Finance & Operations Director - Haiti

DescriptionLocation : Port-au-Prince, HaïtiPosition Status: Full-time RegularSalary Level: Level 6Risk Level: X Level 3       ☐Level 2 ☐Level 1 About Mercy CorpsMercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

The Program / Department / Team Mercy Corps helps communities develop their own ideas to solve Haiti’s most daunting problems by using innovative approaches to bring Haitians new social and economic opportunities and to make their country more secure, productive and just. Established in January 2010, Mercy Corps Haiti has offices in Port-au-Prince, Grand ’Anse and Nippes Departments, and more than 80 staff implementing programs in economic development, agriculture, natural resource management and humanitarian response.   Mercy Corps’ economic development work is guided by the principles of pro-poor development and demand driven strategies.

Mercy Corps takes a progressive approach to development that leads communities and entrepreneurs from relief to sustainable livelihoods to resilience. In response to the escalating humanitarian crises in Haiti, the Country Office is expanding and strengthening its portfolio. The Position The incumbent will work closely with the Country Office, regional team, and global teams to design, oversee and manage all finance and operations systems ensuring that all financial transactions are fully accounted for and to manage the operations functions. The Director of Finance and Operations will carry out his/her responsibilities as part of a multi-sectoral team.

This position requires a professional who possesses knowledge of operations, logistics, accounting and finance functions and responsibilities as they specifically relate to the operation of a relief and development program. Essential ResponsibilitiesSTRATEGY AND PLANNING Support the CD and the senior leadership team to develop and support the country strategy. Mobilize support services and risk management resources to enable country and regional leadership teams to execute their respective strategic priorities. Lead the development and administration of country level reports on key finance and operations indicators.

Lead on measurement and analysis of key financial and operational indicators to inform strategic decision making at the country office level. Oversee and ensure the protection of the country’s assets through the enforcement of internal control policies and procedures. Maintain current knowledge of local government requirements related to financial and operational matters and ensures compliance with tax regulations and other Country legal requirements Support financial & Operational governance by ensuring the Haiti CD, the Senior Management Team (SMT) have quality information that is presented according to defined processes and timelines.

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION Manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees and other stakeholders. Communicate effectively to ensure overall donor obligations are met. Interface with the (donor) representatives to convey information about finance as appropriate. Communicate with our partners to verify their systems and that they understand and follow all appropriate procedures and archiving. LEADERSHIP AND COORDINATION Ensure competent and strong operations and finance units across the country by identifying key Operations and competencies gaps within the Haiti Operation and Finance team and proactively coordinating, designing, and implementing relevant training. Effectively manage the relevant staff capacity development plans and opportunities.

Initiate, coordinate and assist in conducting finance and operations (on policies, procedures, systems, etc. ) related training to all staff in Haiti, in coordination with the Haiti SMT, and collaboration with the relevant stakeholders and other relevant colleagues. As a member of the senior management team (SMT), support the development of the Haiti strategic direction and programs, with a focus on ensuring sufficient capacity and support in business operations, finance, and risk management to the organization’s work, staff, and partners.

Proactively engage in and support the design and implementation of required new systems, processes, and policies, working in coordination with the Haiti Director and functional teams (Haiti offices and partners). Promote and shape Mercy Corps culture by facilitating spaces of participation and contribution across the various programs and support functions. Act as a change agent aligned with the Mercy Corps core values, as needed and possible, to provide insights and a vision on enabling change and creating process improvements.

Country Systems And Support Functions Ensure that effective systems are in place at the country office level for the adequate management of financial and operational field support functions. Review and support country team adherence to Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures. Capture and disseminate best practices on operations and finance systems across country teams to ensure highest quality and standards. Produce bi-annual master budgets for support/operational costs. OPERATIONAL – FINANCIAL Steward performance management leading the financial planning, budgeting, and reporting process.

Prepare the operational plan, consolidated budget and reports, standards and processes, and the consolidated reporting for expenditure (Budget versus Actuals), all in cooperations with the programming team. Provide counsel on strategic financial aspects and regular, accurate, and timely financial updates and information to the Country Director for leading the overall management of budget and operations across the country. Lead the operations and finance business intelligence activities, performing proactive monitoring and analysis to drive strategic business decisions and continuous improvement activities.

Review current policies and procedures and work with the HQ/Regional Finance and Operations representatives and the Country Director to improve them and implement changes. Develop, schedule and perform or supervise the completion of internal control audits and initiate necessary actions to correct control weaknesses. Provide leadership, technical supervision, oversight and training to all finance and operation staff. Perform with developing budgets for new programs and proposals for all support-related costs. Oversee the timely preparation review and approval of all monthly bank account and cash reconciliations.

Sign off the review of national payroll and all related documents for all local staff employees. Travel to the field at least once a quarter to do financial spot checks/internal audits at sub-bases or ensure his/her delegate performs the task. Assist and spearhead development of key Operations and Finance Department documents with staff and/or external consultants. Successful track record of US Government-funded and other international donor-funded project budgets and reports. Ensure the IT can support the connectivity and security needed for working online and using cloud-based ERP and digital communication and information accessibility tools.

Make sure IT Support is appropriately implementing all policies, procedures, and controls set out in ’s worldwide IT policies and procedures to ensure adequate protection of data and continuity of system availability. HUMAN RESOURCES Support Mercy Corps global and regional initiatives for human resources, including safeguarding and talent development. Collaborate with the people team to promote staff access to high quality learning opportunities, with a special emphasis on national team member development. Assist with the on-boarding of senior team members, ensuring they are set up for success and familiar with agency systems, procedures, and protocols.

TEAM MANAGEMENT Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence. Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews. Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary. Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives. Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes. RISK MANAGEMENT Engage and support the Country Director and the SMT to ensure that adequate risk management systems are in place.

Collaborate with the Country Director and the SMT to support preparedness and response to major disruptive events. Engage with the Country Director and the SMT in the internal audit process to track the findings and ensure country team compliance with IA findings and recommendations. Work closely with and support the Haiti Country Director by conducting regular effective risk analysis (i. e. , variance analysis, trends) and reviews, ensuring proper financial and operational controls are in place. Create strategies to mitigate financial and operational risk, working closely with offices, teams, and the executing affiliates.

Develop a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the national laws and regulations, ensure sufficient legal and fiscal support in all bases, monitor and manage potential risks at all levels. Safeguarding Responsibilities  Actively learn about safeguarding and integrate it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work. Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members. Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e. g. , Integrity Hotline and other options.

Supervisory Responsibility The incumbent will supervise Operations and Finance Leads of Mercy Corps Haiti. Responsible for supervising the local Finance and Operations team. Accountability Reports Directly To: Country DirectorWorks Directly With: HQ Regional Finance team, Regional DRD-Operations, HQ Program Officers, Program Directors, Program Managers, Process Analyst Specialist. Accountability to Participants and StakeholdersMercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work.

We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills A BA/S or equivalent in accounting or finance required; advanced degree preferred. At least 7+ years of progressive financial management experience, including supervisory experience required. At least 5 years’ experience in grants management as well as an understanding of US Government regulations required. At least 5 years’ international experience required; international NGO/PVO field office experience is preferred. Experience overseeing and preparing project start-ups, particularly in complex environments.

Extensive experience and/or technical knowledge in designing, managing projects and activities, particularly related to agriculture, economic recovery, community resilience, natural resource management and similar programming. Proven experience managing teams in complex environments, with experience managing teams remotely. Excellent interpersonal and written and oral presentation skills. Demonstrated experience adapting project implementation and activities to achieve objectives and targets as needed. In-depth knowledge of US Government-funded and other international donor-funded budgets, regulations, compliance, and reporting. Demonstrated outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, organizational, team-building, and representational skills.

Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines, and intense pressure to perform. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and data collection software. Ability to travel nationally and internationally as required. Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work. Knowledge of Sphere standards and other training in humanitarian response preferred. Success Factors The successful candidate will have an ability to interact effectively across programs, operations and finance teams successfully, both in a managerial as well as training capacity.

S/he will be able to support programmatic objectives with timely and meaningful financial and operational information, have a demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities. An impeccable professional standard of finance, logistics and procurement ethics and the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential. The Finance and Operations Director must be willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites.

The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations. Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions Haiti is a country of 10 million people and is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The country has been wracked by a series of major natural disasters since 2010 including earthquake, hurricanes, and drought. A new government is in place for the next five years which is anticipated to reduce instability, however occasional violent demonstrations and flare-ups in crime can occur.

Haiti suffers from chronic high unemployment, severe environmental degradation, food insecurity, and health issues like cholera exacerbated by low levels of access to water and poor infrastructure. Nonetheless, Haiti also has great beauty including beaches and mountainous national parks. Its international airport provides daily flights to multiple destinations in the US, as well as access to DR, Canada, Paris, Cuba, Panama, Curacao, and other locations in the Caribbean. The position is based in Port au Prince, which is estimated to be around 2. 5 million people.

Although infrastructure is also poor in the capital, comfortable housing with water and electricity is readily available. There are many places to eat in all price ranges, as well as shops and supermarkets which are comparable to a US supermarket. Self-drive is permitted, however driving can be challenging, and traffic is often very heavy. Housing is provided for this position. Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting.

Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues. Ongoing Learning In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development. Team Efficiency and Effectiveness  Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate.

By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work. We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together. Equal Employment Opportunity Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis.

We actively seek out different backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination based on race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we meet through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members.

As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis. As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps. org).