Finance and Partnership Specialist

Finance and Partnership Specialist

WaterAid is an international not-for-profit, determined to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. Since we started in 1981, we’ve remained resolutely focused on tackling these three essentials that transform people’s lives

Without all three, people can’t live dignified, healthy lives. With all three, they can unlock their potential, break free from poverty, and change their lives for good. Children grow up healthy and strong, women and men get to earn a living, whole communities start to thrive.

WaterAid is fully committed to protecting those with whom it comes into contact. WaterAid is committed to ensuring that wherever we work in the world there is no tolerance for the abuse of power, privilege or trust. WaterAid reinforces a culture of zero tolerance towards any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation of any kind. Safeguarding of the communities in which we work, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf, is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. We are passionately committed to WaterAid being an organisation where everyone is welcome, respected, included and empowered to be their best. We represent and celebrate the diversity of our staff, partners and everyone with whom we work to create a culture where everyone can reach their full potential. All staff and volunteers are required to share in this commitment through our Global Code of Conduct.

We will conduct the most appropriate pre-employment references and checks to ensure high standards are maintained.

WaterAid will carry out disclosure checks for roles that involve direct contact with children and vulnerable adults. Applicants are required to provide details of convictions that, in other circumstances, would be considered spent. For more information about safeguarding at WaterAid, please visit our safeguarding webpage at: https://www.wateraid.org/uk/safeguarding-at-wateraid.

Job Title: Finance and Partnership Specialist

Place of work: Kathmandu, Nepal

Pay band: Grade-E

Reports to: Head of Finance and Admin

Travel: Frequent travel to programme and project areas

Team description

The Finance and Partnership Specialist reports directly to the Head of Finance and Administration; however, this role is accountable for coordinating closely with the country program team as well as WaterAid UK finance and compliance colleagues. The position indirectly oversees and closely supports a team of partner finance staff at different professional skill levels. The role plays a critical role in closely supporting Partners in managing their budgets and grants.

Description

Job purpose

• To provide regular support and guidance to Partners’ on managing grants and budget, for building a healthy financial system.
• To work closely with the Programme team and Partners for planning, organizing, controlling, and monitoring on the financial aspect.
• To support on overall WaterAid Nepal (WAN) financial management system requirement, financial reporting requirement, WaterAid Nepal cash follow projection and monthly basic fund request.

Accountabilities:

Partner Finance Management:

• Conduct financial monitoring visit to Partner NGOs and prepare visit report and follow-up on implementation of recommendations on monitoring visit.
• Support external/internal/donor members while conducting partner audit and timely follow up on implementation of the recommendation in report.
• Review fund disbursement request and ensure appropriate disbursement of fund.
• Support in review risks of the NGOs.
• Facilitate training/refreshers on financial management for NGOs staff based on partner capacity assessment/due diligence and performance review for healthy financial management system.
• Check partner internal control system & procedures and review their relevant policies.
• Review partners expenditure statement and forward the findings to management/respective programme person to resolve those before uploading the return into the finance system.
• Develop and orient financial reporting templates to NGO staffs.
• Document partnership agreements, project plans and partner legal documents.
• Reconcile partner reports and system, monthly, and report if any significant variance identified.
• Work closely with Budget Holders further supporting them with finance information to ensure monthly monitoring of budget utilisation in line with program plan of all NGOs.
• Support to prepare yearly NGOs’ budget and review to ensure compliances with WAN rules & regulations and provide feedback to the management. Work on budget reforecasting as relevant.
• Support in carrying out partnership capacity assessment / due diligence or yearly partnership review for existing and new partners.
• Facilitate and provide guidance to Partners for the healthy/ transparent procurement process based on donor policy, partners own policy and Nepal government applicable clauses of public procurement act.
• Support on NGO’s procurement process for the healthy process emplaced
• Work on emergency response program for planning, execution, monitoring and partnership management.
• Represent WAN as the finance focal person to partner NGOs.

Accounting Management:

• Complete review of WAN financial documents and expenses.
• Upload entries in the accounting system and forward for payment process.
• Financial system transactions review and necessary rectification adjustment.
• Facilitate & support in classifying expenses into appropriate account head.
• Ensure monthly monitoring of budget utilisation in line with program plan. Preparation of monthly budget variance, working closely with budget holders further supporting budget holders with finance information.
• Responsible for accuracy of coding.
• Documentation of all accounting records.
• Responsible for adhering to Social Welfare Council and other mandatory Government Acts, Rules, and Regulations like provision of taxation, Value Added Tax,
• Personal Income Tax etc. further providing support to provide information on tax details as relevant.

Project specific support:

• Participate and conduct meetings with relevant project team on supporting their financial management.
• Prepare and support memos and amendment documents of partners.
• Providing guidance to project team on key donor, WAN compliances.
• Facilitate on advocacy strategic partners financial documents and settlement process jointly with program team.
• Supporting to provide necessary orientation/ refresher to WAN staffs in financial management as necessary.

Other work:

• Any other assigned by Line manager.
• Support HFA in partners guidelines and WAN policies as relevant.
• Thorough monitoring on donors’ compliance.

Essential skills:

• Master’s degree in Management with Finance or relevant discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in similar role working directly with local implementing partners.
• IT skills particularly Excel, Outlook, MS Word (knowledge of SUN, FAMA preferred).
• Accounting, Taxation, Procurement knowledge in complex financial rules and regulation.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members
• Excellent numerical and analytical skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in multicultural environment.
• Good communication skills in written and verbal English and Nepali.
• Experience of managing and supporting partner staff.
• Good interpersonal, negotiating, and persuasive skills and experience.
• Commitment to WaterAid’s values and a working style that reflects WaterAid’s values.

Desirable skills

• Willing to learn new finance related IT systems and procedures and software
• Aware of the various donors’ systems and reporting formats
• Ability to work flexibly, to manage varying competing priorities under your own initiative, meet strict deadlines
• Experience of working effectively within a culturally diverse and matrix organisation
• Self-starter with a desire to learn and take initiative.
• Ability to analyse risk and reporting.

Tagged as: Finance Specialist, Kathmandu, NGO INGO