Multi Country - Senior Finance Manager - MENA
Description
Location: Any current MENA location where Mercy Corps operates
Position Status: Full-time, Regular
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.
The Program / Department / Team
Mercy Corps implements a variety of programming throughout the MENA/Europe region in response to the diverse humanitarian and long-term development needs of the region. Mercy Corps has ongoing programs in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. Mercy Corps is committed to delivering high quality, high impact programming that reaches communities or individuals in need, wherever they are.
Mercy Corps just launched its new global ten-year strategy, ‘’Pathway to Possibility’’, which reflects our ambitions to not only meet basic needs of communities affected by conflict and climate, but to achieve lasting, transformational change at scale. Pathway to Possibility (P2P) includes a three-layers resilience approach at its core and aims to deliver impact through four key outcome areas: Food Security, Water Security, Economic Opportunity, and Peace and Good Governance. P2P is also driven by five organizational commitments on being climate smart; evidence-driven; safe, diverse and inclusive; locally-led; and innovative and creative.
As a result of recent funding disruptions, Mercy Corps MENAE Leadership has decided to optimize resources and create efficiencies by creating a new structure for smaller country portfolios under the management of the regional team directly. This role is the product of this structural change decision.
The Finance Department provides key support to the multiple country programs in procurement, asset management, warehouse management, fleet management and facilities & office management for successful program implementation.
The Position
The Senior Finance Manager is a key person within the regional Finance management support team to Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Yemen, who ensures the resources are planned and utilized towards effective program support.
The Senior Finance Manager plays a key role in the overall leadership of the Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Yemen country programs under the guidance of the Deputy Regional Director – Operations and Regional Finance Director
As a member of the support management team to Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Yemen, the Senior Finance Manager shares the overall responsibility for the direction and coordination of the Mercy Corps country operation activities.
Essential Job Responsibilities
1. Strategy & Vision
- Identify opportunities for process improvement and innovation in financial management across country offices.
- Develop and implement financial strategies that align with organizational goals and country-specific operational needs.
- Provide financial insights to regional and country leadership to support decision-making.
2. Representation & Stakeholder Engagement
- Serve as the financial liaison between country offices, regional leadership, donors, and partners.
- Work closely with sub-grantees, implementing partners, and donors to ensure financial compliance and best practices.
- Support country teams in preparing for donor audits and financial reviews.
3. Multi-Country Financial Management & Compliance
- Oversee financial planning, cash flow management, and budget monitoring for multiple country programs.
- Ensure that all country offices comply with donor regulations, local laws, and internal financial policies.
- Conduct financial risk assessments for each country and develop mitigation strategies.
- Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting, including grant financial reports, donor reports, and internal management reports.
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of donor policies, procedures, and compliance requirements across different countries.
4. Sub-Grantee & Partner Financial Oversight (when Applicable)
- Review sub-grantee financial assessments and implement risk mitigation plans.
- Ensure sub-grantee financial reports are reviewed, necessary corrective actions are taken, and timely payments are processed.
- Ensure proper sub-grant tracking, documentation, and close-out procedures.
5. Team Leadership & Capacity Building
- Supervise and provide technical support to country finance teams, ensuring strong financial oversight at all levels.
- Lead financial training and capacity-building initiatives for country finance teams, program staff, and partners.
- Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous learning within the finance teams.
6. Operations & Financial Reporting
- Ensure the effective and transparent use of financial resources across multiple countries.
- Maintain relationships with banking institutions and oversee cash flow management across country programs.
- Work closely with the Human Resources and Finance teams to ensure compensation packages, taxation requirements, and benefits for local staff are properly accounted for.
- Prepare and review monthly financial reports, including BVAs, cost analysis, and financial forecasts for senior management.
- Develop and monitor annual fiscal year budgets for multiple country programs in coordination with Country Directors and program teams.
7. Audit & Risk Management
- Support country offices in preparing for external and internal audits, ensuring full compliance with donor and organizational policies.
- Ensure financial records are well-documented and archived according to best practices and donor requirements.
- Collaborate with relevant teams to mitigate financial risks and strengthen internal controls.
Supervisory Responsibility
Finance and Sub-award team in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen
Accountability
Reports on Dual Management To: Deputy Regional Director – Operations and Regional Finance Director
Works Directly With: Country team in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, Finance Manager, Global Procurement Team for High value Tenders.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- BA/S or equivalent in accounting or finance required.
- 5 years of progressive financial management experience, including supervisory experience required.
- 5 years of experience with US, EU donors in grants management, financial management and reporting, audit process, and rules and regulations required.
- Demonstrated experience and skill with budget preparation and analysis, financial reporting preparation and presentation and the proven ability to translate technical financial data into informative reports.
- Strong accounting skills and experience, including management of the general ledger, journal entries, payroll, payables and balance sheet.
- Experience managing sub-grants to international and local agencies under USAID, EC and other donor funded programs is required.
- Ability to work in a collaborative spirit with other departments, in particular Procurement and Programs, to effectively implement projects while staying compliant with donor and Mercy Corps regulations.
- Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel.
- Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills.
- Excellent oral and written English skills required.
- Proficiency in Arabic is a plus
- Previous experience in insecure environments.
- Internal or former Mercy Corps staff are highly encouraged to apply
Success Factors
The successful Senior Finance Manager will be good at problem solving and have the ability to work out methods to deliver successful programs while demonstrating excellent stewardship of donor funds and compliance with Mercy Corps and donor regulations. They will maintain strong cooperative relationships with other departments and interact effectively with international and national personnel both in a managerial as well as training capacity, while demonstrating the ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities. They will be able to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment and be willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in one of the current MENA office location, and it may require occasional travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.
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.
Team Efficiency and Effectiveness
Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.
We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out different 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 theInteragency 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 toMercy 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.