Finance Controller

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC began working in West Africa in 1991 when civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone caused extensive internal displacement and triggered a flood of refugees to Guinea. Since the end of Liberia’s brutal 14-year war, which killed approximately 250,000 Liberians and destroyed infrastructure, education and basic health services, Liberia has slowly been recovering. Today, Liberians are seeing meaningful change. They have returned to their homes and are working towards durable reconciliation, reconstruction, and peace. The second post-war elections took place in October and November 2011. Since late 2010, Liberians have been faced with additional challenges, as instability and violence in neighboring Côte d’Ivoire have forced thousands of Ivoirians to flee to Liberia. During this crisis, the IRC has remained committed to Liberians’ recovery and long-term stability, while providing life-saving emergency response programs for Ivoirian refugees seeking safety in Liberia. The IRC’s work in Liberia itself began in 1996 with emergency programming. Currently, the work of the IRC within Liberia focuses on three main sectors: health; women’s protection and empowerment (WPE); and child and youth protection and development (CYPD). In addition, IRC Liberia provides refugee response services to Ivorian refugees living in camps and host communities. The IRC is currently working in seven counties: Montserrado; Lofa; Nimba; Grand Gedeh; Maryland; Grand Bassa; and Margibi, with one head office (Monrovia), five field offices (Voinjama, Zorzor, Ganta, Zwedru, and Harper), and two satellite office ( Buchanan and Bahn). The IRC currently employs seven international staff and 158 staff. IRC Liberia’ Fiscal Year 2014 budget as of March 2014 is $7,062,258 while its overall Grant Portfolio stands at $16,025,529 from which a total of $3,141,702 is implemented through sub-grants to various local – PMU, EDUCARE, PPAL, NEAL, LIDS, YMCA – and international – Samaritans Purse – partners. 

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Financial Controller has overall policy and management responsibility for the finance and accounting functions for the country program. The Finance Controller’s responsibilities include general controllership, staff training, management, treasury and budget functions.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Controllership Ensures that all policies and procedures are in compliance with IRC and funding source policies, procedures, and requirements.As required establishes finance and supporting function policies, systems and procedures, and directs or performs their development, documentation, and implementationManages the finance department activities and schedules to meet the financial reporting requirements and deadlines specified by New York and donors.Identify requirements for and develop reporting formats to aid in the management of country operations and grant expenditures.Provides country management and program staff with monthly actual-to-budget expenditure reports and analysis for all grants and Unrestricted funds.Ensure that on a monthly basis balance sheet reconciliations are completed on a timely basis and those final reconciliations and trial balances are reviewed with the Country Director. Closely monitors all financial activities, and keeps the Country Director advised of all situations which have the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial performance.Directs the preparation of, and approves all donor financial reports in respect to accounting, legal and contractual requirements and ensures the review of such reports by the Country Director and Regional Controller prior to submission.Develops, schedules and performs or supervises the completion of country internal control audits, and initiates actions necessary to correct internal control weaknesses.Facilitates and co-ordinates external, internal, donor or government auditsOversees the protection of the country’s assets (cash, inventory, NEP) through the enforcement of internal control policies and procedures.Maintains current knowledge of local government requirements related to financial matters and ensures compliance with tax regulations and other legal requirements.Is the principal liaison with IRC NY on all finance, accounting, grant budget management, and cash management mattersTraining & Staff Management Develops and implements a training program for the country’s international and national finance staff to ensure staff development and minimize IRC’s exposure when staff are absent or depart.Maintains current job descriptions for all positions within the finance group.Ensures comprehensive and constructive performance reviews are completed on a timely basis and facilitates discussion of performance and career options with all country finance staff.Oversees training and technical support to country program, logistics and administrative staff for skills improvement in the areas of accounting, reporting and internal control.Treasury Supervises all country office bank relations and bank account activities including negotiation of fees, interest and currency exchange rates.In compliance with IRC policy establishes country policies regarding cash holding limits, cash movements and foreign currency holdings.Oversees the timely preparation, review and approval of all monthly bank account and cash reconciliation’s. Establishes country policies on advance payments, credit terms, and use of bank payment instruments.Designs, implements, and monitors systems, procedures and reporting necessary to maintain on current basis accurate forecasts of cash requirements for meeting future spending, including commitments entered into and which obligate IRC to future spending.Supervises the preparation of Cash Transfer Requests to New York and ensures that appropriate balances are maintained to facilitate grant implementation.Ensures the development and implementation of a plan to minimize the country’s foreign exchange exposure to currency gains and losses.Supervises the collection of contractual and other receivablesBudget Assists with the preparation and revision of program and grant proposals and budgets.Assists in the preparation and maintenance of the country’s Operating Budget; including preparation of budget guidelines to assist program managers in formulating budgets.In compliance with donor requirements and IRC policy develops the “Field Operations/Overhead” budget and recommends a methodology for allocation of overhead to grant budgets.Prepares the annual and monthly cash budgets based on approved funding.Presents and facilitates the review of actual to budget expenditures with the Country Director and program managers.

REQUIREMENTS:

A Bachelors degree in Accounting, Business Administration, or Finance with a recognized professional certificate in accounting such as CPA, or a Masters degree in Accounting.Minimum three years experience of managerial experience in the financial area of a non-profit organization or five years of managerial experience in finance in an international commercial organization.Requires extensive experience in working with computerized accounting systems, standard spreadsheet and database programs.Good written and verbal skills in  English.Must be comfortable in being a proactive member of the top-management team.  Must seek to identify and communicate potential problems and propose solutions to the level of management appropriate to effect solutions.Must be able to function effectively in a loosely structured, but complex work environment and to set appropriate priorities and deal effectively with numerous simultaneous requirementsAbility to carry out responsibilities independently with minimal technical support from within the program organization.Must be a patient and good communicator who can function in an organizational environment involving a diversity of cultures, languages, and personal interests and agendas.Good at role of facilitator and team player in solving problems.Committed to staff training and development.

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