Finance Officer (Partnerships)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC Yemen began its programs in October 2012. Since establishing its presence in the South of Yemen, in the Red Sea Coastal city of Aden, the organization has grown from just an implementing small project to handling large scale emergency and relief operations. Following the war which broke out in Yemen in March of 2015 and the humanitarian disaster, which was crafted by the same, IRC launched one an emergency response program in the southern governorates of Aden, Lahj, Abyan, Shabwah and Al Dhale, and expanded later in Sana’a and Hodeidah in the North.  Currently IRC Yemen is operating in eight governorates in the south and north of Yemen through direct programming and through local partnerships, in Health, WASH, Nutrition, Economic Recovery Development, Education, Child Protection, Gender and Women Protection and Empowerment.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been working in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for more than forty years. Today, the IRC has more than 2,200 staff working across the region, including in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Yemen to support those affected by some of the world’s most complex and protracted humanitarian crises.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Finance Officer works collaboratively and respectfully with partner finance staff, reflecting IRC's partnership principles of equality, complementarity, mutuality, solidarity, results-orientation, and humility, and provides financial capacity-strengthening support so that partners can manage resources effectively and sustainably.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Finance Officer (Partnerships supports the Finance department and the Partnership Unit in the day-to-day financial management of IRC's sub-awards and partnership agreements. Under the supervision of the Senior Finance Officer, Partnerships & Audit, the position ensures that partner budgets, financial reports, cash requests, and supporting documentation are reviewed, reconciled, and processed accurately and on time, and that partnership financial management is carried out in line with IRC's Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS), donor regulations, and IRC policy.

WORKING RELATIONS:

Position Reports to: Senior Finance Officer, Partnerships & Audit.

Position Directly Supervises: N/A.

Internal Engagements: Finance, Partnership Unit, Grants, Program/Technical Coordinators, and Supply Chain.

External Engagements: Finance and program staff of local partners organizations.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

Partnership Financial Management

• Reconcile partner financial reports against advances, budgets, and actual expenditure, and prepare reconciliations for Program, partnership and Finance tracking.

Risk Management, Compliance & Monitoring

• Maintain complete, organized, audit-ready financial files for all sub-awards, and support internal and external audits of partnership agreements, including follow-up on audit recommendations.

• Flag any indication of material financial risk or non-performance to the Senior Finance Officer to inform progressive performance improvement discussions with the partner.

Partner Audit Support

• Prepare and provide partner financial reports, transaction samples, and supporting documentation requested by internal or external auditors, ensuring files are complete, well-organized, and readily traceable to the accounting system.

• Support auditors during fieldwork by responding to queries on partner-related samples and coordinating any additional documentation requests with the relevant partner.

• Review audit findings and recommendations relating to partner financial management and reporting and support the Senior Finance Officer in developing and tracking corrective action plans with the partner.

• Maintain a record of partner-related audit findings and follow-up status to ensure timely closure and consistent audit-readiness across all sub-awards.

Capacity Strengthening & Partner Support

• Serve as a day-to-day finance resource and focal point for assigned partners, maintaining open, respectful communication throughout the partnership.

Partnership Agreement Lifecycle & Closeout

• Maintain the partnership project tracker and related data on partner budgets, disbursements, and reporting deliverables for management use.

Program Delivery

·      Participate in due diligence processes and collaborative partnership risk management as appropriate.

·      Work collaboratively and supportively with partners to develop and finalize budgets and budget amendments, and (in the case of milestone-based partnership agreements) in determining the costing of milestones.

·      Review draft partnership financial agreement terms.

·      For cost-reimbursable partnership agreements, agree with partners the specific documentation required to support each type of cost, adjusting standard requirements to the operating context and the partner.

·      Work collaboratively with partners to ensure the timely provision of funding to partners in accordance with the partnership agreement to ensure program continuity, ensuring clear communication with the partner and efficient resolution where for whatever reason this is not possible.

·      Participate in PCM, including to review successes, challenges, andlessons learned with the partner, and capture effective finance practices for future partnerships.

·      Collaborate with partners to ensure completeness, correctness, and accuracy of financial reports and cash requests.

·      Review partner financial reports (and narrative reports for consistency) and supporting documents to ensure compliance with the partnership agreement, donor regulations and IRC policy, and provide feedback to the partner as appropriate.

·      Monitor partner budgets and actual spending in collaboration with technical coordinators, identifying issues and working proactively and collaboratively with partners to resolve them.

·      Participate in monitoring and reflection, identifying appropriate follow up actions.

·      Assist in the close-out of partnership agreements, including in relation to financial verification and asset confirmation.

·      Participate in the review of the performance of the partner, of the IRC, and of the partnership, including successes, challenges and lessons learned.

Capacity Sharing

·      Provide finance and accounting training and mentoring support to partners, in accordance with partner project support plans, with a focus on supporting the partner to strengthen financial management systems and capacities that are responsive to the needs of the partner (rather than replicating IRC’s systems and policies).

Staffing

·      Ensure that all finance staff understand and apply IRC’s partnership principles, and that finance staff with significant partnership responsibilities are guided by IRC’s partnership skills and approaches.

Other

• Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor, including field staff exchange or coverage as required.

• Follow any updated procedures or guidance issued by the Country Director or Finance department.

This job description is not exhaustive; additional tasks within the scope of the role may be added or adjusted according to operational needs.

REQUIREMENTS:(Qualifications, Skills and Abilities):

A. Education

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Commerce, Economics or a related field.

• Professional certification (e.g., ACCA, CMA, CPA) is an added advantage.

B. Experience

• A minimum of two to three years of relevant finance experience, including experience in partnership/sub-award financial management.

• Working knowledge of major donor rules and reporting requirements (e.g., BHA, ECHO, FCDO, GAC,SIDA, UN agencies).

• Experience reviewing budgets and financial reports for organizations other than one's own is an advantage.

• Computer literate, with strong Excel skills; familiarity with an accounting or ERP system (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics) is an advantage.

C. Skills and Abilities

• Strong attention to detail and analytical skills, with the ability to identify and explain variances and discrepancies.

• Able to work independently, manage multiple partner portfolios, and prioritize under moderate pressure.

• Comfortable supporting and building capacity of colleagues and partner staff, including remotely.

• Effective written and verbal communication in English.

D. Proficiencies

• Active listening and clear, respectful communication with partners.

• Critical thinking and practical problem-solving.

• Professionalism, integrity, and sound work ethics.

• Adaptability and resilience in a fast-changing environment.

• Positive, collaborative interpersonal approach.

Professional Standards:The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, marital status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Commitment to Client Responsiveness: By committing to Client-Centered Programming, at the IRC Yemen, we place the people we serve - our clients - at the center of our programming and services. The IRC Yemen Staff have an important role to play in supporting the implementation of client-responsive programming through raising awareness among the community and clients about the existing feedback mechanisms and how to use them including the response processes, access, and eligibility to services, and contribute to building an institutional culture that prompts staff to listen to clients.

Professional Standards:All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined inIRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies onSafeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

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