FINANCE AND SUBAWARDS

MANAGER – ILA PROGRAM

Position Description

Location: Monrovia, Liberia.

Position Status Full-time, Note – This role is subject to funding.

Salary Level: 8

Current Team Member: No

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Since 2002, Mercy Corps has worked alongside Liberians to build pathways out of poverty, poor governance, and economic hardship. Mercy Corps’ interventions have evolved based on the context and needs of the Liberian people. Today, we are focused on the following areas: good governance, youth employment and market systems development, renewable energy, financial inclusion, and health and nutrition. We work closely with the Government of Liberia, the private sector, civil society, international and local NGOs to implement our programs in 10 of the 15 counties of Liberia. Mercy Corps is one of the foremost development actors in Liberia implementing strategic and systems driven programming.

Mercy Corps is seeking a Finance and Subawards Manager to support the implementation of the anticipated Incentivize Learning Activity from USAID. The proposed program aims to address food security needs and incentivize school enrollment and ensure access to education for vulnerable and underserved school age children. The program will provide school meals, targeted financial incentives, engage communities and parents and conduct social and behavior change communication.

Department Summary

The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions in Liberia, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and grant financial management and compliance. The Mercy Corps Finance Department ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures. In its role as a support to the Program Department, the Finance Department provides timely reports and assistance to the Country Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.

mercycorps.org

General Position Summary

Working in the Finance Department under the direction of the Country Finance Manager, the Finance and Subawards Manager – the Incentivize Learning Activity program (ILA) will support the ILA program in the reporting of financial information, review and analyze records, reports, financial statements and management practices to ensure adequate internal controls are in place to mitigate risks in compliance with laws, regulations, donor requirements and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.

Essential Job Responsibilities

FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING MANAGENT

• Perform financial review of purchase requests, purchase orders, and payment requests to ensure compliance with MC policies and procedures and donors’ requirements.
• Perform compliance reviews processes including procurement, logistics, stock management, HR & Admin, and coordinate with the relevant departments to correct and improve as needed.
• Provide advice, training, and consultation on compliance with MC policies and procedures as well as donor compliance requirements.
• Ensure grant files are maintained and up to date in accordance with Mercy Corps’ minimum program requirements.

ACCOUNTING

• Support the Senior Finance Officer and Country Finance Manager in month-end and year-end HQ required reports, quarterly balance sheet reconciliation reports, fiscal year-end reports, statutory

deductions’ reports and other taxable benefits reports.

• Assist in posting the transactions in the accounting system and reviewed for any necessary

corrections.

• Prepare timesheet allocations for all international and national staff and review and post timesheet allocations in the accounting system.
• Prepare/review necessary reclassification entries and other accounts’ adjustments;

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT & REPORTING

• Prepare and update monthly grant spending reports (Budget vs. Actuals, BvAs) for the ILA program, including administrative/operational projections; work with program managers to ensure program

projections are updated; together with the relevant program managers and staff members, review

BvAs and projections, to ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget

• Assist in preparation of financial reports including budget projections of assigned programs.

SUB-GRANTS & COMPLIANCE

• Support maintenance of a filing system for sub-grants and related documents as required by policies and regulations of Mercy Corps.
• Conduct pre-award assessment process as well as the contracting and closeout processes; ensure that all steps are properly documented in accordance with Mercy Corps’ minimum program

requirements.

• Help ensure subgrantee payments are on time and subgrant financial reports are properly

reconciled.

• Review subgrantee financial reports, manage and assist in subgrantee site audits and follow up on subgrant compliance issues. Ensure subgrantee information is entered and updated in the

accounting system on a regular basis.

• Provide training and compliance guidance and consultations to subrecipients on a demand-driven basis.
• Ensure that subawards are executed in alignment with the prime award agreement and the

applicable regulations, staying abreast of changes in regulatory environment related to donor/grant compliance; update procedures as necessary

• Responsible for subaward financial close-outs, including ensuring that all requirements of the

subaward agreement have been met and that subaward funds have been properly settled.

STRATEGY & VISION

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative

viewpoints are welcomed.

• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
• Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
• Provide team members (new and old) with information, tools and other resources to improve

performance and reach objectives.

• Provide coverage and backstopping for Senior Finance Officer – accounting and Buchanan Finance Officer when on leave or under recruitment.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

SECURITY

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that

learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we

expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps

as well as themselves.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work,

while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and

evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility

None. However, position will require back-stopping that will have supervisory responsibility

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Country Finance Manager

Directly With: All ILA Program team including CoP, Program Managers, MCL Finance team, and operational teams in Liberia.

Knowledge and Experience

• Five years of finance experience, including budgeting and grant management.
• At least four years of high-level finance management experience with international NGOs.
• A university degree in finance, accounting or a related business management field is required.
• Strong background in compliance, USAID donor regulations, and coordination with operations,

program departments and partners.

• Good understanding of accounting and proven experience in managing financial systems, payroll, and balance sheet accounts.
• Experience in financial analysis and reporting within non-profit organizations.
• Experience in budgeting for various donor proposals.
• Experience in leading internal and external audit is a strong asset.
• Experience in training and capacity building of staff.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs is required, particularly Excel;
• Fluent written and oral communication in English is required.

Success Factors

The ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel is required. A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary. A high professional standard of finance and procurement ethics

as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential. The ability to take financial data and present it in meaningful financial reports is essential. The Finance & Subawards Manager must be willing to travel to all Mercy Corps field offices and project sites for short and long term assignments.

In particular, the successful candidate will be willing to travel to the field locations based on the needs of the Mercy Corps program. This will mean sometimes staying and working in stressful environments with very basic living conditions, strictly following security protocols at all times and sometimes working long and irregular hours).

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours.

Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.