Finance Business Partner

About the Role

Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) is responding to the largest emergency in our 40-year history. Over the last year support for our cause has seen significant growth in income as tens of thousands of supporters have joined MAP. Our challenge now is to retain this interest and ensure we sustain income as we respond to the ongoing emergency and the longer-term health of Palestinians over the coming years. With an ambition to be a £50m organisation in the next five years, our fundraising operations team, consisting of database and supporter care functions, will play a key role in enabling over one million Palestinians to access improved healthcare annually by 2028.

The role will play a pivotal role to support the overall organization and teams, across all offices (UK, Palestine and Lebanon) to enhance our processes and system to respond to the growth of the last year and the ambition for the future. They will work closely with finance and non-finance staff, to understand the gaps and develop changes in the data granularity and the design of the most efficient reports introducing Power BI reporting tool. The growth as determined an expansion of teams and scopes, the role will contribute to promote a cohesive team works across all new staff and departments.

About You

The ideal candidate will find data analysis exciting. You love exploring links between system and process. You have great attention for details; like to find easy solution to complex issues, and to promote efficiency in process and system maintenance. You have great communication skills, and able to explain technical financial jargon in simple and accessible messages. You will champion the organization values in your day-to-day engagement, with kindness and patience.

Duties and key responsibilities

Business partnering

• Closely partner with the budget holders in the UK office on all aspects of budgeting, reporting and analysis providing support and training where necessary.

• Review budgets for proposal to Institutional Donors ensuring compliance with MAP internal policy and relevant Donor regulation. Provide feed back and commentary for relevant senior staff sign off.

• Support UK budget holders on the actual vs budget monthly review, and in the reforecast process.

• Provide training on finance standards and MAP financial procedure.

• Ensure a strong interface and reconciliation between the fundraising (Dynamics 365-CRM) and finance database (XLedger)

Process and system development

• Ensure that systems and reporting tools are fit for purpose for the organization financial controls needs

• Update and develop process guidance and tools in line with any gaps or need of improvement identified

• Develop training material and deliver training to ensure all staff (new and current) are timely updated on any process changes

• Develop and maintain BI solution to simplify and enhance finance reporting visibility for all stakeholder.

Other tasks

• Support and prioritise the analysis work for the year-end process and audit when required.

• Work closely with the Senior Business partner of Finance on potential enhancements and changes to the finance system.

• Ensure correct tracking of income and expenditure across project and donors, and reconciliation of all restricted and unrestricted income.

Person Specification

Education/Training

• A recognised professional Accounting Qualification, for example ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA.

• A commitment to continuing professional development.

Knowledge / Experience

• Experience in finance budgeting, reporting, and forecasting, within a complex charitable organisation, working internationally.

• Experience of developing and supporting donor management systems including budget development, full cost recovery, cost allocations, tracking restricted funds, and reporting to large institutional donors e.g. UNICEF, OCHA, ECHO, WHO, DFID etc.

• Experience of business partnering; supporting and influencing budget holders and senior managers.

• Experience of constantly looking to identify and deliver improvements.

• Understanding of management and financial accounting principles and techniques.

• An appreciation of the political complexities in the Middle East region, of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and of the position of the Palestinian refugee population in regions where MAP operates.

Skills

• An ability to both support and influence budget holders.

• An ability to develop and adapt financial systems and financial reporting tools.

• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present financial information and narrative to a range of stakeholders to improve decision making.

• Excellent IT skills, including experience of using Office 365 software. Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Power BI development and maintenance

• Solution-focused approach, ability to work under pressure.

• Fluent written and spoken English.

Personal attributes and other requirements

• Commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation & abuse/safeguarding.

• Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities.

• An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.

• Able to work flexibly in emergencies and to meet specific deadlines including some evenings and weekends.

• Attention to detail, organisational and problem-solving skills, and the ability to work independently and under pressure.

• A commitment to MAP s vision, mission and values and a passion for improving the health and dignity of Palestinians.

• Prepared and able to travel occasionally to all MAP offices.

• Work collaboratively with others in all aspects of our work.

• Abide by organisational policies, codes of conduct and practices.

• Treat with confidentiality any data or sensitive information about individuals, organisations, clients, and employees at MAP.