TITLE: Finance Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP &A)
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Finance
LOCATION: Sierra Leone- Freetown
GRADE: 2
CONTRACT LENGTH: 24 months
CHILD SAFEGUARDING:
Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the child friendly mobile courts.
ROLE PURPOSE:
The Finance Manager FP& A will support the Director of Finance with developing and implementing the financial strategy of Sierra Leone Country Office, and will deputise Director Finance whilst he / she in on leave.
The jobholder has overall responsibility of the Financial planning, analysis and reporting function with a particular focus on providing excellent financial business partnering services to the program implementation team. They will also be responsible for ensuring best in class financial management at field office level – including leadership in respect to capacity buiding; implementing efficient & effective processes; improving and ensuring compliance with internal control systems. The Finance Manager will also be strongly involved with SCI global change projects (HPO), ensuring that the financial component of these projects are successfully implemented.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Finance Director
Staff reporting to this post:
- 2 direct reports – 1* Budgeting & Reporting Coordinator1, 1 * Partnership coordinator,
Budget Responsibilities: None
Role Dimensions: Save the Children works throughout Sierra Leone with 3 field offices, approximately 150 staff and portfolio of USD 8.5 million.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :
Budgeting & Reporting
- Act as the key strategic Finance Business Partner to the Director of Finance and Program Implementation team to support key decision making.
- Ownership of the master budget process at Country Office and Field levels – ensuring proactive decision making, the efficient and effective allocation of resources, and financial sustainability (zero gap)
- Provide financial expertise to the donor budget proposal process to ensure proposals are: high quality; reflect the needs on the ground; include the necessary shared costs
- Working with the program implementation team to phase and realign budgets
- Providing high quality weekly and monthly financial BvA reports
- Mitigate the risk of donor disallowances by ensuring that awards are proacticely managed and closed out effectively from a financial perspective
- Ensure budget holders understand their responsibilities (e.g., through training and capacity buidling).
- Identify and effectively manage all key risks, especially financial, related to delivering the Country Office program
- Provide value added ad hoc financial analysis to budget holders to inform decision making
Partnership Development and Management
- Undertaking capacity assessment of partners’ organisation in order to identify capacity gaps and areas of support that the partners will require for effective implementation of the programme financial management requirements.
- Undertake regular support visits to the partners organizations to discuss financial and operational issues/progress and identify ways in which SCI can provide the needed support.
- Support the development of partners’ project budgets, work plan, cash transfer plans and procurement plans.
- Support partners external audit exercise and follow up to ensure that the auditors’ recommendations are followed up and implemented.
- Monitor and follow up the implementation of the agreed work plan and budget to ensure that the programme objectives are being realized in accordance to the programme and partnership agreement and take the necessary actions for any identified deviations.
Field Operations Finance
- Ensuring best in class financial management at field office level – including leadership in respect to recruitment and sucession planning; capacity buiding; implementing efficient & effective processes and accounting systems; improving and ensuring compliance with internal controls. This should include regular visits to the field locations
Staff Leadership, Mentorship, and Development
- Ensure appropriate staffing and efficient & effective organisation design within the Budgeting & Reporting, and Field Finance teams.
- Ensure that all staff understand and are empowered to perform their role.
- Manage team; define expectations, provide leadership and technical support as needed, and evaluate direct reports regularly.
- Recruitment, training, and professional development of team as part of the wider staff development strategy.
- Performance Management :
- Effective use of the Performance Management System including the establishment of clear, measureable objectives; ongoing feedback; periodic reviews; and fair and unbiased evaluations;
- Coaching, mentoring and other developmental opportunities;
- Recognition and rewards for outstanding performance;
- Documentation of performance that is less than satisfactory, with appropriate performance improvements/ work plans
- Any other duties assigned by the Line Manager.
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:
- holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
- holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
- sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same.
- widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
- future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration:
- builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters.
- values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength.
- approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:
- develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
- willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
- honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.
QUALIFICATIONS
- BA Degree in Finance and Accounting, Business Administration, or other relevant discipline.
- Master Degree in Finance and Accounting, Business Administration, or other relevant discipline preferred.
- Chartered Accountant (CPA, ACMA, ACA, ACCA) required.
EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
Essential
- Minimum of 5+ years management experience in a corporate or an NGO environment, of which three to five years at senior management level within a finance department
- Strategic mindset with the ability to lead, inspire and achieve results in a challenging context
- Strong team player
- Excellent inter-personal skills and able to communicate with diverse set of stakeholders
- Strong analytical, decision making and strategic planning skills with the ability articulate complex information in an easy to understand manner
- Solutions focused with ability to identify weaknesses and drive continuous improvement
- Self starter who is willing to go the extra mile to get the job done
- Ability to prioritise, plan ahead, and manage a complex and diverse workload with tight deadlines
- Ability to coach, mentor, delegate appropriately and provide developmental guidance to supervised staff.
- Excellent understanding of business and financial planning including strategic modelling.
- Excellent understanding of budgeting and budget management.
- Excellent understanding of financial systems and procedures.
- Excellent understanding of computerised accounts packages, Excel, PowerPoint and Word
- A full appreciation of the value of co-operation, both internationally and within a team environment.
- Understanding of Save the Children’s vision and mission and a commitment to its objectives and values.
- Written and verbal fluency in English
Desireable
- 5 years within the NGO / charities sector
- Experience of working in an emergency context.
- Understanding of major donor compliance regulations (USAID, Dfid, ECHO, UN, etc)
Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Equal Opportunities
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.