The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center, is seeking a driven professional to join its dynamic team in headquarters in Battaramulla, Sri Lanka, as a Finance Officer – Donor Financial Reporting*.

The incumbent is responsible for preparing donor financial reports for bilateral/Window 3 (W3) projects at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in a timely and accurate manner. The role involves efficiently handling allocated projects to ensure that financial reports and invoices are prepared, and that queries from donors, internal stakeholders, and project audit-related questions are addressed promptly and appropriately. Additionally, the successful candidate will coordinate with donor-commissioned auditors to provide the necessary support for all commissioned audits.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Review donor agreements/guidelines, understand the reporting/invoicing terms and conditions at the start of the project, and review the reporting deadlines.
• Prepare accurate donor financial reports and ensure timely submission of these reports and other additional information to donors. Maintain reconciliations when the expenditure reported in donor financial reports is different to project expenditure in the SAP system.
• Notify the Senior Administrative Officer to invoice bilateral projects according to payment plans stipulated in the donor financial agreements, and also ensure that projects with advances are utilized without pre-financing by IWMI.
• Coordinate with stakeholders and work closely with external auditors in the handling of local audits of projects as stipulated in the binding donor agreements. Coordinate the process of gathering and submission of required supporting documents for donor-conducted project audits and prepare staff cost details when required.
• Examine the rate fluctuations and ensure that exchange rate losses are handled in a timely and accurate manner with minimum or zero loss to the organization. Analyze the figures and include relevant entries in the SAP system monthly.
• Compile budget summary reports and share with Project Leaders after they have been informed about projects that are nearing closure by the relevant team. Liaise with other departments during the project closure process.
• Provide information to IWMI’s donors and internal stakeholders on project funds, such as utilization and forecasts. Respond to donor/internal customer queries within a reasonable time period. Provide clarification and assistance to IWMI’s Project Leaders on the figures reported in the projects they lead.
• Liaise with respective staff and ensure that correct charges are reflected in projects, i.e., standard charge out rate or actual salaries and benefits are stated and allowed as per donor agreement/general terms and conditions. For the allocated projects, review the donor receipts generated by the Reporting Team member in SAP system.
• Compile the important communications and documents in the project folders on the shared drive and update all the soft copies of donor reports in the respective folders.
• Review the revenue schedule monthly and initiate discussions with the primary manager and project leaders for pending disbursements/receivables by donors.
• Identify the gaps in internal processes and take initiative to improve such processes. Attend the information requests delegated by the Primary Manager.

Requirements

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Essential,

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, financial management, or a closely related discipline.
• Part qualification in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), or Association of Accounting Technicians of Sri Lanka (AAT).
• Minimum of 03 years of experience in accounting.

Desirable,

• Previous working experience in the donor reporting function.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

Essential,

• Ability to prepare accurate financial reports with complete and comprehensive information.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel with experience in analyzing and reconciling figures.
• Ability to read, understand and interpret the terms and conditions in complex documents and agreements.
• Strong teamworking skills with the ability to coordinate tasks across departments.
• Proven ability to manage and prioritize a diverse workload while meeting deadlines.
• Excellent oral and written language skills in English, including effective listening and strong verbal and written communication abilities.

Benefits

This is a nationally recruited position and only Sri Lankan nationals will be considered. IWMI offers a competitive salary and benefits package, inclusive of health insurance, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, and long-term disability coverage. The duration of the contract will initially be for a period of three years with the possibility of extension.

*Please note that the position is advertised under the title Finance Officer – Donor Financial Reporting; however, the successful candidate’s job title will be Project Officer, in accordance with IWMI’s job title guidelines.

HOW TO APPLY: Apply for the position by following the application instructions at www.iwmi.org/jobs. We will be accepting applications through 24:00 (IST) on November 06, 2024 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis). Your application must include a CV, cover letter, and three (3) references, which may be contacted if you are shortlisted. Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.