Contracts Finance Manager - HQ

Working with the world’s poorest people to transform their lives. Concern Worldwide is an international humanitarian organisation dedicated to tackling poverty and suffering in the world’s poorest countries. We work in partnership with the very poorest people in these countries, directly enabling them to improve their lives, as well as using our knowledge and experience to influence decisions made at a local, national and international level that can significantly reduce extreme poverty.

Job Title: / Contracts Finance Manager - HQ
Reports to: / Regional Director
Direct reports: / Not applicable
Job Location: / This role can be based in Dublin or London
Contract Details: / 2 year fixed term contract
Pay Band: / Dublin (€40,928 – €50,559)
London (£42,625 – £ 47,112)
Job Purpose: / Reporting to the Regional Director, the Contracts Finance Manager HQwill be tasked with the advancement and growth of Concern Worldwide’s organisational capacity and knowledge in bidding for and managing commercial contracts.
The Contracts Finance Coordinator HQ will lead on the development and improvement of systems and procedures for the monitoring and oversight of Concern’s commercial portfolio, ensuring the entire award lifecycle, from bid stage, through to delivery, reporting, and audit are carried out to as high a standard as possible in compliance with contractual and legal obligations.
The Contracts Finance Coordinator HQ will provide direction and support to implementing teams in the field and will brief Concern’s Executive Management Team on any pertinent risks and opportunities as they are foreseen. This position will require travel to fields of operation and other relevant locations as necessary.
An innovative addition to Concern Worldwide, the Contracts Finance Coordinator HQ will ensure that quality practices and approaches are embedded at Headquarter and Field Operational level to maximise financial and operational performance and minimise risk to the organisation.
Main duties &
Responsibilities: / Financial Oversight and Compliance
  • Ensure that project implementation staff have all the necessary tools and materials available to ensure compliance with tender requirements and contractual agreements.
  • Provide efficient and effective support to field level Financial Contract Specialists to ensure payment scheduling and invoicing is on track as per agreed work plans.
  • Establish a control and review procedure that ensures all official submissions and invoices to the client are appraised and evaluated to the highest standards.
  • Review and monitor field level management reports and forecasts on cashflow, milestones and deliverables and follow up on any relevant variances.
  • Ensure applicable accounting standards and legislations are adhered to in the recognition of revenue and expenditure under performance based contracts (FRS102).
  • Maintain complete and comprehensive files and records of contract submissions including all key correspondence, contractual changes and status reports.
  • Monitor and track fluctuations in foreign exchange as appropriate.
  • Engage with Concern’s HQ Overseas Finance Team to ensure adherence to broader organisational financial policies and procedures.
  • In consortium arrangements ensure organisational due diligence procedures are followed and that findings and recommendations are implemented and continuously monitored.
  • Engage with Concern’s Internal Audit Team to ensure all issues relating to fraud, misappropriation, risk and complaints are tracked and followed up.
  • Support and input into contract amendments, budget revisions, extensions, renewals and close out procedures as required.
Quality Assurance
  • Develop procedures to capture and appraise Value for Money performance against agreed criteria.
  • Input into the Annual Risk Review process for presentation to the Audit and Risk sub-committee of the Board of Directors.
  • Ensure Concern’s Finance Director is apprised of any risk factors that may impact the organisations Reserves Policy in a timely manner.
  • Assess on a regular basis the implementation of project outputs with payment triggers and scheduled deliverables and update management on related cashflow implications.
  • Conduct periodic assurance reviews of project budget verses actual reports.
Coordination and Communication
  • Act as the focal point of contact on client invoicing queries, updates and feedback process for Headquarters.
  • Attend relevant client meetings where required.
  • In a consortium arrangement, act the focal point of contract for communications with consortium partners at Headquarter level.
  • Update Concern’s Executive Management Team as required to aid understanding of requirements and timescales for completion.
  • Monitor and identify opportunities posted online and flag potential opportunities
Field Support and Organisational Capacity Building
  • Provide direction, guidance and support to field staff throughout the entire award lifecycle.
  • Carry out support visits to fields of operation to conduct trainings and workshops as required.
  • Document and develop lessons learned for organisational growth and understanding.
  • Build and maintain a proposal library of key information to aid future bid responses.
Contracts and Legal
  • Input into the development and review of sub-contract agreements and amendments in line with organisational and donor/client policies and requirements.
  • Liaise with Concern’s Corporate Services Team to ensure that all such contracts and amendments are assessed and cleared for legal issues in order to safeguard Concern’s interests before signing.
  • Ensure contractual insurance requirements are appraised, appropriate and kept up to date.
Responsibilities to Concern Worldwide (Ireland and UK offices)
  • To establish working relationships with relevant/designated personnel in London and Dublin office
  • To agree and establish appropriate reporting mechanisms to Concern Worldwide (Ireland and UK) and to ensure that these are then implemented
  • To deal efficiently with queries. visits and ad hoc requests from relevant staff members from Concern Worldwide (Ireland and UK)
  • To ensure through training, briefings etc. that there is a broad understanding of financial issues in relation to contracting among the relevant/designated personnel in London and Dublin offices
  • To ensure issues and concerns of a financial nature are immediately reported to relevant person in Concern Worldwide (Ireland and UK)
  • To ensure that all frauds are immediately reported to Concern Worldwide (Ireland and UK)
  • To ensure that all financial policies and procedure are adhered to and where these are missing to highlight this, and work with Concern Worldwide (Ireland and UK) in order to establish them.

Person specification: / Essential:
  • Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA, ACMA, CPA or CA or equivalent) with 5 years post qualification experience at a senior financial level.
  • 2 -3 years’ experience in financial contract management.
  • Experience of implementing and managing a Payment by Results output model.
  • Fluent English Speaker with excellent communication and presentation skills.
  • Excellent organisational, analytical and coordination skills.
  • Experience in third party negotiations and sub-contract development.
  • Proven experience of developing and facilitating training workshops for finance and non-finance managers.
  • Proven record of meeting demanding deadlines.
  • Strong IT knowledge (proficient in Microsoft Office packages)
Desirable:
  • Previous experience working with an international humanitarian organisation.
  • Previous experience workings with large institutional donors such as EU, DFID, USAID.
  • Previous experience of financial management in a consortium arrangement.
  • Internal or External Audit experience.
  • Experience in project start up and/or close out.

To apply: / All applications including CVs and covering letter should be emailed to quoting Ref: CFMHQby closing date 1st November, 2015.
Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Ireland or the UK at the time of application.
Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these two documents.
Concern receives a substantial amount of funding from external donors each year. Increasingly donors are introducing requirements whereby future funding is conditional on Concern ensuring that the names of any new employee or volunteer do not appear on terrorism lists generated by the European Union (List of person, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC No. 2580/2001 applies), the US Government (Office of Foreign Assets Control list of specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) and the United Nations (Consolidated List).
Any offer of employment (either paid or voluntary) with Concern Worldwide will not be made pending a clearance check being conducted on the applicant. For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office.
Concern Worldwide is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

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Updated February 2009