Partner Financial Management Officer

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 Partner Financial Management Officer.

Primary responsibility of Partner Financial Management Officer is to facilitate precise financial management and reporting by subrecipients and partners within the organization’s projects. This involves reviewing financial reports, communicating findings to regional finance officers, and ensuring accurate recording of expenditures in the General Ledger. Additionally, the officer is responsible for maintaining an up-to-date partner database, preparing monthly cash flow forecasts, and conducting training sessions for partners’ finance teams. Other vital tasks include verifying expenditures per grant agreements, reviewing and consolidating various initiative reports, managing payment on behalf (POB) series, and providing necessary documentation for transparency and accuracy. Your attention to detail, compliance adherence, and effective communication skills will be essential in ensuring seamless financial processes.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for reviewing partners' financial reports, communicating the findings and amount to be recorded in the General Ledger to regional finance officers, and keeping the partner database up to date.
• Consolidate monthly cash flow forecasts for partners, review and approve payments to partners upon evaluation of payments for the project from the donor and keep the partner database up to date.
• Ensure thorough review and analysis of payment schedules outlined in new partnership agreements and modifications to existing ones prior to finalization.
• Responsible for conducting training for partners upon their onboarding on partner financial reporting, requirements for the disbursement of cash, requirements on document retention for audit purposes, etc.
• Carryout expenditure verifications for partners where the main agreement explicitly requires such compliance by the grant recipient (IWMI)
• Responsible for clearing donor balances upon receiving confirmation from the financial reporting team at the closure of the project by recognizing foreign exchange gains/losses, sundry income, etc.
• Prepare financial reports and engage in audits of Global Water Partnership South Asia (GWP SAS), CACENA, and Sri Lanka Water Partnership. Act as the contact point for any financial matters related to GWP South Asia, CACENA, and Sri Lanka Water Partnership.
• Ensure the operational and financial reporting support for Windows 1&2 funded Science Programs on various matters (e.g. initiative commitment and carryover report), except budgets and Anaplan reporting (Anaplan is a business planning software).
• Responsible for preparing financial reports for the projects when allocated by the Primary Manager.
• Provide proper supporting documentation for financial transactions posted to the Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) system and maintain relevant communications in the SharePoint folders.
• Manage one-time POB series. It includes periodic invoicing, posting necessary clearing entries, etc.
• Communicate with the primary manager to respond to stakeholder queries by gathering relevant documents and submitting necessary calculations.

Requirements

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• 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) or Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), .
• Minimum of 03 years of experience in accounting.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• 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.
• Conversant with ERPs and Microsoft Office systems.
• 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.

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.

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 January 19, 2025 (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.