International Accounting Services Controller at Plan International

The Opportunity

• We are looking for a skilled International Accounting Services Controller to join our Global Hub finance team. In this role, you will be responsible for ensuring accurate, complete and timely financial reporting data from COs (Country Offices) while strengthening the current data collection and analysis processes.
• You will be documenting monthly data flows from all COs, building permanent files for each CO, and creating end-to-end accounting procedures/processes for continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborating with Regional Finance Managers (RFM) and Country Finance Managers (CFM) to ensure complete, accurate and timely CO submissions that adhere to GH reporting deadlines
• Serving as the key contact for all RFMs and CFMs regarding CO financial submissions
• Understanding each CO's local GAAP
• Identifying significant or unusual transactions on time, with sufficient commentary and understanding to support them
• Collaborating with to identify and review any necessary US GAAP/IFRS adjustments with RFMs/CFMs.

Dimensions of the Role

• Works collaboratively with RFMs / CFMs in;
  • Reviewing CO monthly, quarterly, and annual submissions for completeness and accuracy
  • Ensuring timeliness of submissions in accordance with GH's timetable
  • Carrying out monthly/quarterly/yearly analytical reviews of all COs’ Balance Sheet and Income and Expenditure submissions and preparing commentaries to explain significant movements
  • Investigating and resolving any unexplained variances
  • Preparing a monthly pack of regional performance for senior management review
  • Identifying any significant local GAAP vs US GAAP/IFRS differences, working in collaboration with GH’s Financial Consolidation Controller, supporting their calculations and guiding RFMs/CFMs in posting these adjustments into the financial systems, including, but not limited to:
    • Provisions for disputes
    • Post employment benefits
    • Leases
  • Building processes that support RFMs/CFMs in collecting monthly non-finance data to be disclosed in PII financial statements (e.g., headcount)
  • Collating and monitoring all CO audit control issues to the resolution which have arisen following local statutory audits
• Building a comprehensive understanding and interpretation of foreign currency implications and the impact on PII, which is readily explainable to RFMs/CFMs/Senior Management and external auditors
• Preparing and maintaining CO permanent files, including dates of incorporation, key contacts, legal status, local auditors, etc
• Reviewing and updating the finance manual
• Preparing the quarterly/year-end instructions for COs tracking submissions against the GH timetable
• Engaging with external auditors in managing the year-end process and audit queries.
• Preparing the year-end audit schedules for Post Employment Benefits (including sensitivity analysis)
• Assessing the impact of foreign currency on PII transactions, including periodic reviews of continued appropriateness of Functional Currency
• Supporting the preparation of US 990 tax returns.
• Developing meaningful KPIs (timeliness, quality, accuracy, completeness, compliance with Plan policies, etc.,), of the monthly/yearly processes for CO submissions
• Supporting RFMs/CFMs to standardise their workings through documentation process flows, control points and desk top procedures.
• Creating a month-end controls schedule to assess the completeness of recording financial transactions.
• Reviewing and providing feedback on Regional Management Standards submissions (a self-assessment of how each region has complied with applicable policies and successfully implemented process improvement initiatives).

Accountabilities
Financial Oversight:

• Strengthening financial oversight of Country Offices (COs) by improving financial and technical performance
• Review COs financial results to ensure review points are actioned on a timely bases
• Working in collaboration with Regional and Country Finance teams to deliver monthly results, applying judgment to determine matters which require attention and executing potential mitigating actions

Systems and Processes:

• Key business user (subject matter expert) of Plan's SAP integrated financial system
• Responsible for the maintenance of integrity and coherence of SAP ledgers data structure: approval of new financial dimension (GLs, cost centres, profit centres) and creation of new Company codes

Plan Procedures and controls:

• Ensuring all COs comply with Plan’s accounting procedures, including delivery of training, resolving queries
• Acting as the focal point for the Finance Strengthening project to provide training and revise and continuously improve processes and tools
• Providing advice to Plan and COs on process and policies as well as control and reporting standards

Annual Audit Process:

• Planning and coordinating CO year-end submissions to facilitate timely consolidation of the accounts
• Acting as the focal point for auditors' queries on CO accounting
• Liaising with RFMs and CFMs to ensure timely submission of all supporting documentation and performing appropriate quality checks before this is shared with the auditors

Other:

• Ensures that Plan International's global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy, including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International's Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures
• Builds strong relationships with other support functions, such as Strategic Finance, People and Culture, Legal

Problem-Solving

• PII has an income of ~. €700m with operations across 58 countries and c. 360 programme locations. Accurate and timely financial information is critical to managing and controlling processes and identifying adverse trends and is reliant upon an excellent working knowledge of PII structures, PII's Member Organisations and related parties.
• Over the next two year-ends, PII accounts will have data flows from a legacy and a new ERP system. These multiple sources of financial information will present unique challenges in ensuring the completeness and accuracy of reported numbers, which this role will assist in navigating.
• Accounting decisions will involve the exercise of judgement, precise knowledge of the accounting standards and regulations, and the ability to apply this in practice.

Key Relationships

• This post primarily interacts with the Global Finance team at GH, RFMS and CFMs.
• Externally interacts with the group external auditors and occasionally with CO external auditors.

Technical Expertise, Skills And Knowledge
Knowledge:

• A professional Accounting qualification
• Educated to First-degree standard.
• Strong and proven accounting ability with knowledge of corporate accounting under US GAAP and IFRS.
• Strong knowledge of and experience in applying financial accounting controls.
• Knowledge and awareness of best practices, financial policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated experience in INGOs financial management and exposure to multi-currency transactions and consolidations
• Strong systems skills, preferably with knowledge of SAP or equivalent general ledger packages, reporting databases
• Good analytical skills and ability to interpret financial information
• Process efficiency focused, ability to streamline processes to maximize efficiencies, identify issues of the current process and implement improvement across the complex organization structure
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Visio and PowerPoint

Skills and Behaviours:

• Exceptional ability to learn quickly.
• Able to manage and prioritize multiple demands and tasks.
• Able to communicate clearly and effectively with finance and non-finance staff at all levels, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to identify issues, consult others where appropriate and make sound decisions within the finance area, being fully accountable for such decisions.
• Ability to work on own initiative and take ownership for completion of tasks.
• Works well within a team.
• Strong financial reporting design skills
• Ability to produce reports and slide packs to a high presentational standard.
• Promotes continuous improvement, innovation, and learning.
• Able to work calmly under pressure, prioritize and work to tight deadlines.
• Consistent approach to work and decision-making.
• Able to develop and work to complex operating timetables.
• Committed to Plan's work with an understanding of and being a role model for Plan's aims and values.