Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long-term impact.
About International Finance (IF) and the LAC Regional Team
International Finance supports Mercy Corpsโ operations in award financial management, financial reporting, accounting, and compliance with internal financial policies and procedures. Strong international finance support is key to the success and delivery of quality programs. The VP of International Finance, in close collaboration with the Deputy Regional Director, Operations, country leadership, and country operations management team, focuses on developing and supporting a high standard of financial management to deliver on Mercy Corps' mission and ensure successful award implementation in a compliant and efficient way.
The Position
The Regional Finance Manager serves as a member of both the International Finance and the LAC Regional teams. This role supports the financial management function for the regional portfolio and oversees the financial management of the LAC award portfolio. The Manager plays a key role in advancing strategies and initiatives within the region, ensuring alignment with Mercy Corps' internal policies, procedures, and donor regulations. Reporting to VP of International Finance and the Deputy Regional Director, Operations, LAC and managing a team of financial analysts, this position collaborates to optimize the use of financial resources across programs and departments, fostering efficiency and effectiveness.
Essential Responsibilities
Portfolio Financial Management Oversight/support
- Support the VP of International Finance and the Deputy Regional Director, Operations, LAC in monitoring the financial performance of the regional portfolio. Identify weaknesses, strengths, risks, and opportunities in the LAC portfolio.
- Collaborate with Country Finance Directors & Managers across the region to support award implementation and financial management, ensuring consistent use of Mercy Corps' financial and accounting best practices.
- Support the VP of International Finance and the Deputy Regional Director, Operations, LAC in overseeing and strengthening risk management processes, ensuring robust internal controls are in place, and developing mitigation strategies to safeguard financial integrity and compliance across country programs.
- Contribute to discussions on financial policy issues, including the maintenance and development of the Field Finance Manual.
- Support the annual planning and budgeting process, and assist the VP of International Finance and the Deputy Regional Director, Operations, LAC in monitoring revenue projections for the LAC portfolio.
- Support regional initiatives as needed.
Awards Financial and Accounting Management Support
- Support regional and country teams during start-up, and other major events, including the development of master budgets, sub-award budgets, and the development of financial monitoring tools and systems for sub-recipients.
- Oversee the preparation and submission of donor reports, ensuring they meet all donor requirements and deadlines.
- Analyze and support the country programโs financial forecasting process to enhance effective Budget vs. Actual (BvA) management and ensure accurate forecasting.
- Deploy to country offices and field sites within the region to provide on-the-ground support and oversight as required
- Support the billing/invoicing process to ensure timely and accurate billing to donors, and support award cash management by monitoring cash flow and ensuring funds are available for award activities and close-out.
- Support the financial close-out of awards during and after the end of the period of performance (POP), ensuring all financial obligations are met, final reports are submitted, and any remaining funds are reconciled.
- Support Business Development efforts with reviews and input to cost proposals as needed. Perform financial review of the proposal documents before submission to the donor.
- Ensure compliance with internal financial policies, procedures, and donor regulations across all awards managed by the region, with the support of the financial analysts and the VP of International Finance and the Deputy Regional Director, Operations, LAC.
- Review audit reports and support country offices in solving audit issues. Internal/External audit closure and corrective action plan development and tracking.
Recruitment, Capacity Building, and Team Management
- Support the recruitment and onboarding process for Finance leads across the region.
- Support the development of finance capacity within the regional and the various country office teams, including training and mentorship of staff in financial management and accounting practices.
- Provide training and capacity building for finance and program staff on financial management, policies, and procedures.
Supervisory Responsibility This role will supervise a team of Financial Analysts supporting awards implemented within the region.
Accountability
- Reports Directly To: VP, International Finance & DRD Operations LAC
- Works Directly/Closely With: Finance Managers/Directors of country programs, International Finance, corporate finance, global treasury, Cost & Pricing, and the LAC regional leadership.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- Bachelorโs Degree in Accounting or Finance - Masterโs Degree, CPA, or equivalent a plus.
- At least 7+ years of international level progressive financial management experience within an INGO at field level/overseas level experience, including supervisory experience required.
- Experience working in complex and fast-paced environments, with the ability to deploy to emergency locations.
- Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to effectively manage and motivate teams.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders and build strong relationships.
- Proven experience in managing multi-country financial operations and donor-funded Awards.
- Strong knowledge of the donor environment for international development and humanitarian aid, including familiarity with diverse funding sources, evolving donor priorities, application process, and funding cycles.
- Proven knowledge of US Government and a range of European donor regulations highly desirable.
- Commitment to humanitarian principles and the mission and strategy of Mercy Corps.
- Fluency in English required. Proficiency in Spanish is preferred.
- This position requires travel (up to 10% of the time).
- Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Success Factors
The successful Regional Finance Manager will have a strong understanding of multi-donor finance and accounting in a relief and development setting. They must be a strong communicator with the ability to problem solve, prioritize, delegate and work closely with other departments. The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment while maintaining the respect of staff and colleagues will be essential.
The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork, accountability, and effective communication in all situations. Mercy Corps is a highly collaborative and lateral organization that encourages strong self-initiative as well as team spirit. In order to succeed in this environment, the candidate should be highly organized, and innovative. They should demonstrate proud workmanship, good communication and collaboration skills. The successful Regional Finance Manager will demonstrate a strong understanding and sensitivity towards the diverse cultural, political and religious environments of the places where Mercy Corps works
Ongoing LearningIn support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development Team Efficiency and Effectiveness Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together. Equal Employment OpportunityMercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out different backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work. Safeguarding & EthicsMercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).