Finance Manager

Danish Refugee Council is one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, working in more than 40 countries to provide adequate assistance with a rights-based approach to refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, returnees and migrants. DRC is currently looking for a highly qualified Spanish and English-speaking Head of Support Services (HoSS) for a 12-month contract (renewable depending on funding) in Colombia. This is an opportunity for an experienced and dynamic professional to support and strengthen the DRC programme in Colombia.

DRC established operational presence in Colombia in 2011 with focus on Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) and providing support to conflict-affected population in the south of the country. With the onset of the large mixed migration flows into Colombia due to the Venezuelan crisis, DRC started up an integrated humanitarian response in 2018 to meet the urgent needs of refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, Colombian returnees, and host communities. Hence, DRC has been able to assist the Colombian population, Venezuelan refugees, migrants and host communities through its integrated humanitarian response.

Overall purpose of the role:

Functions as a Manager and the go-to person in Finance within the country. Providing overall advice, coordination, and technical support to the Finance teams across the country and ensuring compliance with the finance chapters of DRC’s Operations Handbook.

Responsibilities:

Support on implementing financial procedures:

• Support the development and implementation of financial management capacity building of staff.
• In close cooperation with Managers in geographical area reinforce existing procedures and systems for financial management and control in compliance with guidelines of DRC’s Operations Handbook, internal guidelines, DRC Dynamics, and donor requirements.
• Provide technical support and advice to the country finance teams.

Financial Planning & Analysis:

• Focal point of the Master Budget and forecast tracker for the country programme and update it on a regular basis.
• Review and compile budget proposals, including budgeting for support costs for the Country Office, collaboration with the programme managers and support services functions.
• Check consumption, allocation and revision of the Country Office budgets.
• Ensure monthly meetings are held with project managers to discuss key variances, reasons for these, and any remedial action that is required. Support timely delivery of quality financial reports to donors and internal reports to colleagues and HQ.
• Ensure thorough and effective budgetary control in the country programs acting as finance business partner Liaise with relevant Managers on key financial issues for all programs in the country, including co-funding, financial reporting, key variances, and any remedial action.
• Make quarterly analyses based on project forecasts, costs to cover, working capital to outline the organization financial performance at country level.
• Help the country programme in designing relevant financial KPIs.

Cash and funding:

• Collecting cash forecasts from all Programme Managers and requesting funds in a timely manner.
• Maintain a continuous overview of funding levels and pay particular attention to shared support costs, including staff salaries.
• Ensure all required documentation for financial audits in cooperation with Coordination staff and HQ.

Accounting:

• Ensure compliance with relevant country statutory and other financial obligations such as tax, levies, and statutory returns.
• Ensure compliance and deadline with monthly accounting closure.

As Manager the post-holder is responsible for the following:

• Provides expert advice and support to set strategy and assure operational quality and compliance.
• Responsible for providing specialized knowledge and operational know-how within a specific discipline.
• Analyze internal process to propose improvement and avoid task duplication. May also have technical line responsibilities, but generally on technical or operational matters.
• Be the audit focal point; prepare national staff for incoming audits and gather audit findings together with programme staff.

Supervisor responsibilities:

• Coordinates the daily activities of small teams, often comprised of subordinates and/or employees carrying out similar tasks.
• Contribute to recruitment and/or performance appraisal of members of the team.
• Implements the manager’s decisions through the work of subordinate employees, often playing a role in deciding how to do it; and how to achieve the objective set by the manager.

Experience and technical competencies:

• Minimum 5 years of international practical experience in financial management
• Proven experience in budgeting and managing large budgets (multi-year and multi-donor).
• Competence in providing technical guidance and training.
• Proven experience in working with national partners, local/government authorities and in consortium modalities.
• Working experience with relevant donors (e.g. UNHCR, ECHO, OFDA, WFP, DFID or BPRM guidelines)
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations at all levels – especially with the national employees.
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills, excellent communication skills, calm and a good sense of humor
• Advanced proficiency in Excel – competency will be tested through TOSA certification exam.
• Experience working with an integrated ERP system – MS Dynamics a plus.
• Full professional proficiency in Spanish
• Full professional proficiency in English – minimum required B2 according to CEFR

Education:

Master's degree from a top-tier university in Finance/Accounting, Business Administration or Economics.

Languages:

Fluency in written and spoken Spanish and English.

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:  

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process. 
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback. 
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation. 
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly. 
• Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. 

We offer

• Commencement: 4/2022
• Duty station: Bogotá
• Contract length: Six (6) months renewable depending on funding.
• Position Level: Band G strating in $10.045.000 COP

Application Process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. 

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.