Cost Budget Specialist at Action Against Hunger International

Job Description

As a member of the Regional team, the Cost Budget Specialist will be responsible for developing and managing financial tracking, resource flows, reporting and compliance for a specified portfolio of federal grants/awards in support of Action Against Hunger-Horn and Eastern Africa regional programs. The Cost Budget specialist provides technical financial support and advisory to the Action Against Hunger Country Offices and select stakeholders in the wider organization. The Cost Budget specialist reports directly to the Regional Finance and Grants Director, while working with other members of the Regional Finance team. The Cost Budget specialist role’s purpose, engagement and delivery is:

Job Purpose:

1. Applies professional financial management and accounting concepts to the audit of account and budget performance. Provides professional advice to key stakeholders in finance, compliance and accounting. Identifies operational challenges that affect the integrity of resource management.
2. Engagement: Collaborates with key stakeholders providing substantive input to the development of forecasts, costing of activities and budgets providing direct technical support and capacity development solutions.
3. Delivery: Assess effectiveness of the financial components of programs, systems and procedures, providing analytical work that is effectively organized and delivered within Action Against Hunger’s established accounting procedures and professionally aligned to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) & International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

KEY ACTIVITIES IN YOUR ROLE WILL INCLUDE

1. Proposal Development and Budget Management
2. Developing and proposing cost-effective pricing strategies that increase competitiveness and responsiveness of proposals and applications, identifying risks, and interpreting solicitation requirements.
3. Ensure full cost recovery of direct and indirect costs at all stages of the proposal development process and get actively involved in the proposal design phase to ensure all cost related elements are captured.
4. Lead/Support in the Costing of all US Government, proposals to ensure responsiveness and compliance with AAH-US policies and donor regulations for the entire organization including review and approval of proposals developed in the field.
5. Review of partner budget development, including training, providing instructions, templates, reviewing and negotiating cost related matters.
6. Work with various departments such as Finance, Compliance, Program and HR to identify and mitigate any cost related risks.
7. Lead or support on budget development for US Government proposals and grant modifications for HEARO and missions as needed.
8. Coordinate on inputs into proposal or modification budgets for submission to donor and ensure adequate coverage of country operating costs or headquarters costs.
9. Work with country finance, operations and technical teams to ensure cost proposals and technical proposals are aligned.
10. Support in the review and consolidation of Regional US Government Budgets proposals for HEARO.
11. Coordinate with the proposal team on strategic issues involving proposal budgets. Ensure that the proposal team is educated on donor requirements for cost proposals (budgets).
12. Review, edit and finalize explanatory budget narrative to accompany budget in US government proposals or modifications.
13. Conduct internal budget reviews during proposal or modification period.
14. Ensure proposal and modification budgets are reviewed and submitted according to internal timelines and donor submission deadlines.
15. Ensure compliance with donor rules and regulations in proposal budget development and reporting.
16. Provides key stakeholders within the organization with accurate financial data and information (e.g. burn rate reports, financial risks, projections etc.) for decision making, management and control.
17. Make recommendations regarding budgeting to ensure reasonable provisions are included to meet general management, financial management, capacity building and audit requirements.
18. Lead on or support the preparation of USG donor financial reports for HEARO and missions as needed.
19. Support on other USG grant related tasks, including audit support and donor report responses, as requested.

Gap Filling and Capacity Development

1. Mentor and build capacity of Country office and Technical Staff by identifying areas for improvement in developing cost/business proposals.
2. Provide training and/or capacity building to relevant country office staff on USG proposal budget development, financial reporting, and other finance related matters.
3. Provide technical support to Country programs in-case of temporary staff gaps.
4. Providing technical guidance, mentoring, capacity building for Country Finance teams USG compliance regulations.
5. Support in the implementation of 2021 Key priority areas for Regional Finance team as well as any other duties as may be assigned from time to time
6. Monitors cost performance against plans to ensure contractual cost obligations are met as well as Analyze and track costs in support of monthly financial projections.

Gender Equality commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

1. Foster an environment that reinforces values of women and men, and equal access to information.
2. Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
3. Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.
4. Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.
5. Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.

Value and respect all cultures.

Safeguarding Commitment

1. Action Against Hunger holds strict Safeguarding principles and has zero-tolerance for conducts of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse in the workplace and other places where the organization’s activities are rendered. Parallel to technical competence, recruitment, selection and hiring decisions will give due emphasize to assessing candidates value congruence and thorough background checks, police clearance reference check processes.

Requirements

Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

1. BA or BSc, or the equivalent, in accounting, finance or another relevant field.
2. CPA or ACCA or CIMA finalist
3. 7 years’ finance and management experience including 5 years’ experience managing grants US Government funded projects.
4. 3 years of working internationally, together with field experience working for an international NGO as an administrator or finance manager.

Required Skills & Competencies

1. Solid understanding of federal pricing and cost analysis theory, concepts and principles and ability to broadly apply these concepts to various US Government Donors.
2. Ability to gather, research, analyze and document all cost assumptions for the Business proposal and justify cost.
3. Ability to utilize overall knowledge of company bid-rate structure to meet extremely tight proposal schedules.
4. Experience in leading and participating in complex proposal pricing process to include competitive analysis, develop cost volume completion schedules; assist in development of pricing strategies; coordinate labor, subcontract, material and other direct cost estimates; review, analyze and compile cost data.
5. Demonstrable experience and skills in budget preparation and analysis, financial reporting preparation and presentation, and the proven ability to translate technical financial data into informative reports.
6. Demonstrable knowledge of the rules, regulations and donor policies governing the compliance / regulatory management of grants from US Government and other agencies.
7. Expertise with MS Office (especially MS Excel) and general ledger software is required. Use of Saga and/or Serenic Navigator desirable.
8. Genuine interest in and commitment to the humanitarian principles of Action Against Hunger.
9. Substantial experience and understanding of essential accounting principles, financial reporting, accounting systems, and budget development and administration is required.
10. Experience managing diverse international teams; ability to communicate well in writing.
11. Able to work autonomously, with the capacity to juggle multiple projects and pay attention to many small details.
12. Excellent interpersonal skills.
13. Excellent English, French language skills will be an added advantage.
14. Membership in a professional body related to finance, accounting and compliance is an added advantage.