Finance and Grants Director

Finance and Grants Director                                                               

Summary Scope of Work:

The Finance and Grants Director is responsible for fiscal oversight, compliance and management of the Jhpiego Ethiopia Country Program. S/he is responsible for ensuring on-site financial accounting and bookkeeping system, ensuring compliance with donors, Government of Ethiopia and Jhpiego rules and regulations. The Finance and Grants Director is responsible for ensuring the financial integrity of all Jhpiego Ethiopia’s financial and grant management operations. The Finance and Grants Director will act as the primary financial liaison with the Jhpiego Headquarter office and maintain partner relationships with sub-grantees and other key partners. S/he Will supervise the activities of the finance team and the grants department.

Reporting Structure

• Position Reports To:          Country Director
• Positions Supervised:        Finance Manager; Grants, Contracts & Budget Manager; and will have some supervision over the procurement team.   

Responsibilities: (include Leadership/Management/Supervisory, Business Development, , Accounting, Financial Management, Subaward Management)

All staff members of Jhpiego, regardless of the level of their responsibilities are expected to

• model the mission and values stated above
• participate in the business development process
• contribute to the knowledge sharing and transfer process
• make responsible decisions that result in time and cost containment and clear accountability

Result Areas:

Leadership

• Assess areas of improvement and develop a capacity enhancement plan to ensure ongoing and optimal delivery of the finance and grants team.
• Support and manage the finance and grants team by adopting a team approach; this includes training, supervising, mentoring, and developing staff capacities and recognizing outstanding performance as well as areas for development;
• Maintain an up to date knowledge and awareness of changes to national and donor laws/regulations and propose changes or amendments to Jhpiego policies and procedures as required;
• Lead by example and provide guidance to project teams to ensure cost effective operations across all programs and identify areas to reduce costs whilst maintaining quality;
• Set standards to deliver efficient and transparent financial management systems across all Jhpiego Ethiopia programs and offices;
• Oversee external and internal audits and finance reviews in coordination with HQ CFO’s Office.
• Advise the Country Director, project directors and country management team on financial matters and propose solutions to address bottlenecks.
• Demonstrated ability to responsibly and ethically handle sensitive and confidential information. 

Award and Subaward Management

• Support the development of ,and/or adapt existing internal procedures and processes to effectively monitor, execute and close grants in accordance with donor and Jhpiego regulations.
• Conduct regular compliance checks, and guide project directors to ensure all programs are compliant with award terms and conditions.
• Provide expertise and establish good working relationship with subawardees to ensure the timeliness and completeness of all required financial deliverables are fulfilled.
• Track and monitor subawardee expenditures, progress and pipelines.
• Flag complex contractual issues regarding terms and conditions of contractual documents, and either resolve or escalate to headquarters, in order to minimize the risk to Jhpiego.
• In coordination with headquarters, provide support in negotiating the terms and conditions of awards and subawards.
• Analyze financial and administrative implications of contractual requirements and propose solutions to the Country Director in areas that require strengthening.
• Lead subaward closeout. 

Budgeting

• Direct and follow-up the grant and finance teams to develop annual budgets or as required for new program development purposes, ensuring proper budgeting standards.
• Responsible for close and continuous follow up and verification of level of efforts (LOE) being charged to various projects.
• Ensure all program budgets are tracked according to funding ceilings and ensure monthly reporting to program teams on expenditure.
• Responsible for continuous follow up of projects and alert program leads and Country Director of any variances including under or over spending and propose immediate solutions. 

Financial Management & Policies and Procedures

• In coordination with headquarters, develop and update financial policies and procedures in accordance with General Accepted Accounting Principles and International Public Sector Accounting Standards to ensure compliance with Government, donor and Jhpiego regulations;
• Ensure compliance with Government of Ethiopia fiscal rules and regulations.
• Ensure the financial integrity of all programs in coordination with Baltimore based finance team;
• Develop and implement internal control systems and conduct risk assessments (including pre-award assessments for sub-grantees).
• Track and monitor cost share as required by the award.
• Strong understanding of  sponsored funds, general funds, service center and F&A rates, and NICRA, and provide guidance to project teams on proper application of the rates;
• Conduct financial forecasting, trend analyses, and pipeline analyses;
• Work closely with the HQ based Financial Manager to review and update the monthly financial status report;
• In collaboration with the Operations Department, ensure that all awards’ rules and regulations, and JHU and Jhpiego policies are met during all procurement efforts.
• Plays critical role during audits, in coordination with headquarters;
• Provide support to the Country Director and Programs team as warranted.
• Prepare financial reports, for internal and external stakeholders.
• Stay abreast of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and applicable OMB circulars. 

QuickBooks/Accounting 

• Monitor all expenses to safeguard against unallowable costs.
• Strong grasp of QuickBooks Enterprise (QBE) to ensure quality assurance of posted transactions.
• Ensure segregation of duties is followed during approval of transactions or purchases.
• Provide oversight during the month-end close by ensuring all transactions are verified and correctly posted.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or related field
• Masters and/or CPA or equivalent
• Minimum of ten years’ experience in professional accounting, financial management, grants management, budgeting or auditing, preferably within an international NGO, or US Government Agency
• Expert knowledge of professional management principles, theories, practices and terminology of the laws, regulations and procedure governing US agency financial management and contractual & procurement regulations.
• Expert knowledge of Government rules and regulations concerning NGO financial management.
• Fluent in speaking/reading/writing in English and Amharic.
• Working knowledge in QBE highly preferred
• Strong technical skills in Excel

Abilities/Skills: (Actions, i.e., negotiate, manage, exercise independent judgment, act as technical advisor, network, train, etc.)

• Interpersonal Skill Requirements: Excellent communicator with highly developed interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Government offices, NGOs, US Government Agencies, donors and other valuable stakeholders and partners and to skillfully and diplomatically interact with numerous counterparts;
• Excellent decision-making skills and a results-oriented approach and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated skills in facilitation, team building and coordination and ability to get the most out of a team.
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines and intense pressure to perform
• Ability to work proactively and independently and organize and manage his/her own work and support others to do the same
• Demonstrated computer literacy including proficiency with Excel, Word, Outlook, off the shelf accounting software, and preferably QuickBooks.