Finance Manager, Field Operations, Ukraine

Contract type: Fixed Term Contract for up to 2 years

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The Finance Manager post is expected to commence as soon as possible.

ABOUT IWPR

Founded in 1991 and operating currently in three dozen countries around the world, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) is an independent non-profit organisation that supports journalists and civil society to help drive change in countries experiencing conflict, crisis, and transition. Our work includes:

• Training and mentoring: IWPR trains and mentors journalists and rights activists to improve their ability to identify and present factual information.
• Providing platforms: IWPR helps local talent establish and strengthen media outlets and civic groups.
• Removing barriers: IWPR works with partners to remove barriers to free expression and citizen engagement
• Strengthening media and civil society: IWPR helps strengthen the ability of media and civil society to speak out.
• Empowering societies: IWPR helps societies find their own solutions.

IWPR’s reporting has exposed violations, led to political and legal reform, and improved people’s lives.

PROJECT SUMMARY

IWPR has been active in Ukraine since the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, initially responding to the need for more balanced conflict reporting and journalists' safety and security skills. Programming later focused on support to a range of anti-corruption and government accountability initiatives fostering capacity building and collaboration between civil society and the media.

Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, IWPR has expanded its existing programming, to include support to media and civil society organisations in areas of countering disinformation, documenting war crimes, frontline reporting, as well as media emergency support and capacity building of investigative journalism centres.

In October 2024, IWPR started the new two-year “Boosting the Capacity of Civil Society Watchdogs” project funded by the US Department of State. The project aims at increasing the capacity of anti-corruption civil society organizations and media in Ukraine to effectively monitor and expose corruption at the local, regional, and national level.

JOB SUMMARY

IWPR is seeking a Ukrainian based professional to fill the position of a Finance Manager: Field Operations for the USG-funded “Boosting the Capacity of Civil Society Watchdogs” project. The Field Finance Manager will be responsible for overall financial management and accounting of the project and field office, coordination with head office finance team, preparation of reports and payment requests, compliance with procurement and other policies and procedures, review and approval of subgrant reports, all aspects of internal control, all other financial arrangements for the project implementation.

The scope of the project includes administration of up to 10 staff and long-term consultants, dozens of short-term consultants, four large national subawards, over 30 small grants, 10 workshops, 2 conferences and other minor transactions. IWPR Ukraine is in progress of registering the Project and the Representative Office. Working with the outsourced accountant and/or the General Direction for Foreign Representative Offices is being considered.

Candidates should have demonstrated financial management experience in international donor-funded projects or organizations, and deep knowledge of donor compliance rules and requirements, including administration of subgrants to third parties. Previous experience in USG-funded development projects is preferred.

DAY TO DAY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work closely with HQ Finance and Compliance personnel to ensure a coordinated and unified approach to supporting the program team with the grant project implementation;
• Provide financial analysis and oversight for all resources managed by IWPR in Ukraine, including project budgeting and re-forecasting, budget-to-actual analysis, and the allocation of costs;
• Work with HQ Finance and project staff to ensure that all internal and external reports are up to date, complete, accurate and within donor and IWPR standards and allow for assessment of the project financial standing and informed and accurate decision making;
• Prepare and sign off the monthly finance submission pack, ensuring accuracy and correct allocation of expenses and codes, including the bank reconciliation and all required supporting documentation;
• Coordinate the monthly cash flow projection with the program staff and submit the consolidated cash flow projection to HQ;
• Supervise preparation of all local payments to ensure complete documentation is properly filed. Review and approve payment requests, purchase requests, advance requests, expense reports, ensuring that they are accurate, follow IWPR procedures and donor regulations, for subsequent sign off by senior management;
• Oversee monthly payroll and local tax payments;
• Ensure LOE (staff time) projection calculations, payment trackers, subaward trackers and other internal finance and administration tools are kept fully updated at all times;
• Oversee bank account management including bank balances monitoring;
• Oversee the cash management and monitoring of the cash balance;
• Ensure accounts are reconciled and any advances accounted for within allowed deadlines;
• Review and approve assigned subgrant reports (part of the portfolio), maintain subgrant advances and reports tracking system, collect, record and archive all supporting documents;
• When applicable work with the local auditors to submit on-time reports and other statutory obligations to local governments and HQ;
• Responsible for financial management, controls and reporting, reviews and conducts regular internal audits of program files, to ensure compliance with the
• USG donor and local regulations and IWPR policies and procedures;
• Serve as a focal point on internal and external audits;
• Ensure that all files for the project, subawards, monthly reports, are well organized online and in hard copies;
• Ensure all project and organizational assets are properly inventoried;
• Lead and oversee bid solicitation processes to support the project staff with specific procurements needed under projects;
• Oversee work of the Financial Administrative Assistant and any other later assigned finance staff in Ukraine;
• Guide, train and support the project staff on financial/accounting compliance with all IWPR’s, local and donor requirements related to the proper procurement, sub-awarding, supporting documents and other financial processes, including the use of policies, forms, coding etc;
• Act proactively developing and implementing new systems and processes, guidelines and tools, that improve the local grant administration and payment systems, making them more compliant, more efficient and easier to follow;
• Communicate effectively and professionally to ensure overall project finance targets, institutional policies and priorities and donor obligations are met, by building collaborative coordination with the team members and exercising a solutions-based approach;
• Undertake all other related duties that may be assigned.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND ABILITIES

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting or a related field;
• Minimum of 3 years of financial management experience in international donor funded projects including administration of subgrants delivery and donor reporting;
• Strong understanding and working knowledge of international donors’ rules and regulations in area of financial reporting, subgrant administration and procurement. USG-funded project experience is preferred;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook), experience working in accounting software;
• Strong attention to detail, thoroughness and accuracy with numbers;
• Excellent data management/filing organization skills;
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Excellent communication and negotiation abilities;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
• Strong organizational and time-management skills; ability to manage multiple streams of work, shifting priorities, and effectively work within deadline pressure;
• Willingness to learn and adapt to changing processes;
• Integrity and high degree of responsibility in handling donor funding;
• Fluency in English and Ukrainian, written and spoken;