Freelance Finance Consultant Jordan

1. Background

DROSOS FOUNDATION is a non-profit organisation committed to empowering young people to navigate and address today’s global challenges. Together with partner organisations, it develops and supports projects that have a direct bearing on the effective and sustainable opportunities for young people. Established in 2003 as a private foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland, DROSOS FOUNDATION seeks long-term impact through its supported projects in Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Switzerland and Eastern Germany. In Jordan, the Foundation has been operational and active since 2012. DROSOS FOUNDATION is ideologically, politically and religiously independent. DROSOS FOUNDATION sets a high priority on professional and accountable financial management of its projects by its partner organisations (CBOs, NGOs, for-profit and not-for-profit companies). It carries out thorough financial monitoring and controls of its partner organisations and individual projects and invests in capacity building of partners to continuously professionalise their financial management and reporting. It understands financial monitoring and controls as a participatory process that fosters learning and development. The Department Levant, based in Zurich, manages programmes and projects in Jordan. To improve the financial management capacity of its partner organisations in Jordan - i.e., capacity in accounting, financial reporting, financial standards and procedures, audits, internal processes, etc., - the Department Levant is looking for a freelance financial consultant to expand its pool of experts.

2. Assignment modality

The Freelance Finance Consultant will work on a part-time basis, upon demand, for approximately 3–5 working days per month and will be remunerated on a mandate basis. The Consultant shall be based in Jordan and be ready to travel within the country to partners’ offices. As a freelancer, the selected candidate is responsible for their own health insurance, IT equipment and transportation. The selected candidate will receive coaching and be supervised by the Finance Manager of Department Levant at DROSOS FOUNDATION.

3. Scope of Work

a) Pre-award organisational assessment i. Assist in the preparation phase of the partner’s contracting phase by analysing the financial and administrative capacities of potential partners — staff, governance, policies, procedures, systems, social security, tax requirements — and give recommendations for capacity building as part of pre-assessments. ii. Analyse partners’ funding and revenue sources as well as business plans and give recommendations for strengthening financial sustainability and increasing revenues, where applicable. b) Periodic review of financial reports i. Review quarterly or semi-annual financial reports and supporting documentation submitted by partners to DROSOS FOUNDATION, ensuring timely, accurate and complete submission, and follow up on grant related documentation and filing ii. Ensure advances/installments justifications are monitored in line with DROSOS FOUNDATION guidelines and contractual obligations. iii. Evaluate and monitor partners’ overall project budgets, financial statements and annual external audit reports. iv. Advise partners in their regular enquiries regarding financial and accountancy management. v. Support partners in setting up internal control tools to facilitate their work where these are not already available (e.g., bank and cash reconciliation). vi. Track the cash situation and budget consumption against actual spending of partners’ grants on a periodic basis, in line with each grant agreement (monthly/quarterly/semi-annual). vii. Provide advice to DROSOS FOUNDATION and partners on best practices in cash management and updates on techniques to optimise cash flow and efficient management of funds. c) Partners’ capacity development i. Play an active role in training and mentoring grant finance staff on operations and financial management matters (accounting, procurement, legal aspects related to HR management, banking and cash management, etc.). ii. Identify capacity gaps in partner organisations and their staff and provide the necessary feedback to DROSOS FOUNDATION within the interim financial assessment. iii. Strengthen partners’ skills in financial management through general and individual training workshops, and hands-on coaching for individual staff and/or organisations, when requested by DROSOS FOUNDATION. d) Liaison and reporting i. Exchange regularly with, and report to, DROSOS FOUNDATION on assignment progress, findings and recommendations. ii. Provide written interim financial assessments following financial reviews.

4. Duration and level of effort

This is a freelance, on-demand engagement rather than a fixed-term post. Level of effort is indicatively 3–5 working days per month, equivalent to approximately 20–40 working days per year, depending on the number and scale of active mandates.

5. Qualifications and skills required

• Master’s degree or equivalent qualification in finance, accounting, business administration or a related field
• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in financial management, grant/partnership management or non-profit accounting management, with demonstrable experience in budget preparation, review and reporting
• Previous experience in partnership and grant management with local NGOs/CSOs/CBOs
• Solid knowledge of accounting principles, financial systems, budget/cash flow monitoring and internal control rules and regulations
• Deep knowledge of Jordanian laws and regulations relevant to the assignment (e.g. labour law, banking regulations, tax requirements)
• Excellent computer skills, with competency in MS Excel required; knowledge of computerised accounting software is highly desirable
• Fluency in Arabic and English required
• Ability to work independently under minimal supervision, adapting tools, procedures and mechanisms to each partner’s capaci