Senior Finance and Compliance Manager/Team Leader

Senior Finance and Compliance Manager/Team Leader

Employment Type: Full-time
Job Location: Kathmandu, Nepal- with field visits as required. , Nepal
Valid through: June 9, 2023

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact. Mercy Corps began operations in Nepal in 2005, and since then has implemented projects in the sectors of agriculture, food security and nutrition, financial services, youth engagement, emergency response and disaster risk reduction/ climate change adaptation. To date, this programming has reached over 900,000 people in 23 districts. Currently, there are five key programs in the Nepal portfolio in various stages of implementation. They range from a large $15 million, multi-year USAID program to smaller foundation-funded government support programs, as well as UN partnerships. Mercy Corps also has a leadership role in a variety of technical forums across Nepal and globally, plus a priority for internal program quality, accountability, and operational excellence. Business development will be a key priority with the short-term emphasis will be on complementary, transformative funding opportunities while the long-term goals will be to maintain a similar level of effort, influence and implementation across the country. At any time, the country of Nepal could experience a significant natural disaster, and this position would be expected to have a key leadership role in Mercy Corps Nepal’s emergency response efforts.

Program / Department Summary

The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions in Nepal, including accounting (month, quarter and year-end and balance sheet), payments and banking, payroll, taxation and social security clearance, country budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, statutory reporting, management reporting, proposal budget development and revision, financial strategy, policy development and revision, cash management, internal controls, audit preparation and grant financial management and compliance. It also oversees the function of sub-awards and support to local partnerships. The Mercy Corps Finance Department ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures. In its role as a support to the Program Department, the Finance Department provides timely reports and assistance to the Country Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.

General Position Summary

The Mercy Corps Nepal Senior Finance and Compliance Manager is a member of the senior management team and head of the Mercy Corps Nepal Finance and Compliance Department. As such s/he is responsible for all aspects of financial management of country’s programs, working collaboratively to ensure compliance with Mercy Corps internal policies and procedures as well as donor regulations. In particular, s/he is responsible for quality assurance of members of the finance team, as well as managing the country office budgets and strategic financial analysis. S/he works under the direction of the Country Director with dotted line reporting to International Finance on technical matters. The Mercy Corps Nepal Senior Finance and Compliance Manager is responsible for all financial functions in Nepal and oversees a team of three Kathmandu-based staff, plus supports up to three support staff in sub-offices across Nepal.

Essential Job Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND PLANNING

• Work with the Nepal Senior Management Team and regional teams to lead, develop and support country budgeting including master budget, gap analysis, cost coverage and allocations. Advise the Country Director and SMT on key decisions based on financial analysis.
• Lead and align financial strategy to country strategy from a finance and risk perspective.
• Contribute to overall country strategy.
• Identify financial risks and feed into country risk register and mitigate as necessary.
• Produce management reports and financial scenarios to inform strategic decision making.
• Ensure quality assurance of other finance team members, especially in budgeting and financial management.

PERSONAL LEADERSHIP

• Consistently demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
• Demonstrate an awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs.

REPRESENTATION

• Interface with the donor representatives to convey information about programs as appropriate.
• Communicate with partners, as well as sub grantees to verify their systems and make sure they understand and follow all appropriate procedures and archiving.
• Participate in sharing best practices with NGOs and governmental agencies.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Create a sustainable work environment of mutual respect that attracts motivated, skilled and effective team members and enables them individually and collectively to strive to achieve excellence.
• Supervise and lead a diverse team of direct and indirect reports in field offices.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts; build constructive internal relationships; help team members identify problem solving options and ensure integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

OPERATIONS – FINANCIAL

• Ensure effective, transparent use of financial resources in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
• Maintain banking relations and plan and monitor country cash flow requirements to ensure the smooth implementation of Mercy Corps programs.
• Maintain appropriate local insurance coverage in coordination with the Admin. Department, to protect Mercy Corps.
• Provide monthly standard accounting submissions to Mercy Corps Headquarters, including general ledger files, account reconciliations, expenditures by cost center/project, required sub grantee reporting, as well as other financial information in a timely and accurate manner.
• Provide monthly management reports to the Country Director and Program Managers, including expenditures by fund code/project, sub grantee reporting and other financial information, in a timely and accurate manner.
• Develop annual fiscal year budgets with the Country Director and develop and implement grant budgeting and forecasting systems with Program Managers.
  Works Directly With: All Department heads, regional teams, Regional Finance Manager and International Finance Analyst in the UK and US, sub-award and compliance staff at HQ as necessary. May also work with key partner leadership.

Supervisory Responsibility

Finance Manager (Kathmandu), Senior Finance Officer (Dhangadi). Indirect management of a team of at least 4 additional finance and sub-award staff in Kathmandu and other sub-offices.
Reports Directly To: Country Director

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

• BA/S in Accounting, Finance or equivalent field is required. An advanced degree is preferred.
• 6 or more years of progressive financial management, including supervisory experience required.
• 4 years’ experience in grants management as well as an understanding of donor regulations is required. Specifically, a demonstrated knowledge of USAID, UN, and EU.
• International experience is preferred; international NGO/PVO field office experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience and skill with budget preparation and analysis, financial reporting preparation and presentation and the proven ability to translate technical financial data into informative reports.
• Strong accounting skills and experience, including management of the general ledger, journal entries, payroll, payables and balance sheet.
• Prior management experience, strong organizational and prioritization skill
• Microsoft Office applications particularly Excel.
• Excellent negotiation, representation, skills and the ability to work comfortably with an ethnically diverse staff in a very sensitive environment.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.

Risk Management

• Engage regional and country colleagues and collaborate with country departments to ensure that adequate financial risk management policies and procedures are in place for the finance department and program design/implementation.
• Collaborate with country leadership to support preparedness and response to major disruptive events.
• Engage with country teams on the internal audit process to track findings and ensure country team compliance with IA findings and recommendations.
  Other
• Oversee and ensure GESI aspects are addressed across institutional strategic and programmatic levels.
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned.
•  Engage with country level Ethics and Assurance managers and apply/embody Mercy Corps ethics standards, policies and procedures.

Success Factors

The ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel both in a managerial as well as training capacity is required. An ability to support programmatic objectives with timely and meaningful financial information is essential. A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary. An impeccable professional standard of finance and procurement ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential. The Country Senior Finance and Compliance Manager must be willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. The role may require 1-2 trips to sub-offices during a 3-month period. Travel in Nepal may be to remote locations in the Far-West, on domestic airplanes and often with poor road conditions and basic accommodations.

Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity. Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Interested candidates please apply through this link- https://p2p.com.np/Public/ViewJob?JobTitle=Mercy%20Corps|Senior%20Finance%20and%20Compliance%20Manager/%20Team%20Leader

Tagged as: Finance Manager, Kathmandu, Mercy Corps, NGO INGO, Team Leader