Senior International Grant Accountant – PROTECT Consortium

ABOUT US
ARTICLE 19 works to protect and defend freedom of expression and information (FoE/I), particularly individual advocates of these rights. Our goal is that those at the front line of defending freedom of expression and information are supported by effective networks of institutions and activists at the local, regional and global levels, and by strong legal frameworks and mechanisms, thus ensuring that violations are known, perpetrators held accountable, and effective relief or redress is secured.

The protection of these rights requires a holistic approach encompassing physical, digital, psychosocial and legal security. ARTICLE 19 works to improve the security conditions and protection tools and mechanisms for journalists, media workers, human rights defenders (HRDs), bloggers and others engaged in defending human rights, particularly freedom of expression and information, and exposing corruption. We work to systematise our global monitoring and reporting methodologies, linking them to international and regional mechanisms, as well as specific governments, to raise cases of violations.

ARTICLE 19 focuses in improving access of women and sexual and gender minority journalists, HRDs, media workers and other communicators to specific tools and knowledge to protect themselves online and offline from physical, digital and legal risks or threats. Protection mechanisms and support networks are nuanced to effectively mitigate risk and threats for women and sexual and gender minorities.

JOB SUMMARY
ARTICLE 19 requires a Senior International Grant Accountant (SIGA) to lead the financial aspect of the UK Aid Connect PROTECT consortium (60%) and support all financial aspects of budgeting, reporting, compliance and financial management of other grants managed by ARTICLE 19 (40%).
The SIGA will lead on all financial aspects of the grant management, including budgeting, reporting, compliance and financial management and coordinating closely with partners.

ABOUT PROTECT
Protecting Rights, Openness and Transparency-Enhancing Civic Transformation (PROTECT) is a multi-faceted international aid project funded by the UK Government Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The objectives of PROTECT are focused on and will be delivered through partners in Kenya and Myanmar.

PROTECT seeks to foster open societies based on expanded and protected civic space. The work is delivered by a consortium of specialist NGOs and expert organisations, led by ARTICLE 19 with partners Internews, the International Centre for Not-for-profit Law (ICNL) and the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (Hivos). PROTECT partners bring together their expertise in the fields of freedom of assembly, association, expression, access to information and data transparency, media sustainability and protection of journalist and human rights defenders to address holistically the multifaceted challenges of closing civic space.

This is a key role part of the PROTECT management team in ARTICLE 19 which consists of the Senior PROTECT Programme Officer, the Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator and this role.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

PROTECT (60%):
• To understand, plan and budget for any special financial reporting or other financial requirements by FCDO.
• To lead on financial reporting, including reforecasting where required, to the donor, reporting in the format required by the donor.
• To support and ensure compliance of PROTECT with ARTICLE 19 financial policies where appropriate, e.g. anti-bribery and corruption, both internally and compliance by our partners.
• To business-partner with the grant budget holder, including supporting them to understand the relationship between the activities and expenditure, the implications of under and over expenditure, the implications of compliance issues and support reforecasting where appropriate or required.
• To proactively make suggestions for changes to the programme delivery and/ or changes to the donor budget in order to maximise donor funds, including suggestions on Value for Money, effectiveness and impact. This applies both to where the expenditure is directly by ARTICLE 19 and where it is through partners.
• To organise chair quarterly Finance meetings with partners.
• To manage the financial relationship with new and existing grant partners, including:
a. liaising with the Grant Finance Manager on due diligence processes (initial and annual follow-ups);
b. developing reporting procedures on grants both complying with our internal reporting requirements and donor requirements;
c. reviewing financial reports and following up key variances to budget with the partner;
d. checking expenditure against supporting documentation on a sample basis;
e. approving grant remittances;
f. following up on the implementation of any necessary compliance, audit outcomes or capacity building in conjunction with the Head of Finance;
g. supporting the Grant Finance Manager in any audit process, both where engagement is done by ARTICLE 19 and by external donors.
• To lead on IATI (International Aid Transparency Initiative) reporting of both ARTICLE 19 and our partners.
• To monitor grant cash flow and ensure payment request are made in timely manner to the donor.
• To lead on payment requests and ensure partners are paid quarterly.

Other work (40%):
• To support production of financial reports in compliance with donor and internal ARTICLE 19 requirements for a portfolio of project managed by ARTICLE 19.
• To produce reforecasts where required by the donor, with input from grant budget holders.
• To work in conjunction with the fundraising and relevant project team during proposal development. Provide support on budgeting, ensuring budget is in alignment with the proposal, is realistic and provides ARTICLE 19 with favourable terms. Provide guidance on finance donor compliance that will inform the proposal and budget development.
• Ensure that proposals comply with ARTICLE 19’s internal policies, in particular full cost recovery principles and policies.
• To monitor grant cash flow and ensure payment requests are made and processed in the finance system in timely manner to the donor.
• To review grant cash requests from Regional Offices.
• To business partner International Office teams who are majority grant funded. This includes producing monthly management accounts; supporting budget holders to prepare annual budget and coordinate responses to the budget holder.
• To contribute to the ongoing development of ARTICLE 19 finance including improvements on how to process transactions, reporting, use of the finance system as well as developing policies, procedures and tools to benefit the organisation.
• Support the finance team in any audit process, including internal, statutory and donor audits.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL

Education and Qualification:
• Qualified accountant with a CCAB recognised qualification, or working towards qualification, or qualified through relevant work experience.
• Understanding of accounting for restricted income and expenditure under UK charity law and guidelines.
• Understanding of double entry and how to make corrections and adjustments in accounting systems.

Work Experience:
• Significant experience in restricted grant reporting of up to £10 million, ideally in an international development context.
• Experience of business-partnering in a complex environment.
• Experience in producing grant budgets in compliance with donor requirements, and that recover overhead and central costs.
• Experience of working with overseas partners and offices, understanding different cultural and regulatory environments.
• Good understanding of compliance, external and internal audit process and internal controls.
• Experience of reporting to FCDO, the EC and/ or US donors.
• Experience or knowledge of IATI reporting.

Knowledge, skills and ability:
• Excellent Excel skills, including vlookups, sumifs and ability to self-learn in this area.
• Ability to work quickly, methodically with close attention to detail.
• Good inter-personal skills including experience of working cross-culturally, across different time zones and with people from different cultural and professional backgrounds.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and in high pressure situations whilst maintaining a calm and positive attitude.
• Ability to negotiate but understanding where the ‘red lines’ are and to gain compliance with them through dialogue.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Other:
● A mandatory requirement is the right to work in the UK – ARTICLE 19 does not sponsor individuals for employment-based visas for this position. Please do not apply for this position unless you already have the right to work in the UK.
● Commitment to work within ARTICLE 19's vision, mission, core values and objectives.
● Cultural sensitivity and commitment to equal opportunities and non-discrimination.
● Willingness and ability to undertake regular travel.

DESIRABLE

• Experience of using reporting-writing software, for example Crystal Reports.
• Experience of using Access Dimensions.
• Ability in another UN official language (in particular Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish).