Compliance Manager

Location: Ramallah, Palestine

Position Status: Full-time, Regular employment

Salary Level: 6A – 138,288 ILS Gross/Annually

Duration: One year with possibility of extension

Department: Finance & Compliance

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

The Department / Team (Department Summary)

The Mercy Corps Finance and Compliance Department is responsible for all financial and compliance functions in Palestine, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and grant financial management and compliance. The Mercy Corps Finance and Compliance Department ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures.  In its role as a support to the Program Department, the Finance & Compliance Department provides timely reports and assistance to the Country Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.

The Position (General Position Summary)

Working in the Finance and Compliance Department under the supervision of the Finance Director, the Compliance Manager will ensure compliance with USAID / BHA rules and Mercy Corps regulations.  The Compliance Manager is also responsible for compliance related to USAID / BHA and internal reporting requirements.

Essential Responsibilities

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

COMPLIANCE

• Ensure that MC USAID / BHA programs are executed in alignment with the prime award agreement and the applicable donors’ regulations, staying abreast of changes in regulatory environment related to donor/grant compliance, update programs’ compliance procedures as necessary.
• Lead the Compliance team in Palestine
• Conduct compliance review of procurement and financial transactions, contracts and grants as per AAM.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of approval requests to the donor and MC HQ.
• Overall responsibility for Maintaining reporting and compliance tracking files – soft and paper copies. This includes the monthly sub-award reports for Mercy Corps, review and consolidation of partner sub-award reports and tracking of vetting requirements resulting from the consolidated sub-awards, and the maintenance of the vetting and sub-award database.
• Leading the vetting process for USAID / BHA includes acting as a communication focal point with program managers, sub-grantees, and the donor and providing timely and accurate reports on the status of vetting requests.
• Review PIFs for submission to USAID / BHA.
• Lead subgrantee site reviews, prepare visit reports, and follow up on all subgrant compliance issues for all partners and safe spaces, ensuring all compliance guidelines and procedures remain up to date.
• Acting as the communication focal point with Program Leaders to ensure that all trainings and activities adhere to USAID / BHA rules and regulations, including conducting monthly meetings and maintaining an updated tracking system with the necessary data and documents.
• Conducting periodic internal review meetings with MEL department to ensure that compliance review data is collected and obtained as per guidelines.
• Share monthly emails with briefings, updates, and challenges to the Finance Director and relevant focal points.
• Work closely with the Finance Director to write and develop policies, guidelines, tools, and templates as needed to ensure optimal implementation of USAID / BHA compliance requirements.
• Lead the process of creating an automated system for the collection, maintaining and retrieving vetting information in an easily accessible way.
• Ensure the regular circulation of rules and requirements to partners for adherence to USAID / BHA rules and regulations.
• Serve as a main Palestine RPS on Demand focal point.
• For MC’s Complex Program requirements, ensure the compliance tracker is up to date and reviewed with the relevant departments monthly.
• Assist in providing the necessary documentation and responses in a timely manner in relation to USAID / BHA Compliance audits.

TRAINING

• Ensure all staff are fully aware of donor and internal compliance regulations and requirements.
• Train Compliance Team and provide ongoing coaching to all staff on USAID / BHA requirements.
• Build capacity for sub-grantee’s staff on compliance related matters, especially USAID / BHA specific rules and regulations.
• Work with the Human Resources Department to develop appropriate introductory training for new employees.

OTHER

• Stay abreast of changes in applicable donor policies and ensure changes are implemented as required.
• Participate in coordination and planning meetings, as required, and provide relevant input for the development of program plans and reports.
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility

Compliance Officer and Compliance Assistant

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Finance Director

Works Directly With: Mercy Corps Program Department, especially the PYE and Other USAID / BHA Program Teams, Procurement Department, Finance Department and Sub grantees.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

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Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Minimum 5 years of experience, preferably in the non-governmental sector, in finance & compliance, administration or project management related fields.
• A degree in finance, accounting or a related business field is required.
• Excellent understanding of USAID / BHA rules and regulations
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel
• Strong analytical skills
• A good understanding of generally acceptable financial and procurement systems and procedures
• Prior management experience in a related field
• Excellent oral and written English skills
• Excellent communications skills
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and high-stress environment.

Success Factors

• Ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel is required.
• A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program priorities is necessary.
• A high professional standard of ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential.
• The ability to effectively monitor subgrantee compliance as well as to provide support and training for subgrantee personnel is critical.
• Attention to detail and ability to process and analyze data from multiple sources.
• High level of organizational and coordination skills.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply online HERE no later than 12:00PM on Sunday,05 Jan 2025.Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.