PROGRAM FINANCE OFFICER

Summary

Reporting to the Global Director, Program Finance, Program Finance Officer will be responsible for supporting the Program Finance team with the budgeting and financial reporting against a portfolio of program grants and contracts, in compliance with both donor and Right To Play (RTP)’s policies and procedures.

Description

Organization: Right To Play International

Department/Division:                        Program Finance

Work location: Toronto, Canada

Authorized to work in:                       Canada (Ability to work legally without requiring sponsorship)

Target Hiring/ Target Hiring Range:$55,000 – $60,000 CAD per annum

Closing Date:  Open until position is filled

BACKGROUND:

Right To Play is a global organisation that protects, educates and empowers children to rise above adversity using play. By harnessing play, one of the most powerful and fundamental forces in a child’s life, we helped 2.3 million children last year to stay in school and out of work, to prevent life-threatening diseases like HIV and malaria and to stay safe from exploitation and abuse. We are the only global development organization focused exclusively on using play to transform the lives of children and youth impacted by poverty, war, disease and inequality.

Established in 2000, Right To Play is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and has operations in 22 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

With a shared passion for our mission, our Culture Code guides how we act and interact based on five core pillars:

• Accept Everyone – Be intentional about inclusion
• Make Things Happen – Seek opportunities to lead and innovate
• Display Courage – Act with integrity
• Demonstrate Care – Look after yourself and one another
• Be Playful – Have fun at work

Please visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we do, and watch this video to find out about the five pillars of our Culture Code.

JOB SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Global Director, Program Finance, Program Finance Officer will be responsible for supporting the Program Finance team with the budgeting and financial reporting against a portfolio of program grants and contracts, in compliance with both donor and Right To Play (RTP)’s policies and procedures. The incumbent will provide financial insights that accompany the programmatic and operational reporting on the grants provided by the Global Partnerships team and National Offices. The successful candidate will also provide inputs to the Manager, Program Finance in the development of procedures that better support budgeting, financial reporting and compliance for the entire organization.

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PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Job Responsibility #1: Financial Monitoring and Reporting (30% of Time):

• Designs, generates and analyses financial reports for the donor and internal management.
• Provides program financial analysis and recommendations on spending rates, over and under-spending and pattern of expenditure.
• Reviews the monthly financial reports and follows-up on issues related to coding; follows-up with the Field Finance Team on reallocate and recode expenses and other charges.
• Prepares financial reports for donors for the assigned grants with narratives, explaining any variances to project budgets.
• Coordinates closely with the Program team and the Finance team to contribute to the annual revenue recognition and audit process.
• Supports and facilitates donor audits.

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Job Responsibility #2: Budget Development and Technical Support (25% of Time):

• Contributes to the development of project budgets, notes and narratives for funding proposals; participates in proposal development for major grants.
• Provides technical guidance on budget development for new grant proposals.
• Ensures that proposal budget aligns with donor requirements and RTP reporting requirements.
• Assists with the annual RTP budget development and upload process; coordinates timely submission of budgets from assigned regions and countries.
• Works with the Global Program Partnerships team to ensure RTP activity-based budgets are aligned with approved grant budgets.
• Notifies program team of any significant budget changes that require donor approval and recommends necessary communications.
• Submits revised budgets received from Country Offices to the Finance HQ team.
• Maintains accurate and accessible records of uploaded budget for assigned regions and countries.

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Job Responsibility #3: Grant Contract Review (10% of Time):

• Reviews draft contracts and provides advice on financial compliance; supports negotiations with donors, as required.
• Ensures that financial contract requirements are fully understood and met by the relevant stakeholders. For large and complex grants, conducts briefings for relevant staff across the organization on financial compliance.
• Maintains archive of grant contracts and amendments, for all assigned grants, both electronic and hard copy.
• Maintains information on related sub-contract agreements with partners, for all assigned grants.

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Job Responsibility #4: Capacity Building on Grant Compliance and Financial Reporting (10% of Time):

• Provides training and support as needed to different stakeholders in areas of proposal budget development, financial reporting, and compliance.
• Contributes to the development of RTP financial policies, procedures and systems.

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Job Responsibility #5: Other Tasks as Assigned (5% of Time):

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MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (Must have):

EDUCATION/TRAINING/CERTIFICATION:

• University degree in accounting, commerce, business, finance or related field

EXPERIENCE:

• 5 years of experience in a grants finance role, preferably in a large or international NGO including experience with government international development agencies such as United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), UK Aid or other donor agencies.
• Proven experience working on Global Affairs Canada (GAC) funded multi-year/multi country projects and in consortium set ups along with building sophisticated financial tracking and reporting systems.

COMPETENCIES/PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• Strong analytical skills with attention to detail.
• Team player having ability to work effectively with people from different backgrounds.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Good time management skills and ability to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure, multi-project environment.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:

• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, especially in Excel.
• Financial analysis, budgeting, and financial reporting.

LANGUAGES:   

• Fluency in spoken and written English.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS (An Asset):

• Accounting designation such as CPA, CMA, CA or related experience and qualifications.
• Understanding of the international development sector.
• Understanding of accounting software, particularly Microsoft Dynamics NAV.
• Fluency in spoken and written in a language of RTP’s countries of operations such as French or Arabic.

WHO YOU ARE:

You are a highly driven, results-oriented, collaborative and well-rounded leader with a passion for working with children and youth. You are an exceptional communicator with excellent networking skills.

WHAT YOU’LL GET:

The opportunity to work with a passionate, innovative and collaborative team where you have the ability to make things happen. You will gain experience working for a Great Place to Work® Canada Certified and globally recognized organization with a healthy culture premised on our Culture Code (accept everyone, make things happen, display courage, demonstrate care and be playful). In addition, we offer a competitive salary and benefits package including Group RRSP Plan, gym membership, flexible work policy (e.g. work from home and flex hours) and summer/winter hours. 

Target Start Date:         July 2021

Contract Duration:        Permanent/Full-time

While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Shortlisting of applications will begin immediately and interviews may be held before the closing date.

Right To Play provides equal employment opportunities to employees regardless of their gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation or marital status. We offer a family-friendly environment that allows for flexible work arrangements in order to support staff diversity and ensure a healthy work-life balance.

We are a child-centered organization. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to the safety and protection of children in our programs. The successful candidate will be required to provide a satisfactory police record check as a condition of employment.

Should you require any form of accommodation during the recruitment process, kindly contact the People & Culture team by email at [email protected]

To learn more about who we are and what we do, please visit our website at www.righttoplay.com.