Current Opportunities at DanChurchAid (DCA)

ROLE PURPOSE:

• The overall objective of the position is to monitor and oversee local implementing partner projects, handling budgets, quality assurance of budgets and financial reports in an efficient and appropriate way according to donor requirements and DCA internal procedures. The postholder will ensure that DCA’s partners – a blend of local & national CBOs, NGOs, social enterprises and private sector actors - are provided with sufficient financial information to support their decisions, leading to improvement of quality project implementation.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Financial Management Systems:

• Manage the disbursement of funds to partners in line with payment schedules and any other requirements.
• Review and validate spending plans from partners against reported expenditures, following-up as needed.
• Ensure that financial monitoring and spot check visits to partner offices is conducted according to DCA requirements and standards.
• Ensure monitoring visit plans are drafted and submitted ahead of partner visits and share monitoring visit reports and actions in a timely manner to partners and relevant DCA staff.
• Participate in case management meetings with the programme, finance, ProLog and other staff to respond to regular issues as they arise within partner management and ensure properly coordinated and managed responses to partner issues as they arise.
• Ensure that a sound, accurate and organized e-filing / archiving system is in place, both hard and soft (electronic) copies for all partner financial reports and their supporting documents.

Financial Reporting:

• Ensure proactive communication with partners about the submission of their financial reports according to terms of their cooperation agreements.
• Ensure tracking of partner submission of financial reports, communicating delays to the Head of Finance & Support Services (HoFSS)
• Verify partners’ financial reports, transactions and supporting documentation, making sure that expenses are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the approved budget and comply with DCA / donor’s regulations.

Fraud Risk Mitigation and Response:

• Ensure partner financial risk assessments are maintained and updated.
• In case of suspicions of fraud, ensure the case is addressed as per DCA’s policy.

Training and Capacity Building:

• Ensure relevant financial assessment is conducted for all new partners - using a due diligence passporting approach if/as relevant - as well as update the financial assessment for all existing partners, on annual basis. Report to the HoFSS on the findings and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Identify financial management capacity gaps and training needs assessments for both finance and non-finance partner staff and provide hands on support and training for proper and effective use of resources.
• Conduct support to partner offices to reconcile accounting records and provide relevant technical support as required.
• Support in developing risk management action plan and suggest corrective actions to address/mitigate risks identified during the partner assessment process.
• Design, update and deliver financial management training for partners’ staff to build the organizational capacity of partners.
• Conduct finance and general compliance monitoring visits to partners and prepare monitoring report and action plan to share with partners and the HoFSS in a timely manner for each visit.

Quality Assurance

• Quality assurance or prepare project budgets in relation to new proposals, for donors and partners, in collaboration with relevant DCA programme staff and implementing partners and ensure that requirements are met.
• Maintain an overview of the finance need for all partner projects and provide information to HoFSS/Head of Programme (HoP) in case of changes.
• Ensure appropriate communication with relevant DCA programme staff and implementing partners for finance inputs to new proposals.
• Prepare budget overviews for all approved projects.
• Prepare budget and fund transfers to plan in Maconomy for all approved projects.
• Transfers to partners and follow-up with HQ Group Finance team.
• Perform financial tasks in the accounting system Maconomy.

Audit & administration

• Participate in Partner audits and ensure all grants are audited as per the donors’ rules and regulations.
• Conduct pre-audit review meetings and support partners to ensure DCA-funded projects are audit ‘ready’.
• Ensure that any actions or recommendations included in management letters resulting from any audits are followed up by partners and reconciled.
• Upload signed copies of partners’ audit reports on intranet.
• Upload other relevant finance documents on intranet.
• Ensure compliance with donor regulations, DCA rules and local government regulations.
• Prepare asset handover notes at the end of the project period.

Other

• Attend finance meetings as well as operations taskforce or finance/programme meetings, and general staff meetings.
• Improve and maintain good and close communication between implementing partners, programme team and DCA finance team.
• Any other task given by Head of Finance & Support Services or Head of Programme.
• Provide assistance with requests from DCA headquarters as directed by the International Finance Unit

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Experience and qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance or Accounting (or related degree).
• Certified Accountant Qualification coupled with eight years’ relevant experience will be considered in lieu of Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum five years of practical experience in financial management.
• At least three years of experience working in a role providing financial support to partners.
• Highly collaborative and able to establish positive working relationships with partners to maximize cooperation and productivity.
• Must be able to maintain highest level of confidentiality regarding work-related information and data.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Proven experience in managing budgets of varying sizes.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel.
• Experience working with Automated accounting and Finance Software.
• Proven ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Excellent financial and analytical skills.
• Ability to work in multi-cultural environment and a good team player.

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ROLE PURPOSE:

• The overall objective of the position is to monitor and oversee DCA and partner-led projects, handling budgets, quality assurance of budgets and reports, and providing financial reports overseeing accounts, and ensuring office finances are up to date and run in an efficient and appropriate way according to donor requirements and DCA internal procedures. In addition, the Finance Officer will ensure that grants are fully implemented in compliance to donor regulations and DCA requirements and donor reporting. The Finance Officer will develop budget management tool(s) and conduct training(s) to improve efficiency and donor reporting and compliance for DCA budget holders and partner finance and programme staff.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Budget and Grants Management

• Maintain a complete financial knowledge of the grant portfolio in the country office.
• Assist in the preparation and analysis of the annual and mid-term budget of the country office, as well as re-forecasts, as needed.
• Prepare and analyse monthly Budget Vs Actuals (BvA) reports; regularly update spending plans in collaboration with the HoFSS and the APMs
• Assist in preparing donor budgets and donor reports.
• Participate in and contribute to grant opening and closing meetings.

Country Office Annual Operating Budget

• Under the direct supervision of the HoFSS, assist in preparing the Country Office annual budget following DCA’s standard format to meet the required timelines.
• Ensure regular update of the annual budget that will serve as a guide for all new donor proposals as well as support in times of rapid growth and/or funding reductions to advise timely management decisions.
• Provide recommendations for funding shortfall and / or coverage for each component of the annual budget.

New proposal Development

• Work with relevant DCA and partner programme staff to prepare new donor budgets under the direct supervision of the HoFSS.
• Under the mentorship of the HoFSS, conduct a detailed preparation of existing grant budget revisions ensuring that all costs are covered and are not under/over budgeted in addition to accurate use of DCA and donor budget formats.

Grant Management & Reporting

• Prepare monthly Budget Versus Actual (BVA) reports and distribute on time.
• Provide monthly analysis for the HoFSS per grant after each month closing and provide recommendation for the budget holders to ensure accurate spending and inform adaptive / corrective action.
• Review project spending plans and advise relevant staff on spending status and ask for feedback on all over/under spending.
• Prepare and update spending plans for all active grants in coordination with the appropriate budget holders.
  • Review and update the commitments lists from Supply chain, Admin& Human Resources to be included in monthly BVAs.
  • Participate in the periodic Grant review, opening and closing meetings and present the spending status.
  • Provide support and feedback to Operations and Program Coordinators and Managers for all questions regarding the BVAs.
  • In compliance with donor requirements propose and prepare adjustments entries, attaching all supporting documents for finance records and posting into DCA’s accounting system.
  • Prepare donor financial reports for all grants for review by the HoFSS. Ensure that reports comply to donor reporting formats and are submitted as per contractual requirements.

Audit & administration

• Participate in programme audit and ensure all grants are audited as per the donors’ rules and regulations.
• Conduct pre-audit review meetings to ensure that DCA is audit ‘ready’.
• Ensure that any actions or recommendations included in management letters resulting from any audits are followed up internally and reconciled.
• Upload signed copies of programme audit reports on intranet.
• Upload other relevant finance documents on intranet.
• Ensure compliance with donor regulations, DCA rules and local government regulations.

Staff support and training

• Assist the HoFSS in conducting regular training sessions for DCA and partner staff on budget management and donor regulations, targeting programme, operations and finance staff.

Other

• Provide assistance with requests from DCA headquarters as directed by International Finance Unit
• Any other duties as assigned by the HoFSS and DCA Group Finance and GPRM colleagues. The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Experience and qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance or Accounting (or related degree).
• Certified Accountant Qualification coupled with eight years’ relevant experience will be considered in lieu of Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum five years of progressive international practical experience in financial management.
• At least three years of experience working with INGOs.
• Highly collaborative and able to establish positive working relationships with senior level management and all other stakeholders to maximize cooperation and productivity.
• Must be able to maintain highest level of confidentiality regarding work-related information and data.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Proven experience in managing budgets of varying sizes.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel.
• Experience working with Automated accounting and Finance Software.
• Proven ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Excellent financial and analytical skills.
• Ability to work in multi-cultural environment and a good team player.

Preferred:

• Prior work experience in finance management of Danida, EU, Norad and DG ECHO funded development programmes.