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Contracts and Compliance Senior Manager

General Position Summary

The Contracts and Compliance Senior Manager will provide overall leadership and oversight for the finance, procurement, travel/logistics, and human resources team under the RLP programme. S/he will empower the operations and finance team while providing quality control to ensure robust, flexible, and adaptive operations to support programme activities. The Contracts and Compliance Senior Manager must be fluent in compliance matters and help the senior management team ensure the contract is implemented in accordance with contractual requirements, Mercy Corps policies, donor regulations, and local laws, across 3 countries. S/he will be responsible for ensuring that staff are familiar with policies and procedures related to finance, procurement, human resources, and take the lead in overseeing the management of the facilities and property related to the RLP programme.  S/he will work closely with the respective country program leads who oversee technical programs while reporting to the Program Director.

Essential Job Functions

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

• Maintain and oversee the workflow processes for operations and finance.
• Review key programme protocols, processes and guidance, in conjunction with operations, finance, grant, and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) teams, recommending design improvements and efficiencies where needed.
• Ensure activity budgets are developed, led by the Finance Manager in cooperation technical teams, maintaining a master collation of activity budgets that details activity priorities, resource and security needs.
• Oversee responses to internal and external financial/compliance audits.
• Supervise the day-to-day performance of direct reports, ensuring that they understand their roles, coaching them to succeed and providing them with feedback and technical and administrative support that they require in meeting their performance objectives.

FINANCIAL AND GRANTS MANAGEMENT

• Responsible for the financial management of the RLP program, including quality controls, cost reporting, forecasting and tracking in collaboration with the Finance and Compliance Manager and the Finance Manager.
• Provide recommendations on the overall financial management and performance of the programme and work in close collaboration with Mercy Corps Europe (MCE) team to monitor costs.
• Regularly participate in calls with the MCE and support the maintenance and updating of the forecasts.
• Mitigate project risks and protect the program against fraudulent practices through adherence to the program’s schedule of authorities.
• Ensure strict implementation of a sound internal control system and take appropriate actions against any violation of the system.
• Review Mercy Corps financial reports including Co-fi prior to submission to progam donors for accuracy.
• Approve payment requests, and review and approve financial vouchers.
• Release bank payments as well as provide quality control and risk management for finance functions.
• Conduct monthly BVA reviews with respective country managers.
• Draft all Requests for Grant Approval to as required by the contract.

PROGRAMME ADMINISTRATION

• Provide management oversight and quality control for the administrative operations of the programme, including procurement, inventory management, and reporting as per the donor and Mercy Corps standards.
• Oversee programme procurement and review disposition plans in line with annual workplan.
• Review/draft all requests to programme donors for procurement approvals.
• Provide input and support to technical teams on travel, logistics, and quality delivery of country-level initiatives and activities, including trainings, forums, and other high-visibility events.

CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTING

• Respond to urgent client requests, including budget scenarios, scope of work development, and other tasks as needed.
• Work with the Finance and Compliance Director and MCE to draft/review donor contract deliverables – including Financial Report, Inventory and Asset Report.
• Review and/or prepare regular and ad hoc requests for reports to programme donors, including inventory disposition, local taxes, activity budgets, etc.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility

• N/A

Accountability

• Reports Directly To
  • RLP Program Director with dotted line to Finance Director
• Works Directly With
  • Respective country team leads, Finance and Compliance Managers/Directors and Program Team members.
• 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.
  • 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.

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Business Administration, Economics or other relevant field. A Masters degree is preferred.
• CPA(K) qualification is required.
• Minimum of eight (8) years’ experience implementing donor-funded development projects, to include Project Administration, Operations and Procurement.
• Minimum of ten years of supervisory experience and proven ability to manage teams of professionals to produce key results.
• Detailed knowledge of donor rules and regulations, preferably with experience implementing a Swiss government-funded contract.
• Demonstrated record of results-driven project management and an ability to creatively solve complex organisational issues and foster ownership within teams.
• Strong writing skills and experience in developing budgets, reports and workplans.

Finance Manager

Essential Job Responsibilities

FINANCE

• Support the Programme Team Lead in managing all financial operations of the project, including accounting and reporting, cash management, and budget management.
• Manage financial operations of the three countries and financial reporting.
• Co-Fi planning and Monthly accounting of the Co-fi.
• Provide monthly management reports to the RLP Program Director, Programme Team Lead and Programme Managers, including expenditures by fund and country,
• Participate in developing of annual fiscal year budgets with the Finance Director and Country Director and implement grant budgeting and forecasting systems with Program Managers.
• Ensure that the project financial operations are in compliance with all SDC and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Ensure that monthly transactions are reviewed and entered in the General Ledger accurately and on timely basis.
• Assist with monthly review and reconciliations of balance sheet accounts (receivables, payables, advances, bank & cash reconciliations, etc.) and all the RLP related expenditures.
• Review payment documents, national staff payroll and other supporting documents ensuring their compliance with the local laws, donor regulations and MC Kenya internal policies.
• Be prepared to respond to any budgetary and financial inquiries from the donor, consortium members and Mercy Corps senior management within the horn of Africa and home office in Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Prepare monthly cash flow projections and request funds from the country office.
• Provide financial advisory on overall strategic programme decisions.
• Review and track expenses and proper documentation as per Mercy Corps procedures and donor requirements for record keeping and accountancy.

MONITORING & EVALUATION (M&E) AND REPORTING

• Work with the RLP Senior Management, M&E and finance team members to ensure that RLP deliverables are aligned with value-for-money objectives and that financial milestones are proportionate to programme milestones.
• Provide financial perspective in management and decision-making to enhance Mercy Corps’ adaptive management. 

PROGRAM SUPPORT OPERATIONS

• Ensure that RLP financial systems are efficient and are based on smooth-running infrastructure that facilitate timely and efficient program implementation. Provide regular review of field operations to ensure cost-effectiveness and provide guidance on improved operational practices for value-for-money.
• Travel between field locations in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.

STAFF MANAGEMENT

• Ensure a work atmosphere conducive for professional growth and development of personnel at all levels by implementing and ensuring all staff are effectively using the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations and regularly providing constructive feedback.
• Promote accountability by conducting staff annual performance reviews with direct supervisees, and ensuring that supervisory staff do the same.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

 SECURITY

• Work with field office management teams to establish financial reporting and management systems that ensure the safety and security of SDC financial resources including cash assets and records.
• Conduct yourself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned.

 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.
• 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.

Reports directly to: Finance Director

Works directly with: Contracts and Compliance Director, Finance and Compliance Manager/ Directors of the three countries, Programme Team Lead, Deputy Team Lead, Programme Managers, Country Finance/Grants Teams, Programme Teams, Implementing Partners and HR and Operations departments.

Knowledge and Experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics or relevant field; advanced degree preferred.
• Professional accounting certification CPA(K).
• At least seven (7) years of demonstrated professional experience managing grants, procurement and compliance with donor regulations, preferably Donor-funded projects.
• Strong accounting skills and experience in management of the general ledger, journal entries, payables and balance sheet.
• Demonstrated experience applying clauses and negotiating without heavy management oversight including developing amendments and modifications as a result of negotiations.
• Experience providing capacity-building training to staff and local organizations.
• Proven abilities in analytical, excel and reporting skills.

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