code of Finance Ethics (PRO-FIN-ETH-003) procedure.
• Good communication skills and proven ability to work well within in a dynamic team, as well as individually.
• Strong teamwork, coordination and planning skills.
• Good facilitation skills for meetings and workshops.
• Dedicated to customer service, learning and strategic thinking.
• Proven expertise in financial management.
• Willingness to travel frequently throughout the region (50%) and occasionally to events outside the region.
• Demonstrates ethical conduct in accordance with the Code of Finance Ethics (PRO-FIN-ETH-003) procedure.
• Good communication skills and proven ability to work well within in a dynamic team, as well as individually.
• Strong teamwork, coordination and planning skills.
• Good facilitation skills for meetings and workshops.
• Dedicated to customer service, learning and strategic thinking.
• Proven expertise in financial management.
• Willingness to travel frequently throughout the region (50%) and occasionally to events outside the region.
Qualifications:
• CPA, CA or MBA preferred; Bachelor’s degree in Accounting minimum.
• Minimum of 8 years of accounting experience within an international operations environment.
• Strong understanding and experience in US Government funding regulations for International NGOs.
• Strong ICT skills (including proficiency in the use of MS Office). Knowledge of Sun Systems and JDE Edwards is a plus.
• Good communication skills, in leading and participating in meetings, facilitating events, etc.
• Excellent references from selected referrals.
• CPA, CA or MBA preferred; Bachelor’s degree in Accounting minimum.
• Minimum of 8 years of accounting experience within an international operations environment.
• Strong understanding and experience in US Government funding regulations for International NGOs.
• Strong ICT skills (including proficiency in the use of MS Office). Knowledge of Sun Systems and JDE Edwards is a plus.
• Good communication skills, in leading and participating in meetings, facilitating events, etc.
• Excellent references from selected referrals.
Foreign Language Required:
Proficiency for oral and written English
Proficiency for oral and written English
This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, efforts, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
CRS’ recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application
Equal Opportunity Employer
All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application
Equal Opportunity Employer
HOW TO APPLY:
Apply online: http://bit.ly/2dKRxfd
