Jobs at Catholic Relief

As the Senior Finance Officer – Projects at CRS Sudan Country Program, you play a pivotal role in ensuring the effective implementation of the Country Program’s accounting systems, policies, and procedures in alignment with CRS standards, GAAP, donors' regulations, and legal requirements. Your scope encompasses the entire program or specific areas, depending on the portfolio's complexity. You will spearhead Grants Financial Management and Reporting, SR Assessments, conduct SR Monitoring visits, and track ICIP progress, bolstering partner financial management capabilities. 

 Your responsibilities further include timely project closure, reclass entry preparation, managing audits, and facilitating continuous improvement in financial processes. You will also contribute to partner capacity building and maintain open lines of communication with subrecipients, ensuring adherence to financial policies and procedures.

Roles and Key Responsibilities: 

• Conduct comprehensive assessments of assigned SRs to evaluate their financial capacities in compliance with CRS and donor regulations.
• Conduct monitoring visits to assigned SRs, ensuring adherence to financial guidelines, and providing support as needed. Track the progress of ICIPs, ensuring alignment with project objectives and financial milestones.
• Oversee the liquidation process for partners, ensuring accurate and timely completion. Manage the processing of wire/advance transfers to partners.
• Evaluate and monitor subrecipient financial management processes in accordance with policy and strengthen the capacity of partners in financial accounting and transactions.
• Provide information to subrecipients and staff on financial accounting policies and procedural compliance issues and contribute to capacity strengthening.
• Develop and provide status letters to SRs, communicating financial status, compliance issues, and any required actions.
• Actively engage in Monthly BCR discussions with BMs, providing insights, addressing queries, and ensuring financial alignment with project goals.
• Lead the development and oversight of cost allocation strategies and calculators for new projects and proposals.
• Contribute to the business development process by actively participating in budgeting exercises, ensuring financial feasibility and alignment with CRS objectives.
• Take a leadership role in compiling and preparing donor reports, ensuring strict adherence to compliance standards and accuracy in financial reporting.
• Lead the process of timely closure for awards and projects, ensuring all financial aspects are appropriately concluded.
• Lead the preparation and posting of GJs related to liquidations, ensuring financial accuracy and transparency.
• Manage reclass entries, making necessary adjustments to financial records to reflect accurate and up-to-date information.
• Actively participate in both project and SR audits, collaborating with auditors and internal teams to ensure compliance with financial policies and regulations.
• Develop and implement capacity-building initiatives for partners, strengthening their financial management capabilities.
• Monitor disbursement/receipt schedules for assigned partners, alert relevant budget managers of due payments/liquidations, and maintain appropriate communication and follow-up to facilitate the timeliness of financial resource management and compliance with set deadlines.
• Prepare various periodic and ad hoc financial reports for assigned projects and perform variance analysis to assist budget managers with decision-making. Assist with budget maintenance for proper management of financial resources.
• Facilitate effective communication on financial policies and procedural compliance, ensuring understanding and adherence among project stakeholders. 
• Deputise and fill in for the Deputy Finance Manager in his/her absence.
• Required Languages - Proficiency in oral and written English required 
• Travel - Must be willing and able to travel to partner offices. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:  

• Knowledge of the relevant public donors’ regulations preferred.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications. 
• Knowledge of financial reporting software preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to detect and report inconsistencies.
• Accuracy and completeness with great attention to detail.
• Ethical conduct in accordance with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results-oriented.
• Ability to work collaboratively.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Key Working Relationships:  

• Internal: Finance Manager, Deputy Finance Manager – Operations, Projects Finance Officers, Operations Finance Officers, Regional Finance Managers, Regional Finance Officer, Ethics Manager, Budget Managers, relevant Operations staff and program/operations staff.
•  External: Partners, Finance Staff, Public & Private Donors, External Auditors.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• B.A. degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration with courses in accounting, or a qualification in accounting (CPA/ACCA or equivalent).
• Minimum of two years’ experience in a position with similar responsibilities, preferably with an international or local NGO, or a financial/banking institution.
• Demonstrated commitment to respect, equity, diversity, and inclusion, including gender equality.

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Key Responsibilities

Grants Management & Compliance

• Maintain an up-to-date compliance tracker for all donor deliverables, deadlines, and contractual obligations, ensuring alignment with country reporting systems.
• Tracking donor reporting and ensuring timely preparation and submission of narrative and financial reports in coordination with Program and Finance teams, and in compliance with World Bank and organizational requirements.
• Track and follow up on all World Bank requests, conditions, and agreed actions throughout project implementation, ensuring documentation and accountability are maintained.
• Provide regular compliance updates, risk analysis, and status reports to the Project Management Unit, and share relevant compliance information with the Country Program Ethics & Compliance Manager in line with established governance structures.
• Ensure timely internal reporting and escalation of compliance concerns, including but not limited to suspected fraud, misuse of funds, Environmental and Social Standards (ESS)–related issues, safeguarding concerns, or other breaches of donor or organizational policies, in close coordination with ESS Manager and the Country Program Ethics & Compliance Manager and in accordance with organizational incident reporting protocols.
• Coordinate Annual Audit preparations in collaboration with Finance and the Country Program Ethics & Compliance Manager, including development of Audit ToR, preparation of audit trails and supporting documentation, and follow-up on audit findings and corrective action plan

Reporting & Tracking

• Establish and manage a centralized reporting system for donor deliverables and program milestones.
• Consolidate reports and data from state-level teams, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and timeliness.
• Monitor progress toward grant deliverables, identifying potential delays or risks, and coordinating corrective actions.
• Maintain documentation and records in compliance with audit and donor requirements.

Sub-Granting & Partner Oversight

• Lead the full cycle of sub-grant management, including development and dissemination of RFAs.
• Conduct due diligence and organizational capacity assessments of potential sub-grantees.
• Draft, review, and monitor sub-grant agreements to ensure clear deliverables and compliance obligations.
• Provide training and ongoing support to sub-grantees on compliance, reporting, and World Bank requirements.
• Monitor sub-grantee performance, conduct compliance visits, and address any issues of non-compliance.

Capacity Building & Technical Support

• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to hub and state-level teams on grants management and compliance.
• Design and deliver training sessions on donor compliance, reporting, and documentation standards.
• Strengthen internal systems to improve efficiency, transparency, and accountability across all project locations.
• Foster a culture of compliance, learning, and continuous improvement within the project.

Risk Management & Continuous Improvement

• Identify, document, and assess compliance risks related to grants and sub-grants in coordination with the Country Program Ethics & Compliance Manager, ensuring alignment with the country risk register and organizational risk management framework.
• Develop and monitor mitigation plans in collaboration with relevant program, finance, and operations teams, and escalate significant risks through established country and regional Risk & Compliance reporting channels.
• Ensure the project maintains continuous audit readiness by strengthening documentation, internal controls, and compliance monitoring mechanisms in line with organizational and donor standards.
• Coordinate external and internal audit processes in close collaboration with CP Finance and Ethics & Compliance Manager/s.
• Integrate lessons learned, audit recommendations, compliance reviews, and best practices into ongoing and future grants management processes, and share key insights with country and regional compliance forums to support institutional learning.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications: 

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Finance, International Development, Public Administration, or a related field (master’s degree preferred).

Professional Experience

• Must be able to demonstrate experience working with World Bank–funded projects with solid experience in managing Client Connect, Financial Reporting, STEP and Bank’s Audit requirements.
• Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive experience in grants management, compliance, and donor reporting within large-scale, donor-funded projects. Expereience in managing World Bank projects is required.
• Proven expertise in sub-grant management, including RFAs, due diligence assessments, agreement development, and compliance monitoring.