Head of Finance and Administration (HoFA) – Syria

We are looking for a highly qualified and experienced Head of Finance and Administration to lead the finance, administration and HR units of DRC’s operations in Syria, with expected annual budget of around 25 million USD.

Introduction
DRC is a Danish international non-governmental organization that promotes and supports durable solutions to the problems faced by refugees and internally displaced people all over the world. DRC is present in more than 30 conflict territories around the world, assisting displaced people with shelter, food, income generating activities, legal aid and a wide range of other protection assistance.
As a humanitarian organization working in some of the most challenging operational environments in the world it is of utmost importance for DRC to work in compliance with the DRC Accountability and Quality Management system in the areas of Administration, HR, Finance and Procurement/Logistics. Smooth, reliable and effective operational systems are preconditions for DRC to maintain its position as a trustworthy and reliable partner for our donors and an accountable organization towards our beneficiaries.

The position as Head of Finance and Administration in any DRC operation is a cornerstone in keeping up the high quality in DRC’s operations.

DRC's global strategy for organizational development includes a number of initiatives addressing preconditions for growth, the most significant being the issue of decentralization. Under this heading, compliance with DRC's operational systems and reduction of errors are in focus, and the HoFAs are considered instrumental in keeping this focus. But focus is also on improving the systems and adjusting them to fit the operational reality that the DRC operations face. The HoFAs are considered equally important participants and contributors in this process.

Background
DRC has been operating in the Middle East and North Africa for over a decade, running a combination of livelihood, protection, advocacy and relief projects. DRC has project offices in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Tunisia, Libya, Turkey, and both a country and regional office in Jordan.

The DRC Syria programme, headquartered in Damascus, currently have 7 expatriate staff and more than 70 national employees – some of which are based at the DRC Community Centres located in 5 different areas throughout the country. In addition to this, DRC has a network of more than 100 volunteers supporting DRC’s operations.

Duties
The specific duties of the DRC Syria HoFA encompass three key areas of Finance, Administration and Human Resources. Overall the HoFA will be responsible for the following:

• The HoFA will support the Country Director and the Senior Management Team of DRC Syria in liaising with donors and government officials, especially as relates to issues of compliance, registration, and audit.
• The HoFA will oversee the finance and administration department for the entire country operation, including finance, administration and human resource management in the country office and the field offices, by providing technical support to all of the areas under the HoFA’s supervision, specifically finance, administration and human resources, and overseeing a staff of more than 20 people.
• Work to build the capacity of finance and administrative staff members throughout the DRC Syria operation through frequent in-service training sessions and mentoring support.
• Supervision, audits and controlling and implementation of corrective actions related to the DRC standards for operations. This includes, among other things, supervision of all financial reporting and financial procedures, including the monthly schedule for financial reporting to HQ, donor reporting and audits, cash flow and liquidity management, legal framework and reporting relations to national authorities.
• Ensure that all administrative and legal-related systems are accurate and maintained.
• The HoFA will play a significant part in qualifying and implementing initiatives coming from the global and regional DRC organisational development and financial accountability initiatives.
• The existence and maintenance of an accurate and timely Management Information System. This includes, among other things, overall planning, budget and control of expenditures for shared operational costs, but also coordination of budgeting and expenditure related to programme implementation.
• Develop a risk management plan for the country that identifies the major financial and operational risks and implement a mitigation strategy.
  About you

To be successful in this role you must have at least 6 years of international practical experience in a senior financial/administrative management position for the private sector or for an international NGO (preferred but not exclusive), a proven experience in managing large budgets (over 20 million USD a year), a strong experience in working with national partners, local/government authorities, full proficiency in spoken and written English, and a working experience with UNHCR, OFDA, ECHO, DFID and Danida guidelines.
You must be available to work in Damascus, Syria and be eligible to enter Lebanon without a visa or with a visa on arrival (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Lebanon) in order to be able to reach Syria.

Ideally, you will have an experience with working in the Middle East and proficiency in Arabic is an advantage.

We offer

An interesting job in one of the best NGOs in the world. DRC will offer the successful applicant a 12 month contract, renewable dependent on both funding and performance.

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to www.drc.dk under Vacancies. This position will be placed at level A6.

Need further information?

For more details on this position please contact mick.dyson@drc-mena.org.

Commitments
DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability commitments. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework (http://drc.dk/relief-work/how-we-work/humanitarian-accountability-framew...).

About DRC

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a private, independent, humanitarian organization working on all aspects of the refugee cause in more than twenty five countries throughout the world. The aim of DRC is to protect refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) against persecution and to promote durable solutions to the problems of forced migration, on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights. DRC works in accordance with the UN Conventions on Refugees and the Code of Conduct for the ICRC and NGOs in Disaster Relief.
The protection and assistance to conflict affected population is provided within a long-term, regional and rights-based approach in order to constitute a coherent and effective response to the challenges posed by today’s conflicts. Assistance consists of relief and other humanitarian aid, rehabilitation, support to return and repatriation as well as promotion of long-term solutions to displacement and its causes. In addition, support and capacity building of local and national authorities and NGOs form an integral part of DRC’s work.

HOW TO APPLY:

Interested? Then apply for this position by going to www.drc.dk and find Current Vacancies. All applicants should send a cover letter and an updated CV no longer than four pages, both in the same language as the vacancy note. Your CV should also include contact details of three professional referees.

Applications close 19th July 2015. The interviews are expected to take place the following week.