What do we do …
Desired start date: 10/09/2024
Duration of the mission: 12 months
Location: Bangui
SOLIDARITES INTERNATIONAL (SI) is an international humanitarian aid association that, for over 40 years, has been providing assistance to populations affected by armed conflicts and natural disasters by meeting their vital needs: drinking, eating, and shelter. Particularly committed to combating diseases linked to unsafe water, the world’s leading cause of death, SI implements through its interventions expertise in the field of access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene promotion, but also in the essential field of food security and livelihoods. Present in 26 countries, SI’s teams – 3,200 people in total, made up of expatriates, national employees, permanent staff at headquarters, a few volunteers, etc. – intervene with professionalism and commitment while respecting cultures.
The mission
SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL teams in CAR are rehabilitating water and sanitation infrastructure, while training water management committees to ensure their sustainability. Awareness campaigns on hygiene and the use of water points are helping to cope with the high pressure exerted by the massive influx of populations. SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL is providing drinking water to families, but also to farmers, by repairing some defective boreholes and ensuring the transport and storage of this water to their land, contributing to improving food security.
Community service projects facilitate agricultural, pastoral and commercial activities, thereby increasing food availability and reviving the market. Our teams provide toolkits and seeds to farmers and livestock keepers, and provide training.
Thanks to a rapid emergency response mechanism and the creation of an emergency stock, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL is ready to intervene from the first hours of a man-made or natural disaster in order to ensure access to drinking water and a healthy environment for populations made vulnerable by a shock, a natural disaster or an epidemic.
The projected budget for the SI RCA mission is approximately 9 million euros in 2023. Several fundings cover the year 2023 but the financial visibility for 2023 must be confirmed through several ongoing project proposals. The objective is to stabilize the mission around a volume of activity and funding equivalent to or slightly higher than 2022.
Activities are spread across 3 operational bases (Kaga Bandoro, Markounda and Bouar) covering the central/northern zone of the country as well as part of the West. The coordination office is located in the capital, Bangui. The opening of a sub-base in Kabo is underway. There are currently around 180 staff on the mission.
Job Description
Main objective :
- The Coordinator will work on all programs currently being implemented or negotiated. Currently 5 projects are underway and funded by the following donors: ECHO, UNICEF, AFD, CDCS. 3 to 4 proposals are being considered or are in progress: BHA, Humanitarian Funds (FH), INTPA and AFD.
- A consortium project: the PARSEP Project under AFD funding with Water for Good and a local NGO, I3D.
- The Administrative & Financial Coordinator manages and coordinates the administrative, Human Resources, accounting and financial services of the mission.
- He/she is the guarantor of the financial balance of the mission.
- He/she ensures compliance with Solidarités International financial procedures, donor procedures as well as the laws of the country of intervention.
- He/she is the point of contact for the mission and the link between headquarters and the mission for any questions relating to finances.
Main Challenges:
- General decline in humanitarian funding in the country and strong competition between NGOs, (ii) reduction of humanitarian space and increase in incidents directly affecting NGOs, and (iii) donors are almost the same for all INGOs.
- The challenge is therefore to put in place a real financial strategy and to have reliable and rigorous monitoring tools in order to be dynamic and anticipate an adaptation, particularly in terms of set up (operations, HR), to the financing prospects.
- This challenge requires the recruitment of a technically solid profile (in finance and management), already having experience in the position of Financial Coordinator and if possible HR Coordinator.
Priorities for the first 2/3 months:
- Financial reporting (RRM13 FACE UNICEF, BHA Payment Request, FH)
- Focus on project budget monitoring, capacity building on the use of the LFU tool, difficult to obtain information in real time
- Financial cycle of the mission (compliance with deadlines)
- HR mission cycle
- Monitoring of the HR restructuring of the mission and monitoring of national recruitment
- Strengthening the management of the financial department (support for Base admins, capacity building for Admin Assistants)
- Strengthening accounting management (compliance with procedures, harmonization of accounting entries, management of advances, transmission of archives, etc.)
- Tracking digitization and sending archives to headquarters
Security Constraints:
The CAR is now among the countries in the world where the most incidents against humanitarian workers are reported. However, the impact of these incidents must be put into perspective, as most are criminal acts without physical harm. The main risk for NGOs today remains robberies on the roads, criminal acts and incidents linked to the presence of many weapon carriers in the country. The security context affects both the working conditions of staff, as well as the implementation of activities (sometimes suspended following security incidents).
Your profile
Training:
If possible, a master’s degree in financial management (Accounting), humanitarian project management, HR management
Experience in the humanitarian sector:
3-4 years
Experience in the humanitarian sector:
3-4 years
Technical skills :
- Good knowledge of donors and their operating methods, in particular DG ECHO, CIAA, CDCS, UNICEF, BHA, AFD, FCDO, etc.
- Anticipation and decision-making skills;
- Managerial qualities, and in particular skills in team management and remote technical support;
- Taste for teamwork and attraction to strengthening people’s capacities;
- Organizational and prioritization skills, and the ability to manage multiple things at once;
- High work capacity and resistance to stress;
- Availability, flexibility, autonomy;
- Strong adaptability skills;
- Knowledge of specific IT themes and tools highly appreciated;
•Accustomed to working in an unstable political and security environment.
Cross-disciplinary skills
- At least one proven experience as a financial coordinator and as a basic administrator for the HR part in an NGO
- Being able to handle several broad and varied responsibilities, prioritizing the essentials.
- Experience in financial analysis and budget management
- Previous experience in team management
- Prior experience in consortium financial management appreciated
- At least one mission experience with a difficult security context
LANGUAGES :
- French
- English
If you will offer the following conditions
A salaried position: Depending on experience, from EUR 2,860 gross per month (EUR 2,600 basic salary + 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly) and a monthly Per Diem of 480,000 CFA.
SI also covers accommodation costs and travel expenses between the expatriate’s home country and the duty station.
Breaks: During the mission, a system of alternating between work and leave is set up at a rate of 7 working days every three months (with USD 850 allocated by Solidarités International). In addition to these break periods, there is one additional day of rest per month worked.
Social and medical coverage: Expatriates benefit from insurance that reimburses all health costs (including medical and surgical costs, dental and ophthalmological care, repatriation) and a welfare system that includes war risks. The costs of essential vaccinations and anti-malarial treatment are reimbursed.
LIVING CONDITIONS :
Bangui is a medium-sized city, very green, and with a relatively low population density. The city is bordered to the south by the Oubangui River, on the banks of which there are bars, terraces and sports facilities: swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, a weight room, etc. In general, it is a fairly calm city, although one must keep in mind the general fragility of the Central African political context and the possibility of a deterioration in the security situation even in Bangui. It is not uncommon for security measures to have to be adapted according to the local context and control operations are frequent by the internal security forces.
It is possible to find many foreign products in the large supermarkets of Bangui, but at a high price. There are many restaurants (French, Lebanese, Chinese, Indian and of course African cuisine) which are allowed to go to during the day and in the evening. Some restaurants also deliver to your home. The large number of NGOs based in Bangui facilitates social life.
SI has a guest office in Bangui. Internet access is very good: the guest office has a Vsat. The city’s electricity is regularly cut off, but SI has generators (and backup batteries) that allow for constant power. Internationals have access to the medical-social center of the French embassy and other medical centers in Bangui, and relatively advanced medical tests can be carried out at the Pasteur Institute in Bangui. These two institutions are able to effectively treat the majority of health problems. However, the Central African Republic is a country heavily affected by malaria and water-borne diseases and it is up to everyone to take the necessary precautions.
How to apply
Do you recognize yourself in this description?
If yes, send us your CV and cover letter.
Applications containing only CVs will not be considered.
SI reserves the right to close a recruitment before the deadline of the announcement. Thank you for your understanding.
And to find out more about Solidarités International: www.solidarites.org
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Solidarités International (SI) is committed to preventing and combating any type of abuse – any act of sexual exploitation, abuse and/or harassment (SEAH) against members of beneficiary communities or its collaborators, harm to persons and/or property, fraud, corruption, undeclared conflict of interest, financing of activities that violate human rights – that could be perpetrated in the context of its interventions. SI applies zero tolerance to any type of abuse, particularly acts of SEAH.
Solidarités International is a fair employer that fights all forms of discrimination. SI will never ask for any remuneration in order to participate in a recruitment process.
Solidarités International (SI) is determined to prevent and fight all type of abuse – all act of exploitation, abuse and/or sexual harassment (SEAH) against members of beneficiary communities or collaborators, fraud, corruption, violation of persons and/or property, funding of activities harmful to human rights – that could be perpetrated in the frame of its interventions. SI implements a zero-tolerance policy regarding acts of abuse, notably acts of SEAH.
Solidarités International is an equitable employer committed to finding all forms of discrimination. SI will never ask for any remuneration to take part in a recruitment process.