Senior Finance Officer (ABC Impact Fund), Rome 233 views

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.

Post’s organizational accountability

The Accounting and Controller’s Division (ACD) is located in the Financial Operations Department. ACD supports the mission of IFAD by providing sound financial management practices, effective financial accounting, payments and reporting that supports decision making, and developing innovative solutions to assist the Fund in achieving its strategic goals. The Accounting and Controller’s Division is responsible for the integrity, transparency and control of the management of IFAD’s resources, including Trust Funds, Supplementary funds and funds of hosted entities, and funds raised through innovative financing related activities.

IFAD has recently structured and arranged the Agri-Business Capital Fund (ABC Fund) as a blended capital vehicle anchored by the European Commission (EC), The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, the government of Luxembourg and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). The ABC Fund is supported by a technical assistance facility also structured by IFAD. By providing loans and equity investments, the ABC Fund will aim at bridging funding gaps at the level of Small and Medium agribusiness companies, financial institutions and farmer organizations in Africa and other developing countries, while the technical assistance facility is expected to address their non-financial constraints.

The Impact Fund Specialist and Senior Finance Officer is a professional with an in-depth understanding of relevant financial management and accounting principles, standards and methods applicable to operations financed by financial institutions/ international aid organizations. The accountabilities/key results include:

• Finance Business Partner
• Financial Resources Management
• Agent of Change
• Managerial Functions

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• 0pt 0cm;’> The Impact Fund Specialist and Senior Finance Officer works under the overall strategic, policy and management guidance of the Director and Controller, ACD and the direct supervision of the Chief Financial Reporting and Corporate Fiduciary.

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• 0pt 0cm;’> The scope of the role includes coordination with internal and external stakeholders for financial accounting and reporting activities, being a key stakeholder towards external internal auditors and EU verification. The incumbent should have an in depth knowledge of EU practice and procedures as well as financial and administrative procedures applicable equity funds and other supplementary funds agreements.

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• 0pt 0cm;’> The incumbent plays a key role in the fulfilment of ACD`s financial management and reporting function of the ABC Fund and IFRS and other Financial Reporting requirements, as indicated in the relevant agreement between EC and IFAD.

Key results expected / Major functional activities

1. FINANCE BUSINESS PARTNER : The Impact Fund Specialist and Senior Finance Officer is a credible, trusted partner to the client offices served and the Department/Division/Unit where assigned. S/He will

• support the Fund’s finance 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.
• provide seasoned verbal and written advice and guidance to supervisors and staff on finance regulations, rules and procedures, facilitating a mutual understanding of roles and fiduciary accountabilities in direct support of integrity in the management of the Fund’s financial resources.
• manage the accounting and reporting process for the Supplementary Funds and Hosted Entities Unit; with particular focus to the ABC Fund; to produce managerial report, IFRS –compliant audited financial statements and other financial governing body reports if required.
• establish and maintain a constructive dialogue and coordination with internal and external stakeholders including internal and external auditors, supplementary funds donors, other IFI or UN Agencies on financial management and reporting matters.

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3. 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: normal; text-autospace: none;’ value=’2′> FINANCIAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT : At this level the Impact Fund Specialist and Senior Finance Officer is a seasoned professional with the capacity to interpret and apply a broad range of international and IFAD financial policies, rules and regulations as well as standards and techniques. Activities performed by Impact Fund Specialist and Senior Finance Officer at this level may include:

• delivery of timely and accurate financial information of the supplementary funds and hosted entities to internal and external stakeholders;
• preparing financial reports including preparation of IFRS- compliant audited financial statements;
• maintaining and, updating when necessary, the financial procedures relating to the assigned operations;
• drafting responses for management on queries raised and views expressed by IFAD’s Governing Bodies and other relevant shareholders/partners;
• preparing timely, substantive replies to internal and external audit observations concerning the assigned financial operation;
• contributing to the agreement negotiation with supplementary funds donors/ recipients ensuring that legal documents reflect sound financial management arrangements and applicable policies and procedures;
• playing a key role in EC expenditure verifications, RER studies, European Court of Auditor`s financial assessments and other donor-related financial assessments.

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3. 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: normal; text-autospace: none;’ value=’3′> AGENT OF CHANGE : The Impact Fund Specialist and Senior Finance Officer must:

• understand and apply the principles of change management and proactively serves as a role model for transformation and capacity for acceptance of change.
• use a seasoned knowledge of results based management and budgeting, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other information technology to develop, analyse and promote acceptance of new methods of work and automated work flows.
• manage change through consultations with 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.

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3. 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: normal; text-autospace: none;’ value=’4′> MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS : The Impact Fund Specialist and Senior Finance Officer is typically a team leader with accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the personal use of assigned IFAD resources, including equipment, supplies and, as applicable, staff supervised. This may include:

• people management through work plan development, recruitment, performance and career management of staff as well as learning management establishing learning plans and ensuring staff supervised meet their development needs while meeting the needs of IFAD;
• resource management by providing strategic and data inputs into the divisional budget preparation exercises;
• knowledge and content management by ensuring

• Tags

  finance officer

• knowledge content within functional area is continually updated and available to colleagues and clients
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• 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; text-autospace: none;’> 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 improve client services.
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• 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; text-autospace: none;’> best practices are continuously identified, documented and distributed

Impact of Key results / Key performance indicators

Senior Officers at this level are accountable for authoritative advice and guidance with 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 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 revision of Finance Officer and Analyst work performed at lower levels, taking corrective and adaptive actions.

The key performance indicators for Senior Finance Officers at this level include leadership, both technical and team.

Representation / Work relationships

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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 partnership s: 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 IFRS, EU financial practice and financial and administrative procedures applicable to extra budgetary resources, Trust Fund managed by the WB as Trustee and Green Climate Fund, among others.
• Excellent knowledge of external and internal audit practice, in particular the one related to the EU expenditure verifications and RER studies.
• 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 analyse 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 activities.
• Excellent knowledge of information technology systems and tools as they pertain to financial systems.
• 0pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; line-height: 115%; text-autospace: none;’> Ability to coordinate, monitor and control the implementation of financial instruments, report on the controls/audit performed and/or financial statements provided by the FSP ensuring effectiveness and efficiency of the internal control system, compliance with applicable contractual provisions and progress towards the achievement of defined objectives.

Minimum recruitment qualifications

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• Advanced university Degree or its equivalent in Accounting, Business Administration or Finance. The advanced university degree may be substituted by a first university degree (Bachelor or equivalent) in the above-mentioned subjects plus at least four additional years of relevant professional experience, over and above the minimum number of years of experience outlined below.
• 0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; text-autospace: none;’> Professional qualification in CPA, Chartered Accountant, CIPFA designation or equivalent is mandatory.
• 0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; text-autospace: none;’> Professional training in audit is considered an asset.

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• 0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; text-autospace: none;’> At least 8 years of relevant professional experience, including work in international organisation setting.
• 0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; text-autospace: none;’> At least 5 years of experience with managing a team to ensure motivation and high performance
• 0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; text-autospace: none;’> Experience working with IFRS or other International Professional Standards is required.
• 0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: normal; text-autospace: none;’> Experience and knowledge in financial reporting to donors is considered an asset.

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• 4pt;’> Language requirements:
• 4pt 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;’> Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Working knowledge of another official language (French 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.

1861

11/12/2019

06/01/2020

Accounting & Controller’s Div.

P-4

ROME

2 Years