JOB DETAILS

Reporting to the Grant Finance Manager, the Specialist, Portfolio Service Team is a shared role, either provides professional financial services to a portfolio of countries (focused countries) by ensuring that countries within the portfolio comply with the Global Fund’s fiduciary policies, procedures and practices and/or provides centralized corporate finance services including coordination with the headquarters of International Non-Government Organizations (INGOs), International Organizations (IOs) and multilateral agencies implementers and coordination and monitoring of direct sourcing (i.e. Wambo/PPM).Given the nature of their role, they are heavily reliant on the conclusion of the Local Fund Agent (LFA) and based on defined triggers will advise the country team or sign-off on deliverables. They ensure appropriate documentation of the financial risk profile of the Principal Recipients based on the assurance providers’ reports in the Integrated Risk Management (IRM) module.

They coordinate the Global Fund financial risks management oversight at the corporate level (including financial risk and assurance) with the headquarters of INGOs and multilateral agencies to align understanding and expectation of grant delivery.

They lead or contribute to design and development of operational financial management policies and guidelines relating to focused countries portfolios and ensures effective roll-out and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

The Specialist, Portfolio Service Team performs the following functions:

1. Grant Financial Management – Focused Countries:

• In close collaboration with Fund Portfolio Managers, ensures that signed grants are within approved country allocations and meet requirements for consideration by Grant Approval Committee and Global Fund Board;
• Makes recommendations on how country teams should address inefficiencies identified by the Local Fund Agent during the review of grant budgets to ensure that grant budgets represent best value for money while achieving program objectives;
• Following the identification of compliance issues by the Local Fund Agent via the Fund Portfolio Manager, collaborates with Country teams to advise and guide on appropriate actions to ensure compliance with Global Fund’s guidelines and agreements with grant implementers;
• Reviews annual funding decisions and disbursements and implements these in line with procedures ensuring that implementers receive the correct funding amounts;
• Analyses annual financial reports of implementers and ensures that key variances to budgets are understood and compliant with Global Fund policies.
• Reviews and agrees financial assurance plans prepared by Local Fund Agents to show how assurance providers will address areas of high risk such as fraud and loss in support of grant objectives;
• Monitors assurance findings provided by Local Fund Agents and determines whether findings require further follow-up, either by the Local Fund Agent, the Country team or direct intervention.
• Makes recommendations on how Country teams should address critical observations arising when: external auditors issue qualified (or adverse) audit opinions or if management letters contain major internal control weaknesses (including Office of the Inspector General reports), to ensure key risks are appropriately managed;
• Proposes realistic and implementable measures to manage risks and improve implementer capacity where Local Fund Agent reports reveal material capacity gaps, ineligible expenses or non-compliance with Global Fund requirements to ensure sound financial management of funded programs.

2. Centralized Corporate Finance Services:

INGO

• Collaborate the Global Fund financial risks management oversight at the corporate level (including financial risk and assurance) with the headquarters of INGOs and multilateral agencies to align understanding and expectation of grant delivery;
• Provides inputs and ensure that critical financial management and fiduciary risk management requirements (including access to information and audit approach) are adequately integrated into the negotiation of Framework Agreements, Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) and other legal documents with INGOs and multilateral agencies including Development Banks and regional organizations; and
• Perform the quality assurance of the financial data and advise country teams on key challenges; and
• Collaborate on improvement of program implementation, monitoring and reporting practice by agreeing the best approach at HQ level which is then cascaded down to the country teams and country offices.

Direct Sourcing

• Collaborate and coordinate with Sourcing Team, PSAs and Country Teams relating to financial aspects of direct sourcing (Wambo/PPM);
• Develop reporting templates and standard report for PSAs;
• Prepare and provide required financial information to the Country Teams, PRs and PRs’ external auditors on timely basis;
• Perform timely reconciliation of financial information from the Global Fund systems and information shared by PSAs and PRs;
• Ensure effective management of Purchase Orders from creation to closures;
• Perform forecasting, disbursements and related adjustment in the GFS; and
• Provide inputs on development and or optimization of policies, procedures and systems relating to direct sourcing.

Subject to change by the Executive Director at any time at their sole discretion.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Advanced Degree in Finance (Masters in Finance or MBA Finance) or accounting qualification (professional qualification such as a Chartered Accountant, Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Analyst, Fédération des Experts-Comptables Européens).
• A first-level university degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration and Economics or related fields may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree if the applicant has three additional years in a related function with a Finance Department performing similar tasks in the last 1-3 years.

Experience

Essential:

• Demonstrated progressive experience in financial analysis and decision-making, obtained with an international accounting firm, bilateral or multilateral aid agency, government department, industry, or a commercial or investment bank;
• Experience in financial compliance and regulation;
• Demonstrated experience of effective decision-making.

Desirable:

• Minimum 8 years of demonstrated professional experience in financial management (including auditing, accounting controlling etc..) and analysis
• Understanding of financial assurance processes, including previous experience as a financial auditor;
• Grants and fund management experience, preferably in the health, social or financing sector would be an advantage as well as relevant experience in developing countries;
• Experience of working within an international or regional sphere of activity.
• Working in a multicultural environment with a strong understanding of managing diversity.

Competencies

Languages:

An excellent knowledge of English and preferably a good working knowledge of French. Knowledge of other languages would be an asset.

Organizational Competencies:

• Global Fund awareness and mind-set
• Service orientation
• Drive for results
• Collaboration
• Interaction
• Adaptability

Functional Competencies:

• Analytical: Understanding of analytical techniques related to assessment of quantitative and qualitative information. Level 1
• Audit & Investigation: Knowledge of and attentiveness to any signs of ineffectiveness, fraud, corruption or abuse of human rights in the Global Fund’s operation. Level 1;
• Country Context: Awareness of political, economic and geographical/infrastructure factors specific for each of the served countries, enabling advisory and true assistance (instead of “one-fits-all” approach). Level 1;
• Due Diligence: Ensuring an appropriate spend of money by means of making informed decisions and initiating actions only after investigating all facts, conditions, rules, laws, regulations, financial considerations, or any other such matters. Level 2;
• Finance: Knowledge/awareness of financial and accounting aspects related to the Global Fund’s services. Level 2;
• Geopolitical awareness: Knowledge/sensitivity regarding social, political, economic realities and dynamics in specific geographies in order to use appropriate influencing and dialogue strategies, respond to challenge and problem arising. Level 1;
• Multicultural understanding: Sensitivity to multicultural differences and general awareness of how they impact cooperation, ability to use it in cooperation with partners representing other cultures. Level 1;
• Operational policy: Knowledge of the Global Fund operational policies related to grant cycle. Level 2;
• Risk: Knowledge of the risk management process: identification, aggregation, mitigation, monitoring and reporting of the risks associated with a grant making organisation that operated in high risk & challenging operating environments. Level 2;
• Strengthening systems for health: Knowledge of how strengthening health systems helps to prevent, detect and respond to future health crises and reduces risks for individuals and communities. Level 1

Technical Competencies:

• Ability to quickly and comprehensively identify financial risks
• Strong skills in financial accounting and reporting;
• Strong skills in audit and assurance techniques;
• A good understanding of public financial management systems
• Skills in risk identification, analysis and problem solving;
• IT skills including proficiency in: ERP Systems, Microsoft Office Word, Excel and Power Point; and
• Ability to multitask, coach and to delegate, as appropriate.