Commercial Contract Accountant

Job Purpose: Commercial Contracts have become an increasingly popular funding methodology for donors over recent years. The Commercial Contract Accountant will be part of the core team involved in Commercial Contracts in Concern Worldwide and will be the focal person for finance related issues.

This position will work with Concern’s finance teams and the Commercial Contract team across the organisation in Dublin, London and the US, to develop, implement and manage finance processes that will ensure efficient financial management and effective oversight of commercial contracts. 

The Commercial Contract Accountant will also play a significant role in a DFID commercial contract currently ongoing in Pakistan and in any future commercial contracts in our overseas countries of operation.

It is essential that the applicant will have a formal Finance qualification (ACA, CIMA, ACCA) and a strong track record in effective budgeting, reporting and process improvement. Experience of working on commercial and/or performance based contracts is desirable.

While this position is based in Dublin or London, it will involve travel to overseas fields as well as to the London office if Dublin-based, and vice versa (potentially 20-30%).

Key Responsibilities:

Commercial Contract – Tender preparationEnsuring full understanding of commercial criteria and templates linked to tender submission.

• Leading development of commercial submission including completion of cost templates with appropriate fee rates.
• Liaising with field teams and Commercial Contract team to ensure successful timely submission of tenders.
• Supporting development of any commercial risk or value for money submissions.

Commercial Contract – Finance

• Assisting with the development of reporting packs related to the financial management of commercial contracts.
• Overall responsibility for the rollout (and management where applicable) of the process and reporting packs developed (this to include effective liaison with consortium partners)
• Development of related financial manuals and procedures.
• Working with the Finance staff in countries with Commercial Contracts to support and train local teams on the relevant procedures and compliance issues.
• Carrying out support visits to areas of operation to conduct trainings and workshops as required. 
• Monitoring and tracking fluctuations in foreign exchange as appropriate.
• Working with Concern Finance team, as part of the annual audit process, on issues related to commercial contracts

Reporting and Quality Assurance

• Working with relevant staff in countries with Commercial Contracts to establish controls and review procedures that ensure all official submissions and invoices to the client are appraised and evaluated before submission.
• Working with the relevant staff in countries with Commercial Contracts to review and monitor field level management reports, cash flow forecasts, financial milestones and deliverables and following up on any relevant variances.
• Conducting regular reviews of project budget verses actual reports and ensuring that management are alerted to the need for any required corrective actions.
• Assessing, on a regular basis, the implementation of project outputs with payment triggers and scheduled deliverables.
• To agree and establish appropriate reporting mechanisms including key performance indicators to Concern Worldwide (Ireland and UK) and to ensure that these are then implemented 

Compliance

• Act as the focal point of contract for client invoicing queries, and for financial updates and feedback process for Headquarters.
• Acting as the focal point of contact for finance-related communications with consortium partners at Headquarter level.
• Ensuring that all project implementation staff have the necessary tools and materials available to ensure financial compliance with tender requirements and contractual agreements.
• Working with the relevant staff in countries with Commercial Contracts to ensure that any financial issues identified during the due diligence process are being addressed.
• Working with field based management, finance or contracts specialists, and other staff to ensure all organisations in the consortium are complying with the financial provisions and mechanisms of their sub-contract agreements with Concern.
• Evaluate and report on the implementation of agreed procedures on at least on annual basis

Contracts and Legal

• Participating in the development and review of sub-contract agreements, budget revisions and amendments in line with organisational and donor/client policies and requirements.

Other

• To establish working relationships with relevant/designated personnel in London and Dublin office.
• Update Concern’s Contract Steering Committee as required to aid understanding of issues and progress of commercial contract funded projects.
• To ensure through training, briefings etc. that there is a broad understanding of financial issues in relation to contracting among the relevant/designated personnel in London and Dublin offices, and in country offices where appropriate.
• To ensure that contractual issues and concerns of a financial nature are immediately reported to relevant person in Concern Worldwide (Ireland and UK).
• To ensure that any frauds are immediately reported to Concern Worldwide (Ireland and UK).
• Attend relevant client meetings where required.
• Document and develop lessons learned for organisational growth and understanding. Carry out other tasks as appropriate under the direction of the Financial Compliance Manager or Finance Director.

Skills and Experience Required:

Essential:

• Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA, ACMA, CPA or CA or equivalent) with 3 years post qualification experience at a senior financial level.
• 2 -3 years’ experience in financial contract management.
• Fluent English Speaker with excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Excellent organisational, analytical and coordination skills.
• Proven experience of developing and facilitating training workshops for finance and non-finance managers.
• Proven record of meeting demanding deadlines.
• Strong track record in effective budgeting, reporting and process improvement
• Ability to work on own initiative and to lead process
• Strong IT knowledge (proficient in Microsoft Office packages)

Desirable:

• Previous experience working with an international humanitarian organisation.
• Experience in commercial contract management.
• Previous experience workings with government (or equivalent), contracts.
• Previous experience of financial management in a consortium arrangement.
• Experience of implementing and managing a Payment by Results output model.
• Internal or External Audit experience.
• Experience in project start up and/or close out.

To apply:  CVs should be submitted through our website at https://jobs.concern.net by closing date:  27^th June 2019

Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Ireland at the time of application.

Concern is an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all section of the community.

Concern has an organisational Code of Conduct (CCoC) with three Associated Policies; the Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4), the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organisation, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context, staff have a responsibility to the organisation to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Concern Code of Conduct and Associated Policies as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Concern Code of Conduct, candidates acknowledge that they have understood the content of both the Code of Conduct and the Associated Policies and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these policies.

Your Personal Data

During this job application, you will provide Concern with your personal data. Concern takes its responsibilities towards this personal data very seriously and is committed to complying with all relevant data protection legislation.

Concern receives a substantial amount of funding from external donors each year.  Increasingly donors are introducing requirements whereby future funding is conditional on ensuring that the name of any employee or volunteer (existing or new), does not appear on terrorism lists generated by the European Union (List of person, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC No. 2580/2001 applies), the US Government (Office of Foreign Assets Control list of specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) and the United Nations (Consolidated List). 

Any offer of employment (either paid or voluntary) with Concern Worldwide will only be made following a successful clearance check being conducted on the applicant and such checks may be updated periodically during the course of the period of employment. 

By submitting a formal application for paid or voluntary employment to Concern, you agree to Concern carrying out a clearance check as outlined above and that Concern will not proceed to recruit you should your name appear on any of the aforementioned lists

In certain circumstances, donors may request that personal data relating to employees to work on the activities that they fund be provided directly to them - so that they can perform their own counter terrorism checks. This may involve transferring some basic personal data outside the EEA. It will be a condition of your employment contract that Concern be allowed to share this information with institutional donors for these purposes.

For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office.

You have certain rights under data protection legislation. For more information on how to exercise those rights please visit www.concern.net/about/privacy

Please only apply for this position if you are satisfied with the proposed processing of your personal data as outlined above.