Senior Regional Finance Officer

Vacancy Announcement Number: 1643

Date of Issue: 09/07/2018

Deadline for Applications: 20/08/2018

Organizational Unit: Financial Management Services

Level: P-4

Duty Station: DAKAR

Duration of Assignment: 2 years fixed-term (Renewable)

Organizational context

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

The Financial Operations Department (FOD) is a dynamic financial, strategic and responsive business partner and service provider fully supporting IFAD in developing its financial strategy and managing its financial, investments and material resources. FOD ensures that these resources are efficiently, economically and effectively used to achieve IFAD’s objectives in the long-term and deliver on its development commitments. The Financial Management Services Division (FMD) develops and oversees financial policies and project financial management practices in IFAD-funded operations, including financial reporting, audit, project liquidity management, fiduciary compliance and support. The division is responsible for IFAD’s financial management workforce including consultants.

Post's organizational accountability

Senior Regional Finance Officers at this level manage a complete financial operation, encompassing a wide variety of funding sources, a large volume of transactions and extensive dispersed activities. The accountabilities / key results include:

• Finance Practice Leader
• Finance Business Partner
• Financial Management
• Agent of Change
• Managerial functions

Senior Regional Finance Officers work under the supervision of the Director, FMD, and receive overall strategic, policy and management guidance from the Chief Financial Management Officer. They have dual reporting line to the Regional Division Director(s) of the projects and programmes to which s/he has an allocated portfolio for activities not linked to financial management compliance. For day-to-day operational matters, they work in close coordination with Senior (Regional) Finance Officers located at IFAD Headquarters who serve as anchors to ensure effective and timely interaction with Senior Regional Finance Officers on knowledge and information sharing, and consistent application of FM policies. They work in close collaboration with the Country Directors (CD)/Country Programme Managers (CPM), and other programme management and technical staff to ensure consistency, cohesion and synergy in the application of technical support and provision of programme development support. They are typically accountable for the regional work plan establishment and supervision of a team of Finance Professionals and/or Assistants.

Key results expected / Major functional activities

1. FINANCE PRACTICE LEADER: The Senior Regional Finance Officer at this level is accountable for technical leadership in his/her operational area at the regional level ensuring compliance with financial principles and concepts, policies, regulations and rules as well as for soundness of judgement and conclusions. The Senior Regional Finance Officer contributes to the development of, implements and monitors the interpretation and application of new financial policies, regulations, rules, practices, procedures and systems to meet the evolving needs of the Fund. S/He provides authoritative knowledge of the Fund’s governing structure, mandate, long-term business strategy, financial rules and regulations as well as international standards in auditing and accounting and public financial management. The incumbent enhances accountability in the financial management of IFAD funded programs and projects.

2. FINANCE BUSINESS PARTNER: The Senior Regional Finance Officer is a credible, trusted partner to the portfolios served. S/He contributes directly to the development of the Fund’s financial strategy and plans as well as models a commitment to financial integrity by acting as a responsive and constructive service provider with a focus on results. In all interactions s/he promotes the concept of results based management and accountability for the financial resources entrusted to IFAD.

3. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: At this level the Senior Regional Finance Officer is a team leader with the capacity to develop as well as authoritatively interpret and apply a broad range of international and IFAD financial policies, rules and regulations as well as systems, standards and techniques. Activities performed by all finance occupations include (a) contributing to the development and continuous evolution of strategic frameworks; (b) adapting rules and establishing financial procedures relating to the assigned operation; (c) creating effective monitoring systems including operational oversight to ensure effective management of assigned operations, including ensuring due regard to segregation of financial tasks as required; (d) financial reporting and preparing responses for management on queries raised and views expressed by IFAD’s Governing Council and other relevant shareholders/partners; (e) reviewing audit reports and providing guidance to IFAD staff and ministries/ auditors/ projects on sound financial management practices; (f) leading the preparation of timely, substantive replies to internal and external audit observations concerning the assigned financial operation; and (g) analysing IFAD experience with other IFIs and development organizations to adopt best financial management practices in administering IFAD’s financial resources (h) other project financial management activities as per the risk based assurance framework.

Representative occupational activities include:

• acting as regional focal point and are responsible for providing technical leadership to regional and country programmes and project activities;
• formally supervising Finance Officers and national officers as relevant who in turn are responsible for managing the full range of loans and grants portfolio(s), as well as managing a portfolio directly;
• managing portfolios to ensure improved results of the financial management of IFAD projects and programmes in line with the underlying risk based assurance framework and related procedures; participating in financing negotiations to articulate the Fund's financial policies and operational procedures;
• coordinating financial management dialogue and actions on programmes and projects involving the Fund's operational staff, cooperating institutions, borrowers, co-financiers and projects;
• maintaining operational links with borrowers and project staff and cooperating institutions during implementation; ensuring effective and accountable maintenance of related data in corporate FM systems;
• responsible for contracting of financial management consultants to ensure full coverage of FM activities throughout the project cycle, and
• carrying out regular capacity building activities in the region.

4. AGENT OF CHANGE: The Senior Regional Finance Officer understands and applies the principles of change management and proactively serves as a role model for transformation and capacity for acceptance of change. S/He uses a seasoned knowledge of results based management and budgeting, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other information technology to develop, analyze and promote acceptance of new methods of work and automated work flows. At this level the incumbent manages change through consultations with inter-organizational and internal finance colleagues and outreach to client offices to build understanding of and to ensure open and regular communications pertaining to current and planned changes in the Fund’s financial standards, regulations and rules.

5. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Senior Regional Finance Officer is typically a team leader with accountability for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources. This may include: (a) People Management through work plan development, recruitment, performance and career management of Professional, GS staff and consultants as relevant as well as learning management establishing learning plans and ensuring staff supervised meet their development needs while meeting the needs of IFAD; (b) Resource Management by providing strategic and data inputs into the divisional budget preparation exercises; (c) Knowledge and Content Management by ensuring (i) knowledge content within functional area is continuously updated and available to colleagues and clients (ii) best practices are continuously identified, documented and distributed and (iii) appropriate and up-to-date information and learning tools are available to the Fund’s managers, supervisors and staff; and Information Technology Management through leveraging ERP functionality for improved business results, simplification of transaction and reporting processes and improved client services.

Impact of Key results / Key performance indicators

Senior Regional Finance Officers at this level are accountable for authoritative advice and guidance in regard to the Fund’s financial policies, regulations and practices and authoritative interpretation to resolve difficult and unusual cases. They make recommendations to senior management on questions of financial policy, including those that may be the subject of inter-organizational consultations. Senior Regional Finance Officers are also accountable for leading and ensuring the accuracy of a complete, complex financial operation identified by the variety and number of funding sources, diversity of currencies, and the requirement for producing various reports to legislative bodies, member governments, and others interested in the activities of the Fund. S/He achieves finance programme goals and objectives through innovative program design or redesign. The work requires the development of new and/or modifications of existing policies, practices and techniques as well as the review of Finance Officer and Analyst work performed at lower levels, taking corrective and adaptive actions.

S/He provides technical advice to stakeholders, leads technical discussions and capacity building in countries assigned.

The KPIs include efficient performance of assigned finance operations and other responsibilities, technical quality in terms of both substantive depth and adaptive relevance to client needs and customer service approach to problem resolution and team leading characteristics, as well as maintaining data integrity on assigned portfolios.

Representation / Work relationships

Internally Senior Regional Finance Officers are authoritative technical advisers to the Fund’s managers, other budget holders and staff in their area of assignment and advocate for accountability and integrity in the allocation and management of the Fund’s financial resources. S/He collaborates with Finance Officers based in HQ and contributes to continued improvement in relevant policies and procedures. Contacts extend throughout the organization and include Country Office management, internal auditors and evaluation Officers. Externally work relationships require collaboration, coordination and partnership building with local counterparts and external stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of financial rules and procedures, with particular reference to the use of donor funding through contacts with Borrowers and Contributing institutions. S/He will also represent IFAD and FMD in regional technical fora and be in direct contact with external auditors and counterparts in other IFI and UN organizations.

Competencies

Organizational

• Strategic thinking and organizational development: Personal influence
• Demonstrating Leadership: Leads by example; initiates and supports change
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating: Challenges, innovates and contributes to a learning culture
• Focusing on clients: Contributes to a client-focused culture
• Problem solving and decision making: Solves complex problems and makes decisions that have wider corporate impact
• Managing time, resources and information: Coordinates wider use of time, information and/or resources
• Team Work: Fosters a cohesive team environment
• Communicating and negotiating: Acquires and uses a wide range of communication styles and skills
• Building relationships and partnerships: Builds and maintains strategic partnerships internally and externally
• Managing performance and developing staff: Manages staff and teams effectively

Technical/Functional

• Authoritative knowledge of the principles and concepts of financial management including international auditing and accounting standards and project financial management.
• Ability to provide technical and administrative leadership to staff supervised and to develop clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies.
• Capacity to develop and adapt policies, approaches and models to meet emerging system needs and to enhance the continuing accuracy, integrity and accountability of the Fund’s financial resources.
• Ability to identify and analyze systemic issues, formulate opinions and make conclusions and recommendations to resolve same.
• Analytical, organizational and supervisory skills.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in a diverse organization tailoring language, tone, style and format to match audience.
• Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equitable consideration of women and men in all assigned HR activities.
• Excellent knowledge of information technology systems and tools as they pertain to financial systems.

Minimum recruitment qualifications

Education:

Advanced university degree from an accredited institution in accounting, finance, business administration or other job related field. CPA or equivalent or other related certification preferred.

Experience:

At least eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience in accounting, financial management, budget analysis or management analysis in a multi-cultural organization or national organization providing support on a global scope.

Language requirements:

Excellent written and verbal communication skills in French and English. Working knolwedge of another official language (Arabic or Spanish) is desirable.

Other information

Applicants should note that IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD, and they may be assigned by him/her to any of the activities of IFAD, including field assignments and/or rotation within IFAD.

In the interest of making most cost effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful

Candidates may be required to take a written test and to deliver a presentation as well as participate in interviews.

IFAD is committed to achieving diversity and is seeking a balanced workforce from its Member States. Women are particularly encouraged to apply.