JOB DETAILS:
The Alliance of Bioversity International and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.

The Alliance works with local, national, and multinational partners across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, and with the public and private sectors. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services.

Position Summary.
This position is responsible for providing financial management support to the National Directors and National Finance Managers to improve financial performance in the Branches and National organizations in AFR area office.

Roles and Responsibilities.
Financial management and technical oversight:
• Provide ongoing Finance support to AFR HFHI Branches and National Organizations (NO).
• Perform quality control reviews of Branch/NO financial reports, including producing the financial and statistical indicators. Follow up with HFHI Branch and NO Finance to ensure all issues raised during the review process are addressed.
• Monitor and ensure all HFHI Branch/NO financial operations are carried out according to HFHI policies/procedures, accepted international accounting standards (GAAP, IFRS) and within local laws.
• Support and review budget performance by each Branch or National Organization (NO), ensuring that Monthly Project Management Reports are issued and reviewed as a best practice.
• Support the implementation of internal control policies and procedures in AFR HFHI Branch and National Organizations (NO), and perform periodic compliance check of the same.
• Ad-hoc review of business processes to ensure effective and efficient flow of financial and business data into the Branch / NO Accounting System, and in compliance with Project-Based Funding principles.
• Perform reviews of Branch/NO accounting system & maintenance to ensure accurate revaluation, reporting and compliance.

Audits (External and Internal):
• Coordinate the planning, preparation and completion of HFHI Branch Audits in line with HFHI external audit policy whilst ensuring that all timelines are met.
• Review reconciliation and consolidation of HFHI Branch audit reports in support of HFHI annual external audit timelines and standards.
• Review reconciliations of independent HFH NO external audits to ledger to ensure that audit adjustments are correctly posted.
• Review External Audit management letter recommendations with various AFR teams and monitor to ensure that outstanding audit management issues are resolved in a timely manner, updating management and Internal Controls unit on progress.
• Review internal audit reports of AFR Branches/NO and support AFR Internal Controls unit in resolving issues identified by IAD.

Financial planning and budgeting:
• Support AFR AO in the development of Branch/NO annual plans and budgets.
• Ensure that budgets are reviewed for consistency within existing/planned business activity, account/project/fund codes and fund accounting practices.
• Highlight significant variances and cash management issues to AFR AO.
• Coordinate completion of NO Forecast.

International Fund Transfers:
• Review and approval of international transfer requests from branches and National offices in the AFR AO.
• Ensure all transfers are tracked and reported accurately at Branch/NO level.

Policies and Procedures:
• Support AFR Branches/NO and GRC function in the roll-out of new policies & procedures.
• Support GRC function in reviewing the effectiveness and efficiency of the controls.

Capacity building:
• Provide on-going advice and consultancy on financial issues to the AFR Branches/NO including accounting, reporting, cash-flow, systems, policies & procedures, internal controls etc.
• Identify Branch/NO staff training needs and address the financial training needs by conducting such training or finding alternative resources for such trainings.
• Assist in recruitment process at Branch/NO level.
• Provide support to the AFR branches/national offices in the management of implementing partners.

Other support:
• Provide support to AFR Branches/NO and GCDR function in managing grants. This includes, but not limited to, overseeing grant budget preparation, budget implementation and supporting the AFR AO Grant Management in monitoring and reviewing grants.
• Facilitates implementation of Project Based Funding business process.
• Provide support to AFR Branches/NO and HF function in developing and implementation of healthy credit portfolio management practices.
• Provide financial and operational support to the AFR office when necessary.

Minimum education required:
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting or related field.
• CPA/Chartered accountant.

Skills, competencies and experience:
• A demonstrated knowledge of finance, accounting and GAAP reporting
• Minimum education required:
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting or related field.
• CPA/Chartered accountant.

Minimum years of relevant work experience:
• 7 years’ experience in international accounting or financial management
• 2 years auditing experience preferred
• 3 years’ experience in grant management

Skills, competencies and experience:
• A demonstrated knowledge of finance, accounting and GAAP reporting.
• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong analytical skills, detail oriented and ability to work and interpret numbers, figures and other financial information.
• Proficiency in MS Office Applications and experience working with several different accounting software packages required.
• Strong Communication skills – both oral and written.
• Ability to work with other cultures.
• Patience and perseverance in understanding and explaining issues with field staff.
• Ability to address issues and effect change through persuasion and diplomacy.
• The flexibility and independence to work in a changing and unstructured environment. Ability to work interdependently within a team.
• Creativity and innovativeness.
• Servant Leadership: Model servant leadership and motivate other leaders, staff members, beneficiaries and volunteers in following the vision of HFHI.
• Ability to learn fast and implement change in dynamic environments.

Preferred – in addition to minimum:
• Work experience with INGOs would be an advantage.
• Experience in using SunSystems or equivalent. Experience in installation and training on computerized accounting systems is an added advantage.
• Experience in conducting trainings for both finance and non-finance audiences.
• Experience managing change would be an advantage.