Country Representative
Médecins Sans Frontières
Total years of experience :12 years, 6 Months
Inducted as Country Finance Manager and worked up the hierarchy to merit promotion to the position of Project Manager.
Designation Chronology:
• August 2014 - October 2014 : Country Finance Manager- Guinea
• July 2013 - August 2014 : Project Manager-Egypt
• May 2013 - June 2013 : Country Finance and Human Resource Manager- Lybia
• November 2012 - April 2013 : Country Finance Manager Support-Egypt
• March 2011 - June 2012 : Country Finance Manager- Afghanistan
• May 2010 - January 2011: Finance Manager- Egypt
Key Responsibilities:
• Planned, designed and implemented the operational strategy of the project in accordance with the country strategy. Monitored and coordinated project processes, evaluations/ plans to guarantee project progress in accordance with the project schedule.
• Provided updates/ adjustments to project plan as necessary to ensure successful completion of the project within the specified budgetary guidelines and quality standards.
• Spearheaded the whole gamut of operational activities, thus coordinated, planned and supervised the project budget (€675K) performance and expenditure based on operational standards of the organization.
• Instrumental in managing and monitoring expatriate and national staff in the project to formulate long and short term strategies for enhancing organizational revenues.
• Identified project catchment area, simultaneously redesigned project operational strategy and activities to ascertain better functioning of the operation in an efficient and effective manner.
• Computed operational and maintenance cost estimates. Devised project budgets and effected cost cutting measures to achieve substantial reduction in operation and maintenance expenditures.
• Assumed responsibility for project risk and security management including context analysis in compliance with applicable standards and guidelines.
• Monitored, tracked and reported project status/ progress to the senior management, thereby recommended processes to improve quality and efficiency of projects.
• Kept abreast of latest technological advancements and utilized the potential of the same to respond to the distinctive needs of the organization.
Key Responsibilities:
• Planned, developed and coordinated the provision of human resource services, policies and programs, while ensuring adherence to company rules and regulations.
• Identified major legal risk pertinent to HR practices and organization country registration consistent with overall goals and objectives of the organization.
• Reviewed existing compensation & salary programs, benchmarked against market practices and developed HR policies that meet organizational objectives amidst a rapidly changing environment.
• Efficiently analyzed the finance & accounting management system set up in the mission, thus rendered suggestions to aid further corrective action.
• Streamlined and controlled budgeting process, ensuring its timeliness, accuracy and consistency, thus analyzed variances and suggested corrective actions.
• Accountable for finalizing and recommending salary benchmarking study, thus granted solutions for major risk related issues to national staff employment contracts for ensuring proper flow of work.
• Evaluated and provided recommendations regarding the mission’s finance system and internal controls by keeping abreast of all pertinent legislation, rules, regulations and court decisions that may relate to organization's financial affairs functions.
Key Responsibilities:
• Managed and monitored overall activities of the finance department including finance management and accounting related matters; thus identified, analyzed and resolved accounting discrepancies and ascertained that all policies and procedures are aligned with the organizational goals.
• Devised and implemented financial policies, systems, procedures and internal controls to enhance the company’s financial sustainability and growth.
• Imparted training to the Head of the Mission, Country Finance Coordinator and Field Coordinators in budget management and budgetary control in adherence to accounting principles and standards.
• Delivered full spectrum of finance and accounting functions by setting up mission’s finance system, budget management tools and budgetary control and planning system.
• Oversaw and monitored the set up of internal control system and establishment of a standard procedure framework in acquiescence with established accounting standards, internal controls and applicable laws and regulations.
• Spearheaded overall activities of the Finance Coordinator, Finance team and Head of Mission in finance, simultaneously trained them and monitored their performance to ensure smooth execution of all accounting activities.
• Accountable for analyzing country tax position along with legal and financial set up of the project in the country in accordance with company's rules & regulations.
• Kept complete, accurate and systematic set of records for all accounting transactions personnel accounts pertaining to all branches of the company.
Key Responsibilities:
• Actively contributed with the Country Management Team in the preparation and elaboration of operational strategy to ensure smooth functioning of future operations.
• Managed the set-up and design of financial management and accounting systems, policies and internal control, whilst ensuring strict adherence to organizational policies and procedures.
• Assumed responsibility for the management of cash flow and elaboration of money security guidelines to ensure accuracy and compliance with established accounting standards and procedures.
• Influential in supervising, coaching and providing technical support to the financial team & operational personnel including 11 expatriates and 7 national staffs to enrich their competencies for achieving business goals.
• Prepared, evaluated and maintained annual budgets (€18 million), financial statements, monthly variance and budgetary controls, enabling smooth finalization of accounts.
• Actively involved in set up of the finance system and accordingly received unqualified audit reports of the mission inclusive of 2 years not under the own supervision.
• Planned and finalized the tax guidelines in compliance with tax laws in the mission to consistently chart out short and long term strategic goals and objectives with corresponding milestones.
• Instrumental in designing a strong internal control and procurement system in the mission, simultaneously oversaw the standardization of processes and forms in the mission for seamless functioning of activities leading to optimal growth chart of the organization.
• Recruited and coached a competent finance team, thus organized training for new recruits and conducted performance reviews periodically to maintain a skilled and motivated workforce.
• Prepared monthly, quarterly and annual reports, presented tailored financial business plans and budgets to the upper management to facilitate decision making.
Previous Professional Experiences:
• January 2011 - February 2011: Finance Consultant with British Council, Al Khartoum, Sudan
• May 2010 - January 2011: Finance Manager with Medecins Sans Frontieres, Cairo, Egypt
• April 2010 - February 2011: Finance and HR Manager with Medecins Sans Frontieres, Cairo, Egypt
• March 2009 - April 2010: Resources Coordinators with The British Council, Al Khartoum, Sudan
• March 2008 - March 2009: Accountant with Madar Building Materials, Al Khartoum, Sudan
• October 2007 - January 2008: Finance Officer with Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF) International, Al Khartoum, Sudan
• July 2005 - October 2007: Finance Assistant with Medecins Sans Frontieres, Al Khartoum, Sudan