Finance Officer: Feminist Opportunities Now At International Planned Parenthood Federation

1. BACKGROUND

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service provider and one of the leading advocates for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. IPPF is a worldwide movement of national organizations, referred to as Member Associations, working with and for communities and individuals. The IPPF Secretariat comprises of a London Office and six Regional Offices.

Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the overarching goal of IPPF Africa Region (IPPFAR) is to increase access to SRHR services to the most vulnerable youth, men, and women in sub-Saharan Africa. To reach this goal, IPPFAR works with local civil-society organizations, governments, the African Union (AU), regional economic commissions (RECs), the United Nations, among others, to expand political and financial commitments to SRHR in Africa. IPPF ARO tackles the continent’s growing SRH challenges through a network of Member Associations (MAs), strategic partners and volunteers in 40 countries. For more information, please read our 2021 profile (in English and French) here.

IPPFAR, in consortium with CREA, Empow’Her, the International Federation on Human Rights and Médecins du Monde, will be leading the delivery of a new project entitled Feminist Opportunities Now (FON), with the overarching objective to build the capacity of feminist movements, via sub-grants to feminist organizations, particular efforts will be deployed in reaching small, often non-registered, feminist organizations to address and respond to gender-based violence as well. The project is an ecological-based model that combines the use of multi-disciplinary gender-transformative approaches and direct sub-granting, it also intends to provide longer-term mentorship and support to feminist organizations in their overall development by designing specidific trainings tailored to their needs, and helping them to identify other sources of funding.

FON also includes a research-action component that will help understand how these approaches can be scaled-up and sustained, for knowledge sharing and communication purposes. The project will be implemented accross 10 countries in 3 continents: Mexico and Colombia (lead by MdM), Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (lead by CREA) and Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Mali (lead by IPPF ARO).

2. JOB PURPOSE

To implement this project, IPPFAR wishes to put in place a talented, dynamic and diverse team with broad experience in implementing gender-transformative SRHR programmes, with demonstrated financial and technical management skills, project management experience and the ability to deliver quality needs-based services aligned to donor’s requirements.

To this effect, the IPPFAR is looking for a Finance Officer who will have to support the Lead: Finance to manage all financial aspects of the programme, including but not limited to: preparing financial statements, ensuring compliance with donor requirements/contracts, maintaining cash controls, supporting the sub-granting, preparing the payroll, maintaining accounts payable and receivables, ensuring timely statutory deductions and remittances.

3. KEY TASKS

The Finance Officer will be responsible for the following key tasks:

1. To support the Lead: Finance in the ensuring the implementation of effective systems of financial accountability and control in line with IPPFAR operations procedures and donor financial requirements. This will include carrying out checks on supporting financial documents; producing as delegated by the Project finance lead monthly financial reports for review by the Lead: Finance and monitor against budget.
2. To remain abreast of the latest FON project financial and compliance requirements and best practices; maintain up to date financial reports on the programme including a cashflow statement, and reconciliation of project income and expenditure.
3. To code all FON project costs in a correct and timely manner into NetSuite; and all project project payments via ARO finance department are paid within 30 days of presentation. To work with the HR team to ensure payroll processes for FON project are correct and up to date.
4. To support banking requirements for FON project including ensuring per diem (cash payments), payments to local vendors and other requirements as necessary.
5. To work under the supervision of the the Lead: Finance and prepare FON project inter-company payments and reports in Netsuite in order to ensure correctly and timely payments to ARO and support the programme team in the financial monitoring of the programme attending all weekly meetings.
6. To support and work with the Programme Manager to ensure a strong compliance framework and record keeping is up to date; and support the planning and logistics for the FON Project team; and support the maintenance of the risk register and follow-on the sub-granting procedures.
7. To undertake all other duties as identified and agreed with supervisor/finance manager to fulfil FON project support costs and transactions.

4. REQUIREMENTS

• EDUCATION: A Bachelors degree in accounting, Finance, Commerce or Business Administration; a professional qualification in Accounting/Finance (ACCA, CPA, or equivalent) and proficiency with accounting software, word processing and spreadsheets.
• WORK EXPERIENCE: 3-4 years’ experience in Accounting, Finance and Business Administration and preferably in an international humanitarian and/or development organization. Experience working in project management accounting and experience of working with multimillion-pound budgets; experience of working with restricted/statutory funded projects; experience of working internationally, ideally in a not for profit & often challenging environment; and experience in audit and financial control systems. A track-record in SRHR programming is an advantage.
• LANGUAGES: English and French are the working languages of the IPPFARO. For this post fluency in English (both oral and written) is required, and knowledge of French is desirable.
• SKILLS: Excellent interpersonal skills – articulate and diplomatic. Ability to interact with diverse groups; Excellent written communication skills; Strong analytical skills and the ability to summarise and simplify complex information; Strong influencing skills; Sound research skills; Good understanding of development issues and fundraising; Excellent project management, time management and organizational skills to meet multiple deadlines; Good IT skills – Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint; Flexible – team player.
• OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Awareness of and sensitivity to the multi-cultural environment in which IPPFAR operates; Sensitivity to and understanding of SRHR issues; willing to travel internationally – about 45 days a year. Subscribe to IPPF’s Policies, Mission, Vision, and values and IPPFAR’s, Procedures, rules and regulations and ability to maintain high level of confidentiality. Focus on continuous improved results/performance and sound judgement.

’IPPF is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees, volunteers, contractors, and partners to share this commitment’’.