Head of Financial Planning & Analysis – Middle East & Eastern Europe (MEEE) at Save the Children

The Opportunity

This role could be based in any country in the MEEE Region where there is SCI Country Office

The Head of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) provides financial leadership and expertise in management accounting, financial planning, budgeting, reporting and analysis to country and regional finance teams. The responsibilities are fulfilled working closely with senior finance staff to ensure timely, quality completion of all cyclical processes including planning, budgeting, periodic reporting and KPI reviews, and providing analysis and decision support to Country Finance Directors and Regional Senior Leadership Team.

In this role you will support the capacity building efforts of country office finance teams, provide oversight of country offices, ensuring compliance with SCI/donor policies and procedures including quality and timely reporting, regional consolidation and monitoring actions around improvements, performing quality financial planning and reporting reviews and providing gap filling for key finance positions in country offices as required.

You will proactively work with the regional finance director on key issues and opportunities and find and implement solutions at the country office level.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal job description and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

• Custodian of and expert in all SCI financial planning and analysis policies, procedures, processes and guidance. Support COs in budgeting and forecasting exercises. Oversee and manage the continued development of budgeting, financial forecasting and modelling tools. Provide assistance to COs in preparation of their operational and donor budget and forecasting. Provide policy clarifications and assistance in understanding and complying with donor policy.
• Conduct comprehensive reviews of CO financial reports to include: non-award funded contributions, actual expenses vs. budget, etc.. Identify and implement preventive and corrective actions to address issues found during the reviews. Perform risk-based reviews of Award Management System opportunities and proposals. Ensure COs address the issues in a timely manner. Provide relevant and timely information to management in COs, regional office and the centre. Consolidate and compile regional periodic financial reports, commentaries and ad-hoc reporting/analysis as and when needed. Prepare presentations to senior managers.
• Work with Country Finance Directors to ensure succession plans are in place for all key financial planning and reporting positions and gaps are minimised and filled pro-actively. Assist COs in capacity building in financial planning, analysis and reporting. Develop training materials and quick reference guides where necessary and conduct tailored training programs for CO finance staff.
• Carry out regular support visits to countries. Conduct portfolio reviews, provide technical support, conduct refresher trainings, review capacity of finance and award teams and ensure standard tools are used. Provide detailed feedback to the Country Finance Directors and senior managers.
• Networking: promote and coordinate mechanisms for active collaboration amongst staff in COs, region, centre, members, partners and individuals whose work impacts SCI’s risk.
• Contribute to process improvements and initiatives that achieve financial and award management KPIs and essential standards.
• Work with programme operations and award management to improve budgeting and reporting at a project level including financial interpretations of detailed implementation plans, simplified budget variance monitoring, support cost coverage and streamlined donor reporting.
• Provide decision support for operations, logistics, awards and human resources with high quality reports and analysis.
• Interface with award management on all financial matters.
• Interface with logistics on analysis, reporting and cost efficiency.
• Interface with Agresso support and development team on analysis, reporting and development.
• Contribute to successful implementation of Global Change Projects in the regional and country offices.
• Represent Middle East & Eastern Europe COs perspectives on related global working groups.
• Cover for senior regional finance colleagues as and when required.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to influence and motivate staff members with various skills and capabilities, specifically in the matrix structure at scale, with no formal authorities across different context and culture.
• Ensure appropriate staffing within the RO Finance Team.
• Support strategic management of the RO Finance department; define expectations, provide leadership and technical support as needed, and evaluate direct reports regularly when assigned.
• Support in ensuring the recruitment, training, and promotion of staff as appropriate and ensure availability of appropriate professional development opportunities for staff development strategies and Performance Management Systems into team building process. Establish result based system and follow up.

In order to be successful you will bring/have:

Essential

* Accounting, commence or business administration degree from a leading university, and relevant professional qualifications (CPA/CA/CIMA/ACA/ACCA).

* Minimum of 7 years’ management experience in a corporate or an NGO environment, of which 3 years’ at a senior leadership level within a finance department.

* Excellent understanding of business and financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, strategic modelling, reporting, analysis and KPIs.

* Strategic finance business partner with strong influencing skills, sharp business acumen and sound judgment.

* Excellent inter-personal and communication skills, including the ability to communicate and present to key stakeholders at all levels within the organisation.

* Ability to articulate complex information in an easy to understand manner.

* Strong project and change management skills.

* Solutions focused with ability to identify weaknesses and drive continuous improvement.

* Ability to lead, inspire, coach, mentor, delegate appropriately and provide developmental guidance to country offices and supervised staff.

* Ability to prioritise, plan ahead, and manage a complex and diverse workload with tight deadlines.

* Self-starter who is willing to go the extra mile to get the job done.

* Excellent understanding of financial systems and procedures.

* Excellent understanding of computerised accounts packages, Excel, PowerPoint and Word.

* Cultural awareness and the ability to work collaboratively in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

* Understanding of Save the Children’s vision and mission and a commitment to its objectives and values.

* Written and verbal fluency in English.

* Commitment to travel up to 30% of the time to country offices within the region.

Desirable

* 2 years of relevant experience at regional level in a similar capacity.

* 4 years within the NGO / charities sector

* Experience of working in an emergency context.

* Understanding of major donor compliance regulations (USAID, Dfid, ECHO, DEVCO, BHA, etc).

* Written and verbal fluency in Arabic.