Commercial Manager - WISH 2 at International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)

Role Purpose:

• The Commercial Manager functions as the role of programme accountant who supports the sub-contracting of consortium partners and Member Associations, budget management, value for money, contract compliance based on a performance based financial model.

Context of Role:

• WISH 2 (Women’s Integrated Sexual Health) is one of three components of the overarching WISH Dividend programme that is being procured by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO). This programme is central to delivering the UK’s priorities on empowering women and girls as set out in the International Development Strategy, the UK’s strategic approach to sub-Saharan Africa and the International Women and Girls Strategy.
• WISH 2 will be divided into two geographic Lots. IPPFAR is planning on submitting a bid as prime for Lot 2 which covers Burundi, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Zambia.

Deliverables:

• To ensure effective FCDO/IPPF project financial management and reporting systems are in place in member associations (MA) and partners in order to manage donor compliant and efficient project spends against budget.
• To collect, prepare and analyse MA and partner project required reports in a timely manner in order to meet internal and external deadlines for submission in order to receive payments from the project and donor.
• To coordinate with the Deputy Team Leader, Finance and Operations on the oversight of all project financial processes and transactions, including the disbursements of funds and verification and approval of financial reports from subcontractors and a defined group of MAs’.
• To lead the adherence to key financial controls for the project, including budgeting, management reporting and forecasting, procurement policy, travel policy, bank reconciliations and treasury management, to ensure donor compliant project finance management.
• To review programmatic documents and other approval request documents to ensure budget feasibility, compliance with forward-funding guidelines, appropriate methods of financing/payment, and adequacy of financial reporting.
• To review and correct project budgets and reports prepared by MAs, giving support and capacity building to MA teams to build expertise and excellence in country.
• To develop methodologies and templates for compiling cost information and to provide coaching and guidance to technical staff at CO, ROs and MAs to ensure cost and activity information is correctly prepared.
• To maintain and deliver on all internal financial reporting requirements as communicated by the IPPF Global Finance team
• To train and advise MA’s and partners in FCDO reporting requirements and templates.
• To work closely with other commercial advisors, data analysts and programme teams to analyse and report on the results of the project and advise where improvements can be made.
• To provide in-house training to staff on financial and contractual compliance as required; arrange external training as required.
• To travel to MAs as part of evaluation teams and contribute from a financial perspective, ensuring that appropriate financial management and systems and controls are maintained in beneficiary countries.
• To work strategically across country operations to ensure adaptive management and effective responsiveness to a Payments by Results contract.

Reporting/Management Responsibility:

• Line management of the Commercial Officers.

Expertise:

• Significant progressive experience in financial management roles.
• Internationally recognised financial qualification such as a Certified Public Accountant or equivalent
• Advanced application in managing the accounting and finance component of large donor-funded programmes and setting up the accounting and finance function for a large restricted funded project.
• Experience of FCDO or institutional donors is essential and reporting requirements
• Experience of development issues and/or project implementation and monitoring.
• Experience in audit and financial control systems.
• A proven track record of financial analysis and commercial (acumen) experience. Financial modelling is desirable.
• Previous not-for-profit experience essential and abilities and aptitude for coaching and capacity building.
• International experience (particularly developing countries) desirable.

Skills:

• Advanced IT skills (including spreadsheet applications, especially Microsoft Excel, and databases).
• Familiarity with procurement and audit requirements.
• Knowledge of financial reporting systems such as SUN and Netsuite. A variety of experience advantageous.
• Fluent English (verbal and written).
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to work effectively with people from different countries and cultures.
• Strong verbal communication skills required to train staff and to convey complex financial information in an easily understandable form to non-financial staff.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.

Your Ethos:

• Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding in a local and international context.
• Demonstrates ability and willingness to work in a diverse, multicultural, multilingual and intergenerational environment that is anti-racist and respectful of others.
• An intersectional (pro) feminist passionate about sexual reproductive health care rights + justice, including safe abortion.
• Supportive of people’s rights regardless of sexuality or gender identity/expression and supportive of workers’ rights and access to health care in sex work.