About Mercy Corps
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.
The Program / Department / Team
The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions in Amman, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and grant financial management and compliance. The Mercy Corps Finance Department ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures. In its role as a support to the Program Department, the Finance Department provides timely reports and assistance to the Country Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.
The Position
Working in the Finance Department under the direction of the Subgrants Compliance & Capacity Building Coordinator, the Sub grants Compliance Officer (SC Officer) is responsible for monitoring sub grants and sub grantees to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the subgrant agreement. The SC Officer is also responsible for tracking sub grants and sub grantee requirements and for maintaining all sub grant financial files.
Essential Responsibilities
SUB-GRANT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
● Manage a portfolio of assistance activities/grants with high and medium complexity: performs pre-award reviews, prepares implementation plans, draft and issue grant agreements, coordinates with internal and external stakeholders, ensures subgrantee compliance with policies and procedures, maintains agreement files.
● Conduct sub grantee pre-award assessments and assist with recommendations of modifications to the sub-grant agreement and/or monitoring plan to lessen financial and compliance risks.
● Assist the Subgrants Compliance & Capacity Building Coordinator in the preparation and review of sub-grant agreements.
● Assist the Sub grants Compliance & Capacity Building Coordinator with recommendations on special award conditions to be met by sub grantees in order to establish or strengthen financial management and accounting systems or in order to more effectively manage and report on funds, goods and services provided under sub-awards.
● Responsible for review of the projects sub-grantee financial reporting package, amounts, calculations and supporting documents, ensuring compliance with supporting documentation matrix and ensuring all transactions are eligible and well documented. Provide detailed feedback and guidance to sub-grantee finance focal points to make corrections and/or provide additional written information as needed to close financial reports.
● Responsible for tracking timely submission of partners’/CBOs financial reports and payments and reconciliations to ensure timely transfer of resources and avoid delays in implementation after review the sub-grantees Request for Payment and reconciled with general ledger.
● Assist his/her supervisor with following up on the sub grantees compliance issues and audits and document resolutions;
● Responsible for maintaining sub grant financial files in accordance with the Field Finance Manual and sub awards manual.
● Conduct partner/CBOs site monitoring visits/and summary visit reports as per monitoring plan and provide reports for Sub grants Compliance & Capacity Building Coordinator review.
● Assist in sub-grant close-outs ensuring that all requirements of the sub-grant agreement have been met and that sub-grant funds have been properly settled.
● Responsible for recording sub-grantees reviewed reports in NAVIGATOR, maintaining sub awards cards and any Navigator requirements.
● Other duties as assigned
CAPACITY STRENGTHENING AND SUPPORT TO LOCAL PARTNERS
● Work closely with partners/CBOs to identify capacity development priorities in financial management and reporting.
● Conduct finance and compliance training/mentoring for local partners/CBOs, including orientation for new hires, making visits to partners’/CBOs offices, providing necessary resources or materials, etc.
● Provide guidance to grantees in how to meet special award conditions, including providing templates for procurement, accounting, HR and financial management as relevant. Meet with grantees to explain the best practices in these procedures and support their customization of these policies.
● Responsible for financial management capacity support to partners/CBOs directly under his supervision through on-going support, coaching, and mentoring throughout sub-grant lifecycle and in line with agreed-upon capacity development plans.
● Collaborate closely with program staff to ensure capacity development support to partners/CBOs under his supervision is tailored, targeted and responsive to their organizational needs and priorities.
● Assist the Sub grant Compliance & Capacity Building Coordinator to creatively solve problem
with partners/CBOs to develop protocols and procedures that are both compliant and contextually appropriate.
● Assist the Sub grant Compliance & Capacity Building Coordinator with development of partners/CBOs financial policies/procedures as required.
● Assist the Sub grant Compliance & Capacity Building Coordinator with following up on financial capacity development plan effectiveness and participates in lessons learned sessions to create actionable items for future improvement for both the projects and its partners/CBOs.
OPERATIONAL FINANCE
● Be familiar with the field finance manual, procurement manual and any additional MC Jordan policies.
● Be knowledgeable and stay abreast of Mercy Corps financial sub awards policies and procedures and Donor regulations.
● Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
● Other duties as assigned.
SECURITY
● Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
● Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
SAFEGAURDING RESPONSIBILITIES
•Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
•Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
•Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES
• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Supervisory Responsibility
Subgrants Compliance Assistant (if assigned).
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Subgrant Compliance & Capacity Building Coordinator
Works Directly With: Project Officers, Coordinators, Manager and Field Finance staff if any
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
● Three or more years professional experience, preferably including prior experience in the implementation and administration of grant activities; alternatively, candidates should possess experience in administration, finance, procurement, subcontract management, compliance or project management, or other relevant experience.
● A bachelor’s degree, preferably in a relevant field of study, such as business administration, finance, or international development, is required; accounting degree preferred.
● Two years’ experience in a non-governmental organization preferred.
● Prior experience implementing and administering grants activities for USAID- or other international donor-funded programs preferred.
● Experience working with key institutional donors (USAID, ECHO, FCDO, GIZ etc.) preferred. Ability and willingness to learn and follow donor reporting, financial and compliance requirements.
● Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel and Access.
● Strong analytical skills coupled with a solid understanding of financial and procurement systems; Prior auditing experience is considered a plus
● Excellent oral and written English skills
Success Factors
The ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel is required. A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary. A high professional standard of finance and procurement ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential. The ability to effectively monitor subgrantee compliance as well as to provide support and training for subgrantee personnel is critical. The Subgrant Compliance Coordinator must be willing to travel to Mercy Corps field offices, subgrantee offices and project sites.
Competencies
• Integrity/Ethics
• Customer/Client Focus
• Communication skills
• Planning and Prioritization Skills
• Attention to Detail/accuracy
• Organization skills
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Amman, Jordan or other Middle East Mercy Corps locations and it requires up to 40% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing for this role is in individual housing and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard.
Ongoing Learning