Country Finance Coordinator At INTERSOS

INTERSOS is an independent humanitarian organization that assists the victims of natural disasters, armed conflicts and exclusion. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable people.

Terms of reference

Job Title: Country Finance Coordinator

Code: SR-28-2647

Duty station: Kabul with frequent travel to field offices

Starting date: 01/11/2022

Contract duration: 12 months

Reporting to: Country Director

Supervision of: Deputy Country Finance Coordinator

Dependents: Non-family duty station

General context of the project

Over 40 years of conflicts and political turmoil have taken a massive cumulative toll on the people of Afghanistan. A total of 18.4 million people, almost half of the total population, have been estimated by the UN to need humanitarian assistance prior to recent events. Severe droughts are recurring in Afghanistan, currently resulting in nearly 14 million people in acute food insecurity, with over 3 million children facing severe malnourishment. The recent displacement of 550,000 people is adding to an estimated 2.9 million people who remain internally displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance, while winter months are around the corner.

INTERSOS has been working in Afghanistan since 2001, with a country office in Kabul, and field bases in Kandahar and Zabul provinces. In recent years INTERSOS has been focusing its assistance based on integrated community-based approach that includes primary health care (including sexual and reproductive health care), nutrition and protection programmes serving conflict-affected populations, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, with a special focus on socially excluded individuals, including women, children and persons living with disabilities. With its operational approach and active engagement with the communities, INTERSOS has been enjoying strong community acceptance and operational access. All INTERSOS activities continue to be implemented in Afghanistan at present time, with no operational restrictions and with full inclusion of female staff. It is widely anticipated that Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation may deteriorate further, given that the international support to key essential and social services – food aid, health, education, and other essential services, is currently frozen. Although humanitarian aid can not replace this gap, the international assistance that prioritises urgent humanitarian needs will be essential. At the same time, unless the operational environment with all its impediments (including in relation to banking/cash transfers and counter-terrorism measures) does not improve, the response will continue to be a challenge.

Recognising that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan will require a more intensified international humanitarian assistance, INTERSOS remains in Afghanistan to deliver its ongoing activities, and potentially scale up its response.

General purpose of the position

The Country Finance Coordinator is responsible for the proper technical performance of all accounting-financial and administrative activities of the mission and its projects. In this context, he/she ensures the correct and effective management of financial resources, in accordance with the Organization procedures.

Main responsibilities and tasks

Finance control

• To assume responsibility for cash account administration, ensuring conformity to existing procedures;
• To manage the bank accounts of the mission and provide the Regional Finance Coordinator with monthly bank statements and bank reconciliations;
• To update the economic and financial status of the mission and related-projects, in terms of expenses, appropriations, available cash and liquidity (Journal);
• To update the Mission Forecast and Cost Recovery tool;
• To provide on weekly basis the updated economic and financial data (Journal) to the Programme Managers, the Country Director and the Regional Finance Coordinator;

Budget preparation and control

• To provide support to the Programme Coordinator in the drafting budgets of new projects;
• To regularly check, in collaboration with the Programme Managers and Programme Coordinator, the economic-financial performance of projects: final balance, expenditure excess, expenditure projections, and financial forecast;
• To ensure project expenses are reasonable, allocable, prudent and spend in accordance with INTERSOS and donors rules and regulations, and support annual auditing procedures;
• To prepare and verify, in cooperation with the Country Director, the trend of the general coordination’s budget and Cost Recovery Cost tool;
• To monitor the sustainability of coordination’s offices and verify the correct distribution/allocation of the general coordination costs to the projects; to monitor the coordination and projects’ non-deductible costs;

Financial reporting and audit compliance

• To prepare the interim and final financial reports and submit them to the Regional Finance Coordinator for approval;
• To prepare and carry out the Audits conducted in the country, and for the transmission to the headquarter of all project documents to be audited in Italy;
• Ensure eligibility of all expenses;
• Ensure compliance with all INTERSOS and donors regulation related to Finance and Human Resources, and communicate it proactively with other departments;
• To ensures the correct filing of all projects’ data;
• Ensure adequacy with Afghanistan Govt. national reporting and accounting standards for INGOs;

Confidentiality and accountability

• Ensure maintaining high confidentiality of information, up to date documents, including processes and verification;

Capacity building and supervision

• Supervise, train and mentor finance personnel.
• Manage, support and task the Deputy CFC (when in organogram) in line with the segregation of responsibilities within the department.

Required profile and experience

Education

• Advanced University degree in one or more of the following areas is preferred: Finance Management, Business Administration, Management, International Economics, International Development, Contract/Commercial Law.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience at national and international level working as admin-finance Coordinator, also in humanitarian field locations.

Professional Requirements

• Strong understanding of the humanitarian emergency operating context, the humanitarian system and its flexibility, donors and their high demanding, security and financial management in humanitarian context.
• IT literacy (Office and Google suites) and admin/finance skills.
• Donor compliance and reporting.
• Highly able to keep confidentiality.
• Able to work independently.
• People Management and Leadership.
• Demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated experience in staff supervision.

Languages

• Fluency in English is required.

Personal Requirements

• Strong team spirit, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment
• Attention to detail and structured way of approaching tasks (very organized)
• Ability to plan ahead and output oriented (pro-active)
• Ability to adhere to deadlines and respect line management
• Very strong interpersonal skills: strong communication and diplomatic skills
• Practical and problem-solver