Driven by a commitment to excellence, the program/department plays a pivotal role in advancing the organization’s strategic goals through innovative initiatives and collaborative efforts. Tasked with overseeing critical functions, it ensures alignment with overarching business objectives while fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. By leveraging cross-functional expertise and data-driven insights, the team delivers measurable results that enhance operational efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction. With a focus on adaptability and forward-thinking strategies, the program/department remains agile in navigating evolving industry landscapes and market demands.
Mercy Corps is looking for a Finance & Compliance Director to lead the anticipated FCDO-funded Land Border Program. The escalating issue of irregular migration and associated criminal activities in East Africa continues to pose significant challenges, resulting in the severe exploitation of vulnerable migrants. This initiative will adopt a comprehensive, multifaceted strategy, combining prevention, protection, and enforcement measures. A key objective is to strengthen efforts to combat human traffickers and smugglers exploiting displaced populations. Program implementation will begin in Kenya’s border regions, with strategic expansion planned for Uganda, Ethiopia, and potentially Somalia.
Crafts a broad overview of the role, outlining primary objectives and overall purpose within the organizational framework. Emphasizes the essential duties and key responsibilities expected of the position holder, while also highlighting necessary qualifications, skills, and experience. Serves as a foundational document to attract suitable candidates by clearly defining the scope of work, performance expectations, and professional requirements.
The Finance & Compliance Director will lead the finance, grants, and finance teams, ensuring rigorous quality control and meticulous oversight of the program’s financial operations, including financial analysis and accounting management. This role demands strong financial stewardship of the program and its associated awards, fostering cross-country and cross-organizational collaboration to guarantee timely, budget-conscious delivery while strictly adhering to Mercy Corps’ and FCDO policies and procedures. The program is scheduled to commence in early May 2026 for a duration of three years, with this position based in Nairobi.
Execute essential job responsibilities, including analyzing market trends to inform strategic decisions, developing and implementing comprehensive marketing plans, managing digital advertising campaigns, and overseeing brand management initiatives. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with organizational goals, monitor campaign performance metrics, and adjust strategies as needed to optimize results. Prepare detailed reports to communicate progress and insights to stakeholders, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the project lifecycle. Additionally, identify new opportunities for growth, evaluate customer feedback to enhance product offerings, and maintain strong relationships with key partners to drive business success.
To craft and implement a forward-thinking strategy, we seek a strategic leader capable of defining a compelling long-term vision. This role involves developing comprehensive plans that align with organizational goals while driving innovation and sustainable growth. Key responsibilities include analyzing market trends, identifying opportunities, and ensuring initiatives support the company’s mission. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills, a results-driven mindset, and the ability to collaborate across departments to execute strategic objectives effectively.
Lead the multi-year budgeting process at the program’s inception, ensuring meticulous updates throughout each fiscal year. Collaborate with a broad spectrum of program stakeholders—including outcome leads, country leads, international and local partners, as well as headquarters and regional support teams—to incorporate their valuable inputs into the budgeting framework.
Develop comprehensive and proactive oversight mechanisms to ensure continuous monitoring of diverse countries, partners, and individual awards throughout the entire duration of the program.
Responsible for overseeing financial operations, ensuring accurate accounting, and maintaining compliance with regulatory standards, the Financial Management role involves strategic planning, budget development, and financial analysis to support organizational objectives. Key responsibilities include preparing financial statements, managing cash flow, and optimizing expenditures to enhance profitability. Candidates must possess a degree in finance, accounting, or a related field, along with professional certifications such as CPA or CFA preferred. Proficiency in financial software and advanced Excel skills are essential, complemented by strong analytical, communication, and leadership abilities to drive informed decision-making.
Collaborate with the Senior Program Manager and relevant partners to create and revise annual fiscal year budgets, making adjustments to the budget ceiling as needed throughout the fiscal year.
Engage in ABB discussions with the donor, manage a real-time Activity-Based budget for the program, perform monthly ABB evaluations, and deliver biweekly reports and forecasts to FCDO—ensuring all projections align precisely with actual budget expenditures.
Your responsibilities include evaluating financial plans and budgets, tracking their progress and any modifications. Additionally, you will identify discrepancies and collaborate with senior management to address and resolve them.
Design and implement comprehensive financial systems, policies, procedures, and internal controls for the program, ensuring they align with evolving regulatory requirements and industry best practices across all operational countries, with regular reviews to incorporate necessary adjustments.
Ensure the annual financial audits of the program are conducted effectively, verifying that partners and subgrantees fully adhere to all audit and financial review mandates.
Periodically evaluate the performance and efficacy of financial processes, then develop and implement strategic initiatives to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. These efforts aim to minimize operational and compliance risks while ensuring timely completion of technical activities within optimal cost parameters.
Develop and oversee systems that foster efficient and transparent financial resource management, enabling timely and informative reporting aligned with program, FCDO, and Mercy Corps’ requirements.
Ensure adherence to the financial, compliance, and sub-grant management policies and procedures established by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) as well as Mercy Corps’ internal regulations.
The finance department conducts reviews of payment requests and financial vouchers, ensuring they comply with the approved authority matrix limits.
The position involves overseeing the administration and compliance of grants, ensuring funds are utilized in accordance with approved budgets and regulatory requirements. Responsibilities include reviewing grant applications, managing reporting processes, and coordinating with stakeholders to track progress and outcomes. Strong analytical skills and meticulous attention to detail are essential, along with proficiency in grant management software and financial reporting tools. A bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or a related field is required, and prior experience in grant administration or nonprofit funding is preferred. The role demands effective communication to liaise between funding sources, program teams, and leadership.
Ensure effective oversight of grants and finance officers, guaranteeing that grants and subcontracts are awarded and administered in strict adherence to Mercy Corps and FDC policies.
Review all Requests for Approval (RFA’s) and coordinate with Senior Program Management, the Implementation and Partnership Manager, and the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team to obtain necessary approvals.
Manage the grant administration process, guaranteeing prompt submission and approval of reports and advances to partners.
Responsible for guiding the formulation of sub-partner grants and contracts, ensuring the selection of the most appropriate grant or contract mechanism tailored to each partner’s needs.
Develop and execute activity or milestone budgets with precision while maintaining a comprehensive master compilation of partner budgets.
Demonstrate leadership throughout the process of finalizing grant expenditures and managing the disposal of partner assets.
Administer and oversee all administrative functions and ensure strict adherence to regulatory compliance standards within the organization. Manage office operations, including coordination with various departments, maintaining records, and facilitating efficient workflows. Develop and implement compliance policies and procedures, conduct regular audits to identify potential risks, and ensure timely reporting to relevant authorities. Additionally, provide guidance to staff on compliance matters, stay updated on evolving regulations, and recommend necessary adjustments to policies to mitigate risks and maintain organizational integrity.
Craft timely responses to critical client inquiries, addressing budget projections, scope of work formulation, and any additional ad hoc assignments.
Collaborate closely with the Senior Program Manager and MCE to prepare and refine FCDO deliverables, such as the Quarterly Financial Report, Inventory and Asset Report, and the Annual Value Added Tax Report.
Execute any additional duties deemed necessary by the Senior Program Manager, as may arise from time to time, ensuring alignment with overarching project objectives and team priorities.
Produce and/or evaluate recurring and special reports for the FCDO, covering topics such as inventory disposition, local tax obligations, and activity budgeting.
Demonstrate leadership by overseeing donor spot checks and proactively resolving any issues that arise during the process.
Experienced professionals are sought to oversee and lead a group of individuals to enhance productivity and achieve organizational goals. The role requires the ability to delegate tasks, motivate team members, and ensure clear communication across all levels. Candidates must demonstrate strong leadership skills, adaptability to changing priorities, and a commitment to fostering a collaborative work environment. Responsibilities include setting performance expectations, conducting regular evaluations, and addressing any challenges that may arise to maintain team efficiency.
Oversee the daily operations of direct reports, ensuring clarity in their responsibilities, offering guidance to foster success, and delivering constructive feedback along with the necessary technical and administrative assistance to help them achieve performance goals.
Drive accountability, set clear expectations, and deliver actionable feedback—both informally through ongoing one-on-one interactions and formally during structured performance reviews.
Develop and maintain a collaborative work environment characterized by mutual respect, fostering a culture where team members are committed to achieving excellence.
Recruit, onboard, and guide team members as required to ensure seamless integration and optimal performance.
As an integral part of this role, you will be entrusted with upholding and implementing safeguarding measures to ensure the protection and well-being of all individuals within the organization. This involves conducting thorough risk assessments, maintaining accurate records, and adhering to relevant safeguarding policies and procedures. Additionally, you will be responsible for promptly reporting any concerns or incidents, collaborating closely with relevant stakeholders, and participating in training to stay updated on best practices in safeguarding. Your vigilance and proactive approach will play a crucial role in fostering a secure and compliant environment.
Proactively acquires and applies safeguarding principles within their professional duties, with a focus on identifying safeguarding risks and implementing effective mitigations tailored to their specific role and responsibilities.
Demonstrates unwavering commitment to Mercy Corps’ core values by upholding the dignity and well-being of program participants and colleagues alike.
Fosters an environment of transparency and open dialogue within the team, actively encouraging members to voice any concerns through established reporting channels, such as the Integrity Hotline and alternative reporting options.
Ensures unwavering responsibility to participants and stakeholders, maintaining clear communication and delivering on commitments with integrity and transparency. Actively engages with all parties to understand their needs, address concerns promptly, and uphold the highest ethical standards in all interactions. Prioritizes alignment between actions and organizational goals to foster trust and accountability in every engagement.
Mercy Corps requires all team members to uphold accountability measures, prioritizing our program participants, community partners, stakeholders, and international standards in relief and development initiatives. Our commitment includes fostering active collaboration with communities, treating them as equal partners throughout the design, monitoring, and evaluation phases of field projects.
Minimum educational credentials and adaptable competencies include a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as business administration, finance, or a related discipline. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in data analysis, strategic planning, and project management, along with strong interpersonal and communication skills. Prior experience in a supervisory or leadership role is preferred, as is familiarity with industry-specific software and tools. Additionally, the ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams and adapt to evolving priorities is essential.
A bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or an equivalent field is required, with preference given to candidates holding an advanced degree.
A recognized qualification equivalent to the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation in Kenya is required.
Seeking a seasoned professional with a minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible financial management experience, a portion of which must include leadership or supervisory roles.
A minimum of four years of professional experience in grants management is essential, along with a comprehensive knowledge of FCDO grant and contract regulations.
A minimum of three years of international experience is required, with a preference for candidates who have worked in field offices of international non-governmental organizations or private voluntary organizations, particularly within programs situated in remote, high-risk environments.
Proven expertise in budget preparation and analysis, financial reporting development and presentation, combined with a strong aptitude for converting complex financial data into clear, insightful reports. Familiarity with ABB format budgeting is desirable.
Experienced in leading teams and managing operations with a track record of strong organizational abilities.
Proficiency in utilizing advanced features of Microsoft Office, with a strong emphasis on Microsoft Excel, is essential.
Proficient in both verbal and written communication, with a strong ability to multitask, organize, and prioritize tasks effectively.
Fluent proficiency in both spoken and written English is essential.
Skilled in collaborating seamlessly with multicultural teams within complex, high-stakes settings.
Individuals should possess prior experience working in environments characterized by significant security risks.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND , Professional Certificate
Experience Required
15 years
