Career Opportunity
BRAC envisions a world free from all forms of exploitation and discrimination where everyone has the opportunity to realise their potential. The organisation was founded in Bangladesh in 1972 and acts as a catalyst, creating opportunities for people to transform their lives. BRAC uses an integrated model to change systems of inequity, through social development programmes, humanitarian response interventions, social enterprises, socially responsible investments and a reputed university. The majority of the organisation’s work is self-financed and operates in conflict-prone and post-disaster settings in 11 countries across Asia and Africa.
BRAC has been working in Cox’s Bazar for the last 36 years including with the Rohingya population from previous influxes and has implemented a holistic, multi-sector response. Since 25th August 2017 to till date, nearly a million forcibly-displaced Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar. They require immediate, ongoing humanitarian services to address their basic needs. Besides this, 3, 35,500 Bangladeshi host community members are also suffering as their land is currently being occupied by the displaced Rohingya people which is badly affecting their livelihood and other services. BRAC’s work includes an initial phase of focused services to address the most urgent needs of the stated communities. Now, in organised phase, BRAC is deepening this sectoral response with a focus on integrating disaster risk reduction into its regular interventions by following a humanitarian development approach.
Initiatives on Disaster Risk Reduction, Shelter and NFI, Protection, WASH, Health and Nutrition, Communication 4 Development, Agriculture and Environment, Site Management, Livelihood and Education are planned and implemented in close coordination with the Government of Bangladesh and other partners through the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG). We are pursuing an adaptive, phase-wise strategy that sequences interventions to provide integrated services to everyone affected by the crisis.
BRAC is actively implementing comprehensive interventions designed to meet the immediate needs of vulnerable people while supporting them to build skills, resilience and awareness that will facilitate their long-term wellbeing as the situation evolves in partnership with the Government of Bangladesh, UN agencies, various donors and local NGOs.
The BRAC Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) team is one of the largest in Cox’s Bazar, working in 11 sectors and working groups, covering 34 camps, and host communities. HCMP has over 2,400 staff and around 5,000 volunteers providing essential services from primary health care and nutrition, learning, skill development and psychosocial counseling, to building latrines, shelters and community gardens. We provide site management support in 07 camps, where we support the government-appointed Camp-in-Charge in administering and coordinating services.
Job Summary:
The Finance and Grants Controller is responsible for the financial management, grant management, internal control systems, adherence to compliance including donor compliance, and statutory of BRAC HCMP and HP. The Finance and Grants Controller has overall responsibility for the day to day accounting and financial management, grant management, sub-grant management including partnership finance, and taxation requirements for HCMP and HP. The Finance and Grants Controller has a significant risk management responsibility including grants funding and challenges arising within the operating environment.
The position will support HCMP and HP in strategic and operational stewardship over donor resources by applying a set of relevant systems, policies, procedures and tools to ensure that grants and contracts are donor compliant and best serve the organisational mission. Under the direction of the Area Director, HCMP while receiving technical support from the HQ Grant Management team, the Finance and Grants Controller will be responsible for ensuring that the country programme adheres to all its grant management obligations internally within BRAC and externally with donors. As a key member of the senior management team, the Finance and Grants Controller will contribute to the overall strategy development and running of the country programme. This position is empowered to make recommendations for improvements needed within HCMP and HP systems to support both internal and donor compliance.
This role will work closely with other HP and HCMP support teams on proposals, financial and narrative reporting, monitoring and analysis, procurement and compliance processes. In the event of a spike in the humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.
Position
Finance & Grants Controller, Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme
Job Description/Responsibilities:
Ensuring finance policy compliance:
- Ensure that the HCMP finance functions are in line with the BRAC finance policy and established organisational practices.
- Ensure that donor rules and regulations are adhered to within finance management of specific projects.
- Establish and implement BRAC specific finance systems, and guidelines.
- Closely look at the issue of cost effectiveness and provide recommendations and guidance to the management team.
- Understand and share information related to local government, statutory requirements related to financial issues and ensures compliance with tax & VAT regulations and any other legal requirements.
Ensuring grants compliance through responsible stewardship
- Deliver strategic inputs to HCMP and HP within the annual operating plan processes; ensure any internal or external grant management audit findings are correctively. addressed; effectively represent HCMP and HP to donors.
- Coordinates and negotiates the donor contracting process, drafting process for financial and narrative reports among different teams, ensuring submission deadlines are met and reports of high quality; coordinates the completion of due diligence exercises; ensures the administration of key grant management processes including Kick Off, Monthly Grant Review Meetings and Close Out.
- Ensures effective controls around any sub-grant management in compliance with agency policies.
- Actively engages with PRL Grant Management on complex donor compliance issues to ensure compliance with both internal and donor rules and regulations.
- Supports analysis and production of HCMP and HP financial and grants dashboards for senior management decision making.
- Undertake portfolio management via the online Project Grants System and ensure fidelity to its use by HCMP and HP.
- Capacity build and ensure development opportunities for junior staff on team.
- Provide 5% of time to oversee BRAC Humanitarian Programme (HP) grants.
Establishing effective internal finance controls:
- Ensure that established internal control systems for HCMP are in place. Regularly review on effective implementation of these systems regularly and report any discrepancies.
- Manage and protect of the Organization’s assets (cash, inventory etc.). through the enforcement of internal control policies and procedures.
- Ensure that the authorization matrix for the programme is updated and approvals are in line with the matrix.
- Keenly review the allocation of salaries based on timesheets, and an overall assessment of the general controls that are in place, provide recommendations if necessary.
- Regularly review for adequacy and reasonableness the documentation for delineating authority for approving transactions, procurements, disbursements.
- Undertake internal control audits, report the same and in discussion with the Area Director HCMP, initiate actions necessary to correct any internal control weaknesses.
- Documentation- ensure that all relevant finance documents are appropriately filed (soft and print copy), ensuring quality referencing for the filed documents, safety of the documents considering regulatory and donor record retention requirements.
Field Office Support:
- Establish and implement practices to ensure efficient and seamless support and coordination with the field offices.
- Carry out regular field office and partner visits in order to support, guide and monitor implementation of internal controls, identify support needs, and train finance and non-finance staff.
- Use the Field Office Monitoring Checklist as a tool to ensure effective finance function at field offices.
- Actively check out programme activities in line with donor proposals and share observations with the concerned team members.
- Ensure that cash transfers to the field offices are taking place and any challenges are communicated and addressed.
Lead Annual Statutory Audit and Specific Project Audits:
- Facilitate timely completion of the Annual Statutory Audit and Financial Statements
- Facilitate timely completion of Grant-Specific, Project Audits.
- Ensure preparation and retention of documentation to facilitate the annual external audit, donor audits, internal audits and revenue audits.
Undertake quality finance reporting and documentation:
- Prepare and submit financial reports as stipulated with the BRAC Finance Manual- ensuring the integrity of information and explanations, and timely submission.
- Prepare and submit donor reports as and when necessary- ensuring reporting in the due format of the donors, accuracy of information and timely submission.
- Keenly analyse financial information to generate information on overall finance management issues- i.e. spending trends, operation vs programme costs, funding gaps, funding pipeline analysis etc.
- Ensure timely preparation of various monthly finance reports for the HCMP and HP and provide the same for approval. The reports include- trial balance, collate bank statements, monthly financial grants summary, monthly grants tracking sheet, monthly reconciliation file etc.
- Prepare monthly budget vs actual report for all donor grants and share the same with senior management team. Lead monthly grant review meetings and share any observations and recommendations.
- Update the operating budget for the HCMP and HP programme on an on-going basis specifically highlighting issues around over and under budgets, funding gaps for specific field sites and positions or costs, and share recommendations.
Perform accounting and finance management functions:
- Work in compliance with BRAC policy to establish HCMP policies regarding cash holding limits, cash movements and foreign currency holdings.
- Liabilities – Severance/Accounts Payable/Taxes Payable- ensure that the BRAC severance policy is not in conflict with local labor laws; ensure that items in accounts payable relate to open grants; discuss the office methodology for accrual and payment of taxes to ensure it is in compliance with local law.
- Ensure that charging is done with written consent from the budget holders.
- Ensure salary is paid against donor approved positions and amount.
Safeguarding:
- Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation to achieve the programme’s goals on safeguarding implementation. Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.
- Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.
- Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place, encourage others to do so.
Requirements
Educational Requirements:
Masters in Accounting with ACA/ ACCA/ CIMA/ CPA or equivalent degree.
Experience Requirement:
Minimum 10 years’ relevant work experience in finance, accounting and budgeting, including 5 years’ experience in multiple fund management. Candidates having previous experience in INGOs/ UN will get preference.
Additional Requirements:
- Technical expertise in managing and developing humanitarian programme’s finance and accounts systems.
- Excellent quantitative skills, including proficiency in Excel.
- Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work.
- Ability to take initiative, work independently and cooperatively with team members is required.
- Fluent written and oral communication in English is required.
Age: N/A
Salary & Benefits
Salary:Negotiable
Other Benefits: As per organisation policy
Job Location: Cox’s Bazar
Last Apply Date: 21/Oct/2020
BRAC believes every one of its employees, suppliers, downstream partners, visitors, clients and community including children, youth and vulnerable adults that come into contact regardless of age, race, religion, gender, disability or ethnic origin has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect, harassment, and exploitation. We guarantee assessment of candidates with disabilities who meet the essential requirements. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and will do everything possible to ensure that those who are suitable to work within our values and beliefs are recruited to work for us. Any personal persuasion will result in disqualification of candidature.
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Or You may apply through careers.brac.net or send your updated CV along with a cover letter to resume@brac.net mentioning the name of the position”Finance and Grants Controller” in the subject line.
