Deputy Director Finance

The International Rescue Committee is a global humanitarian aid, relief and development nongovernmental organization. This role is responsible for providing high-level financial leadership and ensuring comprehensive financial controls, compliance, and strategic management across the country program.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Financial Controllership

• Ensures that all in-country practices are in compliance with IRC and donor policies and procedures. Leads the roll-out of new/updated global policies and procedures.
• Closely monitors all financial activities and keeps the Country Director advised of all situations which have the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial performance.
• Manages the finance department activities and schedules to meet the financial reporting requirements and deadlines specified by IRC HQ and donors.
• Ensure that on a monthly basis balance sheet reconciliations are completed on a timely basis and those final reconciliations and trial balances are reviewed with the Country Director.
• Directs the preparation and approves all donor financial reports in respect to accounting, legal and contractual requirements.
• Develops, schedules, and performs or supervises the completion of country internal control audits, and initiates actions necessary to correct internal control weaknesses.
• Maintains current knowledge of local government requirements related to financial matters and ensures compliance with tax regulations and other legal requirements.
• Serves as the principal liaison with IRC HQ on all finance, accounting, grant budget management, and cash management matters.

Budget and Forecast

• Oversees the preparation and revision of grant proposal budgets; supports programs with guidance on costing and inputs in creating budgets for submission.
• Prepares and maintains the country program’s annual operating budget and reforecasts; ensures cost coverage for in-country operating costs and updates the operating budget regularly.
• In compliance with donor requirements and IRC policy, ensure that shared program costs are properly recovered and ensure that any expected funding gaps are timely flagged to CD and Regional Finance Director.
• Provides financial information to support the Country Director and SMT in making business decisions in line with IRC, regional and country program strategies.
• Provides strategic analysis on overall financial health of the country program to the CD and SMT.

Treasury

• Supervises all country office bank relations and bank account activities including negotiation of fees, interest and currency exchange rates in the country program.
• In compliance with IRC policy establishes country policies regarding cash holding limits, cash movements and foreign currency holdings.
• Oversees timely preparation, review and approval of monthly bank account and cash reconciliations.
• Establishes country policies on advance payments, credit terms and use of bank payment instruments.
• Designs, implements, and monitors systems, procedures and reporting necessary to maintain on current basis accurate forecasts of cash requirements for meeting future spending, including commitments entered into and which obligate IRC to future spending.
• Supervises the preparation of Cash Transfer Requests to New York and ensures that appropriate balances are maintained to facilitate grant implementation.

Staff Management and Leadership

• Establishes a finance department roles and responsibilities matrix; staff job descriptions are current; recruits and maintains qualified staff to perform finance functions.
• Ensure comprehensive and constructive performance reviews are completed annually; career planning and development plans are in place for all finance staff.
• Develops and implements a training program for the country’s finance staff.
• Oversee finance training and technical support to non-finance staff for skills improvement in the areas of accounting, reporting and internal control.
• Establishing succession and career plan for finance department.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Business Administration, Commerce or Finance required; recognized professional certificate in accounting such as CPA or a master’s degree in accounting preferred.
• Extensive experience working in a development or humanitarian setting, including at least five years of experience living and working in the relevant field in developing and transitioning countries.
• Minimum of five years of managerial experience in finance.
• Extensive experience in working with computerized accounting systems, standard spreadsheet and database programs.
• Good written and verbal skills in the English language.
• Proven track-record of proactively identifying and communicating potential problems and proposing solutions.
• Function effectively in a complex work environment, setting appropriate priorities and managing competing priorities and pressure.
• Ability to carry out responsibilities independently with minimal technical support.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and professional patience and be able to interact, partner and thrive in a diverse environment.
• Committed to staff training and development and effective at facilitation.