Senior Sub Award Finance Officer – Moroto

The Program 

The Mercy Corps Sub-award and Compliance Team supports all financial and compliance aspects of subgranting.  In its role as a support to the Uganda Country Program, the Sub-ward and Compliance Team is responsible for ensuring subrecipients are compliant with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures.  It supports the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.  The Team is involved in pre-award and due diligence processes, contracting, financial report support, reviews, and approvals, payments, capacity development, compliance reviews and audits, close-out.   The Team is also a main actor in ensuring Sub-award strategy is embedded in programming, by providing on-the-job and ad-hoc support to Partners on all finance and compliance related issues in order to ensure compliance and also importantly to build the financial and compliance capacity of Partners.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

Working in the Sub-award and Compliance Team under the direction of the Subawards and Compliance Manager , the Senior Subawards Finance Officer will work closely with Partners to ensure exhaustive financial reporting in compliance with donor and MC subawards policies and procedures.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Sub grant Management

1. Serve as focal point for partner financial management, including attendance at kick off meetings, monitoring meetings and closeout meetings, financial focal point for formal and informal partner support and capacity development, and kick off, implementation and closeout (including payments, financial reports, audits and so on);
2. Conduct Partner due diligence (Including, Partner Pre-award assessment of financial responsibility, COI and RPS) and recommends for substantial involvements and compliance requirements and modifications to the sub-grant agreement and/or monitoring plan to lessen financial and compliance risks;
3. Follow up, collect and review sub grantees financial reports and fund requests, keep up-to-date records and report all sub grantees financial status. Review sub grantees financial reports for correctness, completeness, timeliness and compliance;
4. Perform sub grantee monitoring visit for financial and programmatic deliverables review or audit and report findings with recommendation to the supervisor communicate agreed upon findings to the sub grantees and follow up its implementation;
5. Handle sub grants close-outs ensuring that all requirements of the sub grant agreement have been met and that sub grant funds have been properly settled;
6. Ensure Partner Tracker up to date and accurate as a monitoring tool for wider use, and provide biweekly reports to Subaward Finance Coordinator using this tool;
7. Review and track all sub grants and grants/budget purchases and contracts and other commitments. Update the contracts and communicate monthly;
8. Maintain sub grant files and ensure they are well labeled, fully updated with all contracts, submitted reports, governing clauses and all other relevant documents;
9. Support Subawards and Compliance Manager to update the partnership compliance process as needed;
10. Travel regularly to other locations to manage, support and train team members in all locations.

Compliance

1. Perform subgrantee site monitoring visits as per monitoring plan and provide report to Subawards and Compliance Manager;
2. Assist the Subawards and Compliance Manager with subaward audit process, including tracking of which subawards require audits, supporting the partner through the process, and review of audit reports;
3. Ensure dissemination of knowledge within staff of MC process and procedures, including subgrant manual,

Financial Management

1. Monitor, plan and prepare program cash flow requirements relating to subgrant payments, and coordinate with the Finance department) to ensure effective cash flow monitoring and smooth implementation of Mercy Corps programs.
2. Prepare schedule of fund transfers to partners for review by Subawards and Compliance Manager , to provide to Finance department (Fund Transfer Unit).  Coordinate with Finance department (Fund Transfer Unit) to ensure efficient transfer of funds to subrecipients.
3. Work with Programs Teams and Finance department (Senior Finance Officer, Accounting Coordinator, Finance Manager) to ensure effective budget management with regards to subrecipient budgets and forecasts. 
4. Work with the Finance Team on grant BvAs (subgrant information) as required. Closely monitor sub grants to ensure that sub grantees are not overspent;
5. Ensure schedules of fund transfers and phased budgets are in place for all partners.
6. Coordinate with Finance department (including Subaward and Compliance Manager) with regards to donor compliance and audits.
7. Support the Finance Team on new proposals (providing summary subgrant budget information) as required.
8. Track VAT/DUTY taxes exemptions, reimbursements for USAID and other donors as per their specific requirements.

Coordination and Representation

1. Participate in sharing best practices with NGOs and governmental agencies working in similar environment;
2. Coordinate with other Mercy Corps Field finance teams as required to share best practices,

Payments/Transfers to partners

1. Managing the Cash transferring mechanism (Payments to Partner), by working closely with the partners and the appropriate MC team member in order to facilitate all payment in an effective and efficient way. This includes coordination with the Finance Department (Fund Transfers).
2. Track and update partner cash transfer mechanisms e.g. partner payment tracker
3. Work with partners on developing cash handling protocols/SOPs as required.

Team Management

1. Create and sustain a dynamic and participatory work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence;
2. Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews;
3. Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes;
4. Provide training and guidance as appropriate to team members about sub grant processes.

Accounting & Navigator

1. Responsible for uploading financial reports on Navigator (statistical ledger for Subawards) in coordination with the Finance Department;
2. Other accounting tasks related to Navigator and reconciliation assigned by the Sub-award & Compliance Manager.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

 ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING  
As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve – we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

Subawards Finance Officer – Gulu

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Subawards and Compliance Manager

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Partner Organizations, Sub-awards & Compliance Team, other Finance staff, Program and Operations Staff.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance is required.
• 5+years’ experience in grants and financial management and accounting and 2+year’s supervisory experience.
• Strong management Skills, Technical & Supervisory Skills and experience required.
• Strong knowledge of, and experience in donor regulations including USAID and FCDO, and management of sub grants required.
• Adequate understanding of donor rules and regulations is required.
• International NGO/PVO experience required.
• Demonstrated experience and skill with financial reports preparation and presentation and proven ability to translate technical financial data into informative reports.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel and accounting software experience.
• Excellent oral and written English skills.
• Willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps and sub grantees field offices and project sites approximately 50%.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

A successful candidate will have demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles, follow procedures, and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving and a proven ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results. S/he will be able to understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details and be able to balance upholding adherence with finance and compliance standards with facilitating the implementation of a complex program.  An ability to work independently and as part of a team, a knowledge of procurement and tendering and a curiosity about and sensitivity to new cultures are all essential.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have a sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Disclaimer: This job description isNOTan exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

To Apply:

Interested applicants must submit their Cover Letter & CV saved in 1 document as  PDF of no more than 5 pages by 11th November 2022.

Please note that any application submitted that does not follow the above instructions will be automatically discarded.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Mercy Corps does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.