Location: Monrovia, LIBERIA

Position Status: Full-time

Risk Level: ☐ Level 3 ☐Level 2 ☐Level 1

(Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.

Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.

Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data)

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.

The Program / 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.

General Position Summary

The Finance and Sub-award Manager is a key staff member within the country project and, working with the Chief of Party and the Finance Director, the Manager is responsible for managing the finance, subaward, and compliance aspects of the award. Working with the finance team, both in Monrovia and Buchanan, S/he is responsible for all aspects of financial management of the assigned project/award, working collaboratively to ensure compliance with Mercy Corps internal policies and procedures as well as donor regulations. S/he must ensure that systems of internal control are understood and strictly adhered to. S/he works under the direction of the Finance Director and is responsible for all financial functions on the assigned project/award, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting and grant financial management and compliance. In Sub-award Management, S/he will work with selected consortium partners for more robust growth and development of sub-grantees as well as the capacity building process to enable sub-grantees to develop strong systems that will help in the delivery of programmatic interventions. S/he works under the direction of the Finance Director and works closely with the Chief of Party, staff from the Operations Team, Finance Team, Program Teams, and Monitoring and Evaluation Managers. In addition, the Finance and Sub-award Manager will establish strong links to our Global and European Headquarters through regular consultation with Mercy Corps’ compliance and legal departments in both Edinburgh (EDI) and Portland (PDX).

Essential Responsibilities

Finance and Accounting Management

• Review purchase requests, purchase orders and payment requests on ProSource
• Ensure transactions comply with Mercy Corps policies and donor requirements.
• Conduct compliance reviews covering procurement, logistics, stock management, HR and administration.
• Identify compliance weaknesses and coordinate corrective actions.
• Provide advice, training and consultation to staff on financial and donor compliance.
• Ensure grant files are complete and maintained according to Mercy Corps requirements.
• Support month-end and year-end financial reporting, quarterly balance-sheet reconciliations, and fiscal year-end reporting.
• Reviewing statutory deductions and taxable-benefit reports for LRA and NASSCORP remittances
• Posting and reviewing transactions in the accounting system.
• Preparing staff timesheet allocations, reviewing and posting timesheet allocations.
• Preparing/reviewing reclassification and account-adjustment entries.
• Preparing and updating monthly grant spending reports.
• Preparing administrative and operational projections.
• Working with Program Managers to update forecasts and submit cash forecasts to HQ treasury
• Reviewing, analysing and identifying significant budget variances in BvAs with program staff leadership.
• Ensuring implementation remains on time, on target and on budget.

Sub Awards Management:

• Administer competitive processes in accordance with the sub-awards manual that clearly defines and communicates steps for selecting, negotiating and awarding sub-awards.
• Support the review of sub-award applicants’ budgets and budget narratives for completeness, cost realism and compliance with budget requirements.
• Responsible for pre-award financial review and other due diligence of apparently successful applicants.
• Work closely with consortium-level sub-recipient organizations to ensure they are issuing, managing and monitoring subawards in accordance with the sub-award manual.
• Ensure that all sub-grantees are complying with the procedures in the sub-awards manual, and that the annexes are fully utilized.
• Draft modifications to subawards, as needed.
• Review sub-recipient financial and programmatic reports for correctness and completeness and ensure that reports are submitted on time.
• Develop sub-recipient monitoring plans, conduct financial and programmatic monitoring of sub-recipients. Visit sub-recipients and produce regular financial and programmatic monitoring visit reports.
• Follow up on all sub-award compliance issues and audits and document resolutions.
• Create and update/maintain sub-award cards and ensure sub-award expenditure reports are entered into Navigator.
• Maintain sub-award files in accordance with the Field Finance Manual and Sub-Grant Manual.
• Process sub-recipient payments and reconcile sub-award financial tracking to general ledger reports.
• Conduct close out monitoring visits and prepare final fund reconciliation statements for subrecepients and follow up to ensure timely refunds.
• Develop a planning and reporting schedule and timelines to ensure programmes and activities are planned in advance and deliver good value for money
• Develop and reviews financial management system and tools for partners where necessary.
• In cooperation with programme officers, ensures that project partners have necessary cashflow to implement the programme and that request for funds are processed in an accurate and timely manner.

Partnership & Partner Capacity Building:

• Provide strategic program guidance and technical support for sub-grant award capacity building through provision of support to partner organizations as required and in coordination with the relevant program team.
• Conduct the capacity assessment of identified organizations using Mercy Corps’ Organizational
• Capacity Index (OCI) tool and using OCI findings, support partner organizations to create capacity development plans.
• Develop and Deliver training to build partner capacity and technical competencies.
• Develop a monthly / quarterly meeting schedule showing regular
• meetings
• Provides technical and managerial support to the entire projects through the design, implementation, key personnel and sub-awardees determination
• Provide compliance guidance and consultations to sub-recipients on a demand-driven basis.
• Support peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and peer mentorship opportunities, including field site visits and learning events.
• Work closely with consortium-level sub-recipient organizations to ensure they are issuing, managing and monitoring subawards in accordance with the sub-award manual.

Compliance:

• Ensure that sub-awards are executed in alignment with the prime award agreement and the applicable donor regulations, staying abreast of changes in regulatory environment related to donor/grant compliance.
• Review procurement and program transactions, contracts and other documents for compliance requirements and ensure these requirements are met.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of approval requests to the donor and MC HQ.
• Prepare prior approval, waiver and other compliance requests to the donor. Assist sub- recipients, as needed with sub-recipient compliance requests to Mercy Corps.
• Prepare and maintain internal and donor compliance-related reports.
• Provide leadership and direction with regard to any grant or contract functions needed for the program’s success and to provide input on program functions.
• Provide regular compliance guidance and consultations to sub-recipients on a demand-driven basis.
• Conduct sub-recipient financial and compliance training workshops.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Support the development of capacity of the Finance team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

• Interface with the (donor) representatives to convey information about programs as appropriate.
• Participate in sharing best practices with NGOs and governmental agencies.
• Consistently demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances.
• Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
• Demonstrate an awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs.

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.

Supervisory Responsibility

Directly Supervises the Finance and Compliance Officers

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Deputy Director, Finance and Compliance and dotted-line report to the Chief of Party.

Works Directly With: Finance Department (with authority for technical financial matters on assigned project/grant); Operations Department, Program Managers, MCG/MCE HQ Compliance, and others

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• A BSc/BA in Accounting, Finance or a Master’s or equivalent in Management finance required; an advanced degree is preferred.
• Accounting professional certification ACCA, LICPA, and other internationally recognized accounting certifications) is an added advantage
• At least 5 years of relevant field or management experience of complex, multi-dimensional programming including administering small subawards in an international environment.
• At least 3 years’ experience in grants management as well as an understanding of USG, FCDO and EU regulations required.
• At least 2 years’ international experience required; international NGO/PVO field office experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience and skill with administering solicitations for subawards, assessing potential subrecipients, and the proven ability to oversee a team that is responsible for monitoring subrecipients.
• Strong skills and experience working with donors to obtain approvals and waivers as necessary for compliance with donor regulations.
• Prior management experience and strong organizational skills.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel.
• Effective verbal and written communication, multitasking, organizational and prioritization skills.
• Excellent oral and written English skills required;
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.

Success Factors

The successful Operations Manager will be good at problem solving and have the ability to work out methods to deliver successful programs while demonstrating excellent stewardship of donor funds and compliance with Mercy Corps and donor regulations. They will maintain strong cooperative relationships with other departments and interact effectively with international and national personnel both in a managerial as well as training capacity, while demonstrating the ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities. They will be able to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment and be willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites. The

most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Monrovia, Liberia and it requires up to 40% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Team Engagement and Effectiveness

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates are therefore encouraged to apply early, as the position may be closed before the final application deadline.

Click on the link to apply: https://recruiting2.ultipro.com/MER1024MERCY/JobBoard/4a0f3dbe-d175-4476-8c6a-adf8b7fadbc9/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=f4aff4a5-5523-476f-87d5-15452dcb8775

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