Deputy Director of Finance Vacancy-Job Ref: JKMLIRC/0810/202633

Deputy Director of Finance Vacancy-Job Ref: JKMLIRC/0810/202633

Bamako (Mali)

Job Description
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the estate of Albert Einstein, IRC provides life-saving care and assistance to forced refugees to flee war or disaster. Today, IRC works in more than 40 countries and 22 cities in the United States, restoring peace, dignity, and hope to millions of people who have been uprooted and are struggling to survive.

IRC opened its country program in Mali in 2012. Programs range from humanitarian to recovery activities, with a focus on child protection, education, economic wellbeing, nutrition, health, and water and sanitation. IRC works in northern, central, and southern Mali, where conflict and drought have displaced hundreds of thousands of people both within Mali and in neighboring countries. The humanitarian situation in the north remains fragile, and while the needs of internally displaced people and crisis-affected host communities are significant, access to deliver humanitarian assistance is an ongoing challenge. IRC works in northern Mali to provide essential WASH, education, and health services at a critical time, alongside child protection and economic wellbeing programs in the most remote areas.

Job Overview / Summary:

As a member of the Mali Country Program Senior Management Team (SMT), the Deputy Director of Finance provides the leadership and management needed to ensure the country program has the financial infrastructure and systems required to support the organization’s strategic vision. The role contributes to the development of the country program’s strategic and operational plans and monitors their execution through focused, rigorous financial analysis.

The Deputy Director of Finance is responsible for the overall policy and management of the country program’s finance and accounting functions, with an emphasis on financial management practices and systems that comply with US and local legislation and donor requirements, and that support effective program implementation.

The Deputy Director of Finance oversees all aspects of strategic and operational finance in compliance with IRC’s financial control standards, working closely with the Country Director and the other Deputy Directors (Programs, Operations, and People & Culture) to maintain a strong level of performance across internal policies and procedures, and to jointly develop solutions to issues as they arise.

Based in Bamako, the Deputy Director of Finance reports to the Country Director, with a technical reporting line to the Regional Director of Finance.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Planning & Analysis

Provides financial information that supports the Country Director in making business decisions aligned with IRC, regional, and country program strategies.
Provides strategic analysis on the overall financial health of the country program to the Country Director and the SMT.
Contributes to and provides feedback on the development of the country program’s Strategic Annual Plan.
2. Internal Control and Accounting

Ensures that all national financial practices are in line with IRC and donor policies and procedures.
Ensures that monthly balance sheet reconciliations are performed in a timely manner.
Manages the activities and schedules of the finance department to meet the requirements and deadlines set by management and donors.
Identifies requirements and develops reporting templates to facilitate the management of country operations and the monitoring of grant expenditures.
Oversees and approves the preparation of all financial reports to donors, ensuring compliance with accounting, legal, and contractual requirements, and their review by the Country Director and the Regional Director of Finance prior to submission.
Ensures that internal controls over operations are carried out regularly across the country program.

Oversees, in collaboration with the Audit and Internal Control Officer, external, internal, donor, and audits.
Keeps abreast of the Malian government’s legal and fiscal requirements and ensures they are respected.
Closely monitors all financial activities and keeps the Country Director advised of any situation with the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial performance.
Leads the roll-out of new or updated global finance policies and procedures within the country program, establishing supplementary in-country finance procedures as required.
Provides country management and program staff with regular actual-to-budget expenditure reports and analysis for all grants and unrestricted funds.
Initiate corrective actions to address internal control weaknesses identified through audits or internal control reviews.

Enforces internal control policies and procedures to protect the country program’s assets (cash, inventory, non-expendable property).
Serves as the principal liaison with Regional Finance on finance, accounting, grant budget management, and cash management matters.

3. Staff Management and Development

Establishes and maintains a clear matrix of the roles and responsibilities of the finance department, ensuring appropriate segregation of duties.
Ensures that job descriptions for finance staff are up to date and reflect current duties.
Recruits and retains qualified staff to perform financial functions.
Ensures that comprehensive and constructive performance reviews are conducted annually.
Implements professional development plans for all finance staff.
Develops and implements a training program for country finance staff.
Oversees finance training and technical support to non-finance staff to strengthen skills in accounting, reporting, and internal control.

4. Cash Management

Oversees all banking relationships of the country program, particularly the BDT, and bank account activities, including the negotiation of fees, interest, and exchange rates.
Oversees the review and approval of all monthly bank and cash reconciliations.
Maintains accurate forecasts of cash requirements to meet future expenditures and IRC’s financial commitments.
Ensures that appropriate balances are maintained to facilitate grant implementation, and that cash held at headquarters is regularly mobilized.
Develops and implements a plan to minimize the program’s exposure to foreign exchange risk.
Ensures the follow-up and collection of trade and other receivables within set deadlines.
In compliance with IRC policy, establishes country policies on cash holding limits, cash movements, and foreign currency holdings.

Establishes country policies on advance payments, credit terms, and the use of bank payment instruments.
Supervises the preparation of cash transfer requests to headquarters, ensuring appropriate balances are maintained to facilitate grant implementation.

5. Budget Management, Forecasting, and Financial Reporting

Oversees the preparation and revision of grant proposal budgets, supporting program teams in costing and developing budgets for submission.
Oversees the preparation and dissemination of budget follow-ups and monthly expenditure forecasts.
Presents and facilitates the review of actual expenditures against budget with program managers and grant managers.
Presents the country program’s monthly financial situation and key financial performance indicators to the SMT.
In compliance with donor requirements and IRC policy, ensures that shared program costs are properly recovered, and flags any expected funding gaps to the Country Director and Regional Director of Finance in a timely manner.

Key Working Relationship

Position reports to: Country Director

Indirect/Technical reporting to: Regional Director of Finance (technical, including straight-line accountability to the CFO); Deputy Director of Programs, Deputy Director of People & Culture, and Deputy Director of Operations (on cross-functional matters)

Key internal contacts

National Program: Deputy Director of Programs, Deputy Director of People & Culture, Deputy Director of Operations, Risk & Compliance.
Region/Global: Regional Finance Team, Regional Consolidation Unit.
Key external contacts

Banking managers.
Donors.
Local government staff (taxation and regulatory matters).
External auditors.
Job Requirements:

Qualifications

Master’s degree in accounting, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field. A recognized professional certification (eg, CPA or equivalent) is an asset.
Experience, Technical Skills & Personal Skills

At least five (5) years of experience in financial management or auditing, preferably in the humanitarian or international development sector.
Proven experience working in developing or transition country contexts.
Proficiency in computerized accounting systems and financial management tools.
Full professional proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), more relevant job-specific software (eg, accounting or financial management systems).
Good written and oral skills in French; fluency in English is an asset.

Demonstrated ability to proactively identify financial issues, inform management, and propose appropriate solutions.
Ability to work effectively in a complex environment, manage multiple priorities, and cope with operational pressure.
Ability to carry out responsibilities independently with minimal technical supervision.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate in a multicultural and diverse environment.
Demonstrated commitment to staff training and development, including experience facilitating capacity-building sessions.

Demonstrated management and leadership skills.
Willingness to travel up to 10% of the time.
Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values ​​and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to taking all necessary preventive measures and creating an environment where people feel safe, and to taking all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

CONTEXT

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping people survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the initiative of Albert Einstein, the IRC provides vital assistance to refugees forced to flee war or disaster. Today, the IRC operates in more than 40 countries and 22 cities in the United States, restoring peace, dignity, and hope to millions of displaced people struggling to survive.

The IRC opened its country program in Mali in 2012. Programs cover activities ranging from humanitarian aid to recovery, with a particular focus on child protection, education, economic well-being, nutrition, health, and water and sanitation. The IRC operates in northern, central, and southern Mali, where conflict and drought have displaced hundreds of thousands of people, both within Mali and in neighboring countries. The humanitarian situation in the north remains fragile, and while the needs of internally displaced persons and host communities affected by the crisis are immense, access to deliver humanitarian aid remains a persistent challenge. The IRC works in northern Mali to provide critical water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), education, and health services, in addition to child protection and economic well-being programs in the most remote areas.

Job Overview/Summary:

As a member of the Country Programme Management Team (CPMT) in Mali, the Deputy Finance Director provides the leadership and management necessary to ensure the country programme has the infrastructure and financial systems required to support the organization’s strategic vision. This role contributes to the development of the country programme’s strategic and operational plans and monitors their implementation through targeted and rigorous financial analysis.

The Deputy Director of Finance is responsible for the overall policy and management of the finance and accounting functions of the country program. Emphasis is placed on financial management practices and systems that comply with U.S. and local legislation, as well as donor requirements, and that support the effective implementation of programs.

The Deputy Finance Director oversees all aspects of strategic and operational finance, in compliance with IRC financial control standards, in close collaboration with the Country Director and other Deputy Directors (Programs, Operations and Personnel & Culture), in order to maintain a satisfactory level of performance of internal policies and procedures and to jointly develop solutions to identified problems.

Based in Bamako, the Deputy Finance Director reports to the Country Director, with a technical reporting line to the Regional Finance Director.

Main responsibilities

1. Strategic planning and analysis

Provides financial information enabling the Country Director to make decisions in line with IRC, regional and country program strategies.
Provides a strategic analysis of the overall financial health of the country program to the Country Director and the Management Team.
Contributes to the development of the country program’s Annual Strategic Plan and provides feedback on it.

2. Internal control and accounting

Ensures that all national financial practices comply with IRC and donor policies and procedures.
Ensure that monthly balance sheet reconciliations are carried out within the allotted timeframes.
Manages the activities and schedule of the finance department in order to meet the requirements and deadlines set by management and donors.
Identifies needs and develops reporting models to facilitate the management of country operations and the monitoring of grant expenditures.
Supervises and approves the preparation of all financial reports intended for donors, ensuring their compliance with accounting, legal and contractual requirements, as well as their review by the Country Director and the Regional Finance Director before submission.

Ensures that internal controls of operations are carried out regularly throughout the country.
Supervises, in collaboration with the Audit and Internal Control Officer, external, internal, donor and government audits.
Keeps informed of the legal and tax requirements of the Malian government and ensures compliance with them.
Closely monitors all financial activities and informs the Country Director of any situation that may have a negative impact on internal controls or financial performance.
Leads the deployment of new or updated global financial policies and procedures within the country program, establishing complementary local financial procedures where necessary.
Provides country management and program teams with regular budget monitoring reports and analysis of actual expenditures against budget, for all grants and unrestricted funds.
Initiates corrective actions to address internal control weaknesses identified during audits or internal control reviews.

Ensures compliance with internal control policies and procedures aimed at protecting country program assets (liquidity, stocks, non-consumable goods).
Serves as the main point of contact with Regional Finance for matters relating to finance, accounting, grant budget management and cash management.

3. Staff Management and Development

Establishes and maintains a clear distribution of roles and responsibilities within the finance department, ensuring an adequate separation of duties.
Ensure that the job descriptions of finance staff are up-to-date and reflect the tasks actually performed.
Recruits and retains qualified staff to perform financial functions.
Ensure that comprehensive and constructive performance evaluations are conducted annually.
Implements professional development plans for all finance staff.
Develops and implements a training program for the country’s finance staff.
Supervises the training and technical support of non-finance staff to strengthen skills in accounting, reporting and internal control.

4. Cash Management

Oversees all banking relationships for the country program, particularly with BDT, and bank account activities, including the negotiation of fees, interest and exchange rates.
Oversees the review and approval of all monthly bank and cash reconciliations.
Maintaining accurate forecasts of cash requirements to cover future expenses and IRC financial commitments.
Ensure that appropriate balances are maintained to facilitate the implementation of subsidies, and that funds held at headquarters are regularly mobilized.
Develops and implements a plan to minimize the program’s exposure to foreign exchange risks.

Ensures the monitoring and collection of commercial and other receivables within the set deadlines.
In accordance with IRC policy, establishes country policies relating to liquidity ceilings, cash movements and foreign currency holdings.
Establishes the country’s policies relating to advances, credit conditions and the use of banking payment instruments.
Oversees the preparation of requests for fund transfers to headquarters, ensuring that appropriate balances are maintained to facilitate the implementation of grants.

5. Budget management, forecasting and financial reporting

Oversees the preparation and review of grant proposal budgets, supporting program teams in costing and developing budgets to be submitted.
Oversees the preparation and distribution of budget monitoring and monthly expenditure forecasts.
Presents and facilitates, with program and grant managers, the review of actual expenditures against the budget.
Presents to the Management Team the monthly financial situation of the country program as well as the update of key financial performance indicators.
In accordance with donor requirements and IRC policy, ensures proper recovery of shared program costs, and promptly reports any anticipated funding discrepancies to the Country Director and Regional Finance Director.

Main working relationships

Reports directly to: Country Director

Indirect/technical reporting: Regional Finance Director (technical, including direct accountability to the Chief Financial Officer – CFO); Deputy Director of Programs, Deputy Director of Personnel & Culture, and Deputy Director of Operations (on cross-functional issues)

Key internal contacts

National Program: Deputy Director of Programs, Deputy Director of Personnel & Culture, Deputy Director of Operations, Risk & Compliance.
Region/Headquarters: Regional Finance Team, Regional Consolidation Unit.
Main external contacts

Banking officials.
Funders.
Local government staff (tax and regulatory matters).
External auditors.
Job requirements:

Qualifications

Master’s degree in accounting, business administration, finance or a related field. A recognized professional certification (CPA or equivalent) is an asset.
Experience, technical and personal skills

At least five (5) years of experience in financial management or auditing, preferably in the humanitarian or international development sector.
Proven experience in developing or transition country contexts.
Proficiency in computerized accounting systems and financial management tools.
Complete professional mastery of the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), as well as job-specific software (e.g., accounting or financial management software).
Good written and oral communication skills in French; proficiency in English is an asset.
Demonstrated ability to proactively identify financial problems, inform management, and propose appropriate solutions.

Ability to work effectively in a complex environment, manage multiple priorities, and cope with operational pressure.
Ability to perform responsibilities autonomously, with minimal technical supervision.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to collaborate in a multicultural and diverse environment.
Demonstrated commitment to staff training and development, with experience in facilitating capacity-building sessions.
Proven skills in management and leadership.
Availability to travel up to 10% of the time, if required.

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