Director, Finance

Job description

This position is based in Damascus and is an unaccompanied post. It is contingent upon donor funding. While on-the-ground operations are being finalized, the position will initially be remote.

*Please Note: Hiring for this position is contingent upon final funding approval. Contracting is subject to confirmation of project award and scope.

Search for Common Ground

In a world often divided, Search for Common Ground stands for the power of bringing diverse people together to find solutions. By meeting this moment with Search, you join a powerful global peace movement that believes in the profound impact of courageous multipartiality - that all voices should be heard and respected in shaping a better, more connected world, and a collaborative vision is essential for lasting peace.

Search for Common Ground adopts a dynamic approach by developing solutions tailored to the specific needs of communities. We engage with leaders and elected officials to advance dialogue and collaboration. We are community leaders. We are youth activists. We are women. We are Peacebuilders. We have been doing this work for over 40 years, and we have developed a deep understanding of what peace looks like, enabling us to quantify our impact and design more effective programming. Peace moves at the speed of trust, so we invest for the long haul. When we’re no longer needed, we leave, leaving behind people and institutions with the ability to manage future conflicts.

Team Summary

This FCDO ISF Syria: Syria Stabilization Response Mechanism responds to the evolving dynamics of the Syrian context by advancing UK security and policy objectives through innovative, high-risk, and politically informed programming. It pilots flexible and adaptive approaches to support a sustainable and inclusive political settlement in Syria. Core interventions include technical assistance and support for Syrian-led initiatives in transitional justice, peacebuilding, social cohesion, and security sector reform. The Consortium Management Unit (CMU) for the FCDO ISF Syria program functions as the central coordinating and management body of the consortium, overseeing day-to-day operations while ensuring strategic alignment across all activities.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Country Director with a dotted line to Regional Finance Leadership and HQ Finance, the Director, Finance oversees all financial, administrative, and operational functions for the country program. This includes strategic financial planning, budget development, and monitoring across multiple grants, as well as compliance with donor and institutional regulations (e.g., FCDO), and timely financial reporting. The Director ensures robust internal controls, supports partner organizations through capacity-building initiatives and technical assistance, and oversees subawards, procurement, office operations, and logistics. S/he leads financial risk management, including sanctions compliance and vetting protocols, while fostering transparency and accountability in all financial transactions.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Strategy and Oversight

• Provide strategic leadership in designing, implementing, and monitoring finance systems to ensure programs are delivered within approved budgets and in alignment with Search’s strategic objectives and donor requirements.
• Lead the development and management of multi-grant budgets, ensuring alignment with Search and donor policies; oversee forecasting to ensure adequate funds are available for programmatic and operational needs.
• Conduct regular pipeline and burn rate analyses, budget-to-actual comparisons, and expenditure audits; present clear financial insights to support internal decision-making and donor reporting.
• Identify financial risks and implement mitigation strategies to ensure compliance with international sanctions, anti-terrorism vetting protocols, and regulatory frameworks.
• Facilitate ongoing capacity building for staff and partners through targeted training in financial systems, donor compliance, and policy implementation.

Compliance, Reporting, and Controls

• Ensure strict compliance with donor requirements (e.g., FCDO), Search’s internal policies, and host country regulations by developing, implementing, and enforcing robust financial controls, systems, and procedures.
• Lead the timely preparation and submission of accurate, high-quality financial reports to donors, consortium partners, and Search region/headquarters.
• Review and approve financial reports and expenditures submitted by consortium members; conduct periodic spot checks to ensure compliance, accuracy, and accountability.
• Act as the primary custodian of all financial records and transactions, upholding confidentiality and data integrity at all times.

Partner Support and Capacity Building

• Provide financial guidance and training to consortium partners and sub-grantees to strengthen compliance, financial management capacity, and transparency.
• Lead the development and dissemination of standardized financial tools, templates, and guidelines to promote consistency and quality among implementing partners.
• Support the negotiation, budgeting, and monitoring of sub-agreements in coordination with Search’s grants and legal teams.

Operations, Procurement, and Administration

• Oversee office operations, procurement, and logistics in accordance with Search, donor, and national policies, ensuring effective systems are in place for inventory management, fleet oversight, and security.
• Ensure procurement processes are transparent and well-documented, including bid analysis, vendor due diligence, and contract management.
• Supervise administrative systems, including payroll, taxation, and insurance compliance, in close coordination with HR and legal advisors.

Team Leadership and Coordination

• Build and supervise a high-performing finance and administration team, providing coaching, mentorship, and performance oversight to drive excellence.
• Foster synergy and collaboration across departments to ensure financial systems support effective program implementation.
• Serve as the focal point for financial coordination with Search headquarters, regional offices, and relevant government bodies.

Project Support and Compliance

• Support internal and external audits, donor assessments, and compliance reviews.
• Represent the finance function in relevant coordination meetings, donor engagements, and strategic planning discussions.
• Perform other related duties as required by the Country Director or Regional Finance leadership.

Competency Behavior Indicators (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Builds and sustains collaborative relationships with donors, partners, and other key stakeholders to advance shared goals and ensure effective coordination and collaboration.
• Balances routine responsibilities with ongoing improvement initiatives, contributing to the evolution of systems and practices.
• Adapts effectively to shifting priorities by introducing innovative approaches and generating creative solutions in complex, dynamic environments.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of consortium strategies that reflect collective objectives and contextual realities.
• Promotes consistent standards across functions while fostering inclusive collaboration across diverse, international teams.
• Upholds the highest standards of ethical behavior and professionalism, modeling integrity and reducing ambiguity for others.
• Navigates complexity with foresight—building strategic frameworks to respond to uncertainty, while remaining agile and responsive to changing operational needs.
• Establishes clear procedures and facilitates team-building efforts to ensure accountability and high-quality performance, including regular review and reflection meetings.
• Encourages solution-oriented thinking within compliance, ethical, and organizational frameworks to meet the expectations of donors and institutions.
• Provides mentorship and coaching to team members, sharing knowledge and fostering a culture of learning and growth.
• Recognized as a technical resource, offering expert guidance and solutions within finance, operations, or relevant functional areas.
• Leads group problem-solving and innovation efforts in a consortium setting, driving the adoption of improved systems, structures, and processes.
• Promotes inclusive leadership by involving team members and partners in strategic discussions and decision-making to support development and shared ownership.
• Maintains vigilance on safeguarding risks, actively builds knowledge and skills to promote safe practices, and upholds Search’s Safeguarding Policy through personal conduct and leadership.

Education and Experience

BS/BA degree with a minimum 13 years’ experience in Finance Administration, Accounting, or a related field.

Regional experience in the MENA region is required.

Preferred Education and Experience

Master’s level degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field preferred

Experience with FCDO contracts is highly desirable.

In-depth knowledge of or experience in the Syrian context is strongly preferred.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

This position is ultimately stationed in Syria, where security conditions are highly volatile and may pose significant risks, requiring strict adherence to safety protocols; ability to travel internationally at least 25%.

Supervisory and Budget Responsibility

Manages multiple direct reports and/or consultants and/or manages multiple functional areas and associated budgets.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.

---————————————————————————————————–

Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please. Please see our website www.sfcg.org for full details of our work.All Search Employees must adhere to the values: Collaboration- Audacity - Tenacity - Empathy - Results. In accordance with these values, Search enforces compliance with the Code of Conduct and related policies on Anti Workplace Harassment, Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Conflict of Interest, and Anti-fraud. Search is committed to safeguarding the interests, rights, and well-being of children, youth, and vulnerable adults with whom it is in contact and to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for children, youth, and vulnerable adults.Search for Common Ground does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.View our code of conduct here and our privacy policy here.

Les descriptifs de pouvant ne pouvant être exhaustifs, le titulaire du poste pourra être amené à entreprendre d’autres tâches qui correspondent globalement aux responsabilités clés ci-dessus.

---———————————————– —————————————————

Seuls les candidats invités à un entretien seront contactés. Pas d’appels téléphoniques s’il vous plaît. Veuillez consulter notre site Web www.sfcg.org pour tous les détails de notre mission.

Tous les employés de Search doivent adhérer aux valeurs de Search : Collaboration- Audace - Ténacité - Empathie - Résultats. Conformément à ces valeurs, Search fait respecter le code de conduite et les politiques connexes sur la lutte contre le harcèlement au travail, la protection contre l’exploitation et les abus, la protection des enfants, les conflits d’intérêts et la lutte contre la fraude. Search s’engage à préserver les intérêts, les droits et le bien-être des enfants, des jeunes et des adultes vulnérables avec lesquels elle est en contact et à mener ses programmes et ses opérations d’une manière qui soit sûre pour les enfants, les jeunes et les adultes vulnérables.

Search for Common Ground ne fait pas et ne doit pas faire de discrimination fondée sur la race, la couleur, la religion (croyance), le sexe, l’expression de genre, l’âge, l’origine nationale (ascendance), le handicap, l’état matrimonial, l’orientation sexuelle ou le statut militaire, dans aucune de ses activités ou opérations.

Consultez notre code de conduite ici et notre politique de confidentialité ici.

Dado que la descripción de funciones no puede ser exhaustiva, el titular del puesto puede tener que realizar otras tareas que coinciden en líneas generales con las responsabilidades clave mencionadas.

---—————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sólo se contactará con los candidatos invitados a una entrevista. Se agradece no recibir llamadas telefónicas. Consulte nuestro sitio web www.sfcg.org para conocer todos los detalles de nuestro trabajo. Todos los empleados de Search deben adherirse a los valores de la organización: Colaboración - Audacia - Tenacidad - Empatía - Resultados. De acuerdo con estos valores, Search hace cumplir el Código de Conducta y las políticas relacionadas con luchar contra el acoso en el lugar de trabajo, la protección contra la explotación y el abuso, la protección de la infancia, los conflictos de intereses y la lucha contra el fraude. Search se compromete a salvaguardar los intereses, derechos y bienestar de los niños, jóvenes y adultos vulnerables con los que está en contacto y a llevar a cabo sus programas y operaciones de una manera que sea segura para los niños, jóvenes y adultos vulnerables.  Search for Common Ground no discrimina ni discriminará por motivos de raza, color, religión (credo), género, expresión de género, edad, origen nacional (ascendencia), discapacidad, estado civil, orientación sexual o condición militar, en ninguna de sus actividades u operaciones. Consulte nuestro código de conducta aquí y nuestra política de privacidad aquí.