Grants Finance Manager At African Parks

POSITION: Grants Finance Manager

ORGANISATION: African Parks Congo

LOCATION: Nagero, Democratic Republic of Congo

REPORTING TO: Head of Finance

EXPECTED START DATE: As soon as possible

BACKGROUND:

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on the complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. We currently manage 19 national parks and protected areas in 11 countries covering over 14.1 million hectares in: Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

JOB OVERVIEW:

The Grants Finance Manager is responsible for the financial management of all grants funding the organization, and will manage a global budget for the entire organization while ensuring compliance with each donor rules and regulations.

MAIN ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Donor Management

1. Maintain all documentation related to a grant up to date (contact, financial & narrative reports, payment, audit report, work plan, approvals, etc.) into the CRM system
2. Communicate with the donor or the Chief of Party to ensure the transmission of all required information to the donor
3. Ensure visibility of each donor for all
4. Ensure compliance with each donor rules & regulation (produce all donor financial report, request mandatory authorization to donor, train and communicate internally on donor rules & regulation
5. Manage all donor audits
6. Control and consolidate financial report from sub-award and other regional entity (mainly from Chinko Conservation Area) for regional awards.
7. Ensure eligibility of expenses from sub-award and regional entity by reviewing voucher and doing audit if needed

Budgeting and Forecasting

1. Produce all financial reports (Actual Vs Budget) for all donor individually as well as for the entire organization on monthly basis.
2. Communicate internally on budget position
3. Review and monitor budget performance per program and/or per department, make recommendations to improve performance.
4. Establish the amount of donor income that need to draw and ensure proper recording.
5. Maintain Undrawn Fund accounts (UDF) up to date
6. Produce, analyze, control, forecast the funding gap position of the organization.
7. Use all his knowledge to optimize and reduce the unfunded position of the organization.
8. Ensure that all financial reports due to donor are received on time
9. Is responsible for the quality of the financial information reported to donors (as well as internally)
10. Lead the yearly budget process for the entire organization
11. Craft budget for proposal and ensure allocation of unfunded expenses first (reduction of funding gap) and proper coverage of activities.
12. Master the financial forecast of the organization over 5 years (Business Plan), and anticipate the closing of short terms projects.
13. Draft and propose budget amendment for grants whenever needed.

Accounting

1. Review the allocation per program (Donor and budget line) of all transactions (purchase order & contract, travel authorization form & mission order, expenses claim, staff time allocation) prior to entry into the accounting system.
2. Control availability of budget before approval of expenses.
3. Provide guidance and coaching to accounting staff to ensure accuracy, correctness and completeness of transactions recorded

Cash Management

1. Produce reimbursement request for all expenses not advanced by donor in the shortest delay.
2. Follow up collection of money claimed and allocate amounts received between programs.
3. Monitor cash position on grants on advance basis.
4. Forecast the global cash position of the organization depending on level of cash advance and delays to obtain next tranche.
5. Ensure that the organization remain in a positive cash position

Fixed Asset Management

1. Ensure correct allocation and recording of each fixed asset per donor
2. Ensure proper branding (Donor visibility) of all asset

Payroll

1. Review the allocation of the payroll per program
2. Control and approve time allocation for all staffs required to produce time sheet
3. Communicate on remaining time budget to all staffs required to produce time sheet
4. Ensure that HR is compliant with each donor rules & regulation

Due Diligence and Audit

1. Co-ordinate donor audits
2. Provide draft responses to the audit management letter, including coordinating inputs from operations, law enforcement, human resources, administration and other units as necessary, and forward to the Head of Finance for review
3. Record and follow up audit findings. Ensure closure and resolution of all of them in the timeframe agreed with the Head of Finance.
4. Guaranty the eligibility of all expenses (no ineligible expenses) and the absence of major audit findings.

Archiving

1. Manage the archivist and supervise the archive system (physical and numerical)
2. Set up control process, to ensure the archiving of all required documentation related to all transactions
3. Is responsible for the quality of all documentation supporting all expenses
4. Guaranty the safeguard of all documentation related to donor according to each donor rules.
5. Ease access to the information archived in case of audit

General

1. Provide leadership and guidance in all matters pertaining to finance/budget/donor and give advice and support to everyone needing it
2. Provide training to staff on Donor rules and regulation and more generally on APN financial policies and procedures, budgeting methods
3. Assist with writing and maintaining of the procurement policy.
4. If need can sit as a member of the procurement committee.
5. Assists with implementing new systems (accounting, payroll, stock, etc.) and training of user.
6. Carry out any other relevant tasks that may be assigned from time to time by his management.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:

· General Manager

· Head of Finance

· Regional Finance Manager

· Head of Departments

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

· A Master’s Degree in Finance and Accounting;

· At least eight years’ experience in similar role.

· Excellent communication and presentation skills.

· Analytical approach to work.

· High numeracy and sound technical skills

· Problem-solving skills

· Strong attention to detail and an investigative nature

· Strong verbal and written skills in French and English.

· Willingness to live in a remote setting and with previous experience living in Africa.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE:

· All reports & budget are produced on time with the level of quality required.

· Funding gap is monitor and reduced.

· All donor audits are closed on a timely manner with no expense ineligible nor major audit findings.

· Each program budget, as well as the global organization budget are respected.

· Program staff receive all information & support needed for them to execute their activities