Canada: Manager, Grants Finance & Compliance

Organization: Plan International Canada

Reports to: Senior Compliance Manager

Location: Toronto (with up to 40% international travel annually)

Status: Full-time, permanent

Contact Level: A

What can you expect from joining a leading organization in the global movement to advance children’s rights and equality for girls?

An inspiring team of intelligent disruptors that challenges themselves to Defy Normal – to be bold, insightful, focused and innovative.

We are one of Canada’s Most Admired Cultures and here’s why: together, we have created a climate of trust and inclusivity – where diversity in people, ideas and approaches is not only respected, it’s encouraged. We are empowered to command change and build powerful partnerships, with support from passionate leaders to unleash our full potential and learn, lead, decide and thrive.

Further information can be found at: plancanada.ca

The Position

Reporting to the Senior Compliance Manager, the Compliance Manager will support a cross functional development team responsible for preparing proposals and managing a wide range of rapid and complex projects in the international development sector.

The role of the Compliance Manager is to: 1) provide oversight and analysis of the financial health of assigned projects while ensuring compliance to donor requirements; and 2) contribute to proposal development for Plan International Canada’s grants portfolio, focusing on budgeting for project quality.

What does success look like?

Budget Development and Management

• Lead budget preparation with a focus on appropriate costing models, alignment with proposed activity/staffing plans as well as maximizing cost recovery.
• Ensure proposals have best in class budget presentation and budget notes, in line with donor guidelines.
• Continue to maintain overview of available budgets, budget versus actuals, pre-empting future realignments and advising on course correction and responding to information requests.
• Identify ways to maximize efficiencies within and across projects.
• Coordinate, complete and obtain approvals for agreements with Plan International field offices, regional and international headquarter offices.
• Work collaboratively with Program Managers, to prepare, review, submit, and oversee project budgets and forecasts, ensuring alignment with project activities.
• Work closely with compliance team to develop and implement a standardized package for quality financial management of grant funded projects including standard KPIs, budget and reporting guidelines, Gift in Kind treatment, procurement and asset management plans, compliance training, project start-up and closing procedures.
• Participate in feedback mechanism to capture lessons learned from projects in implementation to inform future budget development and build on donor intelligence from a compliance perspective.

Internal and External Financial reporting

• Ensure donor financial reports and related financials are finalized on time, per donor requirements/formats, ensuring alignment with narrative reports, reconciled with Plan International field offices and Plan International Canada’s office general ledger and analytical reviews performed for variance reporting.
• Support Plan International field offices and project teams to setup efficient financial reporting forms in line with requirements of the project, donor and Plan International Canada’s financial systems.
• Review and validate Plan International field office financial reports (including variance analysis) together with project managers, ensuring timely follow up and corrections.
• Ensure timely consolidation of project financials, booking of monthly and quarterly revenue related to projects, providing investment instructions on surplus project funds and updated transfer instructions to Plan International field offices.

Donor Compliance, Risk and Audit

• Identify areas of risk by providing regular analysis of financial health of projects against standard key performance indicators (KPIs) and develop strategies to mitigate these risks.
• Provide training and ongoing support to relevant stakeholders including Canadian project team members, Plan International field offices and partners on understanding donor financial compliance, identifying financial risks and other best practices related to financial management and ensuring compliance requirements are understood and adhered to at all levels.
• Ensure all project expenditures and contracts are in compliance with terms and conditions of donor agreements by conducting regular desk audits as well as occasional in-field audits.
• Work closely with Country teams to prepare for donor audits. Oversee coordination of donor audits with field offices for assigned portfolio of projects.
• Continuously evaluate Projects Financial Risks and update Risk Registers as required for escalation to management, including mitigation measures.
• Review donor, Plan International field office and partner agreements ensuring the financial terms and conditions are compatible with Plan International Canada’s systems and are favourable to quality implementation and reporting.

As our ideal candidate you will have:

• Business or Finance related degree, MBA is considered an asset. Professional accreditation (CPA/CGA/CMA) an asset.
• Proven experience in financial management, including financial reporting and analysis, developing costing models / budgets at the project design stage and risk assessment and mitigation for $5M+ Proposals.
• Demonstrated knowledge and prior experience working with a wide variety of international development funding agency rules, regulations and contracting structures, including experience with donor agencies such as Global Fund, Global Affairs Canada (including International Humanitarian Assitance), multilateral agencies (Educate a Child, Dubai Cares, Global Sanitation Fund, African Development Bank, UNICEF, UNHCR, etc.) and charitable organizations / Foundations.
• Good understanding of Canadian GAAP and auditing standards.
• Experience participating in donor financial audits and hands on experience reviewing complex contracts and agreements.
• Demonstrated understanding of the synergy between the programmatic, operational and financial components of project design.
• Superior skills in building productive working relationships with team colleagues, field offices, donors and partners.
• Prior experience in financial management of projects and understanding of project management cycle is an asset.
• Prior experience in partnership financial management.
• Exceptional cross-cultural, oral and written communications skills.
• Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite with advanced Excel skills required.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Coaching and mentoring skills for building project staff capacity on quality budget development.
• Experience with working in cross-functional teams and matrix environment.
• Flexible approach, good ability to deal with ambiguity and to deliver under very short deadlines.
• Ability to travel internationally (a valid passport will be required).
• French and other language proficiencies considered an asset.
• Personal values consistent with those of Plan International’s organizational values.

How to apply:

To express interest in this exciting opportunity, please forward your resume and cover letter to gethired@plancanada.ca. Please reference Manager, Grants Finance & Compliance in the subject line**. Review of applications and interviews will take place on a rolling basis.**

Plan International Canada is an inclusive workplace, and is committed to championing accessibility, diversity and equal opportunity. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process providing the applicant has met the bona-fide requirements for the open position. Applicants need to make their requirements known when contacted.

Consistent with our Safeguarding Policy the successful candidate must receive clearance by a police background check, including the vulnerable sector screen.

Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada for the duration of the work term. Proof of eligibility will be required.

Plan International Canada sincerely thanks all applicants for their expressed interest in this opportunity however only those selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.

Thank you for your interest in a career at Plan International Canada!