Organizational Context
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R – response, resilience and respect – to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate – our raison d’être – of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability.
IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi); the Americas (Panama); Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpa); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe.
IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
The IFRC plays a crucial role in supporting the Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies by coordinating international relief efforts, providing development assistance, and ensuring the integrity and protection of National Society interests. The National Societies in Turkiye, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia are the largest humanitarian organisations in respective country. As auxiliary to the public authorities in humanitarian services, the National Societies provide aid for vulnerable people in need during disasters and non-emergency contexts, using their extensive in-country assets, human resources and government and civil society relations for the effective and efficient implementation of activities across all sectors. The Country Cluster Delegation for Turkiye and South Caucasus, has its Delegation in Ankara, Türkiye and forms part of the IFRC Europe Region. IFRC also has country offices in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. It provides technical, coordination and administrative support to the National Societies aligned with their respective programmatic priorities and strategies as well as IFRC’s Strategy 2030—our collective plan of action to tackle the major humanitarian and development challenges of this decade.
Job Purpose
The Finance Manager is responsible for delivery of finance services in full extent of the scope of the finance management job classification in support of the operational programmes carried out by the office of the Country Cluster Delegation for Türkiye and South Caucasus, as well as for providing assistance in finance to the Turkish Red Crescent Society. The position will supervise IFRC finance teams based in Ankara and Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Risk Management, Internal Controls and Regulatory Compliance
- Ensure a robust internal control environnement is maintained, incuding :
- Review, advise, validate and approve all contracts for compliance and financial risk,
- Ensuring that a financial risk assessment is conducted for project proposals,
- Ensure implementation of finance policies, processes and procedures,
- Carry out finance due diligence check on suppliers.
Financial Reporting and Monitoring
- Prepare monthly financial analysis report for the Head of Country Cluster Delegation highlighting financial issues and risks.
- Monitor and report on Key Financial Performance Indicators (KPI’s).
- Oversee preparation and submission of timely donor reports to the Europe and Central Asia Regional Finance Unit.
- Support internal and external audits conducted for the countries within the Country Cluster Delegation’s programmes.
- Oversee funds transfer spot checks reviews and report with remedial actions to improve systems within the National Societies.
- Monitor funds transfers to National Societies and ensure timely reporting. Work with respective Finance staff to ensure liquidation of advances are posted into ERP in a timely manner.
- Review balances in the various Business Units within the cluster and ensure no dormancies exist.
Financial Management and Operational Support
- Manage the Turkiye Country Cluster Delegation funds and financial assets under the overall direction of Head of Country Cluster Delegation. This will include cost control management as well as management of treasury function.
- Work with Programs team to ensure expedited cash transfers for operations.
- Manage bank account balances to minimize forex losses on cash held, update signatories as and when necessary.
- Ensure bank reconciliations are completed in a timely manner.
- Ensure all country offices’/Delegation cash flow is monitored, cash requests submitted in a timely manner and cash available for each of the country offices/Delegation.
- Monitor compliance with cash disbursement memo and ensure country offices/Delegation are compliant with thresholds defined with regards to payments.
- Oversee that the Country Cluster Delegation processes payments escalated from the different Business Units within the Country Cluster Delegation within defined parameters.
- Oversee the budgeting cycle, regularly ensuring program budgets are revised in line with available funding and implementation.
- Monitor budget implementation and ensure accurate accounting, authorizations and budget variances are managed.
- Ensure, track and report that Shared Office and Services Costs (SOSC) fees are recovered per costing principles of full cost recovery.
- Advise Head of Country Cluster Delegation and programme managers on financial matters.
- Validate monthly payroll in country of duty station before onward processing for payment, ensure compliance with local tax legislation and taxes are paid in a timely manner.
- Monitor contributions by donors and ensure implementation is in line with donor requirements.
- Provide technical review of agreements being drawn with the National Societies, suppliers and others and ensure financial terms and conditions are in line with Federation’s policies.
Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)
Monitor PNS current accounts
- Provide oversight on preparation of service invoicing and ensuring these are submitted in a timely manner.
- Follow up of outstanding balances with PNS representative in country of duty station, and in coordination with the finance staff in the countries outside the duty station.
Month end processing
- Manage the monthly cycle within the required deadlines.
- Review and ensure reconciliation of balance sheet accounts by each of the country finance teams is done on a monthly basis.
- Ensure that monthly checklists are completed by each IFRC country finance team and supported by appropriate documentation and submit to ROE in a timely manner.
Continuous Learning and Improvement
- Support improvements, good practice and continuous learning and knowledge sharing in the country and Cluster Delegation in above areas of service delivery.
- Encourage and promote a culture of continuous learning and sharing of best practices among the finance team.
- Train, support and advise delegation staff in financial matters.
- Advise, support, train, and line manage (with a technical line management function) the finance teams based in country offices.
Lateral relationships
- Establish and ensure effective working relationships with country cluster staff members.
- Ensure effective working relationships with National Society counterparts and leadership.
- Ensure effective working relationships with technical and service departments in the global management team.
Education
Required:
- Master’s degree in Business Administration, Commerce, or any other relevant fields
- Full professional accountancy qualification (CPA (K), ACCA, ACA etc.)
Experience
Required:
- 7 years’ experience in financial management, accounting and audit and risks management
Prefered:
- Previous experience working for the Federation and/or National Society is an asset
Knowledge, Skills and Languages
Required:
- Competent in budgeting and budget monitoring
- Competent in Financial control at all levels
- Skills in training and developing staff
- Experience in managing and developing financial teams
- Experience in writing narrative and financial reports.
- Fluently spoken and written English and Turkish
Preferred:
- Experience of working for humanitarian organisations on a country level
- Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)
Competencies, Values and Comments
- Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
- Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and Teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust
- Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others
- Managerial competencies: Managing staff performance; Managing staff development
