We help to strengthen resilience of vulnerable people exposed to hazards and crisis situations and we respond to disasters and conflicts to save lives and alleviate suffering. We act before, during and after disasters to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people.
We do this without regards to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinion. Our seven principles guide our humanitarian work: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.
The International Assistance department is responsible for all Netherlands Red Cross international support for victims of disasters and conflicts and for vulnerable people exposed to hazards.
In this regard, the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) is engaged in a long term partnership with the Sudan Red Crescent Society to support them in building community resilience. We do this through the support of a varied project portfolio, some of them in consortia with other partners, but always with a direct support to the implementing partner, SRCS. For optimising this, NLRC has a delegation with an office administration temporarily present in Nairobi for the year of 2025. This might change to Sudan again, once the security situation allows.
The purpose of this position is to ensure the implementation of compliant project financial management by building the capacity of the Netherlands Rec Cross Delegation and Sudan Red Crescent Project and Finance staff. The role involves establishing an efficient and accurate financial reporting cycle while monitoring, supporting, and verifying financial processes, as well as ensuring adherence to established policies and procedures for the projects in Sudan.
Position title: Finance Delegate (FD) – Sudan – 100%
Duty station: Port Sudan, Sudan (however, currently this position is based in Nairobi, Kenya until a decision is make to return to Sudan) (please note that this is an international mobile staff position)
Time period: 12 months (with possibility of extension)
Starting Date: 1 April 2025
Status: Single posting
Purpose of the position
In the context of partnership development, the Finance Delegate plays a role in designing and rolling out a comprehensive Finance Vision for Sudan. Given the current operating context and remote management challenges that entail significant financial risks, the Finance Delegate will place particular emphasis on risk management. This includes facilitating strategic dialogue with SRCS senior program and finance staff to develop and enhance risk mitigation measures and ensuring full compliance with back donor requirements.
Background
The NLRC is a long-term partner of SRCS through a strategic partnership, with longer term development assistance through a current program in the areas of Disaster Management, WASH, Food Security, Data and Financial Sustainability.
The outbreak of the conflict between RSF and government forces since April 2023, has strongly disrupted SRCS project implementation and its organisational structure. Due to the current crisis, SRCS (and its partners) are also facing an increased financial risk. The SRCS is trying to ensure business continuity and has developed a plan to support its branches via Regional Hubs. One of the proposed hubs is in Gedaref (one of the NLRC project areas), which SRCS intends to equip with additional Finance Staff, to enable the surrounding branches to increase its financial control capacity. This is part of the financial control measures that SRCS tries to put in place, to report better to Movement partners.
We are recruiting a Finance Delegate to support operations in Sudan, to minimize financial risks, to structure the administration and bring it up to date, and to provide capacity building to NLRC and local staff based in-country, financial system development of SRCS, to support the Finance vision development and to support the finance sustainability (only finance related matters) work in Sudan.
Position in the organization
In this position, you report to the NLRC Sudan Country Representative (CR) based in Nairobi who is in charge of the functional line-management, in conjunction with the PPC (Partnership and Portfolio Coordinator, at NLRC HQ). The Finance Delegate reports directly to the CR on the progress made in his/ her workplan, which is based on the CFP (see below). However, on the day-to-day basis, the FD works hand in hand with all project delegates, local staff and SRCS Finance Coordinator (assigned for NLRC projects). On a monthly basis, the Finance Delegate will Technically report to the Financial Controllers of NLRC HQ. Every two weeks, the FD attends on-line the Sudan desk meeting and the bi-weekly finance meeting; he/she also gives input to the quarterly finance meetings with NLRC HQ. Close cooperation & frequent communication with Project Administration (PA), Desk and Financial Control is essential. The Finance Delegate will travel frequently to Port Sudan, always in consultation and agreement of his line manager.
Summary statement and responsibilities
Each NLRC partnership country will have a Country Finance Plan (CFP), that includes all specific (financial) areas that need support and implementation. The FD is co-responsible to develop, monitor and implement the CFP for Sudan, in close coordination with NLRC Sudan team.
Specific tasks from the Country Finance Plan are:
- Development and roll out of the Finance vision for Sudan (close coordination with FC and CR)
- Specific attention to be given to Risk Management (e.g leading the dialogue with SRCS senior program and finance staff on developing/ improving risk mitigation measures, enabling the Seconded to NLRC Finance officer to monitor the implementation of the internal control measures, etc)
Tasks to NLRC delegation and projects:
- Conduct internal project reviews and provide quarterly reports with detailed findings and recommendations for improvement.
- Ensure Finance tools and systems are well maintained and safeguard that each Project delegate executes his/her roles and responsibilities correctly (e.g. budgeting, planning, monitoring, reporting, cash requests, Winpaccs cost control, are primary tasks of the Project Delegate and not the task of the Finance Delegate)
- Train and coach the NLRC Project Delegates, country representative & local finance staff in the NLRC procedures for:
- internal control, financial planning, budgeting, budget revisions.
- Winpaccs accounting and cost control: encoding of vouchers and variance analysis; forecasting, cash request and reporting requirements.
- Support all NLRC project delegates in ensuring compliance to:
- Donor conditions
- NLRC (financial) guidelines
- procurement regulations
- Audit criteria
- Timely payments to SRCS
- Budget planning, forecasting, Monitoring and analysis
- 100% monthly review of submitted Financial Reports by SRCS and undertaking monthly bank reconciliation per project to identify discrepancies between the reconciliation of Winpaccs and SRCS financial reports and ensure follow up is done by CR/Project delegates with SRCS
- BVA report to Finance Control and CR accompanied with explanatory note for deviations above 10% per budget line by comparing the POA vs actuals for the relevant reporting period
- Report to FC and liaise with PA on project administration issues and ensuring SPACE and Winpaccs match both at field level and HQ level
- Coordinate together with Project delegates and accountants the end of project audits and internal reviews/auditing, including possible field audits to branch offices
- Ensure a well-functioning NLRC office administration is operational in Nairobi and Port Sudan by the end of the assignment and hand it over to local administrator who will be under his mentorship and training during the period of assignment
- Support the Food Security and Livelihood project financial management and internal reviews (50% of his/her time as per agreement with DG INTPA). As a consortium Finance Delegate, the FD is responsible for consolidating the financial reports that are being provided by all consortium partners; coordinate and support during the annual expenditure verifications.
Sudan Red Crescent Society :
- Maintain a good working relationship with the SRCS Finance manager and other stakeholders including project and financial staff
- Attend Finance technical working groups and provide technical support to the SRCS and update the CR on the issues that may require his attention and report the same to FC during the monthly technical meeting.
- In collaboration with the NLRC Financial Controller, actively participates in the risk assessment of SRCS Administrative, HR, Logistics, and Finance systems, ensuring coordination and regular reporting on the follow-up and implementation of the recommendations.
- Support the SRCS in implementing Audit & other Risk Assessment recommendations.
- Support the review of SRCS financial policies and procedures
- Deliver capacity strengthening activities through training, coaching of SRCS staff.
- Support SRCS in adopting the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in their accounting financial management structure.
- Support the SRCS in Branch Financial Management, this may include visits to the NLRC supported branches in Gedaref, Kassala and Northern States.
- Analyse and identify finance system bottlenecks and propose improvements to ensure compliant reporting. Support the SRCS to find out alternate solution in case the current ERP is not convenient.
- Special attention in the above analysis should be the monthly project reconciliation and balance report: accruals of payables, receivables, bank and cash per project
Requirements/Qualifications
Key qualifications
- Bachelor in Finance & Administration; Masters in Business Administration is an advantage
- Certification in Accounting eg CPA, ACCA, CIA, et al
- Five years of experience in financial management, accounting and control
- At least two years of international experience in working for a humanitarian aid organisation
- Knowledge of Winpaccs Accounting system preferable, or willingness to complete the relevant training
- Experience in preparing budgets, cash flow statements and financial plans
- Experience in developing financial reports, and provide support to ensure consistency with narrative reporting
- Experience with Back donor (EU) formats and requirements is preferred
- Strong communication and training/coaching skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, including experience and proven competence in preparing financial reports and explanatory notes on deviations
- Experience in problem identification and solution analysis
- Excellent practical computer skills (including excellent command of Excel spreadsheets and accounting software, as well as strong competence in Windows, Word processing, internet)
- Fluency in English is required
- Reading Arabic is strongly recommended.
- Experience in working for the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement is prefered.
- Working experience in northern African or Arabic context, and preferably in Sudan
- Experience of working in conflict setting
Key competences
- Able to work in a team
- High degree of integrity, discretion, and personal conduct
- Flexible and adaptable to changing working conditions
- Self-motivated, with good judgment and initiative
- Ability to manage broad responsibilities with attention to detail
- Good interpersonal skills
- Stress resistant
- Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines
- Hands on and pro-active mentality
- Ability to represent the employer in working groups and fora
We offer
- A full time appointment (based on 40-hour work week) for 12 months
- A flexible and human centred working environment in an international environment with a variety of international organizations.
- Well balanced employment conditions with space for initiative and development.
How to apply
Applications:
Please send your resume in English and letter of motivation with reference to Shelly Jonker before 16 February 2025 through https://werkenvoorhet.rodekruis.nl/vacatures/vacature-340696/solliciteren
For more information about the position, you can contact Meindert Korevaar, Projects & partnership Coordinator for Sudan at mkorevaar@redcross.nl. An initial assessment of candidates short-listed is part of the selection procedure.
For more information of the work of the Netherlands Red Cross please go to www.rodekruis.nl and www.rodekruis.tv NLRC on Facebook: Facebook.com/rodekruis and Twitter: Twitter.com/rodekruis
Acquisition for this vacancy will not be appreciated.