Organizational Context
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.
The IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.
The IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.
The IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.
IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
The Finance and Administration Coordinator is responsible for the provision of quality financial services, quality control assurance, finance capacity building and technical advice. This role sits in the Country Cluster Delegation (CCD) of Haiti, Cuba and the Dominican Republic based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Job Purpose
The Finance and Administration Coordinator is a financial administrator who is responsible under the overall control and technical leadership of the Regional Head of Finance & Administration for the funds, budget, management of some finance staff, contractual matters and insurance of the delegation, as well as for the training and advising the regional head of units and other staff in financial matters.
The position will be based in Haiti or in Dominican Republic with 50% minimum travel to Haiti.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Budgeting
- Concerning to CCD Latin Caribbean coordinate and lead the annual budgeting and planning process.
- Review the funding plan with the SPRM focal person.
- Supervise programmes’ budgets using relevant reports to identify relevant / expected implementation discrepancies.
- Provide financial management advice on revisions of budgets, preparing periodical forecasts and any changes needed. Help management make financial decisions.
- Establish and prepare accurate and timely information for budget monitoring and progress reporting of programme funds.
- Efficiently communicate and present the critical financial matters to senior management/head of units.
- Prepare other budgets such as international staff cost, national staff cost, for proposal submission and specific request from other department.
Treasury management
- Ensure compliance with internal controls, policies and procedures. Develop and monitor treasury operational policies.
- Work closely with senior finance officers to manage all cash and banks payments for both local and non-local currency. Monitor and control the flow of cash receipts and disbursements.
- Coordinate with finance officer on monthly cash withdrawal from bank to replenish petty cash as per the ceiling set in the finance policy.
- Ensure compile of segregation of duties approved by Geneva finance and maintain an accurate accounting and internal controls.
- Manage strong company relationships with financial service providers.
- Adhere to local government tax and policy, ensure compliance and execute accordingly.
- Authorise and validate all cash and bank payments submitted by senior finance officers. This includes regional logistic payments and payments from other countries based on the ceiling set by Geneva.
- Advice and support senior finance officer on the changes on the bank signatories for delegation and partner national society bank account, always maintain an updated database in finance system.
- Control financial risk by keeping minimum limits in local currency and offset the probability of a financial loss.
- Ensure the insurance of cash are renewed and updated accordingly.
- Ensure that all company assets are safe from theft and misappropriation.
Reporting
- Prepare financial reports for donor as per the IFRC standard or donor requirement.
- Responds to financial inquiries by gathering, analysing, summarizing, and interpreting data.
- Prepare quarterly report to Geneva finance as per the cash disbursement and expenditure authorisation requirement.
- Prepares budget reports by collecting data; analysing and investigating variances; summarizing data, information, and trends for the budget revision on quarterly basis.
Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)
Month and year end closing
- To ensure timely completion of finance closing accordance with the outlined policies and procedures.
- Maintain accuracy in balance sheet and expenses account and responsibility for month end accounting tasks and monthly reconciliation of
- Ensure timely and accurate booking of all financial transactions (payments, working advances, SOSC, accounts payable, etc.).
- To be responsible of reviewing the KPI for each project and provide timely advice to the budget holder.
- Validate the booking for bilateral transaction for Partner National Society.
- Validate the personal deduction cost of international staff to Geneva finance and HR.
- Review the coding for the vehicle leasing on monthly basis.
- Validate on monthly basis the headcount and approve the allocation cost accordingly based on the shared office and services cost.
- Review and validate national staff payroll every month, validate redundancy booking of national staff and validate consolidated year end closing movement for the national staff redundancy and retirement benefits report.
Other Finance Task and Services
- To be responsible for the management and development of finance/accounting team, which include accounts payable, accountants, treasury and archive.
- Evaluates and verifies employee performance through the review of completed work assignments and objectives.
- To be responsible for briefing any new staff member to regional office.
- Review and validate from finance perspective on any agreement based on contract approval matrix in the IFRC contract system, as requested.
- Review and validate travel mission request and travel mission expenses in the IFRC e-travel system.
- To be responsible for any audit queries and arrange any finance document for audit requirement.
- Ensure financial policies and procedures are up to date, ensure segregation of duties are followed and maintain internal accounting control.
- Review and validate end of mission exit document for both national and international staff on finance section.
- Review and validate logistic requisition and staff request/extension form on finance section, when required.
- Provide in house programme managers training to budget holders and other staff members, when required.
- Acting during the absence of finance team members.
Education
REQUIRED:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.
- Professional qualification in accounting (Chartered accountant, CPA or equivalent).
- Relevant professional training courses (Red Cross/Red Crescent related, humanitarian and development sector, management, etc.)
Experience
REQUIRED:
- 5+ years’ experience with an International Organisation, INGO or NGO.
- 5+ years’ of relevant experience.
- 3+ years’ experience managing staff.
PREFFERED:
- Experience in plan & budget, financial analysis & statements, reporting & treasury. management, and external financial audit.
- Experience with International Federation financial and accounting systems.
Knowledge, Skills and Languages
REQUIRED:
- Documented skills in computer applications (spreadsheets, word processing, accounting applications, e-mail and internet).
- Self-motivated, pro-active and result-oriented approach to work
- Fluently Spoken and written English
PREFFERED:
- Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)
Competencies, Values and Comments
Values: Respect for Diversity, Integrity, Professionalism, Accountability
Core competencies: Communications, Collaboration & Teamwork, Judgement & Decision, National Society & Customer Relations, Creativity & Innovation, Building Trust.
Managerial competencies: Managing Performance, Managing Staff Development
Functional competencies: Strategic Orientation, Building Alliances, Leadership, Empowering Others