Фінансовий/а офіцер/ка по роботі з партнерами / Finance Officer – Partnership Management

Фінансовий офіцер  по роботі з управління партнерством – це посада, створена для зміцненняефективності та продуктивності партнерської діяльності Country Office Care Ukraine. Вона/він несе відповідальність за фінансовий аналіз партнера та перевірку партнерськихфінансових звітів (аудиторські фінансові документи та процедури) відповідно політих та процедур управління грантами CARE, вимог донорів. Фінансовий спеціаліст  по роботі з управління партнерством працюватиме під наглядом фінансового координатора зуправління партнерством і матиме час від часу спілкування з фінансовим менеджером,засідаючи в представництві в Україні.

Location: Lviv (Ukraine)

Reporting line manager: Finance Coordinator – Partnership Management

Duration: 1 year extendable

Conditions: Employment contract, gross monthly salary between EUR 1,614 and EUR2,111 depending on proven relevant experience for the post. Moving allowance to Lviv: EUR600 lump sum (one time), applicable for staff recruited from outside the base. Annual leave of 28 days per fiscal year.

Starting date: ASAP

CARE INTERNATIONAL

CARE International (CI) is among the world’s largest international non-governmental humanitarian relief and development confederations. Drawing on more than 75 years of experience, through its 21 Members, as both a practitioner and thought leader, CI’s work reaches over 100 countries worldwide to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice. 

CARE’s vision is to seek a world of hope, inclusion, and social justice; where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security. CARE focuses heavily on women and girls, and the areas of gender equality, diversity, and inclusion are at the center of our work because we know that we cannot overcome poverty and social injustice until all people have equal rights and opportunities. We recognize that power relations between people and within systems and structures are unequal and that these are entrenched in our broader systems, structures, and institutions.

 At the core of the CI Confederation is a globally distributed Secretariat, which provides coordination and support to its Members in areas including governance, strategic planning, communications, membership development and accountability, advocacy, humanitarian response, and program development. In addition, the Secretariat represents the CI Confederation at the United Nations and the European Union, and with other external stakeholders.

Context in Ukraine

On 24th February 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marked a significant escalation to the conflict that started in 2014. It continues to profoundly impact the lives of people across the country at various levels. The front line is continuously shifting and there are areas controlled by Russian forces as well as cities under siege. Aerial attacks on military installations and critical civilian infrastructures are conducted in the whole territory of Ukraine, often resulting in collateral civilian casualties. The conflict has caused the largest population movement in Europe since World War II, with 6.24 million displaced within Ukraine and 7.68 million refugees having fled to neighboring countries. By October 26, OCHA had counted 17.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. 

CARE UKRAINE

CARE Ukraine prioritizes a locally led response and is partnering primarily with Civil-Society Organizations (CSOs), National NGOs, local authorities, and when needed, INGOs with a longstanding presence in the country and access to hard-to-reach areas. CARE Ukraine deliberately and strategically prioritizes partnerships with local and national Women Led and Women Rights organizations (WLO’s/ WRO’s), further strengthening the Gender in Emergencies (GiE) principle and the Women Lead in Emergencies (WLiE) approach.

In the first few weeks after the escalation of the war, virtually all humanitarian aid inside Ukraine was organized and implemented by local actors. These groups (together with local authorities) remain the principal aid providers but are quickly being exhausted of funds, fuel, and physical energy. Thereby, a considerable proportion of CARE’s resources is dedicated to strengthening and supporting the capacities of local partners. 

As of November 2022, CARE Ukraine has established partnerships with twelve local/national organizations (incl. four WLO’s/WRO’s) and five international NGOs. From the more than 28 million that have been raised for Ukraine thus far, more than half is allocated to local/national partners. Through the activities that have been implemented so far, CARE Ukraine has been able to reach 550,030 people, including IDPs and affected populations in hard-to-reach areas.

While CARE Ukraine’s office is currently located in Lviv, we are continuously working on strategically expanding CARE’s presence and reach with plans to open an office in Kyiv as well as field offices in Dnipro and Odessa, covering both the East and South of the country. 

Role Objectives

The Finance Officer – Partnership Management is the position established to strengthen the effectiveness and performance of partner-based operations in the Care Ukraine Country Office. She/he is responsible for handling partner financial review and verification of partner financial reports (auditing financial documents and procedures) according to CARE’s sub-grant management policy and procedures, donors’ requirements. The Finance Officer – Partnership Management will work under the supervision of the Finance Coordinator – Partnership Management and will have occasional communication with Financial Manager sitting in the Ukraine Country Office.

Key areas of accountability:

1. Partner Contractual Management

• Assist the Partnership Coordinator in developing partner agreements/contracts.

• Assist Partnership Coordinator in coordinating with the program teams, participate in project start-ups, including working with partners on detailed reviews of their budgets and review of necessary documentation and financial reporting requirements.

• Assist Partnership Coordinator in providing direct, proactive, hands-on budget management support to program teams and partners, providing monthly analyzed budget information/expenditure reports.

• Carry out periodic partner monitoring and financial reviews and ensure advance justifications are monitored in line with CARE contractual obligations.  

• Ensure effective reconciliation of partner advances.

• Carry out financial management training with the guidance of Partnership Coordinator for partners and support them to ensure they have adequate internal management tools, including books of accounts, trackers, etc.

• Work with the Program Managers and Partnership Coordinator to ensure efficient management of subgrants to partners.

• Maintain adequate files for each partnership, both electronic and hard copies, in adherence with CARE’s sub-agreement management policy.

• Assist Partnership Coordinator in developing partner monitoring plans, assist financial monitoring or partners and prepare financial monitoring reports.

2.     Capacity Assessment and Training of Partners

• Support the Partnership Coordinator on partners’ assessment processes with sufficient transparency, including due diligence and organizational capacity assessments prior to engaging in partnership. 

• Conduct capacity building training with the guidance of Partnership Coordinator for partner’s finance staff on CARE’s sub-grant management policy and procedures.  

• Identify financial management capacity gaps of partners and support in development of a capacity building plan to ensure capacities are appropriately built.  

• Work closely with the program managers under the guidance of Partnership Coordinator to schedule relevant capacity building trainings and initiatives.

• Provide feedback to partners on reporting and documentation, carrying out site visits and mentorship on an ongoing basis.

3.     Financial Management Accountability

• With the guidance of Partnership Coordinator review partner fund transfer requests against budget and reconciliation data, coordinating with the program team to ensure the appropriateness of the request and with the finance team to leverage funds to the partner.

• Review partner submission of financial reports and ensure timely, accurate, and complete submission of financial data and liquidation of partner advances.  

• With the guidance of Partnership Coordinator monitor partner financial performance through conducting desk reviews or site visits and provide capacity building support to address identified gaps.  Provide monthly feedback to partners on financial reports.

• Book partner expenses in the financial system and ensure clearances of the received/payable balances to partners.

• Establish and maintain all subgrants data in a manual tracker.

• With the guidance of Partnership Coordinator, coordinate partner project close out, including supporting the preparation of the final financial report that corresponds with narrative reports, asset validation, audits, etc.  Carry out site visits to partner agencies to verify final reports.

• Support internal and external Audits of CARE and sub recipients.

4.    Coordination and Cross-cutting Representation

• Liaise with the Partnership Coordinator to ensure issues of partner performance are effectively addressed.

• Working closely with the Partnership Coordinator, MEAL Coordinator, and relevant Program Managers, ensure partner tools are harmonized, tested, and rolled out among all CARE partners.

• Support the partner documentation process to ensure compliance and MEAL minimum standards are met.

• Work closely with the Partnership Coordinator and other relevant focal points for all partner pre-selection assessments and information gathering.

Key Interactions:

• Internal: Finance Manager, Finance Coordinator – Partnership Management, other Support Staff.

• External: Partner Finance Focal Personnel

Requirements

Mandatory criteria for longlisting:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance or related field.

• At least 3 years of professional experience in related field. 

• High level of expertise in using MS Excel/Word.

• Excellent communication and writing skills.

• Strong attention to detail and good analytical skills.

• Detail oriented, an ability to multitask and work under pressure.

• Solid analytical, problem solving, and audit experience.

• Ability to quickly learn new systems, processes and procedures and adapt local practices to global standards.

• Intermediate level of English and Ukrainian language is a must.

Desired: 

• Humanitarian/Development oriented NGO experience.

• Master’s degree in related field.

Key Competencies: 

• Capacity to work within tight deadlines.

• Ability to work independently, ready to take on variety of new tasks.

• Ability to work multi-task.

• Information monitoring.

• Strong analytical and reporting skills.

Accountability within CARE:

A commitment to CARE values and CARE’s integrity framework is critical to working with CARE. Any candidate offered a job with CARE will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability:

• Comply with CARE’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behavior protocols.

• Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.

• Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a CARE staff or partner.

Safeguarding:

Children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with CARE as a result of our activities must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury, and any other harm. One of the ways that CARE shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

Gender equality:

CARE is committed to meeting the standards of the CARE International Gender Policy (2019). Through this policy, CARE seeks to promote the equal realization of dignity and human rights for girls, women, boys and men in all diversities, and the elimination of poverty and injustice. Specifically, this policy seeks to improve the explicit incorporation of gender in programmatic and organizational practices.

How to Apply:

 Please send your complete application package (CV, motivation letter) only in English to <[email protected]>, no later than 03 May 2023, with Finance Officer – Partnership Management as the subject title of your email.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  References will only be contacted after the interview.  

[email protected]