Director of Finance and Operations, Iraq Civil Society Activity

Overview

Counterpart International is currently seeking a Director of Finance and Operations (DFO) to support the anticipated Iraq Civil Society Activity (ICSA) opportunity. The overall objective of ICSA is to increase citizen engagement in the public sphere, especially among women and youth, while supporting civil society organizations (CSOs) to connect to and empower citizens and one another, thereby enhancing CSO resilience, increasing its credibility and effectiveness. The expected result is a more active and inclusive civil society sector that effectively fosters change and contributes to a more equitable and democratic Iraq.

In collaboration with the Chief of Party (COP), the DFO will oversee all the operational and financial aspects of the project, including sub-grants management, and ensuring that financial operations are in compliance with USAID regulations. The DFO will also be responsible for program operations, including monitoring, reporting, developing and maintaining partnerships to meet activity objectives; providing technical expertise; and handling administrative and supervisory responsibilities as specified by the COP. This is a full-time position based in Baghdad, Iraq.

Qualified Iraqi nationals are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

Financial

• Establish and oversee financial management systems, procedures and controls.
• Review Counterpart Field Finance Operations Manual, Procurement Manual, Grants Manual, Accounting QuickBooks Manual and other relevant documents.
• Provide regular training to financial and administrative staff on tools, policies and procedures.
• Work with HQ to develop the field Finance, Human Resources, Procurement, Risk and other manuals and update them as necessary.
• Carry out internal compliance assessments to ensure that Counterpart and donor guidelines are implemented and upheld and that the findings are captured in the risk register/issues log.
• Work closely with the COP to manage high-risk issues and potential financial liabilities. Escalate any high-risk issues to Counterpart HQ.
• Provide training and technical assistance in financial management to local sub-grantees.
• Coordinate monthly requests for funds to ensure the project has all necessary funds for operations, monitoring program burn rate and supporting the development of pipelines, burn trackers, accruals, monthly financial reports, and spending projections.

Operations

• Manage and oversee all operations related to the project, including logistical, procurement, security, access, human resources, risk and compliance and ensure compliance with Iraqi laws, Counterpart policies and donor regulations.
• Ensure that operational systems are in place and that they perform optimally in support of the timely implementation of field activities.
• Lead in the development and review of annual workplans, quarterly reports, annual reports, financial pipelines, and resource estimates.
• Oversight of all aspects of Human Management, including the development of HR policies, recruitment and compliance with local labor laws.
• Conduct partner capacity assessments and flag high-risk concerns to management and ensure a mechanism is in place to monitor compliance by sub-contracted partners.
• Oversight of the procurement processes for service provider agreements, contracts, partner sub-awards, and any local sub-grant awards.
• Coordinate weekly internal coordination meetings with senior staff and ensure proper dissemination of information to all staff as appropriate.
• Ensure program implementation follows Counterpart’s policies/procedures, the laws of the Government of Iraq, and USAID rules and regulations, particularly with respect to financial and grants management.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Accounting or Finance or equivalent.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant work experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, with a minimum of 4 years of progressively responsible finance and operational management experience backstopping USG-Funded programs.
• Experience working and leading Finance and Operations teams to deliver on project objectives.
• Knowledge of applicable Federal government regulations.
• Proven experience of managing the finances of large ($10M+) projects.
• Demonstrated ability to implement financial systems for development projects.
• Strong analytical and computer skills, especially with accounting softwares, spreadsheets and financial analysis.
• Demonstrated project management experience, including budget and financial management, and monitoring and evaluation.
• At least 3 years’ experience managing risk and compliance with an international NGO.
• Demonstrated ability to give effective presentations and write high-quality technical reports.
• Ability to produce high-quality deliverables throughout the project cycle from planning, management, and execution to troubleshooting.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate fully and effectively, both oral and written, in English is required, and in Arabic is strongly preferred.

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