Deputy Finance Manager at Catholic Relief Services (CRS): (Deadline 29 December 2023)

Deputy Finance Manager at Catholic Relief Services (CRS): (Deadline 29 December 2023)

Job Title: Deputy Finance Manager

Department: Finance

Band: 9

Reports To: Finance Manager

Country/Location: Kigali, Rwanda

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. 

Job Summary:

You will oversee all activities that ensure the accuracy, timeliness, and documentation of the Finance Department’s accounting operations and financial reporting (monthly, quarterly, yearly, and as needed) in support of high-quality programs serving the poor and vulnerable. You will help set the standard for the Rwanda Country Program’s (CP’s) financial stewardship through professional maintenance, utilization, and analysis of all cash resources controlled by the CP. You will monitor the implementation of recommendations listed in internal control improvement plan. You will participate in proposal budget development. You will coordinate and actively work with the sub-recipients on their grant management capacity. You will support implementation of CRS Sub-recipient financial management policy across all Sub-recipients.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

General Ledger Management and Support:

• Oversee accounting processes, policies, and service delivery and maintain accounting controls to ensure accurate, complete, and timely recording and management of financial transactions and internal controls in compliance with CRS’ financial management policies and procedures, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), donors’ rules and regulations, and legal requirements.
• Ensure financial accounting package is updated with relevant information for capturing accurate financial data (such as daily exchange/conversion rates, cost allocation tools, posting of transactions, etc.).
• Review and analyze financial reports, including cost allocation of shared costs, to verify financial transactions. Prepare balance sheet account reconciliations to ensure all transactions are accurately stated and appropriately classified. Work with relevant staff to address irregularities and resolve accounting issues and ensure correction of accounting entries and payroll.
• Serve as the key point person on all issues related to financial transaction records. Provide proactive advice, support, and capacity building to managers, staff, and subrecipients to ensure compliance with standards and proper records of financial transactions, as well as to support strengthening of internal control.
• Ensure financial reports are generated accurately and disseminated timely as per established reporting schedules and assist staff and subrecipients with financial reports analysis.
• Oversee maintenance of a good filing system of required supporting documentation to ensure easy access and retrieval, and a reliable and easy to follow audit trail.
• Ensure efficient management of cash flows and availability of sufficient and optimal cash in the CP’s operating account through monitoring cash balances (both cash-in-bank and cash-on-hand), preparing bank reconciliations, analyzing and forecasting cash needs.
• Ensure the deliverables for month and year end processes are met on time.
• Ensure the monthly bank reconciliation are prepared on time in line with the agency policy on cash management.
• Support Finance Manager in accurate and timely closure of grants.
• Support the Finance team to engage with internal and external audit teams and ensure all findings related to financial management are closed withing the prescribed deadlines.

Sub-Recipients Financial Assessments, Monitoring and Support:

• Facilitates the implementation of CRS’ sub-recipient financial management policy and ensure that staff understand and are properly implementing the policy.
• Coordinates with the SR Finance officers to adhere to the approved schedule of planned SR monitoring visits.
• Coordinates and support the SR Finance officers to conduct the SR assessments and monitoring visits in accordance with CRS policies about timeliness, comprehensiveness, professionalism, and documentation.
• Maintain a tracker of corrective action plans developed and the status of addressing the identified issues monthly.
• Facilitates the participation of the financial and programming staff in the financial monitoring of the SR (including site visits); trip reports must indicate the monitoring steps performed, the processes reviewed, and the result of the testing and reviews.
• Review and monitor the SR internal control systems to ascertain that financial duties are adequately segregated.
• Provides direct technical support in all aspects of finance, compliance, and internal controls for Sub-recipients.

Basic Qualifications

• B.A. degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration with courses in accounting, or a qualification in accounting (CPA/ACCA or equivalent).
• Minimum of five years’ experience in a position with similar responsibilities, preferably with an International NGO.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent analytical skills with ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Accuracy and completeness with a strong eye for detail
• Ethical conduct in accordance with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results oriented.
• Ability to work collaboratively.

Preferred Qualifications

• Substantial budgeting, budget/expense analysis, and accounting experience.
• Knowledge of the relevant public donors’ regulations preferred.
• Knowledge of local law in the area of taxation and local regulatory reporting procedures.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications. Knowledge of financial reporting software preferred.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Builds & Maintains Trust
• Collaborates with Others
• Open to Learn
• Leads Change
• Develops & Recognizes Others
• Strategic Mindset
• Personnel Accountability
• Acts with Integrity

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• 2 Senior Finance Officers for General Ledger
• 2 Senior Finance Officers for Grant
• 1 Finance officer for General Ledger

Key Working Relationships: Finance Manager, Operations Manager, COP, DCOP, Head of Programs, Operations Unit and Program team members.

External: Partner agencies, Banks, and other commercial services, Sub-recipients

How to apply

Interested and qualified candidates should complete the attached attached application form, Self -Declaration Clause and submit them together with one page Cover letter plus updated CV (maximum three pages) all in/as one document – via email only to: [email protected] not later than Friday  December 29^th, 2023, at 1:30pm.

Please, include below statement in your cover letter:

“By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding-related topics.”

Also include your full names and title “Deputy Finance Manager @ Band 9” in the subject line. Due to anticipated high interest in this post and the expected number of applicants, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Kigali December 18^h, 2023.

Charlotte Batanage 

Acting Country Representative