(Freelancer/Interim) Senior Finance Business Partner (Reporting & Systems) - open until filled

Job description

Your mission War Child Alliance Foundation works globally to support children affected by conflict. Strengthening financial management, reporting, systems utilisation, and process effectiveness across country offices and global functions is critical to ensure accountability, donor compliance, effective decision-making, and efficient programme delivery. The Senior Finance Business Partner – Reporting & Systems will support finance transformation initiatives across the organisation, with a particular focus on financial planning and reporting, management information, Power BI implementation, Unit4 optimisation, and finance process analysis and improvement. The Senior Finance Business Partner – Reporting & Systems will support the strengthening of financial planning, reporting, financial controls, systems utilisation, and management information across War Child Alliance. The role will contribute to improving reporting quality, forecasting processes, Power BI implementation, Unit4 optimisation, finance process mapping, analysis, optimisation, standardisation and harmonisation across country offices and global functions, while strengthening cross-functional collaboration to improve organisational reporting, operational efficiency, and decision-making. Scope of Work A. Finance Policies & Internal Control Support drafting, reviewing, and updating global finance policies and procedures. Assist in strengthening internal control frameworks and risk mitigation measures across country offices. Guide country teams in implementing and adhering to finance policies. Contribute to documenting, standardising, and improving financial processes. B. Financial Control Activities Support periodic financial control checks, including reconciliations and balance sheet reviews. Monitor compliance with internal policies, procedures, and donor requirements across countries. Assist country teams in improving month-end and year-end closing processes to reduce closing timelines. Contribute to audit preparation, coordination, and follow-up on audit findings. C. Financial Planning, Reporting & Forecasting Support country teams in implementing structured financial planning and reporting cycles. Drive improvements in monthly closing processes to ensure faster, high-quality reporting. Assist in developing and embedding quarterly forecasting processes. Provide guidance on budget monitoring and financial performance tracking. D. Grant Accounting & Donor Reporting Assist in maintaining accurate grant administration and financial tracking systems. Support preparation and review of donor financial reports in line with contractual requirements. Ensure compliance with donor regulations, guidelines, and reporting standards. Strengthen alignment between programme and finance teams on grant management. E. Management Reporting & Data Transformation Support preparation of internal financial reports, dashboards, and performance insights. Assist in variance analysis and budget monitoring across country programmes. Support the design, development, and implementation of Power BI reporting solutions and the transition from Excel-based reporting processes. Contribute to improving reporting tools, automation, and data quality. F. General Finance Support Provide analytical and operational support to the global finance function. Collaborate closely with country finance teams and cross-functional departments. Support capacity building of country finance staff where needed. Contribute to ad-hoc financial analysis, projects, and continuous improvement initiatives. G. Finance Systems, Process Mapping & Continuous Improvement Lead the mapping and documentation of key finance processes, workflows, controls, and system touchpoints across country offices and global functions. Analyse existing finance processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, controls, reporting quality, and user experience. Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise, harmonise, and optimise finance processes and reporting practices across the organisation. Assess utilisation of Unit4 and related systems and recommend improvements to system-enabled processes and controls. Support optimisation of Unit4 ERP reporting structures, reporting dimensions, master data, and management reporting capabilities. Facilitate engagement between Finance, Programmes, HR, Procurement, IT, Funding and other stakeholders to improve process effectiveness and data quality. Support development and implementation of Power BI dashboards and management reporting solutions. Translate business and reporting requirements into practical reporting and system improvement initiatives. Improve reporting consistency, automation, and data quality across finance systems and reporting processes. Contribute to finance transformation and continuous improvement initiatives. Deliverables Improved compliance with global finance policies across WCAF offices. Reduced financial closing timelines and improved reporting accuracy. Implementation or strengthening of quarterly forecasting processes across country offices and global office departments. Enhanced internal control frameworks and audit readiness. Improved quality, consistency, and usability of management reporting. Development and implementation of Power BI dashboards and reporting solutions to support management decision-making. Improved reporting structures, data quality, and reporting automation across finance systems and reporting processes. Completed mapping and assessment of key finance processes, controls, reporting requirements, system utilisation, and cross-functional workflows, including prioritised recommendations and improvement opportunities. Recommendations for optimisation of Unit4 reporting structures, master data, reporting dimensions, and finance processes. Your profile Required Qualifications & Experience Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Information Management, or a related field. Professional certification (e.g. ACCA, CIMA, CPA, or equivalent) preferred. Minimum 6–8 years of relevant experience in financial management, business partnering, financial control, reporting, finance systems, or finance transformation roles. Experience in an international NGO or multi-country environment is an advantage. Strong understanding of donor compliance, grant management, and financial reporting requirements. Demonstrated experience in financial data analysis, data modelling, reporting model development, dashboard design, and reporting automation. Experience working with ERP systems, management reporting tools, and business intelligence solutions. Experience with Unit4 ERP and Power BI is highly desirable. Advanced Excel skills and strong analytical capabilities. Competencies Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Ability to translate complex financial and operational data into meaningful management insights. Strong business process analysis and continuous improvement mindset. Ability to work effectively with multiple stakeholders across different countries and functions. High attention to detail and commitment to accuracy. Proactive, structured, and results-oriented approach. Strong communication, facilitation, and capacity-building skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a dynamic environment. How to Apply DURATION 6 months (interim/additional capacity) We operate a rolling recruitment process for this position. This means we do not have a fixed application deadline. Our team reviews applications continuously in the order they are received. We interview qualified candidates immediately and will close this vacancy as soon as the right person is hired. To ensure your application is considered, we highly recommend submitting your CV as soon as possible. _______________________________________________________________________________ By submitting your application you certify that all of the statements made in your application are true, complete, and correct and are made in good faith. You understand that falsifying, misrepresenting or intentionally withholding information will be grounds for rejection of your application or withdrawal of any offer of appointment or, if an appointment offer has been accepted, this will be ground for employment sanctions, such as, but not limited to, instant dismissal. In addition, you understand that you need to submit a Criminal Record Certificate and that, if you fail to submit it, no employment relationship can be established. Disclaimer Only applications received via our website are processed. If we appoint a suitable candidate before the given closing date, we reserve the right to remove the vacancy from our website before that date. In such a case, any responses received after that time are not processed. It could be that during our selection process the closing date for the vacancy is extended. If so, and you have not yet heard from us, your application will remain active.