Trinidad and Tobago: Delegate, Finance

Job Purpose

The Finance Delegate is responsible for leading the finance team in the provision of accounting services, ensuring adequate financial control, reporting, training, providing advice to relevant stakeholders, and support to the Zika project team and the 13 Caribbean National Societies being funded under the USAID project grant. This position is part of the Zika project and Support Services management teams, which are under the direction and guidance of the Head of Cluster and the Zika Project Manager respectively. Job Duties and ResponsibilitieCoordinate the strategic direction of the project in terms of economic, efficient and effective management of the International Federation financial resources.

Duties and Responsibilities

Coordinate the strategic direction of the project in terms of economic, efficient and effective management of the International Federation financial resources.

• Actively participate, query and highlight any perceived/possible financial risks in relation to contracts, memoranda of understanding or agreements.
• Peruse from contractual agreement to practical implementation, all financial procedures to ensure that proper financial controls are in place.
• Track, monitor and control financial commitments.
• Ensure that the procedures, accounting and collection of invoices on service agreements are performed accurately and on a timely manner

Coordinate the budgeting and financial planning process, including the preparation of budgets.

• Coordinate and consolidate country Appeals and support operational plan revisions
• Consider budget revisions and advise on their realism, consistency and compliance
• Review and approve the finance sections of funding proposals and staff requests
• Ensure that budgets are loaded into the appropriate systems on timely basis

Oversee preparation of accurate and timely reports

• Manage the donor financial reporting process and provide financial analysis and statistics on donor funding.
• Advise and provide timely and accurate financial information to the management team, assisting them to interpret financial information and take decisions.
• Provide regular management reports to allow project managers to review monitor and effectively manage projects and make effective and informed decisions.

Safeguard and optimize the use of financial resources within an appropriate internal control environment, with an emphasis on:

• Compliance with policies and procedures;
• Effective budgetary control;
• Effective oversight of assets (e.g. cash and bank portfolio);
• Management of financial risks.
• Reviewing existing controls to ensure that they prevent fraud, corruption or irregularities

Oversee audit processes

• Prepare for, facilitate, and ensure smooth processes.
• Provide direct input to these reviews and clarify queries at source
• Provide formal feedback in support of management’s input to the final documents
• Follow up on outstanding issues and ensure that they are rectified

Manage and control the funds and financial assets of the project. This includes cash flow and cost control management as well as the management of the payments, cashier, bank signatory and payroll functions.

• Avoid unnecessary risk from either exchange rate or physical losses.
• Review and approve cash transfers and stagger as appropriate.
• Provide consolidate cash forecasts and peruse the forecasting system
• Monitor the budget of the project and ensure accurate accounting, authorization & internal control procedures

Ensure that spending is within the approved limits and that there are zero expenditures in excess of what has been authorized.

• Coordinate the submissions of project expenditure approval request forms, validate and submit with comments as required.
• Analyze, investigate, address and report significant variances of actual vs. budgets
• Review expenditures including documentation checks, address and highlight any item of non-compliance with financial procedures and report them as appropriate.

Manage direct line financial reports and assigned resources soundly

• Lead, direct and motivate staff to ensure the highest level of performance in their respective areas of responsibility, ensuring quality service, compliance, accuracy and timeliness
• Focus the finance team to ensure alignment of the respective function with priorities and objectives
• Ensure the team is adequately resourced with competent personal that are properly recruited, trained and managed
• Be actively involved in succession planning and in ensuring match of skills and experience to positions requirements

Education

• Relevant university degree
• Recognised Professional financial/accountancy qualification (BAC+4)
• Basic Delegates Training Course or equivalent knowledge - PreferredExperience
• Excellent practical knowledge of computers (Windows, spreadsheets, word processing, accounting applications, e-mail, Internet)

Experience

• 3+ years of experience working in a finance or accounting role
• Experience in Personnel Management
• Experience of writing financial reports
• Experience working with accounting systems
• Experience in Financial Management
• Experience working in an International Organization – Preferred
• Experience in Budget preparation and control
• Experience in Problem Resolution
• Experience in Systems Analysis and Development - Preferred

Please visit http://www.ifrc.org/en/who-we-are/working-with-us/current-vacancies/job-description/?id=5070 for the full vacancy details as well as for submitting your application