Head of Finance at Search For Common Ground’s International

Job Description

• The Head of Finance provides oversight for the Finance team and seeks to achieve excellence in financial management by providing accurate and timely financial information to Search management and programs.
• The primary function of the role is to ensure  adherence to established financial practices and accounting principles.
• The key focus of the role is to provide the required financial structure to allow for all programmatic plans to be achieved in the most effective and efficient manner.
• The role has responsibility for consolidated financial reporting, cash management, internal controls, and overall accounting operations at Search for Common Ground Nigeria office.
• The accounting process includes summarizing, analyzing, and reporting these transactions to oversight agencies, regulators, and tax collection entities; recording accounts; paying invoices; tracking assets and expenditures; managing payroll; and keeping track of critical tax documents.

Responsibilities

• Applies Search for Common Ground’s and donor’s rules, regulations, policies, processes, procedures, and standards to uphold compliance and confidentiality of Finance activities and data.
• Recommend improvements to Finance systems, processes, and procedures by maintaining a high-level working knowledge of organizational and donor rules, regulations, policies, processes, procedures, and standards, including but not limited to data quality, internal controls, and segregation of duties.
• Initiate and maintain collaborative relationships with Finance and Programs teams and sub-awardees. 
• Partner with Human Resources to develop, improve, and enhance integrated payroll processes
• Partner with the business development team in-country and at Regional level in preparation of financial proposals for funding applications, proposals and other fundraising initiatives
• Reinforces synergy with cross-departmental systems, policies, procedures, manuals, and guidelines.
• Manage the day-to-day activities of Finance team members.
• Reports to the Head, Operations Support, with dotted oversight by the Country Director.

Financial Management 

• Review and analyze financial data for decision making and proactively address irregularities
• Ensure collaboration between the Finance and Program teams to reinforce data quality and internal controls for reporting.  
• Ensure collaboration between the Finance and Program teams on finance support functions and capacity strengthening of sub-awardees.
• Contribute towards the development/strengthening of financial Standard Operating Procedures for Finance and Program team members and sub-awardees
• Act as point of contact for internal and external audits
• Prepare project specific reports 
• Carry out budget vs actuals review exercise with project team and propose remedial actions
• Ensure the coordination of the pre-audit assessment of projects for upcoming audit
• Liaise with the audit team with respect to audit engagement, Audit sample collection, provision of supporting documents during field assessment, responses to audit findings, and development of mitigation measures responding to the findings.

Gants Management

• Collaborate with Subgrant and Program teams to create budgets for sub-awards, including but not limited to  but not limited to  processes and procedures for budget coding, forecasting, and reporting.
• Monitor and analyze sub-award grants, including but not limited to  but not limited to  expenditures, burn rates, organizational compliance,  and donor compliance.
• Analyze sub-awards for irregularities and recommend corrective actions.
• Collaborate on grant management capacity strengthening training of Finance team members and sub-awardees

Procurement

• Collaborate with the Procurement unit in its day-to-day procurement activities in accordance with policies, procedures, and processes.
• Escalate unresolved procurement matters to the Procurement and Logistics Manager.
• Collaborate where required in fostering relationships with vendors and suppliers. 

Payroll

• Partner with Human Resources to establish an effective and efficient payroll process flow, including but not limited to personnel action procedures.
• Responsible for the accuracy of payroll deductions and payroll changes, including but not limited to statutory deductions, income taxes,mandatory withholdings, and personnel actions.
• Responsible for the accuracy of the payroll register, which includes, but is not limited to, gross pay, statutory deductions, tax withholding, and leave balances.
• Responsible for accuracy of mandatory deductions, including but not limited to statutory deductions, mandatory withholdings, income taxes, and personnel actions.
• Infuse organizational values into all work.
• Other duties that are broadly in line with the above key contributions as assigned

Competency Behavior Indicators (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with vendors, organizations, professional associations, partners, funders, and Search’s network of experts critical to the area of purview.
• Modifies a planned course of action in response to new information or new circumstances.
• Responds to changing circumstances and expectations readily.
• Overcomes obstacles using ethical practices; formulates and evaluates morally and ethically justified solutions.
• Assesses risks and opportunities to lead decision makers to a favorable outcome.
• Checks the accuracy of one’s own and others’ work and sets up systematic checks and balances to support content and data integrity.
• Has knowledge of project management tools, including but not limited to technology, as resources for efficiency and reduction of stress.
• Works with employees to set and communicate performance standards that are specific and measurable.
• Anticipates the consequences of situations and plans accordingly.
• Analyzes the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success in making a decision.
• Provides coaching and mentoring to staff.

Type and Nature of Contacts

• Routinely coordinates with colleagues and consultants on-site and in the field and resolves problem situations with tact.
• Represents, as assigned, selected programs or projects and other organizations, including but not limited to donors, vendors, and international and local partners.
• Interacts with country office and regional staff.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• A degree in finance, business administration, or accounting is required; A master's would be an added advantage.
• Professional qualification in accounting (ACA,ACCA, CPA, or equivalent)
• Minimum ten years of relevant work experience within an NGO, of which five years should be working with EU and/or US government funds. Experience working within an international NGO is a strong advantage. 
• Experience managing a portfolio of awards from multiple donors 
• Experience preparing for internal audits and implementing audit recommendations. Demonstrated ability to build capacity and lead training for staff and partners.
• Proven ability to be an effective supervisor of staff of varying levels of responsibility 
• Proven ability in setting up and implementing accountability mechanisms
• Proven ability in financial planning and developing budgets for new business 
• Excellent command of spoken and written English 
• Mastery of Excel is a must