About the role: This is a 12 month, replacement role with unaccompanied terms based in Raqqa - North East Syria with up to 30% travel to Iraq with a salary with a Grade 4 salary of (44,133 - 49,038).

You will report to the Country Financial Controller (CFC) and line manage the Finance Managers. You will work closely with Finance staff in Syria & Iraq and liaise with the Systems Director (SD), Programme Director and individual Program/Logistics/ HR Managers/ Coordinators and other relevant team members. You will be main contact person for partners on finance matters.

Your purpose: You will provide support to the Country Finance Controller to ensure the effective functioning of the Finance department in Syria and provide day to day technical support to programmes' staff and work with NGO partners. The post holder will coordinate finance issues and build the capacity of national staff for both Concern and partners, and support national staff to manage and carry out the work of the finance function.

Compliance:

•  Guided by Country Financial Controller, ensure that the Concern Worldwide financial policies and procedures are adhered to and implemented in a standardised manner.
•  Closely monitor all financial activities, and keep the Country Financial Controller advised of all situations which have the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial management performance.
•  Manage the external, internal and donor audits with assistance from the CFC as required.
•  In collaboration with all relevant staff, ensure the protection of all programme assets (cash, inventory, etc.) through the enforcement of internal controls and procedures, including regular updating of fixed asset inventories.
•  Maintain up-to date knowledge of and implement local government requirements and regulations related to financial matters including statutory deductions from national staff salaries such as income tax and social security.
•  Perform regular checks across all contracts to ensure compliance with internal policies and donor terms and conditions.
•  Coordinate with internal audit and sharing of best practice.
•  Ensure that various donor regulations are complied with in all grant transactions and processes; keep the CFC informed on all major compliance issues/challenges while taking the necessary corrective steps.
•  Actively participate in generation and interpretation of monthly financial reports and communicate key indicators to the budget holders.

•  Review the high value payments before processing to ensure payment to suppliers are processed timely and ensure compliance over the transactions.
•  Review payment vouchers and other journals to ensure proper expense coding and documentation.

Training & Capacity Building:

•  Lead in facilitating and providing orientation to new Syria based staff.
•  Provide basic training, technical support and guidance to the country programmme staff, particularly budget holders, for skills improvement in the areas of Concern and donor budget preparation and monitoring, budget revision, reporting and its interpretation, and internal control as per Concern's standard practices.
•  Assist PD and other budget holders in conducting the budget process, ensuring that appropriate levels of technical support and guidance is provided to all budget holders during the process of preparing the annual country operating budget and subsequent revisions.
•  Assist budget holders with preparation of donor budgets; interpretation of budgeting guidelines; ensure compliance with donor regulations and to ensure their incorporation into the country annual operating budget & revisions.
•  Deliver regular finance and compliance training to finance and non-finance staff.
• Conduct regular visits to project field sites to ensure financial controls and procedures are in place.
•  Implement a capacity development plan for finance staff including field finance staff.
•  Assist the PD and CFC in ensuring compliance with Concern Worldwide policies and procedures and assume responsibilities in the implementation of country specific policies.
•  Provide mentoring support to Syria based national Finance Manager to enable them to continue to develop in their role and facilitate and support them in developing the capacities of other national staff team members.

Financial Management:

•  Contribute to development, review, and revisions of financial and systems related procedures.
•  Consolidate the Syria cashflow forecast and ensure the cash and bank balances are maintained at optimum level, ensure all the suppliers payments are processed timely.
•  Support the Syria team in producing high quality cash and bank books in a timely manner through direct engagement, regular meetings and workshops, consistent feedback on issues that arise and training sessions.
•  Assist CFC to produce accurate monthly management accounts, engaging in necessary review work, posting of journals, and reconciling of balance sheet items.
•  Assist the CFC in the process of obtaining explanations of variances between budget and actual spending, and pass the necessary adjustments to ensure correct reporting.
•  Work closely with HR to prepare the Syria payroll in compliance with Concern's procedure & local legislations, ensure staff salaries are timely processed
• Participate in tender committees and purchase committees as the finance representative.
•  Any other tasks assigned by the CFC, deputize the CFC during his/ her leave

Partnership Accounting:

•  Undertake the Concern Integrated Local Partner Assessment Tool (CILPAT) assessment with potential Partners on a timely and comprehensive basis;
•  Summarise CILPAT findings and recommend whether partnership is recommended based on the resources available.
•  In conjunction with the partner management and CFC, develop a Partner Finance Action Plan ensuring any weaknesses found on the CILPAT are addressed.
•  Provide trainings to the partner through periodic systems reviews, and any other relevant initiatives.
•  Update the Partner Finance Action Plan as it relates to each partner with information as to capacity building carried out, progress achieved, and any new capacity building needs identified.
•  Ensure CILPAT is signed off by all the relevant staff members (Country Financial Controller, Programme Director, Project Manager and Country Director).
•  Create a partner file and ensure that all CILPAT Progress on Finance Action Plan documentation are maintained on the Partner File for future reference.
•  Conduct monthly/quarterly monitoring visits for each Partner, prepare a Partner Monitoring Visit report as per the Concern checklist for partners. Share with the partner staff the findings from your visit and agree on the action points required to address the issues. During visits, follow up on action points from previous visits to ensure they have been addressed.
•  Carry out Systems Review Perform regular Transaction Audits
•  Review financial reports and transaction lists provided by the partner on a timely basis, bringing any unusual transactions and budget variations to the attention of the Management.
•  Ensure an updated risk assessment is completed at least annually and is signed off by Senior Management.
•  Through partner contract management, ensure the partner is aware of the donor requirements
•  Assist the partner, in conjunction with the Programme Manager, on budget preparation.
•  Ensure the Partner is able to submit regular and accurate Financial Reports using the template provided by Concern. For any Partner Finance Report issues found, obtain appropriate explanations from the Partner staff before recommending the release of the following tranche of funds. Incorporate any weaknesses found on the partner report compilation into the Partner Finance Action Plan. Assist the partner in meeting any procedural requirements (whether those of Concern or of a donor) detailed in the Partner Contract.
•  Ensure regular communication with Programme, Finance staff and Partner staff is maintained at every level of Partner Management.
•  Ensure programme staff are aware of their responsibilities in regard to monitoring of partners. Hold meetings with appropriate senior Programme representatives to share findings in CILPAT, progress against the Partner Finance Action Plan, Partner Monitoring Visit reports and Annual Risk Review.
•  Ensure Partner Reports and findings are circulated to all interested parties within Concern and the Partner. Ensure all documentation relating to Concern's financial relationship with the partner is filed correctly and updated where necessary.

Your skills and experience will include:

•  Accountancy degree/ masters, preferred the professional degree in accountancy.
•  3-5 years similar experience, in an international development or humanitarian context.
•  Experience in developing staff capacity both on technical and management aspects.
•  Experience in providing support in the management of significant programme budgets.
•  Experience of working with and supporting partner organisations.
•  Willing and able to work in a sometimes stressful and constrained working environment.
•  Must be fully fluent in Englishand preferably also Arabic.

We would also like:

•  Experience working in volatile or post-conflict context
•  Arabic language skills
•  Knowledge of development issues and concepts.
•  Ability to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines.
•  Good team worker.
• Good team worker.
•  Good communication and negotiation skills.
•  A good understanding of computer applications i.e. Microsoft word, Excel etc.
•  Knowledge of accounting software, specifically Microsoft Great Plains would be an advantage.
•  Cross cultural awareness and sensitivity.
•  Empathy with Concern's goals and a commitment to capacity building, protection and participation.
•  Good communication and training/capacity building skills.
•  Proven organization, planning and management skills.
•  Flexible and adaptable to a changing environment.

• Please note that for this position, negative tests for the following will be required by the country authorities: HIV, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. All applicants for this position must be prepared to undergo this testing.

  All applications should be submitted through our website at https://jobs.concern.net by closing date. CV's should be no more than 4 pages in length.

  Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer posts before the closing date.

  Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries.

  Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner 

  organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern's core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these two documents.

  Concern receives a substantial amount of funding from external donors each year. Increasingly donors are introducing requirements whereby future funding is conditional on Concern ensuring that the names of any new employee or volunteer do not appear on terrorism lists generated by the European Union (List of person, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC No. 2580/2001 applies), the US Government (Office of Foreign Assets Control list of specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) and the United Nations (Consolidated List). Any offer of employment (either paid or voluntary) with Concern Worldwide will not be made pending a clearance check being conducted on the applicant. For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office. Concern Worldwide is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.