The Business Analyst supports the Country Leadership Team in achieving the country business targets, and in managing knowledge related to the funding portfolio and Plan International’s business systems.

• This will be achieved by analyzing and reporting on finance and grants key performance indicators for the country, maintaining a dashboard of information for Plan Country Office (CO) and National Organizations (NOs) to ensure accuracy and timeliness of grants financial reporting and to provide country management with timely advice on risks and opportunities.
• To support the Country Finance Manager (CFM) to implement global and countrywide financial strategies.

Dimensions of the Role

[This section provides a summary of the size and authority of the post. It covers the size of the budget held, the numbers of direct reports, other key stakeholders who may depend on it, the type of communication required, the external representation involved and the reach of the role.]

• Area of Responsibility – Country Office

• Indirect Report; Grants Accountants.
• Co leads the development and review of CO annual budgets
• Co leads on monthly and quarterly business analysis (NO Quarterly feedback, quarterly KPIs and dashboards, SAP financial data)

• Responsible for interpreting data, reporting on CO and PU performance, and flagging with CMT key trends, risks, and opportunities
• People management

Accountabilities

Business planning processes:

• Facilitate and coordinate business planning processes in terms of Budgeting; quarterly forecasting (Funding Budget modification)
• Support the CFM in communicating instructions and milestones within the country for business planning.
• Support the CFM in reviewing and consolidating planning inputs for the country.
• Reviews budget entries in SAP and keeps records of budget modifications on file.
• Reviews and consolidates monthly budget Vs Actual analysis from all Plan International Cameroon entities.
• Support field planning processes and actively participates in partners and field-based community organizations training and empowerment.
• Keeps and maintains the Funding Budget approvals and operational plans variations in coordination with PO point person, Grants staff and field staff.
• Reviews project budgets and amendments to ensure that budgets are accurate matching with the one approved by Plan and donors, also apportioned costs and shared direct outputs are available with accurate budgets.
• Ensure the cost recovery process is performed before closing each period and aligned to the global cost recovery policy

Accounting and treasury:

• Ensures compliance with local regulatory and tax legislation in respect of financial matters
• Test the accrual system to ensure they are being normally and consistently captured.
• Support to Program Units and Country Office for the use of corporate SAP financial systems
• Work with grant, procurement and program to point out all irregularities in SAP system and perform data cleansing every month before the migration to the new ERP.
• The consolidation of bi-weekly cash forecast requests and following up cash balances for all accounts using agreed tools such as monthly target bank balance report.

Financial reporting and analysis:

• Reviews periodic financial reports (Quarterly Report…) including monthly grants and year-end reports and raise issues to be addressed before closing the next period
• Review financial reports from partners and staff expense report and make recommendations to CFM.
• Prepares monthly BVA report on running costs and ensures variations are corrected on time.
• Work closely with grant department to ensure that grant financial reports are prepared and sent on time to donors with data matching with SAP.

 Internal financial controls:

• Ensure appropriate financial controls processes, procedures and systems are in place and adhered to countrywide.
• The review of purchase orders in line with existing procedures and comment any irregularities.
• Follow up audit actions list and report progress on financial risks.
• Ensure in every office location that petty cash count is performed at least once a quarter and cash count form is on file.
• Perform expenditures analyses with cost effectiveness of operations orientation.
• Sharing and dissemination of best practices countrywide.
• Review the actual weekly cash count form at all levels

People management:

• Develop, coach and motivate a high performing finance team in the Country Office.
• Conduct regular meeting with staff.
• Ensure that Plan’s gender policy and related procedures are adhered to in all aspects of work

Other

1. Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Key relationships

• Country Finance staff
• Grant support team
• Field staff
• Partners
• Country office program support team and admin Team
• External stakeholders
• Regional Finance staff

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Qualification and Experience

• A University Degree –Bachelors Finance, Accounting or related fields recognized institution with CPAII or CPAK/ ACCA or equivalent working experience in the field of accounting and finance of at least 5 years preferably with INGO.
• Experience with financial information systems and MS office especially Excel and Word.
• Strong management accounting and networking skills, experience in managing teams
• Relevant post qualification experience
• In depth knowledge of financial systems, financial management, grants analysis and reporting

Demonstrated behaviours needed by the post-holder to successfully perform the role:

Leadership Behaviour’s

• Develops, motivates, coaches and manages finance team under his/her supervision in the CO.
• Promotes high performance by all staff
• Promotes innovation and learning
• Communicates clearly and effectively

• Empathy and conceptual flexibility

• Gains, develops and retains credibility about his/her performance

Skills Specific to the post needed to put knowledge into practice.

• Strong analytical thinking
• Communication skills, appropriate to the audience
• Collaborative and problem-solving mindset
• Problem solving
• Strong team-building and motivational skills
• Strong negotiating, facilitating and influencing skills
• Proficient in computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications, e.g. word processing, spreadsheet, database, web-based system
• Working knowledge of written and spoken English and French.
• Open to partners/stakeholder’s queries
• Precision in numbers

Dealing with Problems:

• Coaching of staff under his/her supervision on implementation of finance functions
• Exhibit a good sense of judgment and responsibility in performance of duties

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

1. Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
2. Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
3. Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
4. Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
5. Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

1. Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
2. Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
3. Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
4. Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

1. Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
2. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
3. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
4. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

1. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
2. We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
3. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.

Physical Environment

This position requires 15% of travel within Plan program units and outside the country, 85% office related activities in CO.

Level of contact with children

Low contact- the job responsibilities of this position does not require the post holder to have any one-to-one contact with children on a daily basis. There would be occasional contact with children and it is expected that children shall be protected at all times.