INTERSOS is a non-profit, non-governmental humanitarian organization whose objective is to assist victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts. INTERSOS bases its action on the values of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equal rights and opportunities for all peoples, respect for diversity, coexistence, and attention to the most vulnerable social groups.
Terms of reference
Job Title : Country Finance Coordinator
Code: SR-46-9524
Country: Central African Republic
Duty station : Bangui
Start date : 11/25/2024
Contract duration : 12 months
Under the supervision of: Head of mission
Functional supervision: Regional Finance Coordinator
Dependents: Finance Manager(s), Finance Assistants
Duty station: No family
General context of the project
Since December 2013, the Central African Republic has been facing a serious political crisis that has led to a prolonged humanitarian crisis. Despite the political transition and presidential elections held in 2016 and the presence of MINUSCA since 2014, the country is still experiencing significant instability throughout its national territory. There are movements of civilian populations and human rights violations following the activities of armed groups still active in almost all prefectures. The most striking cases are those of the prefectures of Kemo, Nana Gribizi, and Ouham, where INTERSOS has been working since 2014 alongside the UNHCR and other donors to conduct protection monitoring activities and support the most vulnerable.
While the security situation had improved since the signing in February 2019 of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation (APPR) between the government and 14 armed groups, pre- and post-election violence orchestrated by the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), bringing together seven armed groups that were signatories to the APPR, broke out in mid-December 2020. This had a devastating effect on the population, thus worsening the humanitarian situation, which was already alarming, with more than half of the national population in need of assistance and protection and 1.9 million people in acute need of assistance. The figure for forced displacement internally and in neighboring countries has never been this high in five years.
CAR ranks 4th in the 2020 OECD fragility rankings. Nearly a third of the country’s 4.9 million people have been forcibly displaced, both within the country and to neighbouring countries, often multiple times. The challenges facing the country are numerous and structural in nature (economic, environmental, political, security and social), to which has been added the impact of COVID-19.
The objective of the UNHCR project, which is the main donor of INTERSOS in the CAR, is to strengthen the protection of internally displaced persons and returnees, as well as members of the host community residing in the prefectures of Nana Gribizi, Kémo, Ouham, Ouham Pende, Ouaka and Haute Kotto. This will be done through protection monitoring and border monitoring, which will make it possible to identify the most frequent protection risks and human rights violations and to identify protection cases, including SGBV and child protection, for which holistic care remains necessary.
INTERSOS is also a partner of UNICEF in the framework of child protection, in particular to assist children associated with armed forces and groups. It also manages nutrition projects in the province of Ouham Pendé, which also have a WASH component. The donor SV (Stichting Vluchteling) also finances this type of intervention.
General objective of the position
Define, coordinate and monitor the implementation and management of strategies, policies, internal control and overall financial administration in the mission, in accordance with the operational context and challenges and INTERSOS protocols, standards and procedures, as well as the directives of the Regional Finance Coordinator, in order to provide accurate, transparent, timely and reliable financial information to the organization and third parties on the allocation of resources in the Projects.
Main responsibilities and tasks
Strategy and budget
- As an active member of the management team, participate in defining mission objectives and strategies by planning, implementing and monitoring financial, operational and budgetary needs, anticipating changes and challenges and planning accordingly, to ensure that the budget is appropriate
- Define the financial strategy of the mission and the country, assessing and mitigating the financial risks of the mission, as well as the economic and financial plan of the project in collaboration with the head of mission and in liaison with the project managers
- Provide regular and adequate indicators to monitor the financial situation of the mission and provide relevant cost analysis, regular monitoring of expenditure against the budget, analyze deviations and suggest corrective actions if necessary
- Provide support to the Head of Mission and Program Coordinator in drafting new projects and preparing the budget, ensuring collaboration with other support departments (HR, Journal, Security)
Accounting and treasury
- Ensure that the accounting process is efficient and accurate, providing for an adequate level of verification and segregation of duties according to the size and staff of the mission. The accounting database must be in line with INTERSOS standard accounting practices, reconciled on a monthly basis according to standard internal control mechanisms and ensure effective monitoring of payment of salaries to suppliers, social/tax institutions and staff
- Coordinate effective cash management, including to ensure smooth operations and control security risks. This includes, but is not limited to, defining minimum cash levels, cash forecasting for projects and NGOs, managing local bank accounts, bank/cash reconciliation, transferring funds to field bases, liaising with banks and/or other financial institutions at the mission level, identifying financial problems and cash shortages in advance.
- Ensure the proper implementation and compliance with INTERSOS policies and guidelines and compliance with donor procedures, ensuring that they are aligned with legal requirements and within the national legal framework, and designing or adapting relevant local policies, procedures and tools for optimized management of the mission’s financial resources
- Raise awareness among key management members as coordinators, budget holders and relevant management about financial risks and the extent of their financial responsibilities.
- In collaboration with the Regional Finance Coordinator, manage funding agreements with donors, for example by coordinating and preparing financial proposals and reports and managing donor contracts.
- Ensure the establishment of a relevant mission organization and a reliable internal control system, in order to meet all financial obligations while maintaining the financial ethics respected within the mission and using the New Accounting Information System, or when it is not available, using the tools and models provided by the procedural protocols
Administration and HR
- Responsible for the administrative and accounting records of the mission and all documentation of the closed project. Submit to the Regional Finance Coordinator and the Finance Director of the central administration the accounting reports and official documents in support of individual projects and contracts.
- Work with the Human Resources department to meet administrative requirements related to personnel issues.
- Coordinate and supervise the monthly and annual closing of accounts, ensuring that the statement reflects the financial reality of the mission
Personnel management
- Responsible for managing, supervising and developing the finance team, including coaching, training, motivating and ensuring their capabilities, identifying potential conflicts and seeking solutions as needed
- Participate in HR processes (recruitment, training, briefing/debriefing, assessment, potential, detection, staff development and internal communication) in order to ensure both the sizing and the quantity of knowledge required for the activities for which he is responsible.
Logistics
- In collaboration with the logistics coordinator, ensure the proper execution of the procurement processes for goods, works and services in accordance with INTERSOS and donor guidelines.
Required profile
Education
Higher education diploma (Bac+4/5l in Economics/Finance).
Professional experience
- 4 (four) years of experience in budget management and team management
- Prior experience with NGOs in developing countries, particularly in emergency contexts.
Professional requirements
Proven computer skills (Word, Excel, Finance DB and Internet)
LANGUAGES
Good command of written and spoken French essential Knowledge of English is necessary to communicate with the regional team
Personal requirements
- Strategic vision
- Leadership
- Teamwork and cooperation
- Behavioral flexibility
- Personnel management and development
- Service Orientation
- Commitment to INTERSOS Principles
How to apply
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested candidates are invited to apply by following the link below: https://www.intersos.org/en/field-eng/#intersosorg-vacancies/vacancy-details/66dad0d9f20cac02ce101cb2/
Please note that our application process consists of 3 very quick steps : register (including your name, email, password and nationality), log in and apply by attaching a CV in PDF format . With this platform, candidates will be able to track the history of their applications with INTERSOS.
Please also include the name, position and contact details of at least three references : two line managers and one HR representative . Family members should be excluded.
Only candidates selected for the first interview will be contacted.
