Head of Finance and Services at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)

Rationale/Objective for Position

The Head of Finance is responsible for financial integrity and credibility to safeguard the financial reputation of MSF EA section and the legal entity MSF Spain. This position will be hierarchically, and functionally accountable to the Director of Finance and Services.

Tasks & Responsibilities

Strategic Responsibilities

• Support and advise the Director Finance and the MT, Audit & Risk Committee, EA Board, on sustainable financial management, multi-year forecasting, and contingency planning including 5-year financial planning and treasury forecast scenarios.
• Contribute to functional strategy development, Annual Plan financial objectives for MSF-EA, training plan and HQ department budget agreed upon and realised.

Technical and Operational Responsibilities

People Leadership & Team Development

• Lead team and people performance, fostering engagement and a safe working environment.
• Develop HQ processes, policies and guidelines for teams, keeping them updated for institutional knowledge.
• Collaborate with other Heads and encourage uniformity in ways of working.
• Represent Finance at internal platforms and MSF-EA externally on various international platforms including the IO Expense Allocation Committee, IO ERP Replacement Committee, Program Typology SteerCo.

Financial Reporting & Assurance

• Ensure quality of all consolidated financial reports and annual financial statements; represent MSF-EA’s financial situation accurately to stakeholders.
• Lead and coordinate the overall annual audit processes for HQ.
• Manage HQ compliance risks and design, implement and monitor internal controls.

Treasury & Cash Management and Processes

• Lead overall treasury management and represent MSF EA to IO for treasury and hedging program.
• Ensure optimal cash planning, maximizing interest while maintaining liquidity.
• Oversee technological advances in HQ control systems, encouraging continuous improvement.

Other Responsibilities

• Ensure accurate integration of EDI & Safeguarding aspects into all policies and practices within the Finance unit.
• Recognize, respond, and document any form of abuse or inappropriate behavior and alert the safeguarding unit of any suspected potential abuse.
• Compliance Assurance - Ensure that all data processing activities within the Finance unit comply with relevant data protection laws and regulations, including the Data Protection Act, 2019 and support your team to receive necessary training in this area.
• Policy Adherence - Enforce data protection policies, procedures, and guidelines within the Finance unit, ensuring that all team members are aware of and adhere to these protocols.
• Proactively participate in the individual performance management process including objective setting, performance monitoring and performance evaluation.
• Recognize and reinforce strong performance in the Finance and Services team; identify and encourage improvement where needed; and ensure quality and timely performance management process is carried out for the Finance team.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s, Master’s degree and/or other professional qualifications in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline.
• Excellent command of English (oral and written).
• Knowledge of (MSF international) finance and business processes.
• Knowledge of International and Kenya accounting standards.

Experience

• Minimum of 8 years in Finance Management.
• Experience as Financial analyst/data analyst is desirable.
• Experience in team coordination and management.
• Experience in MSF or other NGOs will be an asset.

Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Proficiency in Microsoft 365, BC and Unifield.
• Mastery of US GAAP/IFRS, technical accounting, and the end-to-end financial close process.
• Advanced financial modeling, forecasting, and analytical skills.
• Expertise in corporate treasury, cash flow forecasting, and capital structure management to optimize liquidity and secure funding for strategic initiatives.
• Proficiency in internal control frameworks.
• Proficiency in ERP systems, BI tools, and data analytics.

Behavioral/General Competencies

• Full adherence and commitment to the principles, values and goals of MSF.
• Strong leadership and decision-making capacity (strong team-leading and team-working skills).
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to synthesize and effectively present information.
• Proven experience in conflicts resolution.
• Time management and organization skills.
• Stress management ability.
• Cross-cultural awareness and flexibility.