Job Detail

Specialist, Program Finance - GL D - Defined Duration ContractsThe Specialist, Program Finance will provide professional financial services to ensure compliance with the Global Fund’s fiduciary policies, procedures and practices and to enable efficient and transparent management of the grant process.

The Specialist, Program Finance will provide professional financial service to the business to ensure accurate and timely processing of financial transactions. She/he will ensure that financial risks held within the grant portfolio are effectively and efficiently mitigated through developing financial capabilities at implementing entities and building financial assurance plans into all grants. She/he will help ensure that grants provide Value for Money in achieving objectives and ensuring that strategic investments are appropriately focused and provide transparent and reliable reports to key stakeholders. The Specialist, Program Finance will typically be looking after countries of the highest level of complexity, high political risks, high impact and/or low capacity.



The Specialist, Program Finance works within a matrix structure (strong line to Finance, dotted line into Grant Management).



The Specialist, Program Finance will also handle a number of ad hoc finance-related projects or focal point responsibilities, including internal and external training, and may be assigned mentoring and coaching responsibilities towards more Junior Finance staff members. The Specialist, Program Finance will step in to difficult situations and may have a representative role for the regional teams.

Key Responsibilities

Supporting the Country Team, the Specialist, Program Finance will:

• Lead in setting the scope of work for the Local Fund Agent (LFA) for Principal Recipient (PR) Financial Management Assessments and Verification work;


• Engage and conclude within the scheduled time, grant negotiations as part of the Country Team with PRs ensuring that they meet Global Fund requirements in relation to Financial Management Capacity, and propose realistic and implementable measures to manage risks and improve capacity where necessary;


• Review the budget for compliance with Global Fund policy, to identify areas for efficiency savings and to ensure consistency with the grant targets, and negotiating with the PRs the final budget amount and recommend the budget for approval;


• Review requests for budget reallocations from the PR and provide recommendations for Country Team decision;


• Ensure the audit plan for each grant meets Global Fund guidelines before approval of the plan;


• Review and follow up on Audit Reports (including Office of the Inspector General Reports) and Management Letters and to consider the findings providing analysis and recommendations for decision by the Country Team;


• Review the financial aspects of progress update/disbursement requests and to work with the Country Team to make a well documented and robust disbursement decision which complies with the Global Fund disbursement guidelines and meets the disbursement deadline;


• Gather and provide timely and accurately data for financial planning and forecast;


• Ensure proper financial risk management: identify and mitigate risks.

Supporting the Program Finance unit, the Specialist, Program Finance will:

• Supervise the quality of work and mentor Finance Associates and Finance Analysts assigned to support specific pieces of work;


• Review the quality of work performed by the LFA providing feedback to the Local Fund Agent on their work;


• Provide training and guidance to grant implementers, LFAs and in-country partners in relation to Global Fund fiduciary policies, procedures and practices;


• Where necessary facilitate meaningful change in the financial management of grants through extended involvement in the change process;


• Engage in providing finance inputs in internal policy development and assist in drafting and interpreting operational policy notes;


• Collaborate with external funding partners in the area of financial management;


• Engage in ad hoc projects such as the re-design of the grant architecture;


• Take focal point responsibility for certain relevant areas;


• Prepare material and participate in the delivery of financial training for country implementers or as part of internal training programs;


• Identify and manage appropriate financial knowledge management systems for supporting grant management process.

Subject to change by the Executive Director at any time at their sole discretion.

Qualifications

Essential:

• University degree in Finance, Accounting or Business Administration


• Finance or accounting qualification (professional qualification or part-qualification such as a Chartered Accountant, Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst or Fédération des Experts-Comptables Européens)

Desirable:

• Masters of Business Administration (Finance) or Masters in Finance

Experience

Essential:

• At least 7 years of demonstrated progressive experience in financial analysis and decision-making, obtained with an international accounting firm, bilateral or multilateral aid agency, government department, industry, or a commercial or investment bank;


• Experience in financial, regulatory, and grant-making or contracting processes;


• Demonstrated experience of having to make budgetary decisions or approvals;


• Experience of supervising a team and having to make decisions around performance management within a finance function.

Desirable:

• Grants and project management experience, preferably in the health, social or financing sector would be an advantage as well as relevant experience in developing countries;


• Negotiation Skills; as the job would involve grant negotiation with Governments and other beneficiaries (e.g. NGOs and UN Agencies);


• Experience of working within an international or regional sphere of activity, preferably on the fields

Competencies

Languages:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of other languages would be an asset and may be required depending on the position.

Technical Competencies:

• Strong finance and accounting skills


• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Word, Advanced Excel and Power Point, ERP Systems


• Ability to multi-task and to delegate, as appropriate


• Ability to work effectively with project technical team on project finance and administration issues and tasks

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