International Grants & Finance Officer At Start Network

This is an exciting time to join Start Network in this new role. We are looking for a talented grant management professional with sound financial acumen and a passion for detail and deadlines, who can lead on the development of our grant management processes and procedures.

Based in the operations and finance team, this is also an opportunity to work closely with resource mobilisation, programme and project teams across the global membership.

The International Grants and Finance Officer contributes to the effectiveness and impact of our work by supporting the Finance, Operations and Resource Mobilisation teams to ensure sound financial, grant management, and administrative practices across Start Network.

The post holder will ensure that the financial and administrative systems and procedures for the programmes and budgets are of high quality and compliant with donor and legal requirements.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

• Working knowledge of institutional and international donors, grant management; compliance and audit processes
• Proven ability to develop and manage complex budgets and financial systems
• Demonstrable experience of managing multiple deadlines requiring attention to detail
• Experience of setting up, coordinating and implementing admin and financial processes
• Experience of capacity building of colleagues and or partner organisations
• Experience of building relationships across diverse teams and geographies
• Excellent communication skills and ability to communicate complex technical issues and information
• Ability to draft and produce financial and budget narrative reports for colleagues and donors
• Intermediate skills in Microsoft Office 365, specifically Excel

DESIRABLE SKILLS

• Knowledge of French, Spanish, or Arabic language is highly desirable

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Grant Management Reporting (40%)

• Work with fundraising and programme teams to ensure smooth running of donor preliminary assessments, start up and close out processes,
• Lead on the development of specific subaward grant processes where appropriate
• Work with resource mobilisation to set up systems and processes to ensure compliant, timely and accurate donor reporting

Grant Administration and Training (20%)

• Working closely with the resource mobilisation team oversee grant management processes for Start Network including calendar and tracking procedures
• Act as point of contact for donor travel, security and event management support
• Act as point of contact for the resource mobilisation team for donor due diligence processes

Financial and budget management (40%)

• Feed into the development of financial procedures for successful project implementation
• Support the finance team to ensure smooth payments to grantees and service providers
• Support preparation of team specific and project budgets as required for presentation to prospective donors and or governance committees
• Coordinate the availability of management reports for internal and donor reporting
• Monitor income and fund transfers from donors and where relevant grant custodians
• Reconcile financial reports for accuracy and expense coding in line with relevant systems and procedures
• Work with the resource mobilisation teams to support donor-related internal and external audit requirements

PERSON PROFILE

Communicator

Able to convey complex information concisely to different audiences

Strategic Thinker

Deliver results with awareness of impact on others internally and externally by considering the positions and perspectives of relevant stakeholders

Collaborative

Actively promote collaboration by spotting and breaking down barriers to siloed working, connecting colleagues, teams and initiatives

Leader

Willing to share own expertise with others in the organisation and network, both formally and informally

Able to adapt and learn

Balance the need to follow systems and processes with the courage, identifying when systems and processes do not align with the mission, suggesting alternatives

Action Oriented

Deliver results in pursuit of our mission by holding yourself to account for your work, taking decisions relevant to your role and supporting colleagues whilst having fun

About Start Network

Start Network is made up of more than 50 aid agencies across five continents, ranging from large international organisations to national NGOs.

Start Network’s vision is for a locally-led humanitarian system that is accountable to people affected by and at-risk of crises. We aim to achieve this vision by making systemic-level shifts in the way humanitarian assistance is approached and delivered by:

• Shifting power and decentralising decision making to locally-led networks and organisations
• Creating a global humanitarian financing system that is increasingly focused on reducing risk, anticipating and acting ahead of predictable crises.
• Incentivising and informing innovative, contextual, and sustainable solutions for crisis-affected communities.

OUR VALUES

Across all areas of our work, we aim to be the change we want to see, working to uphold the following principles and expecting the same from our staff, hubs and members:

• We put people first: the communities we serve come first in our decision-making and programming
• We are brave: we have great ambition and are willing to explore new things and are willing to take risks to achieve it
• We operate collectively: we leverage the value of working as a network, sharing risk and resources and learning together
• We are inclusive: we see the value in diverse perspectives and work to remove the barriers that prevent voices being heard
• We are open: we work transparently and with integrity, building mutual trust in all levels of our work, from governance to programming
• We are ethical: we behave and operate based on key principles of anti-racism, non-discrimination, and anti-colonialism

Start Network culture

• To carry out the responsibilities of the role in line with the Start Network Code of Conduct and with a commitment to safeguarding adults and children
• A commitment to the Start Network vision, principles, values and approach
• The Start Network team is an agile group of individuals who use their experience and skills across the network, so flexibility to work in and with different teams and functions is a part of our culture.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

• Centrally located ‘WeWork’ office with free access to communal space and onsite drinks
• Access to cultural talks, events, pop-up sales, and a place to meet and socialise after work
• Discounts at local cafes and restaurants in association with WeWork
• Flexible working with options to work from home and remotely some of the time
• Contributory pension
• Life assurance equivalent of three times your salary
• Family friendly policies, particularly maternity pay (21 weeks full pay)
• Training and development opportunities for individuals and cross-organisationally
• 25 days’ holiday, bank holidays plus 2 paid company days over the Christmas period
• Cycle to work scheme