The Country Finance Manager will provide overall leadership and strategic oversight of the accounting and financial management services function in Plan International Rwanda in compliance with the Plan’s global policies and accepted accounting practices and develop and maintain an appropriate financial reporting system. The position will also participate and take responsibility for the management of country business risks.

Supporting the Head of Program, the CFM has a vital responsibility to undertake internal and external representation on all operations with critical stakeholders, including Regional Hub, Global Hub, and the National Offices. The CFM will be a member of the Country Management Team (CMT) and provide high-level strategic leadership to the CO, working collaboratively with other CMT members.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

Accountabilities and MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES

Strategic Oversight and Compliance – (20%)

• Provide strategic leadership, organization and coordination of the country finance team in ensuring the provision of required financial services in line with the required standards of the Plan global strategy.
• Responsible for ensuring adherence to finance policies and procedures that are consistent with Plan global policies and compliant with local statutory and legislative requirements.
• Advances the departmental interests to ensure adequate resourcing and professionalization of the workforce as well as allocating resources for the completion of staff outputs and their timely delivery.
• Oversee and support the maintenance of the financial systems (SAP/Business Planning and consolidation/ ERP).
• Ensure the good performance of finance team in terms of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for balance sheet, balance reconciliation, cost recovery, cost ratio… to ensure we have green KPIs.

Business planning and management – (15%)

• Communicate instructions and milestones for business planning, including long-term planning, budgeting, quarterly forecasting and cash flow forecasting
• Facilitate and coordinate business planning processes in the country.
• Co-ordinate the budgeting processes in the country, manage the consolidation and support the Country Director to communicate the budgets to the Regional and Global Hubs.
• Consolidate and review planning inputs
• Support the Country Director (CD) to communicate business plans to the Regional Hub
• Support the CD to disseminate approved annual business plans.
• Provides supervision of finance staff during the budget proposal writing process (budgeting).
• Provides technical support and capacity strengthening of staff in terms of budget management
• Manage the Country office Operations budget for effective and efficient use of allocated funds.

Grants financial reporting and overall Grants Accounting (10%)

• Supervise the establishment of complete grants budgets which include cost recovery of staff costs and support services
• Accurate maintenance of grants expenditure records including supporting documentation which is approved by the appropriate authority
• Review of financial reporting prepared for submission to donors to ensure it is accurate and on time
• Maintaining close monitoring of advances to partners, expenditure reporting by partners and complete supporting documentation

Financial Accounting and Treasury management-(20%)

• Review all transactions processed in SAP and ensure accuracy and compliance with Plan procedures and donor requirements and ensuring a good cost allocation.
• Oversee the short-term and long-term cash forecasts in the country and communicate the same to the Country Leadership Team.
• Authorize financial commitments and payments that are in compliance with Plan policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with local regulatory and tax legislation
• Oversee the management of payroll and review and approval of staff separation benefits and ensure that Statutory Deductions are in line with laws and regulations.
• Monitor community/partner advances and balance sheet items.
• Liaise with the bank in updating accounts signatories, negotiating exchange rates and resolving any issues concerning bank accounts.
• Review reports

Financial reporting and analysis-(10%)

• Provide leadership during the preparation and submission of country monthly and annual financial reports
• Monitor the overall country budget implementation and communicate variances to the Country Management Team in terms of risk analysis.
• Oversee the implementation of the operations budgets in the country.
• Provide leadership and coordinate the quarterly and year-end processes and the preparation of schedules.
• Provide timely and reliable financial strategic information for decision-making and reporting.

Risk Management – (10%)

• Provide advice to management to ensure compliance with legal requirements in-country and liaise with legal counsel as required.
• Manage the financial risks in the country by ensuring appropriate financial internal controls processes, procedures and systems are in place, adhered to and are in compliance with global policies.
• Support audits including statutory audit by ensuring required documentation and information are provided in a timely manner to auditors and follow up on the implementation of audit recommendations

Staff Management and Representation– (10%)

• Manage the performance of the Finance Team.
• Development, coaching and training of direct reports for high performance.
• Provide support in the recruitment process of finance staff if needed.
• Capacity building and training staff on financial management, Plan policies and donor requirements.
• Leading regular meetings of finance team members.
• Ensuring performance management of all finance staff occurs in line with the global standard

Other Responsibilities-(5%)

• Participate and represent the department in internal and external meetings
• Perform other duties to be assigned to support the attainment of organizational goals.
• Provide leadership during the preparation of Plan International audited financial statements and ensure timely filing of the audited accounts with the relevant statutory bodies.
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Dealing with Problems

• This role places a requirement for the development of excellent working relationships and communication that is greater than in more regular management relationships
• The role requires the ability to analyse data, qualitative indicators and reported issues to determine key risks, adverse trends and the appropriate corrective measures
• An ability to arbitrate between parties and to find solutions to difficult financial issues in an evolving development/emergency context is necessary
• Sudden emergency situations are not unusual in Rwanda the post holder must be ready to support the financial management of response programs
• The post holder approves financial transactions and contracts up to USD 50,000 or as varied by the prevailing financial authorization matrix

Others

• Liaison With Stakeholders: liaise and communicate with government bodies, donors, other Plan offices, local and international agencies and other key stakeholders as required and directed by the Country Director.
• A key member of the CO emergency preparedness mechanism and ensures effective activation of Logistics in Emergencies and Procurement in Emergencies as required.

Safeguarding Children and Young People (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI)

• Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed by the appropriate procedures.
• Ensures that the influencing and communications staff are properly inducted and understands their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in day-to-day work.
• Ensures that Plan Rwanda contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.

Leadership COMPETENCIES

• Maximises our progress by aligning work priorities and resource deployment in our own area with Plan International’s wider goals and longer-term direction.
• Leads through influence rather than position, and role model our values, accelerating gender equality inside and outside Plan International and addressing resistance. Self-aware and keen to learn, seeking feedback and creating a safe environment for others to challenge self or raise concerns.
• Achieves desired outcomes and finds innovative solutions by using the expertise and creativity of others and adopting a coaching approach with the people they manage or advise.
• Willing and able to take complex decisions, weighing up the available information and assessing opportunities and risks.
• Delegates tasks and decisions, trusting and stretching others but ensuring they have the resources and support they need.
• Creates space for reflection and uses external evidence and internal evaluation to identify what and how we need to improve and then to support others through change.
• Builds positive relationships outside their own work area, being willing to compromise own preferences to achieve our broader purpose and longer-term impact.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES and skills

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Education and Professional Qualifications:

• Degree in Finance/Accounting related courses
• CPA, ACCA, CFA or other professional qualification in accounting

Essential

• Minimum (7) years of progressive experience in finance with at least 3 years in leadership.
• Proven experience in the implementation and use of any major ERP system.
• Proven experience in Financial Analysis.
• Ability to demonstrate and foster in team members a strong commitment to meeting the needs of other employees and managers for financial services
• Knowledge of the sector and the financial management issues specific to it an advantage
• Knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards, Control standards and the reporting requirements of major international grant donors
• Excellent proven financial analytical skills
• Proven effective management skills leading teams across several sites and operating in a multi-cultural and matrix management structure
• Strong negotiations, influencing, and networking skills.
• Presentation and problem-solving skills in a complex work environment.
• Attention to detail and analytical skills.
• Excellent planning, management, and coordination skills, with the ability to organize a workload comprised of varying and changing tasks and responsibilities.
• Strong communication in English (written and spoken), and interpersonal skills.

Desirable

• Advanced level of Excel
• Experience in Grants management and knowledge of major donors’ (USAID, DFID, EU, etc.) compliance requirements.

• Provide strategic leadership, organization and coordination of the country finance team in ensuring the provision of required financial services in line with the required standards of the Plan global strategy.
• Responsible for ensuring adherence to finance policies and procedures that are consistent with Plan global policies and compliant with local statutory and legislative requirements.
• Advances the departmental interests to ensure adequate resourcing and professionalization of the workforce as well as allocating resources for the completion of staff outputs and their timely delivery.
• Oversee and support the maintenance of the financial systems (SAP/Business Planning and consolidation/ ERP).
• Ensure the good performance of finance team in terms of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for balance sheet, balance reconciliation, cost recovery, cost ratio… to ensure we have green KPIs.
• Communicate instructions and milestones for business planning, including long-term planning, budgeting, quarterly forecasting and cash flow forecasting
• Facilitate and coordinate business planning processes in the country.
• Co-ordinate the budgeting processes in the country, manage the consolidation and support the Country Director to communicate the budgets to the Regional and Global Hubs.
• Consolidate and review planning inputs
• Support the Country Director (CD) to communicate business plans to the Regional Hub
• Support the CD to disseminate approved annual business plans.
• Provides supervision of finance staff during the budget proposal writing process (budgeting).
• Provides technical support and capacity strengthening of staff in terms of budget management
• Manage the Country office Operations budget for effective and efficient use of allocated funds.
• Supervise the establishment of complete grants budgets which include cost recovery of staff costs and support services
• Accurate maintenance of grants expenditure records including supporting documentation which is approved by the appropriate authority
• Review of financial reporting prepared for submission to donors to ensure it is accurate and on time
• Maintaining close monitoring of advances to partners, expenditure reporting by partners and complete supporting documentation
• Review all transactions processed in SAP and ensure accuracy and compliance with Plan procedures and donor requirements and ensuring a good cost allocation.
• Oversee the short-term and long-term cash forecasts in the country and communicate the same to the Country Leadership Team.
• Authorize financial commitments and payments that are in compliance with Plan policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with local regulatory and tax legislation
• Oversee the management of payroll and review and approval of staff separation benefits and ensure that Statutory Deductions are in line with laws and regulations.
• Monitor community/partner advances and balance sheet items.
• Liaise with the bank in updating accounts signatories, negotiating exchange rates and resolving any issues concerning bank accounts.
• Review reports
• Provide leadership during the preparation and submission of country monthly and annual financial reports
• Monitor the overall country budget implementation and communicate variances to the Country Management Team in terms of risk analysis.
• Oversee the implementation of the operations budgets in the country.
• Provide leadership and coordinate the quarterly and year-end processes and the preparation of schedules.
• Provide timely and reliable financial strategic information for decision-making and reporting.