YEMEN – FINANCE COORDINATOR (H/F) at Solidarités International

Desired start date: 20/06/2021

Duration of the mission: 12 months

Location: Position based in Aden

ABOUT THE MISSION…

SI opened its mission in Yemen in 2017, establishing its coordination in Aden. With the support of the Emergency DESK, SI mission was able to quickly acquire operational capacity, which was first deployed in Lahj Governorate, for implementation of WASH and Food Security Programming. Over the course of 2018, SI expanded the geographical scope of its intervention, and established presence in Al Turbah and Al Mokha in Taizz Governorate. With the opening of Al Mokha base late 2018, SI was one of the first humanitarian actors to start operations on the “West Coast”, which are now covering the southern districts of Hodeidah Governorate, close to one of the main frontlines of the conflict. In Al Turbah, SI is now looking at expanding its programming to recovery-type of projects, as well as its outreach to the city of Taizz, which after Hodeidah has been the second main frontline of the war.

For the year 2020/21; the mission has a forecasted budget of about 10M Euros. It operates from Aden, where the coordination is based, and 2 operational field bases located in Al Turbah and Al Mokha. The mission is composed of 20 expatriates and more than 120 national staffs, and is funded by OFDA, CDC, YHPF, Dutch MoFA, SDC and ECHO. SI Programming in Yemen focuses on addressing immediate food needs of communities at risk of famine, as well as providing timely response to displacements of population and AWD/Cholera outbreaks. Its portfolio is primarily composed of WASH Emergency projects, along with unconditional cash distribution. Strategic and institutional priorities for the mission in 2020/21 is to strengthen its Emergency Response capacity, and develop operational capacity in Taizz city and operational bases. In parallel, and where feasible, SI is looking at implementing recovery and resilience-type of programming.

ABOUT THE JOB

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

The finance coordinator will direct and coordinate all administrative, accounting and financial services associated with the mission.

As coordinator, he/she is responsible for guaranteeing the financial balance of the mission and for ensuring that all Solidarités International procedures, donor procedures and all laws of the country in which Solidarités International is intervening are respected.

He/she is the point of reference for the mission, and the link between headquarters and the mission for all matters relating to management, accounting and budget monitoring.

SPECIFIC STAKES AND CHALLENGES

The Yemen mission has been undergoing a stabilization period in 2020 and 2021, and still faces tight funding coverage, demanding close monitoring and strategic forecasting. The department is being restructured to absorb workload, ensure bases’ support and enhance quality and compliance standards. This will demand substantial training and capacity building of national team. Developing and enforcing context-specific policies and processes for Finance remains another challenge for the department.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND MAIN ACTIVITIES:

Analysis of the socio-economic context
Team management
Financial, accounting and budgetary management
Administrative management of the mission
Cash management
Reporting/communication

PRIORITIES FOR THE 2/3 FIRST MONTHS

Capacity building of the finance team
Support to development of proposals for the year 2021 (BHA, USAID, YHF)
Close mission coverage monitoring and appropriate financial guidance
Development of policies/processes adapted to the context and volume of the mission

MANAGEMENT

The Finance Coordinator directly line manages one Deputy Finance Coordinator, and one Finance Coordinator Assistant. He/she is functional manager for the Admin Bases in Al Turbah and Al Mokha, and for the Log/Admin Manager of the Emergency Response Team.

YOUR PROFILE

Education and experience

Diploma in administrative and financial management.
Previous experience financial management for an international NGO (at least two years).
Previous experience in unstable environment (conflict / post conflict country)
Experience of team management
Experience of Finance management

Knowledge and technical skills

Knowledge of Saga softwares
Knowledge of Solidarites rules, tools and procedures
Good and proven writing and spoken English are required
Arabic and/or French speaking is an asset

Transferable skills

Good analytical and writing/editing skills
Good communication and diplomatic skills
Good organization skill
Capacity to work under pressure in a tense security environment
Good pedagogical skills
Knowledge and experience of the Yemen or Middle-eastern countries appreciated

Qualities:

Multi-project support experience
Strong interpersonal skills
Skill transfer ability highly appreciated
Anticipation and self-organization capacities
Great work and stress management capacities
Willingness to work in complex and volatile environments

SI WILL OFFER YOU

A SALARIED POSITION: starting from 2640 euros gross per month (2400 € + 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly) and a monthly per diem of 750 USD a month. Please note that salary is not negotiable with SI.

VACATION: During the assignment, a system of alternation between work and time-off is implemented at the rate of one break after two months spent on the field. For a one-year assignment, the expatriate will have a 7-day break during the 2nd, 4th, 8th and 10th months (with 750 USD allocated by Solidarités).

SOCIAL AND MEDICAL COVER: Expatriates benefit from an insurance package which reimburses all healthcare expenses (including medical and surgical expenses, dental care and ophthalmological expenses, repatriation) and a welfare system including war risks. Essential vaccination and antimalarial treatment costs are refunded.

For further information about Solidarités International, please consult our website: http://www.solidarites.org/en/

SECURITY AND LIVING CONDITIONS

The situation in terms of security remains tense in Aden, linked to the presence of several armed groups competing over the control of the city. In August 2019, a military offensive was carried out by an Armed Opposition Group which took control of Aden after several days of intensive fighting. In the context of Aden however, INGOs are not a target, neither for criminal, political or armed groups. Main risks for INGOs in Aden relate to crossfire (wrong location at the wrong moment), kidnapping or hostage taking (even though there is no proven history of kidnapping of expatriates in recent years), crowd mob and road accidents. To mitigate these risks, SI has developed strict security rules that the applicant needs to be ready to abide to.

KEY INFORMATION ABOUT LIVING CONDITIONS

The coordination office in Aden is shared with the guesthouse (same building). Security rules in Aden are rather restrictive, with a curfew at 8 pm, extended to 9 pm in the area where most INGOs are located. Expatriates are allowed to go to the supermarket, one restaurant, and two beaches (including one reachable by boat). Guesthouse is comfortable as per middle-east standards (large rooms with AC, good-standard bathrooms with running water). A gym and rest area have recently been built on the roof of the Guesthouse to improve expatriates’ living conditions (a pool table, darts game, and a baby-foot are available in the Guesthouse). In recent years, the number of international staff has increased in Aden, allowing for regular social gathering.

COVID 19 :

Solidarités International recommends vaccination against Covid-19, using WHO approved vaccines. If possible, the vaccination should be done before departure in order to reduce the logistical constraints once on the ground.