Finance Manager Full-Time

The Helen Keller International is hiring a Finance Manager.

Functional Relationships

The Finance Manager reports directly to the Country Director (CD) and is a member of the Country Management Team (CMT). To ensure congruity and consistency of financial policies and procedures, the Finance Manager will also be a member of the global Finance department with dotted-line reporting relationships to members of the global team who supervise and support accounting, budget, finance systems, and grants compliance in country offices.

The Finance Manager works closely with the CMT (CD, Program, and admin Managers) facilitating integration between accounting, finance, operations, and program staff towards the common goal of ensuring that country office objectives are met. This position supervises a team of professional-level staff and liaises with donors and/or sub-recipients for the country’s portfolio, representing Helen Keller at donor and project partner meetings.

Helen Keller Intl has a matrixed reporting structure that respects both the line management and authority within departments and geographical hierarchies as well as the accountability and oversight duties of subject matter experts outside of each department and geography. Regular communication and a spirit of teamwork among colleagues, both hierarchically and laterally are essential to make this structure thrive.

Scope of the Position

The Finance Manager is responsible for the overall financial management of the country office portfolio which may be composed of projects funded by USAID and/or other multi-lateral or privately funded initiatives. S/he will manage a collaborative effort with country office and global management colleagues to develop budgets and to ensure adherence to Helen Keller policies and procedures, maintain strong internal controls; supervise the management and maintenance of the general ledger and all other accounting functions and oversee and participate in the administration and management of awards in the country office portfolio; and the implementation of financial oversight mechanisms to ensure financial integrity and compliance with donor and Helen Keller policies as well as local laws across programs.

Specific Responsibilities

Overall Management and Leadership

• As a member of the CMT, participate in strategic planning and direction setting for the country office and its programs, lending your unique perspective and expertise to the process.
• Lead the finance department in a collaborative effort with CMT members to ensure high- quality financial planning, management, reporting, and auditing of all programs, including thorough budget preparation and oversight.
• Identify operational challenges that affect the integrity of resource management.
• Participate in international work groups assigned to develop global policies and/or optimize systems and procedures.
• Review and assess the status of the country office policies, procedures, and workflows, identify gaps or outdated policies and prioritize improvements.
• Keep abreast of changes in laws and regulations of local authorities (e.g., consortium of non-governmental organizations, Tax Department) and constituents that impact Helen Keller’s operations.
• Make proposals for best practices in financial operations.

Accounting and General Ledger Management

• Manage and work directly with accounting and finance staff to ensure timely and accurate general ledger maintenance, banking, and cash management, accounts payable, and payroll and procurement processes, for the primary office and any sub- offices.
• Maintain clear segregation of duties within the finance team and ensure strong internal controls are in place and that staff is cross-trained so that replacements and task shifting are always available.
• Ensure that:
  • General ledger balances are analyzed;
  • Bank reconciliations are performed accurately, completely, and timely (monthly);
  • Quality financial reports are produced according to donor and Helen Keller timetables;
  • Payroll is analyzed for accuracy and consistency before final approval by the CD;
  • Benefit and tax payments (social security contributions, taxes, etc.) are made on time, and the evidence of payments is orderly documented;
  • Financial data is accurate and up to date for a timely monthly closing process;
  • Filing systems and archiving of financial records are maintained.
• Maintain cash flow to ensure that liquidity is maintained; monitor currency fluctuations; establish sound electronic banking procedures with well-documented system access controls.
• Manage country and project audits.
• Serve as a link with the bank on the electronic payment system and other facilities.
• Track donor agreements and sub-grants to partners and ensure that all advances to partners are justified and deliverables are received.

Budget and Grants Management

• Maintain complete financial knowledge of the portfolio of awards in the country office.
• Coordinate the preparation of the annual and mid-term budgets of the country office.
• Conduct monthly monitoring of project implementation rates and share variance analysis reports with the CD and budget owners.
• Prepare invoices, and financial reports, and analyze accruals, forecasts, and other financial deliverables for awards.
• Reconcile donor reports to the general ledger (cash and expenses).
• Track and report monthly project expenditures, fund execution rates, and donor funds received, and provide appropriate information to the Country Director and program managers on a monthly basis.
• Ensures that budgets and other financial information are properly represented in financial and project management systems. Maintain hard copy and electronic records for each project.
• Conduct field visits to sub-recipients, as required, to assist in the assessment of sub- recipient’s financial management.
• Prepare proposal budgets and budget amendments. Review budgets to ensure conformity with the work plan
• Prepare budget narratives for grant proposal budgets.
• Manage the projects’ financial start-up and/or closing processes.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of donor procedures, including USAID rules and regulations.

Human Resources Management

• Model collaboration for your matrixed team: effectively consult and inform colleagues to maximize efficiency and knowledge sharing and integrate guidance and direction from subject matter experts in your office and elsewhere in the global organization to maximize performance.
• Build a highly effective Finance team, recruiting, supervising, mentoring, and evaluating staff, and engaging in frequent performance conversations with team members.
• Delegate authority, consult with, and guide staff to achieve goals and contribute to an atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development.
• Ensure accountability to beneficiaries, partners, colleagues, and donors by providing ongoing feedback in a context of mutual respect.
• Participate in the recruitment process of other staff as requested by management.
• Perform any other task to contribute to the smooth running of the organization at the request of the hierarchy.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Finance Management, accounting, or an equivalent university degree; plus
• Professional experience of at least ten (10) years with at least five (05) years in a similar position, preferably in an international NGO, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience with financial reporting, financial and general ledger management, financial controls, and project management including demonstrated ability to develop and monitor budgets, and collaboratively manage operational activities.
• Excellent capacity building, team building/management, and coordination skills. An ability to ability to delegate responsibilities effectively and coach and mentor junior staff.
• Knowledge of donor regulations including USAID and/or other foreign government development agencies and other multilateral development agencies is a plus.
• Interest in international development and public health programs as well as an understanding of the synergy between the programmatic, operational, and financial components in project design and implementation, is highly desirable.
• Ability to negotiate/support negotiations effectively with donors, troubleshoot issues, and take proactive approaches to improve financial and budget management processes.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Portuguese.
• Proven knowledge of online accounting systems is a must; Oracle/NetSuite is an asset.
• Highly computer literate including knowledge of Microsoft office suite (Word; PowerPoint; Outlook) and strong Excel skills, including pivot tables.
• Ability to:
  • Perform duties that require close attention to detail.
  • Prioritize workload, assume responsibility for work, and follow through to completion.
  • Maintain balance when under stress.
  • Work in a decentralized organizational structure with a highly collaborative approach.

How to Apply

Interested candidates to send their cover letter and a Curriculum Vitae. Please indicate the position on the subject line of the email.