Finance Director - Pakistan

Tracking Code: 218646-927

Job Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Position Type: Full-Time/Regular

Job Description

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps has been operational in Pakistan since 1986, with early work that focused on providing access to water, health improvement and vocational training for the Afghan refugee community in Baluchistan Province. Recently, Mercy Corps has expanded sectorally and geographically throughout the country, and is now one of the lead agencies providing health services through a number of programs, with donors such as USAID, BPRM, the EC, and Global Fund. 

Mercy Corps’ emergency response to the devastating earthquake of 2005, led to expansion of programming into the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Mercy Corps continues to be a major player in all emergency relief efforts in the country, most recently responding to the flooding in Baluchistan during the 2007 monsoons. Mercy Corps’ Country Office in Islamabad oversees programs and operations throughout the country and liaises with the Government of Pakistan (GoP) and donors; main area offices are in Quetta, Mingora, Lahore and Muzzafarabad. The program has more than 300 staff with an annual budget of $10 million.

The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions in Pakistan, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and grant financial management and compliance.  It ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures.  In its role as a support to the Program Department, the Finance Department provides timely reports and assistance to the Country Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.

                               

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

Working in the Pakistan program under the direction of the Country Director, the Finance Director is responsible for all aspects of financial management of the country program, ensuring compliance with Mercy Corps internal policies and procedures as well as donor regulations.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Strategy and Vision

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment of empowerment.
• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve objectives and contribute to country-wide strategy development.

Personal Leadership

• Consistently demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
• Demonstrate an awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs.

Representation

• Interface with the (donor) representatives to convey information about programs as appropriate.

• Communicate with our partners (name), as well as (name any sub-grantees), to verify their systems and that they understand and follow all appropriate procedures and archiving.
• Participate in sharing best practices with NGOs and governmental agencies.

Team Management

• Create a sustainable work environment of mutual respect that attracts motivated, skilled and effective team members and enables them individually and collectively to strive to achieve excellence.
• Hire, train and supervise and lead a diverse team of direct and indirect reports in field offices. 
• Contribute to country team-building efforts; build constructive internal relationships; help team members identify problem solving options and ensure integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

Operations – Financial

• Stay abreast of donor policies, procedures, rules and regulations; compile and update applicable local policies; and train Mercy Corps program and partner staff in these policies and ensure effective, transparent use of financial resources in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
• Plan and implement systems for financial operations in both the main country office and in field offices in accordance with the Mercy Corps Field Finance Manual and donor regulations, including systems for cash flow management, budgeting, consolidation of accounting information, internal controls, financial reporting, financial record-keeping, grant management and compliance.
• Oversee and manage daily country-wide accounting and finance functions including the timely recording of transactions, cash management, banking, payroll, inventory, receivables, and payables.
• Maintain banking relations and plan and monitor country cash flow requirements to ensure the smooth implementation of Mercy Corps programs.
• Provide monthly standard accounting submissions to Mercy Corps Headquarters, including general ledger files, account reconciliations, expenditures by cost center/project, required subgrantee reporting, as well as other financial information in a timely and accurate manner.
• Provide monthly management reports to the Country Director and Program Managers, including expenditures by cost center/project, subgrantee reporting and other financial information, in a timely and accurate manner.
• Develop annual fiscal year budgets with the Country Director and develop and implement grant budgeting and forecasting systems with Program Managers.
• Perform internal audits and reviews as required to ensure compliance with Mercy Corps and donor requirements.
• Review and monitor partners’ financial reporting and compliance. Provide additional technical assistance to partners as necessary to maintain high standards of compliance.
• Develop and maintain local office policies and procedures and provide training for all issues related to local financial matters.
• Analyze compensation packages, taxation requirements and human resource policies for local staff to ensure that Mercy Corps’ has adequately accounted for the financial impact of local staff compensation and benefits.
• Maintain appropriate local insurance coverage to protect Mercy Corps.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Maintain adequate local insurance coverage in coordination with the Admin. Department, to protect Mercy Corps.
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.

Accountability 

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Organizational Learning

As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: All Finance Department staff

ACCOUNTABILITY

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Country Director

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: HQ Regional Finance Officer; in Country Program Directors and Managers, Heads of Office, Team Leaders, all in-country Finance staff; HQ desk staff and Regional Program Director

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• At least 7 years of progressive financial management experience is required.
• AMBA, CA (Partly Qualified), ACCA, ICMA (Partly qualified), CPA or equivalent in accounting or finance is required.  An advanced degree is preferred.
• At least 5 years of experience in grants management as well as an understanding of donor regulations is required. (USAID, EC, The Global Fund)
• At least 4 years of international experience is required; international NGO/PVO field office experience is preferred.   
• Demonstrated experience and skill with budget preparation and analysis, financial reporting preparation and presentation and the proven ability to translate technical financial data into informative reports. 
• Strong accounting skills and experience, including management of the general ledger, journal entries, payroll, payables and balance sheet.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel.
• Prior management experience and strong organizational skills.
• Excellent oral and written English skills are required.
• Urdu language skills and prior experience in Pakistan or South Asia a plus.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel both in a managerial as well as training capacity and a willingness to lead by example are all required.  Developing the finance team is essential. An ability to support programmatic objectives with timely and meaningful financial information is essential.  A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary.  An impeccable professional standard of finance and procurement ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential.  The Country Finance Director must be willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

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