Director of Finance & IT

Due to the urgency to fill this role, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Early applications are encouraged.

About the Role

As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) in oPt, the Director of Finance and IT shares in the overall responsibility for the direction and coordination of the Country Office (CO). The Director of Finance will be accountable to the Country Director (CD) for overseeing the Finance and IT Function, responsible for finance administration, fiscal management, financial and grant reporting, IT, and co-accountable with other senior leaders for risk management in both emergencies and development programming contexts. In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and vary working hours accordingly.

Post location: oPt Country Office - Ramallah. Contract duration: 1 year.

Key Areas of Accountability

• As a member of the Senior Management Team, contribute to:
  • Leadership of the oPt Country Office.
  • Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects broad-spectrum programming values, promotes accountability and high performance, encourages a team culture of learning, creativity, and innovation.
  • Support the design and implementation of a coherent organizational structure consistent with agency practices and appropriate to program needs.
  • Help establish, maintain, and improve active and regular working relationships with host government authorities, partner agencies, major institutional donors, and local and international NGOs.
  • Ensure oPt Country Office complies with all Save the Children’s Quality Framework Essential Standards and Standard Operating Procedures.
  • Ensure required support is provided promptly, at scale, and in line with rules and principles during emergencies, working closely with the CD and the Regional Office.
• Planning and Budgeting:
  • Assist the CD in managing/administration of the Country Office resources, including formulation of the country work program and resource allocation.
  • Provide effective support and guidance to the Senior Management Team and other key program staff during planning and allocation exercises.
  • Monitor implementation of donor agreements and resource utilization, highlighting variances and recommending resolution or reallocation of resources.
  • Perform periodic financial analysis on OPT CO cost base, including staffing and NTC costs, and provide strategic financial recommendations for CD and SMT members.
  • Work with the SMT in developing plans to meet funding and programming needs, including diversification of funding resources.
  • Identify and effectively manage financial risks related to delivering the Country Office program, developing mitigation plans at the proposal stage.
  • Manage the financial aspects of quality budget development for new proposals and budget revisions, reviewing them before submission to Members/Donors.
  • Manage the financial aspects of the annual planning process, ensuring preparation of a quality and timely master budget and reforecasts.
  • Ensure appropriate and adequate emergency finance procedures are detailed in the Country Office Emergency Preparedness Plan.
  • Ensure budget holders understand their responsibilities (e.g., through training).
  • Ensure Field Offices receive adequate support to operate efficient accounting systems, including timely receipt of monthly budget variance analysis by budget holders.
• Financial Accounting, Reporting, and Control:
  • Oversee the finance function in oPt Country Office, ensuring compliance with SCI policies and procedures and donors’ rules and regulations.
  • Oversee correct level of budget authority within the Country Office, owning the application of SCI approved scheme of delegation with the CD.
  • Ensure finance dashboard and MFRs are presented in SMT meetings with clear recommendations for improvement plans where applicable.
  • Ensure Country Office treasury operations are adequately managed.
  • Responsible for effective systems to allow adequate financial management and control over assets, funds, equipment, property, and facilities.
  • Lead and participate in the development of finance policies and procedures to ensure adequate finance controls according to international accounting principles.
  • Complete and submit the FCC report, respond to findings, and recommend resolutions or action plans.
  • Ensure Monthly Financial Reviews (MFRs) are prepared, reviewed with CD, and submitted to Regional Office regularly.
  • Ensure finance in the main office provides technical support to finance departments in field offices, continuously testing their internal controls and financial procedures.
  • Ensure the CO finance works with budget holders and field finance to estimate funds request on a timely basis.
  • Ensure statutory audit and project-specific audits are conducted and findings are addressed; assist CD and CQSM during internal audits.
  • Review and approve proper accounting and closing of books upon receipt of completed reports and documents from various sub-offices.
  • Develop sub-grantees' and CO budget holders' financial management through training and capacity building.
• Financial Reporting:
  • Monitor accurate and timely submission of financial reports to internal and external stakeholders (SMT, RO/Centre, Members/Donors, government regulatory agencies).
  • Provide guidance to finance and non-finance staff to ensure compliance with donor agreement requirements.
  • Work with budget holders to estimate funds requests on a timely basis to ensure resources are in place for project activities.
  • Ensure donor financial reports are aligned with donor requirements.
  • Prepare monthly financial and analytical reports and ensure submission of all required reports with RO.
  • Prepare audited financial statements after year-end and organize all statutory and donor audits as per set time frames.
• Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development:
  • Ensure appropriate staffing and competencies within the department, and that all staff understand their roles in emergency/non-emergency contexts.
  • Lead team; define expectations, provide leadership and technical support as needed, and evaluate direct reports regularly.
  • Responsible for recruitment, training, and promotion of staff, ensuring availability of appropriate professional development opportunities.
  • Manage staff performance through:
    • Effective use of the Performance Management System, including establishment of clear, measurable objectives and ongoing feedback.
    • Establishment of a result-based system and regular follow-up.
    • Coaching, mentoring, and other developmental opportunities.
    • Recognition and rewards for outstanding performance.
    • Documentation of performance and appropriate performance improvements/work plans.
    • Ensuring succession and staffing development plans are prioritized and communicated with the CD and HR department.
• Risk Management:
  • Support the Country Director (CD), Risk & Compliance Manager (RCM), and Senior Management Team (SMT) in applying a risk management lens to evaluation of growth strategies and opportunities.
  • Support the CD, RCM, and SMT in developing a risk management policy to maximize financial resource effectiveness.
  • Identify and effectively manage financial risks related to delivering the Country Office program, developing mitigation plans at the proposal stage.
  • Participate in the preparation of the monthly Risk Management Register in consultation with SMT and RCM.
  • Undertake financial risk assessments of all new partners and monitor ongoing risk in coordination with SMT.
  • Support CD and SMT in keeping analysis of internal and external risks and threats up to date.
• Information Technology:
  • Supervise IT function to ensure effective IT support across the country office and legal compliance with respective government regulations.
  • Ensure sophisticated, efficient, cost-effective Information Technology Systems are in place, compliant with SCI Quality Framework, with a focus on sufficient primary and backup connectivity and bandwidth.
  • Strive to support programs with innovative IT solutions.
  • Ensure CO internal and external communications systems function effectively and efficiently, with sufficient backup communications and redundancies.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in finance or accounting or any related field or equivalent professional experience.
• 10+ years demonstrated professional experience in financial management, of which 5+ years in a managerial position in an International NGO environment.
• Experience in the development of strategic and operational Finance plans and their implementation.
• Experience reviewing and drafting Finance policies, procedures, and guidelines, and developing and implementing systems.
• Experience in managing IT systems.
• Ability to plan and organize a substantial workload that includes complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities in both development and complex emergency contexts.
• Willingness and ability to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies.
• Exceptional customer service focus.
• Demonstrated credibility with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels of an organization.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to lead a multi-disciplined team through a period of change.
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Leadership skills, including the ability to supervise and motivate qualified professional staff with strong personal value systems.
• Analytical, decision-making, and strategic planning skills.

Staff Reporting to this Post

• CO Senior Finance Reporting Manager
• CO Finance Budgeting Manager
• CO Financial Control & Compliance Manager
• Gaza Finance Manager
• CO IT Lead