Finance Officer, Caribbean Resilience Initiative (CRI), Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Jamaica, or Saint Lucia

Location: Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Jamaica or Saint Lucia
Valid unrestricted work authorization in the country in which you will be based is required at the time of application for this position.

Position Status: Full-time or Part-time, Regular

Salary Level:  Puerto Rico & US Virgin Islands: $46,000 annually - St Lucia :  $5,500 xcd monthly -  commensurate  on professional experience -  

Closing date: please submit application by July 15

Risk Level: ☐ Level 3       ☐Level 2 ☐Level 1

(Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability. 

Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.

Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data)

About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact. Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential and motivated to do their best work.

The Program / Department / Team
Climate change severely and disproportionately impacts US Territories and small island developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean.

Worsening environmental risks like rising and warming seas, volatile dry and wet seasons, and catastrophic storms mean that islands and SIDS bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change, even though their carbon footprint is small relative to the world’s largest carbon producers, and their capacity to cope is constrained by their narrow resource base.

Caribbean islands need flexible tools to make them more resilient through the climate crisis.

Tools that:

-          Protect lives

-          Protect livelihoods

-          Protect food and water security and

-          Protect ecosystems and natural resources

Mercy Corps began this work following the historic 2016 hurricane season. Since then, with the help of our donors, more than $34 million has been put toward preparedness, response and climate resilience programming in the Caribbean. Mercy Corps has learned that empowering people and their communities with flexible assets and knowledge is the best way to measurably protect lives and livelihoods.

The Caribbean Resilience Initiative (CRI) is a sub-regional structure within Mercy Corps which aims to positively impact those communities most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change across multiple Caribbean jurisdictions. Current funded projects are strengthening markets and employment opportunities in collaboration with community based organizations across Jamaica, Grenada, Dominican Republic, Trinida and Tobago, St Vincent and Grenadines; and building centers of community resilience, including solar, water, community gardens, and disaster preparedness, in Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

The Position

The Finance Officer is a member of the finance team of the Caribbean Resilience Initiative (CRI) portfolio and plays a key role in supporting the financial management of CRI programs across multiple jurisdictions in the Caribbean. Working under the direction of the Finance Manager, the position supports accounting, treasury, budgeting, financial reporting, grant management and compliance functions while ensuring adherence to Mercy Corps policies, donor regulations and local statutory requirements. The role also contributes to financial analysis, partner financial oversight and audit readiness to support effective program implementation.

Essential Responsibilities

• Maintain banking files, banking relationships and related correspondence.

• Conduct financial reviews of purchase requests, purchase orders and payment requests within delegated authority levels.

• Support month-end and year-end close processes and maintain accurate accounting records.

• Assist with subgrant compliance follow-up activities.

• Manage cash advances, payroll support and statutory remittances.

• Process payments and prepare monthly bank reconciliations.

• Maintain grant files and supporting financial documentation.

• Monitor cash and bank balances and assist with cash flow requests.

• Assist in operational budget preparation and financial data entry.

• Support audit requests and other duties as assigned.

• Support grant budget monitoring, forecasting and variance analysis (BVA), identifying potential spending risks and opportunities.

• Prepare financial reports and supporting schedules for management review and donor reporting requirements.

• Support grant start-up, budget modifications and closeout activities.

• Assist with subrecipient financial reviews, partner reporting and financial due diligence processes.

• Conduct compliance reviews of financial transactions and support the maintenance of strong internal controls.

• Support financial system integrity and ensure accurate financial data management within organizational systems.

• Coordinate audit documentation and support follow-up actions on audit findings and recommendations.

• Provide financial guidance to program and operations teams and support decision-making through financial analysis.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

●        Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.

●        Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.

●        Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Finance Manager

Works Directly With: Grants program, Program and Operations staff in US Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Puerto Rico, and other US locations.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting or a related business field.

• Knowledge of nonprofit accounting principles and donor regulations.

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and experience with financial systems.

• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.

• Three to five years of progressively responsible finance experience, preferably within an international NGO environment.

• Experience in budgeting, grants management, financial reporting and compliance.

• Experience supporting audits, partner financial oversight and financial analysis preferred

Success Factors

The ideal profile will demonstrate keen ability to communicate financial information effectively to non-finance staff. They will use strong collaboration skills across Finance, Programs, Grants and Operations teams. This profile also is able to balance compliance requirements with programmatic objectives and strong analytical skills, attention to detail and problem-solving capabilities.

 

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Team Engagement and Effectiveness

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.

We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).