Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.
In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions
into action โ helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.
Program / Department Summary
Mercy Corpsโ Ukraine crisis response seeks to meet the humanitarian needs of vulnerable Ukrainians and other conflict-affected people where they are: displaced inside Ukraine, refugees in Poland, Romania and Moldova, or trapped behind frontlines. We aim to reach 500,000 vulnerable people with multi-purpose cash assistance, in-kind humanitarian support, and protection services across four countries. Almost all of our impact will be delivered in partnership: with Ukrainian, Polish, Romanian and Moldovan civil society organizations through a granting program that matches humanitarian action with capacity strengthening, and with peer international NGOs through a consortium in Ukraine.
General Position Summary
The Director of Finance & Compliance Ukraine Response is responsible for all financial operations for the response set-up. They are part of Mercy Corpsโ Finance Department, and as such are responsible for all aspects of financial management of the country programs, working collaboratively to ensure compliance with Mercy Corps internal policies and procedures as well as donor regulations. They work under the direction of the Response Director and are responsible for all financial functions in the Ukraine Response, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting and grant financial management and compliance. The Director of Finance & Compliance, in support of the Program Department, provides timely reports and assistance to the Response Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision
โ Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to response wide strategy development across multiple countries within the region.
โ Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment of empowerment.
Operations - Financial
โ Initiate and see through the establishment of internal controls and local finance policies & procedures (e.g. approval authority matrix, segregation of duties matrix, cash handling and banking/payment procedures, cost allocation special circumstances, etc).
โ Assess current and anticipated finance needs and appropriate structure as the Ukraine Response evolves.
โ Ensure effective, transparent use of financial resources in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
โ Assess banking environment and currency options; share recommendations; participate in bank selection and account setup.
โ Maintain banking relations and plan and monitor country cash flow requirements to ensure the smooth implementation of Mercy Corps programs.
โ Maintain appropriate local insurance coverage in coordination with the Admin. Department, to protect Mercy Corps.
โ Provide monthly standard accounting submissions to Mercy Corps Headquarters, including general ledger files, account reconciliations, expenditures by cost center/project, required subgrantee reporting, as well as other financial information in a timely and accurate manner.
โ Maintain schedules to record and track budget vs cash vs commitments in real-time for the early stages of this response,
โ Provide ad hoc management reports to the Response Director and Program Managers, including expenditures by cost center/project, subgrantee reporting and other financial information, in a timely and accurate manner.
โ Develop master budgets with the Response Director, and develop and implement grant budgeting and forecasting systems with Program Managers.
โ Oversee/perform financial review of Program Team membersโ expense reports (travel expense reports and operational expense reports), payment requests, purchase requests, contracts.
โ Lead/oversee the development of the national team payroll plan and accounting template.
โ Ensure compliance with national and local tax and labor laws.
โ Lead the process of establishing a country ledger in Mercy Corpsโ Navigator finance software system in coordination with HQ finance.
โ Lead role in interaction with international and local sub-recipients from finance perspective (i.e. sub-award pre-award assessments, program budgeting, funds transfers, financial reporting, reconciliation, and financial monitoring).
โ Lead field role in developing proposal budgets in coordination with field and HQ teams.
Program Management
โ Fulfill Mercy Corpsโ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.
โ Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corpsโ Code of Conduct; Gender, Diversity and Inclusion guiding documents; Core Humanitarian Principles and Do No Harm
Team Management
โ Participate in and/or lead recruitment and hiring of finance department team members depending on position level (potentially ranging from finance assistant to senior finance officer level).
โ Ensure team members improve performance & reach objectives
โ Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
โ Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence, and cultivate resilience and well-being under challenging situations.
Influence & Representation
โ Interface with donor representatives to convey information about programs as appropriate.
โ Communicate with our partners to verify their systems and that they understand and follow all appropriate procedures and archiving.
โ Participate in sharing best practices with NGOs and governmental agencies.
โ Consistently demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances.
โ Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
โ Demonstrate an awareness of their own strengths and development needs.
Security
โ Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies
โ Contribute to creating a secure environment for team members.
Supervisory Responsibility
Finance Manager โ Accounting, Finance Manager Subawards & Compliance
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Response Director with indirect line into International Finance Team
Works Directly With: Field Security Manager/HQ Regional Finance Officer/Members of Ops team, Emergency program managers/ TSU team members/Human Resources Manager/MEL role/Procurement and Logistic Responder/Program Development, Reporting and Communication Officer/AiE Focal Point/CTP Advisor/Food Security and Livelihood Program Manager/WASH Program Manager/others
Knowledge and Experience
โ At least 5+ years of progressive financial management experience, including supervisory experience (required).
โ 4 years experience in grant financial management (budgeting, monitoring, compliance, etc.) required;
โ 3 years international experience required, (preferred in the humanitarian sector)
โ Previous deployment in emergencies contexts in multiple countries is preferred
โ Previous experience in insecure or evolving environments
โ A BA/S or equivalent in accounting or finance required; advanced degree preferred.
โ Excellent oral and written English skills required; proficiency in Russian is is a plus
โ Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
โ Mercy Corpsโ Core Humanitarian Competencies (as defined in the