CARE is a leading humanitarian organization dedicated to fighting poverty and social injustice with a special emphasis on women and girls. We are known everywhere for our unshakable commitment to the dignity of people. CARE partners contribute to the empowerment of the most marginalized and vulnerable rural women and girls to exercise their rights. CARE's East and Central Africa (ECA) Regional Office is part of CARE International, whose vision is to seek a world of hope, tolerance, and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security. The Regional Office is responsible for the oversight of CARE's operations in the region as well as the provision of support to country offices in the region.
CARE USA Core Values Commitment
The Core Values Commitment describes who we are, what we do, and how we do it. It reflects our core values of TRANSFORMATION, INTEGRITY, DIVERSITY, EQUALITY and EXCELLENCE, which serve as a foundation for all what we do. The Core Values Commitment articulates our shared expectations of each other including our board, staff, volunteers, interns, partners and contractors globally.
Role Profile
The Regional Business Analyst is responsible for promoting sound Finance & Award/Subaward Management within the region and the Regional Office (RO). S/he provides technical support in regional report reviews and feedback to Country Offices (COs) to include Country Office Monthly Finance & Operations Report (COMFORT), Finance Analysis & Reporting, Budget Grants and Contracts Review to COs in the region as well as Regional Office Budget Management and Reporting. S/he plays a key role in CO Master budget Analysis in determination of Shared Program Costs (SPC) and Funding gaps. S/he will work closely with the Shared Service Center, Regional Office, and Country Offices to ensure appropriate annual Financial Accounting & Reporting Requirements at the COs is accomplished. The post holder will be expected to travel 50% of the time to Country offices in the ECA region as may be required.
This position reports to the ECA Regional Finance Support Coordinator.
Roles and Responsibilities
1. Country Office Financial Management (40%)
Budget Management:
- Provide technical review to COs on Master Budgets and advise of the CO health position to management, advise options for cost management across restricted and unrestricted resources
- Support COs in annual budgeting processes including review CO submissions, lead in the review of the mid year budget forecast process and advise appropriate action
- Deliver technical support to ensure maximized Shared Program Cost recovery and optimize charges to Restricted donor funding
- Proactively identify and recommend opportunities to increase revenue, decrease costs, gain efficiencies, improve internal controls and/or improve operational capabilities
- Provide financial analytical support for grant budgeting in proposals, especially in costing budget proposals and ensuring adequate funding is included in the budgets
- Review and recommend financial systems, controls, and procedures for recording program activities,
- Support COs in ensuring accurate and on time financial reporting to donors
Capacity Building:
- Provide COs capacity building in Award & Sub Award management and Accounting as may be required from time to time
- Provide in country gap filling for both Award & Subaward and Accounting as may be assigned
- Provide support to the recruitment & onboarding process of key finance positions within the region
- Support in trouble shooting in financial processes, determining cause of inefficiencies and propose/recommend solutions
2. Regional Financial Management & Reporting (40%)
Management Reporting:
- Monthly Regional Financial Reporting: will support in COMFORT Review and feedback to Cos. Review and prepare management report to the Regional Management Team (RMT) and Head Quarters as may be required
- Prepare donor reports for the Regional REST projects and engage the respective budget holders with the monthly BvAs
- Support in updating the Quarterly Regional Management Dashboard Reporting
- Prepare the monthly Managing Deputy Regional Director (MDRD) Report organizing monthly meetings to review Subregional performance
Regional Analysis:
- Provide technical assistance to Country Office finance teams to improve in country financial operations, and awareness of global accounting and donor requirements. Will be required to participate in CO reviews, desk or in country
- As delegated review internal audit, external audit, donor audit and other compliance reports to identify common issues requiring additional guidance, support and/or training
- Support in follow up on CO CARE USA audit finance management recommendations to help in implementation and resolving of pending issues
- Support SSC and Head Quarter capacity building team in the training in financial management
3. Regional Office (RO) Financial Management (20%)
- Accountable for Regional Office budget management from the annual budgeting process to the monthly reporting on regional office project finances
- Liaise with the budget holders in the review of RO finance Reports including donor reports, (monthly BvA reviews)
- Complete ad-hoc projects/assignments as delegated
- Other duties and projects as may be assigned in support of the Regional Office
4. Other Responsibilities as Assigned
- Keep up to date with CARE’s emerging Financial Management Improvement strategies and approaches and contribute proactively towards high quality implementation and organizational change processes
- Regional Finance support as may be required
Qualifications and Experience
- University Degree in Accounting, Finance or equivalent
- 5-7 Years’ Experience in Finance and Grants management, preferably in not-for-profit sector
- Member of a professional accounting body e.g. ICPAK or ACCA
- Fluent French speaking skills is a key consideration for this role
Functional/Technical Skills
- Strong Grants and Contracts Financial Management knowledge: specific major donors e.g. US Government rules and regulations, EC, DFID,ECHO, UN Agencies etc.
- Knowledge of GAAP and accounting applications suitable for field financial management required
- Thorough knowledge of financial and accounting practices and procedures
- Advanced computer skills, including spreadsheets and database applications
- Hands on experience of an Enterprise Resource Planning system
- Ability to prepare reports and articulate emerging issues and defend recommendations
- Knowledge of finance and budget management
Key Competencies
- Problem Solving - Uses Rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions; Looks beyond the obvious and doesn’t stop at the first answers
- Planning - Accurately scopes out length and difficulty of tasks and projects; Anticipates and adjusts for problems and roadblocks; Initiates action; Ability to manage multiple tasks in fast paced working environment; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor his/ her own work
- Decision Quality - Makes good decisions based upon a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgement; High degree of accuracy to ensure correctness of financial information
- Coaching - Constructs compelling development plans and executes them; Will take on those who need those who need help and further development
- Communicating with Impact - Is effective in a variety of formal presentation settings; commands attention and can manage large group process during presentation; Excellent organizational and communication skills are essential as is attention to detail, teamwork, customer services and the ability to work in a large, complex international organization; Is at ease and works well in a multicultural and diverse environment; Strong interpersonal skills
- Managing Performance for Success - Clearly assigns responsibility for tasks and decisions; Sets clear objectives and measures
- Negotiation - Can negotiate skillfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups; Gains trust quickly of other parties to the negotiations to deliver on outputs
Contacts/Key Relationships
This role is expected to establish and maintain open, professional, and cordial relations with the COs internal and external customers. These include and not limited to:
Internal: Country Office teams; Shared Service Centre, Sub Regional / Regional Office, and Head Quarters Departments.
External: Donors / Government agencies / Other organizations (peer organizations) and Partners/subrecipients.
This job description is intended as a guide and should not be viewed as an inflexible specification as it may be varied from time to time in the light of strategic developments and following discussion with the post holder.
How to apply
Interested candidates who meet the criteria are encouraged to send in their applications that includes a cover letter and updated CV attached as one document to ECSA.Recruitment@care.org with the subject title “Regional Business Analyst”. The closing date is 24th July 2022.
Applicants are required to have the legal ability to work in Kenya and while we would like to respond to all applicants, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
CARE seeks to improve the lives of the most marginalized, particularly women and girls. Our diversity is our strength. We strongly encourage women of various backgrounds and abilities to apply.