International Finance Manager – Libya & North Africa

Role: International Finance Manager – Libya & North Africa

Location: Misrata, Libya, and Tunis. Travel to other HALO locations will, at times, be necessary.

Contract: Permanent, full-time position

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience.

Accommodation: Shared accommodation in a rented HALO apartment, provided at nil cost

Job Purpose:

To support Programme and Project Managers by leading the management of all financial planning, processes, and risks across all programming through effective, efficient delivery of standard financial operating procedures and local finance teams’ training and capacity building.

About HALO

HALO is the leading humanitarian mine clearance organisation globally, addressing the impact and drivers of conflict in 30+ countries and territories, with over 10,000 staff. Most of our staff are local employees and include a growing number of women. Our primary expertise is serving people affected by conflict, clearing landmines and the explosive remnants of war that threaten lives and livelihoods long after fighting has finished. We make land safe where war has ended, while also assisting those affected by active conflict and endemic violence, creating more durable solutions to support stability. HALO addresses human suffering caused by armed violence in some of the world’s most fragile places, securing weapons and ammunition, and working with both state and community actors to reduce the prevalence of armed violence. 

In recent years HALO has grown significantly. With strong government, community and partner relationships, HALO is uniquely positioned to help build more resilient and prosperous communities, which are better equipped to respond to the interconnected global challenges of conflict, climate change, political and economic instability. As a result, the nature of HALO’s programming is diversifying to increase the impact we have in the context of these global challenges.

About the Role

The International Finance Manager (IFM) is a senior management team member who has a key role in the programme’s finance department. Their responsibilities include ensuring that the daily, monthly, and annual financial duties comply with HALO’s policies, donor contracts, and national finance and tax regulations. They also provide strategic leadership to the finance team, develop business plans, budgets, and strategies to support the programme’s funding and overarching strategy.

The IFM is responsible for managing the finance team, building the capacity of individual team members, and ensuring the overall structure of the department, which provides robust and timely support to the programme’s activities. They are to lead their team, and alongside the other senior management team members, they are to inspire, motivate and manage the programme. The IFM is responsible for ensuring that the proper procurement and accounting systems are in place, monitored and improved as necessary and that the finance team is resourced appropriately.

The IFM is responsible for promptly meeting deadlines for internal and external reporting and proposals. Alongside the Programme Manager, the IFM is responsible for short—and long-term financial planning to support the programme and successfully deliver donor contracts on budget.

HALO has been working in Libya since 2018, primarily on the manual and mechanical clearance of ammunition from destroyed urban centres. HALO is also expanding its weapons and ammunition management (WAM) programming in Libya and other areas of North Africa. The International Finance Manager will play a crucial and integral role in this expansion, making this an exciting time to join our team.

The IFM reports directly to the Libya Programme Manager and is expected to work primarily from Misrata, Libya, but with time also to be spent in Tunisia supporting the Tunisia-based project manager. At present, the expected balance of time spent in Libya vs Tunis is 60:40, which is up for review at the end of the year.

*PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ROLE IS BASED IN LIBYA (60%) AND TUNISIA (40%), AND CANNOT BE CONDUCTED REMOTELY*

Role and Responsibilities:

Financial planning and monitoring

• Support the Programme and Project Managers in formulating and monitoring Libya and North Africa’s financial plans, including associated funding and cost assumptions.
• Collaboratively produce grant/contract budgets utilising HALO’s financial planning system (Adaptive Insights) per HALO budget preparation guidelines.
• Lead the financial monitoring and review of grants/contracts, working closely with operations to forecast and report on contract costs to completion/spend out plans.
• Support the programme and project managers in identifying and managing financial risks in the programme and escalating and addressing any emerging risks.

Accounting and Financial Control

• Ensure the implementation of HALO financial standard operating procedures across all programme locations, training local finance teams to deliver all policies and procedures.
• Oversee the monthly financial close process, ensuring the country’s financial ledgers are closed within HALO deadlines.
• Ensure that costs are allocated to grants/contracts per the cost allocation policy, identifying and reporting any shortfalls in direct and indirect cost coverage.
• Prepare donor/client financial statements, reconciling to agreed budgets and financial ledger (Oracle NetSuite).
• Prepare country financial statements following local legislation.
• Oversee the financial management of delivery partner contracts, ensuring compliance with HALO’s contractual obligations.
• Supervise the production of the payroll cycle, ensuring donor funding allocations are accurate and that calculations for salary, income tax, social security, severance, and other government levies are in accordance with legislation.
• Support the Programme Manager in ensuring compliance with all statutory legislation (e.g., tax, registration, labour law), including reviewing regulatory requirements in new operational territories.

Cash Management

• Ensure that adequate banking and cash provisions are in place, set up in accordance with HALO’s financial policies, and that delegations of authority enable the programme to operate efficiently, particularly during periods of leave, etc.
• Manage the programme’s short-term cash flow requirements, liaising with HALO HQ to facilitate cash transfers. Manage the effects of exchange rate fluctuations between local and contract currencies.

External Audit

• Arrange for the external audit of locally prepared financial statements (statutory or donor), liaising with HQ finance to ensure compliance with HALO policies and procedures.

Staff Management and Development

• Ensure that the finance staffing capacity is fit for the programme’s needs.
• Develop national staff’s capacity and career development, ensuring financial consistency and quality across the programme. This role offers a unique opportunity for professional growth and the chance to make a significant impact in the field of international finance management.

All International staff are expected to undertake the following general duties:

• Work within the framework of HALO’s core values and standards.
• Ensure familiarity with and adhere to all HALO policies and procedures.
• Undertake a role in developing countries where standards of living may be basic.
• Undertake the role appropriately to the cultural context and within the local legal framework.

This is a non-contractual document that can be varied from time to time as circumstances dictate. This job description is intended to summarise the primary duties and responsibilities of the post; this is not intended to be a complete and exhaustive list of tasks. All HALO staff are expected to demonstrate flexibility and willingness to perform appropriate tasks when needed, and this role particularly requires a high level of adaptability and open-mindedness.

Essential Experience

• Previous financial management experience overseas
• Demonstrable experience in a financial management position
• Experience in managing and developing small teams

Essential Skills and Knowledge

• Financial planning and reporting
• Good understanding of financial risk management in developing countries
• Ability to implement and monitor policies and procedures in challenging environments
• Proven ability to lead, manage, motivate and develop a team
• Interpretation and implementation of donor/client contract requirements
• Sensitivity to cultural differences and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to coordinate activities
• Excellent literacy, numeracy and IT skills, including data manipulation
• Ability and willingness to work strategically and undertake routine administrative tasks

Desirable

• Previous work experience in North Africa and/or the Middle East
• Arabic and/or French language proficiency
• Experience in humanitarian mine action or wider aid sectors

Qualifications

• Professional accounting qualification or clearly demonstrable qualified experience

• Local overseas allowance of $350 monthly
• Shared accommodation in a rented HALO apartment, provided at nil cost
• 49 days of leave annually (weekend inclusive equivalent to 7 weeks of pay leave)
• Three economy return flights to the member’s official home address (or an alternative location up to an equivalent cost)
• Comprehensive insurance package: Private Medical Insurance, Life Assurance (3x annual salary) and Emergency Medical Insurance (including evacuation and repatriation).

If you wish to apply, please submit your CV (no more than two pages) and a cover letter (no more than one page). The closing date for applications is Midnight on Sunday, September 15, 2024. We reserve the right to close the role earlier than the advertised closing date.

The HALO Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

The HALO Trust is committed to a culture that is both diverse and inclusive and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

The HALO Trust is committed to ensuring that it provides a safe and trusted environment which safeguards and promotes the welfare and wellbeing of anyone who comes into contact with, or is part of, the Charity, with a zero-tolerance approach to behaviours which challenge this.