Finance Coordinators Development Mobile Implementation Officer (m/f/x) – Brussels – MSF Belgium At Médecins Sans Frontières

CONTEXT

The mission of MSF Belgium Finance Department is to provide, through collaboration and partnership, expertise that promotes and supports the ongoing sustainability of MSF. Within the Finance Department, the Operational Finance Unit is notably in charge of supervising, controlling and supporting the finance management at project and mission level.

Following its Strategic Objectives 2020-2023, the Network Operational Center (OC) approach and the Field Recentralization Program’s ambitions, MSF OCB (Operational Center Brussels) through the implementation of those ambitions decided to review its direct operational support functions. The Finance department is accompanying these changes which amongst others require a reinforcement of capacities and responsibilities of the mission Finance coordinators, field finance managers or Finance country team leader. In the context of the increased need for accountability and the constant necessity to professionalize our response and support to operations, the Finance Department is acknowledging the drive to set an adapted and sound strategy to ensure that Finance Staff are empowered and have the capacity to optimize their performance.

Being a key position in this strategy, as Finance Coordinators Development Mobile Implementation Officer (FinCo Development MIO), you will support the Finance coordinators (Finco’s) in the field with short-term assignments. The objective is to facilitate the induction to their roles and responsibilities and to boost their technical and managerial capacity with personalized and onsite support. On top of this tailored capacity-building assignment, you are providing expertise concerning any finance-related matter to the supported mission.

As FinCo Development MIO, you are operating under the supervision and direct management of the Field Finance Capacity Building referent. The technical line management is ensured by the Operational Finance Coordinator.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Ensure that the Finance coordinators increase their Finance knowledge and expertise to match the operational and institutional needs

• Accompany identified Finco’s to understand and adapt their roles and responsibilities in the specific context of their mission
• Advise and support them to the definition of a team Finance set up
• Support them with the creation or adaptation of the Mission Finance guidelines and procedures when necessary. Ensure they are aligned with legal requirements and within the national legal framework
• Train them on MSF OCB Finance processes and tools including:
• Budget and forecast: Ensure a good collaboration and communication with stakeholders and budget referents. Support, challenge and guide the projects and capital team with their budget construction and forecast follow up. Ensure consistency of budget and forecast with validated operational objectives.
• Payment management: Ensure that all policies and guidelines concerning cash management and bank management are relevant and appropriate and that are well managed in the projects. Support the validation and challenge of the monthly cash request and cash flow of the projects. Propose new models to avoid using cash or moving cash inside the mission.
• Accounting supervision: Oversee that the analytical accounting is coherent, appropriate, and consistent in the projects. Ensure that the Field Accounting Controller or/and the Mission Accounting Manager are aware of every operational decision and event that may have an impact on accounting management and supervision.
• Field Finance Resources Risk management: Animate and contribute to the improvement of resources risks management at project and mission level. Ensure the resources risks assessment of the projects and region are done when necessary. Support the projects in the implementation of the Finance recommendations from external and internal Audit. Reinforce or remind the knowledge and awareness of the Code of Conduct at field and mission level.
• Insurance: Ensure that the insurance coverage of the mission is updated and coherent with the OCB Insurance policy. Ensure that all incidents are reported and fully documented. Ensure the follow up with HQ referents.
• Anti-corruption: Ensure respect of induction and training of mission staff regarding anti-corruption policy and processes. Ensure that the suspicion of corruption is reported and managed efficiently with implementation of mitigation measures.
• Internal control for Finance activities: Ensure that the internal controls (first and second line) are run efficiently in the finance department in the mission.
• As a final step of each support assignment: Recommend further support and development needs to ensure his/her technical and transversal skills development.

2. On validation of his/her line manager, act as interim Finance Coordinator, Country Finance Support team or Field Finance Manager in case of a gap until a sustainable solution is found.

3. Support the development and implementation of consistent and harmonized field finance policies and processes

• Participate to the identification of the challenges for the finance department in the field and propose responses.
• Support the update, design and improvement of the field finance policies, guidelines, processes and tools.
• Participate to the definition, building and animation of training or information sharing sessions and events for Field Finance staff.

REQUIREMENTS

Education & Experience

• Master’s degree in business administration in economics or in commercial sciences; or equivalent through experience in Finance management
• Minimum 2 years of experience with MSF in the field as Finance coordinator
• Experience in Capacity building and Learning & Development (coordination, design of learning solutions, instructional/professional supervision, mentoring or coaching)

Competencies

• High knowledge of MSF financial procedures, tools and accounting
• Ability to write guidelines, instructions, procedures
• Excellent interpersonal, pedagogical and communication skills
• Demonstrated excellent ability to work in collaboration

Languages

• Oral and written fluency in French and English
• Spanish is an asset

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: ASAP
• Location*: Brussels (Belgium); but mainly carried out in the field
• Mobility up to 70% in project locations
• Contract type: Fixed term contract – Full time
• Contract duration: 1 year
• Salary according to MSF-OCB Field grid
• Medical Insurance 100% covered as per international package – 45 paid leaves
• No family position
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments

*Due to administrative constraints, given the duration of the contract, candidates must already have the permanent right and/or a valid work permit to work in the mentioned location

Deadline for applications: 13/11/2023