Project Finance Officer

BACKGROUND
Over the past 80 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster.

The International Rescue Committee UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its headquarters in New York and London. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. Through 22 regional offices in cities across the United States, the IRC also helps refugees resettle in the US and become self-sufficient.

The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.

IRC-UK
Our European headquarters, IRC-UK, were established in London in 1997 to support the organisation’s global activities and particularly to diversify its donor base and be able to better advocate with European policy-makers on behalf of the people we serve. IRC-UK comprises approximately 70 staff across five departments

Scope of Work
IRC was one of the first humanitarian organizations to launch specific programs for survivors of sexual violence, implementing gender-based violence (GBV) programs in refugee settings and other conflict-affected communities from 1996. Over the past 16 years, IRC has pioneered and implemented programs that prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in refugee settings and in other conflict-affected contexts, making the IRC a global leader in this field. IRC presently implements women’s protection and empowerment (WPE) programs to support social and political environments that foster women’s freedom from violence, discrimination, and exclusion, allowing them to be active participants in rebuilding their countries. Today, IRC manages WPE programs in 19 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Haiti, with funding from governments, the UN, foundations, and private donors.

IRC is seeking a Project Finance Officer to support a project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to conduct rigorous research on violence against women and girls (VAWG) in emergencies and conflict settings. Based in IRC’s London office, the Project Finance Officer will be responsible for all aspects of contract financial management including: analysis of spending, forecasts and payment by results (PBR) requirements, cash flow projections, control and processing of budget realignments, preparation of donor and internal management reports, and monitoring of country project spending.

The Project Finance Officer reports to the Project Director and works closely with the Project Coordinator and other relevant program and finance teams in NY, UK and countries of project implementation.

Responsibilities
Donor Budget Management & Reporting
• Preparation and maintenance of the Project Budget to ensure data is complete and maintained on a timely basis
• Work with the project team to ensure that all donor related information is disseminated to project, finance and logistics staff as well as partners to enable them to abide by donor rules and regulations
• In coordination with project staff and partners prepare and regularly update the spending plan
• Review Payment By Results (PBR) requirements and ensure targets and milestones are in alignment with payment schedule and cash flow needs and payments received will align to IRC’s required cash flow projections
• Review fee rate calculations and ensure recording in the ledger aligns with reporting requirements and track fee rate billing is sufficient to cover built in costs.

Financial Management
• On a monthly basis prepare Budget Versus Actual reports for both fees and reimbursable reports and send to Project Director and to other relevant staff. The expenditure report should include a brief commentary on matters arising as identified from the report
• Prepare quarterly financial report as per DFID donor requirements, ensuring it is complete, accurate and produced on a time to ensure adequate review, approval and submission to the Project Manager
• Prepare and consolidate monthly invoice and expense projection. Analyze differences of the projections and actual spending and submit adjustments as required
• Ensure financial reports are produced in compliance with DFID’s exchange rate policies, including keeping track of expenditure in currencies other than GBP and identifying the rate at which they need to be converted into GBP
• Monitor cash flow, prepare cash flow forecasts (consolidate with partners).

Partner Financial Reporting
• Coordinate the consolidation of partner financial reports
• Setting up financial templates for partners to report on
• Manage and monitor expenses v project budget, highlighting variances and resource allocation to Project Director and Project Coordinator
• Coordinate with all partners for review of sub-grantees’ financial reports, submit payment requests to finance and overall financial oversight. (this includes integrating reports, providing financial advice based on DFID rules to partners).

Requirements:
• Bachelor degree in Accounting, Commerce, Economics or Business Studies.
• Minimum 5 years experience in a Finance department
• Knowledge of computerized accounting software, preferably SUN System and high-level Excel
• Prior working experience with international donor funded organization
• Knowledge and experience of DFID’s commercial contract rules and regulations is essential
• Able to work with limited supervision, be flexible and comfortable in a multi-cultural work force
• Good communication skills: ability to build good working relationship with project team and partners at a range of levels and in different locations.

TO APPLY
To apply, please send your CV (two page max) and a cover letter describing:
• Your reasons for applying
• How you meet each of the points in the person specification
• Current salary

Please send to: applications@rescue-uk.org

The closing date is: 4pm Wednesday 18 March 2015.

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.

In order to minimise administrative costs, IRC-UK will only contact short-listed candidates.

IRC-UK strives to be an equal opportunities employer. IRC-UK is committed to equality of opportunity and to non-discrimination for all job applicants and employees, and we seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.