🇸🇱 Job Vacancies @ Trócaire – Head of Finance and Administration

As Member of the Country Management Team:

• As a member of the Country Management Team, actively and constructively contribute to the overall leadership of Trócaire’s country program in Sierra Leone.

• Actively participate in Country Management Team meetings, contributing to decisions on policy and strategic direction and playing a key role in the ongoing implementation and adaptation of Trócaire’s Sierra Leone Country Strategic Plan.

• Support the Country Director and Director of Programs in cross cutting issues in programing by giving technical financial advice & expertise.

• Engage with the CD and Head of Programs, Business Development and Grants Manager on the Country Business Development strategy, in line with country program needs and the institutional funding landscape.

• ·Provide guidance for country program strategic and managerial decisions by proactively identifying issues that might affect the country program, partners and programs, flagging these to the Country Director and Head of Programs.

• ·Ensure there is constant and open communication between the country finance and administration team and HQ for smooth operations of the Country Office and programs.

• Support the Country Director in the Management of risk, including acting as control owner of financial management risks and ensuring that appropriate controls and mitigations are both in place and regularly reviewed.

• Directly line manages a team of five staff (three Program Accountants, Finance Officer and an Administrator).  Entire Finance and Administration team consists of eleven staff.

Organisational Financial Controls & Reporting

• Oversight of the timely & accurate preparation of monthly management accounts for budget-holders and country management to ensure that management can monitor budget utilisation and take appropriate action on any significant variances.
• Support the Program Accountants in preparation of projects budgets, generation of monthly BvA reports and donor reports and ensure compliance of programs with donor rules and requirements incl. financial tracking and reporting/ amendments for all grants/contracts. Support the organisation and participate at grant inception meetings, grant review meetings, and grant close out meetings. Closely monitor financial activities and strategically advise the Country Director about situations which have the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial management.
• Manager of relationship with external auditors – for organisational audit and Sierra Leone specific audit. This includes preparation of year-end accounts and any documentation requirements as required.
• Ensure full compliance with all Sierra Leone government requirements in relation to registration, taxation, labor law, auditing, fraud etc.
• Ensure strong controls over cash & bank management are constantly monitored & updated to minimise the risk of fraud or misappropriation. Act as a key account signatory for country office bank accounts.
• Ensure that all financial records & accounts are compiled timely, accurately and in line with international accounting standards & donor regulations.

Organisational Budgeting and Financial Management

• Support the preparation of the Country Annual budget, the Strategic and Accountable Resource Allocation and Value for Money documents and submit for review in CMT budget meeting, share the budget pack after approval to HQ.
• Prepare budget quarterly reviews from the approved annual budget, update Country budget considering all the dropped/new pipelines. Support effective cost recovery effort for core Trocaire costs at Country and HQ level.
• Build strong working relationship with HQ finance team.
• Attend and actively contribute to Global Finance meetings as required.
• Proactively manage foreign exchange risk in country and partner budgets.
• Analyse, prepare and submit, to Trócaire HQ, country cash flow projections in line with various budgets.
• Keep up to date with donor regulations, relating to all current grants and communicate relevant changes to staff, ensuring links with HQ and Business Development and Grants Manager in terms of global donor strategies and updates on regulations.
• Coordinate the Program Finance calendar of quarterly and annual reporting of project and program expenditure to ensure these reports are completed within set timelines and in line with the requirements of the Trócaire partner governance & finance manual and donor compliance requirements.

Finance and Governance in Partner Organisations

• Oversee and coordinate the Finance team in Sierra Leone to support the work of program staff by reviewing partners’ project financial reports and providing financial information for decision-making.
• Support the Partnership and Localisation Manager in partner capacity strengthening efforts, leading on the completion of identified Partner Capacity Assessment & Support exercises. Lead the provision of financial technical support to partner organisations, ensuring they are aware of the financial standards and requirements, and have adequate technical capacity. Where partners may need further financial and administrative support, provide support and guidance to the partner and Trócaire program accountants to address the support requirements.
• Ensure that the Partnership Policy guides Trócaire’s engagement with partners in Sierra Leone and that all Program Accountants and program staff are familiar with and implement the policy.Support program teams on building the capacities of partners to handle contractual compliance issues, including project audit and verification requirements.

Administration, Logistics and Human Resources

• Provide coordinated and integrated finance, administration, and HR advisory support to ensure the smooth running of all functions and foster effective and efficient project implementation.

• Provide oversight and management of Trócaire systems; specifically Trócaire People, Salesforce, Agresso, Box, etc.

• Support the Administrator to ensure that staff road movements are coordinated and approved, flight bookings within and without Sierra Leone are made in compliance with Trócaire policies and pre-approved.

• Oversee monthly payroll processing and ensure Sierra Leone salaries are paid to staff on time and that statutory deduction are deducted and remitted to relevant government authorities in Sierra Leone, staff deductions are paid and accruals for other staff benefits is done and posted in the financial system.
• In liaison with Country Director ensure yearly registration renewal for Trocaire with Federal government of Sierra Leone government is processed.

• Establish regular team meetings to ensure that staff are familiar with each other’s work and to facilitate rolling out of organisational Operations processes and policies within the country team.

• Ensure that all staff complete an induction process that equips them to deliver on their role confidently and effectively.

• Ensure the effective implementation of performance management systems in line with organisational systems and policy.

• Administering core payroll services including processing monthly payroll and statutory and internal deductions, maintaining payroll records, and issuing of monthly pay slips.
• Provide oversight to ensure an up to date and accurate Assets Register is in place, assets are tagged and obsolete assets are highlighted for disposal according to donor requirements.
• Ensure the procurement committee is functional, vendor lists are being updated, procurement plans and the monitoring tracker are being kept up to date with information provided by the program team.

Institutional Funding

• Support the strategic risk management of multiple institutional funds including development of solutions to mitigate any implementation issues, scenario planning and risk assessment of funding opportunities.
• Lead on development of institutional donor proposal budget preparation process and donor financial reports in coordination with Program and Finance colleagues, the Business Development and Grants Manager, and relevant program colleagues.
• Plan and coordinate institutional donor project external audits.
• In coordination with the Business Development and Grants Manager, provide all relevant information for institutional donor due diligence processes.
• Ensure that all institutional donor fund cost recovery is implemented, reviewed, and updated as agreed by the Country Management Team.
• Provide a strategic analysis of the country budget, regarding the projected income from external donors.
• Maintain up to date understanding and knowledge of all relevant donor compliance requirements, ensuring that Trócaire Sierra Leone and local partners adhere to applicable requirements.
• Finance lead point of contact with Institutional funders regarding financial compliance.  Follow up on the fund/Institutional funds reconciliation process on an ongoing basis until consumption of all related funds. Ensure that an internal final report is prepared with an overview of expenditure.

Qualification for the Role:

• Accounting commerce or business administration degree from a leading university, and relevant professional qualifications (CPA/CA/ACCA). Master’s degree in business administration of related field. (proof of qualification required).

Experience for the Role:

• Minimum of 8 years’ experience working in Financial management and Administration in a complex organization.

• Prior experience of managing large donor budgets and extensive knowledge of donor compliance requirements.

• Prior experience of managing large budgets including the reviewing and preparation of financial reports.

• Experience of working in multi-currency budgets and foreign exchange risk management.

• Experience in interpreting financial information and preparing and presenting financial reports to non-finance professionals in an accurate and timely manner.

• Experience in training/capacity building of partner staff.

Skills for the Role:

• Strong leadership skills, including the ability to supervise and motivate qualified professional staff with strong personal value systems.

• Excellent Excel skills including financial modelling.

• Previous experience in a recognized accounting package e.g.  Sage, Agresso, SAP or other

• Demonstrated ability to meet corporate governance and accountability requirements of host governments, the organisation and donors;

• In depth knowledge of managing grants and contractual requirements of institutional donors.

• Excellent written, oral, and presentational communications skills.

Qualities for the Role:

• Excellent at setting out a workplan and making planning deadlines.

• Dynamic, willing to take initiative and able to manage multiple priorities.

• Strong coordination skills with the ability to effectively coordinate with local partners and among team members.

• A team player but also willing and able to work with minimal supervision.

• Capacity to be flexible and adaptable to changing contexts and priorities.

• Detail-oriented, flexible, and able to handle multiple concurrent tasks.

• Ability to transfer skills through mentorship and accompaniment

• A commitment to strengthening and supporting the work of local partners.

Other for the Role:

• A strong commitment to the work of justice and an empathy with the ethos and work of the Catholic Church and Trócaire.

• High personal integrity

• Fluent in English