Finance Senior Manager - Caritas Norway

Starting Salary Brutto: 3717.08 $

Contract: 12 months, with possibility for extension

Location: Kinshasa

**Please note that we will only consider applications that are completed in English**

Job Profile

CAFOD, on behalf of its partner Caritas Norway, is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Finance senior Manager to lead the financial management of Caritas Norway’s development projects in the DRC. Based in the CAFOD office in Kinshasa, you will work exclusively with Caritas Norway's portfolio, ensuring compliance with Caritas financial standards, donor requirements, and local legal regulations.

This role is critical to ensuring the financial integrity, accountability, and sustainability of Caritas Norway projects in the DRC. You will provide strategic financial oversight, oversee programme finances, and support partner organizations in addressing identified weaknesses in financial management. Through hands-on support, capacity-building initiatives, and compliance monitoring, you will play a pivotal role in strengthening the financial systems and practices of local partners.

This position is essential to Caritas Norway’s mission of fostering sustainable development and positive change through sound financial stewardship and strong partnerships. 

In addition to your work in the DRC, you may occasionally be called upon to support or intervene in other Caritas Norway projects within the region, depending on emerging needs and opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Monitoring

• Ensure that the observations and recommendations from the audit report are followed up on and implemented in accordance with the Improvement management plan.
• Conduct regular reviews of financial records to ensure accuracy and compliance with established standards. This includes supervising all accounts, records, and reporting systems, ensuring compliance with GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and regulatory requirements.
• Manage cash flows for funds sent by Caritas Norway. (Require monthly bank reconciliation statements)
• Analyse financial data to determine partners’ ability to achieve project objectives.
• Examine various factors to identify and assess financial risks that may impact the future of projects.
• Keep an overview of the programme and office finances providing accurate and timely updates to Management team and internal stakeholders.
• Account for expenditure made on a monthly basis according to prescribed procedures and deadlines and using the prescribed software.

Financial oversight and compliance

• Monitor financial records to ensure accuracy and compliance with Caritas Norway and donor standards.
• Verify compliance of financial statements and accounting documents with applicable standards and laws.
• Oversee cash flow management, including monthly bank reconciliations and expenditure accounting
• Conduct financial risk assessments and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Provide support to the Finance/Accounts Departments of partner organizations to enable them to:
  • produce and submit accurate financial reports on expenditure,
  • prepare and manage budgets, ensuring alignment with programme objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Supervise audit processes and ensure timely implementation of recommendations, ensuring well-documented records.

Capacity Building and Partner Support

• Work closely with local partners to address financial system weaknesses and improve accountability. This includes support to adopt optimal financial management and reporting practices, covering tasks such as account reconciliations, financial data analysis, and report preparation. 
• Lead financial capacity-building initiatives, including training programs for partner staff at national and diocesan levels
• Provide hands-on support to partner organizations, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting.
• Provide ongoing guidance to partners’ Finance/Accounts Departments to ensure accurate financial reporting and effective fund management.
• Develop and implement comprehensive tools and system to ensure financial compliance to donor standards.

Strategic Financial Management

• Analyse financial data to assess partners’ ability to achieve project objectives and identify potential risks.
• Provide strategic advice to programme managers on budget variances and financial planning, included the need for transfers of grants to partners organizations in such a way as to ensure that programmes and partner organisations have the necessary funds at their disposal to implement the programme effectively.
• Maintain an overview of programme and office finances, providing accurate and timely updates to Caritas team in Oslo.

Safeguarding

• Promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, ensuring programming is safe, accessible, dignified, and inclusive.
• Provide ongoing support and follow-up to partners to uphold safeguarding standards.

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults

Cartias Norway and CAFOD recognize the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care. Caritas Norway, CAFOD and its staff undertake to create a safe environment for children, young people, and vulnerable adults, preventing any form of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.

All staff are expected to adhere to Caritas Norway and CAFOD’s Safeguarding Policy and sign the Code of Behaviour as part of their employment contract. Recruitment procedures include criminal record checks, terrorism finance checks, and participation in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. By submitting an application, candidates confirm their understanding and consent to these procedures.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Understanding our context

• Familiarity with Catholic identity and values.
• Knowledge of Caritas Norway and CAFOD’s mission.
• Understanding of international development principles.

Working together

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Experience in partner capacity assessments and identifying support needs.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with partners, donors, and suppliers.
• Competence in managing and monitoring budgets and reporting requirements.

Making change happen

• Proficiency in creating budgets, monitoring expenditures, and producing detailed financial reports.
• Ability to suggest improvements in financial processes and practices.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Job-specific competencies

• Professional accountancy qualification with practical experience in finance or accountancy roles.
• Proficiency in accounting and reporting software.
• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree; a master’s degree in accounting/financial management is preferred.
• At least 5 years of experience in accounting and finance, ideally in a non-profit setting.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience with financial compliance in donor-funded projects.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and commitment to Caritas Norway’s mission.
• Fluent French, advanced English language skills suitable for professional use

The successful candidate is expected to begin at the earliest opportunity.