Helen Keller International est une organisation mondiale de santé qui se consacre à l’élimination de la perte de vision évitable, de la malnutrition et des maladies de la pauvreté.
Co-founded by Helen Keller – and guided by her fierce optimism and belief in human potential – the organization delivers life-changing health and food security solutions to build resilience of vulnerable families where the need is great but access to care is limited. In the US, Africa, and Asia, Helen Keller’s proven, science-based programs empower people to create opportunities in their own lives and build lasting change.
We are seeking a Senior Budget & Financial Planning Analyst to join the global Finance department, with a particular focus on serving and supporting our country offices in Africa.
Functional Relationships
Reporting to the Director, Finance & Budget, the Senior Budget & Financial Planning Analyst will be a key member of the Budget & Finance unit of Helen Keller’s Finance department. S/he will work in close collaboration with Finance staff at both the country office and global levels, as well as with Country Directors and Regional Directors.
Helen Keller has a matrixed reporting structure. Regular communication and a spirit of teamwork among colleagues, both hierarchically and laterally are essential to make this structure thrive.
Scope of the Position
The Senior Budget & Financial Planning Analyst will provide expertise and hands on support in all areas of program and organizational budget planning, monitoring, forecasting, and integration of program and country office budgetary processes and systems across assigned portfolio of country offices.
This position will also be assigned to develop, review, and/or update cost applications in response to various public and private donor solicitations. When assigned, this position will provide Helen Keller country offices and technical units with direct support during the capture and proposal development phases. This support will include budgetary analysis and capacity building to ensure that Helen Keller’s cost applications remain competitive, adhere to organizational policies, and meet donor expectations.
Key Responsibilities
Budget Preparation & Analysis
- Coordinate preparation of the annual and mid-year department, program/country office, and consolidated budgets and reports, as well as reforecasts, for assigned portfolio
- Support country offices and multi-country program teams with monthly budget estimates that can easily be used for donor budget updates and rolled into our annual and mid-year budgets.
- Monitor budget spending and burn rates with a primary focus of ensuring proper project spending and reasonableness around shared costs, but also to prevent last minute cost-extensions, no-costs extensions, and/or budget realignments.
- Conduct periodic review meetings with key staff to track project and grant-related expenses, including level of effort provided by technical experts to projects.
- Advise Country Directors, Regional Directors, and supervisor of unusual budget variances or problems and recommend corrective action.
- Review and analyze impact of cost extensions, no-cost extensions, and other budget realignments.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of budgeting tools and ongoing training of staff. Act as expert-user to guide and support colleagues in use of templates, reporting software, etc.
- Collaborate with Director, Learning & Development to develop new materials, as needed, and co-facilitate trainings.
- Consult with and guide staff to achieve goals and ensure accountability to beneficiaries, partners, colleagues, and donors by providing ongoing feedback in a context of mutual respect.
- Participate in international work groups assigned to develop global policies and/or optimize systems and procedures.
Financial Planning Analysis
- Foster the adoption of dynamic financial planning at each Africa country office, supporting Country Management Teams to be on top of the financial health of their portfolio.
- Collaborate with the Director to develop and deploy financial modeling and reporting tools and procedures. Liaise with Finance System staff, as needed.
- Perform analysis on operational activities of Helen Keller, including historical, current and projected revenue and expense, cash flow, variances and key financial data, including indirect cost rates across our business segments, and make recommendations based on findings.
- Review and analyze costs and perform cost benefit analysis related to sponsored projects and/or programs.
- Conduct ad-hoc analysis to help improve effectiveness and competitiveness.
- Monitor country offices’ cost structures (e.g., shared costs) and portfolio development (e.g., pipeline) to ensure country office competitiveness and viability.
- Work with the Director and CFO to prepare budget projections, analysis and presentations for Global Teams, Executive Management, and the Board.
Cost Applications
- Participate in the analysis of Requests for Applications (RFAs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and other types of solicitations and ensure that specific budget requirements for each opportunity are fully understood and can be met by Helen Keller.
- Develop pricing strategy in response to donor/client expectations.
- Prepare and oversee cost applications – detailed budgets, budget narratives and other financial documentation – for country offices and global technical units responding to public and private donors
- Act as a focal point for regional and global Finance staff regarding budgets for large-scale competitive proposals.
- Provide guidance and support to partners and subawardees during the proposal budgeting process.
- Ensure required proposal development schedules are prepared and adhered to.
- Review and file all costing and pricing data submitted by proposal teams and partners for accuracy and completeness.
- Ensure program costs reasonableness while maintaining competitive pricing.
- As needed, develop and ensure that donor-specific budgeting and pricing templates are adhered to.
- Ensure proper budget presentation including formatting, required cost categories, and budget structures in response to donor and financial requirements.
- In coordination with Grants & Contracts staff, review and analyze proposal subawardee due-diligence documentation, as applicable. Analyze the financial, HR, and management systems of potential subawardees to ensure that Helen Keller-led consortiums remain competitive and ready for prompt post-award start-up.
- Ensure that cost applications are compliant with Helen Keller’s financial and donor requirements; work with Grants & Contracts on representations and certifications as needed.
- Represent Helen Keller and liaise with partners, as needed. Support Helen Keller in partnership negotiations with prime applicants.
Required Qualifications/Competencies
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics or Business Administration with courses in accounting. MBA or Master’s degree in related field; plus
- Experience: Minimum 8 years progressive finance/budgeting experience in non-profit sector, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience in international development and public health programs as well as an understanding of the synergy between the programmatic, operational, and financial components in project design and implementation.
- Prior experience preparing country office operating budgets and project budgets is required.
- Successful track record budgeting for wide range of competitive public and private solicitations, including demonstrated ability to ensure budgets and budget narratives are effectively and comprehensively tied to the donor requirements and project design.
- Analytical and conceptual skills, as well as the curiosity and learning agility necessary to be successful in a growing organization with evolving financial and operating systems.
- Demonstrated high-level proficiency in the use of various financial related software (spreadsheets, accounting packages).
- Proven knowledge of USAID (including both assistance & acquisition solicitations), GAC, FCDO, UN agencies, World Bank and others. Experience interpreting and applying donor rules and regulations in order to ensure that all cost applications meet donor requirements.
- Experience with USAID grants and cooperative agreements and various contract types including fixed price, cost reimbursement, time & material is required.
- Strong knowledge of the federal Acquisition Regulations and Cost Accounting Standards is preferred.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to exercise diplomacy and tact as demonstrated in previous roles that required communication with a broad and diverse set of partners.
- Excellent oral and written English and French language skills, including the ability to clearly communicate complex financial, compliance and operational issues into layperson language.
- Experience in providing financial training to Finance and non-Finance staff is highly desirable.
- Ability to work on multiple high priority projects at the same time.
- Collaborative, flexible and solution-oriented.
- Ability to work under pressure, maintain balance when under stress and meet strict internal and donor deadlines.
- Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class or gender, with a high comfort level working in a diverse environment with a demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards.
- Commitment to Helen Keller Intl’s work and mission.
- Ability and willingness to:
- flex work hours to accommodate multiple time zones; and
- travel to country offices throughout Africa (20-30% travel).
To Apply
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to [email protected] Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
In the spirit of our founder and namesake, Helen Keller is dedicated to
building an inclusive workforce where diversity in all its forms is fully valued.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer where all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need to request an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us at the email above or call: +1 646-356-1789.
